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Issi Rozen
In 2003, Rozen released his latest recording Dark Beauty on New Step Music. Dark Beauty is a beautiful and powerful extension of Rozen's critically acclaimed releases Homeland Blues and Red Sea (both on Brownstone Recordings). On his recordings, the guitarist taps into the melodies of his homeland to bring a new dimension to jazz. Rozen melds Middle Eastern, Latin and bluesy influences with post-bop playing, creating a sound that has its own exotic flavor and personality. Having composed most of the material on the albums, Rozen captivates the listener both as a talented performer and as an innovative composer.
Homeland Blues was picked as one of the top 20 CDs in 2000 by WBEZ radio in Chicago, one of the leading jazz radio stations in the country. In 1999, Rozen won the "Best Jazz Performer" award from Boston Magazine in its annual "Best of Boston" issue.
In addition to playing, Rozen also enjoys teaching aspiring musicians. In 2002, he joined the faculty of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston where he teaches guitar and music theory.
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An AAJ Interview with Issi Rozen
by AAJ Staff
“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" ' H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927
“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" ' David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920's
'There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.' ' Ken Olson (President of Digital Equipment Corporation) at the Convention ...
read moreIssi Rozen: Dark Beauty
by Michael P. Gladstone
After three recordings on Brownstone, guitarist Issi Rozen has released this album on his own label, and it is a lengthy and worthwhile introduction. Most of the 71 minutes are comprised of Rozen's own compositions with a lesser-known Charlie Parker tune, “Segment," and a traditional Israeli song, “Sheharhoret" (the translation of the album's title), are included. Rozen and pianist Gilad Barkan are both native Israelis transplanted to the Boston area per the Berklee School of Music, where they hooked up ...
read moreIssi Rozen: Dark Beauty
by Jerry D'Souza
Issi Rozen shows a compact sensibility when he bridges the music of his native Israel and jazz. The blend is seamless – and as the music shows, it can be as warm and cozy as it is jumpy and effervescent. As a guitarist, Rozen has enough texture and color in his hands to paint an interesting sketch. In this he is well served by the rest of the band, in particular Thomson Kneeland, who brings in a stirring sensibility to ...
read moreIssi Rozen: Dark Beauty
by Dan McClenaghan
On an initial blind spin of Dark Beauty, the leadership slot isn't readily apparent – to the leader's credit. It could be any one of the quartet members, so balanced are the contributions, with piano and guitar owning a seemingly equal share of the solo time.Israeli-born guitarist Issi Rozen leads the quartet on Dark Beauty, which is a loose English translation of the opening tune's title, “Sheharhoret," a perfect starting point for the music that follows: wistful, minor ...
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