As the group's leader and composer, Jay Vilnai brings to Vampire Suit his wide palette experiences as a musician in New York, having shared the stage with such diverse figures as Klezmer great Frank London, Brazilian percussionist Jorge Martins and saxophonist Roy Nathanson, and having played anything from traditional jazz to Balkan music, Klezmer to Schoenberg, free improv to cabaret shows.
“The music has enduring beauty that touches on the heart of the Middle East's musical culture while exhibiting western flair. Open improvisations and the spirit of the belly dance coexist, encouraging the traditional undulated hip movements as a supplement to the solid instrumentation"
--Frank Rubolino, Cadence Magazine
Also in play is Vilnai's unique musical heritage as a Russian- Romanian-Polish descendant raised in Jerusalem around a mix of contemporary and traditional Jewish and Arab music, with a soul for rock n'roll and a BFA in jazz. Couple that with a passion for Bartok and Stravinsky and you end up with all original music that draws on all those influences to create something akin to traditional music for a generation that hails from so many traditions. Balkan and Middle- Eastern rhythms are prominent, backed by 20th century composing concepts and jazz improvising.
“Vilnai and his vampires get high marks for their utter unpredictability from track to track, their sheer joy they get from and give to the music and the various textures and sounds that emerge"
--Budd Kopman, All About Jazz
The result is a highly personal musical texture that takes you from the tribal dances of North Africa to the marshes of the Balkans. A musical journey that is at once personal and global, music that is at the same time unmistakably modern, yet feels old and familiar.
To help create that sound, Vampire Suit draws on the talents of young New York musicians that have had experience in different musical settings and cultures. Collaborators Skye Steele (violin), Gary Pickard (sax), Mike Savino (bass) and Rich Stein (percussion) are all adept at a variety of traditions, and well-traveled in the jazz, rock and world scenes in New York and around the globe. They each bring their sensibility to Vampire Suit's far-reaching music, while the compositions are constructed to showcase their talents and abilities.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
