Take Five With Aylet Rose Gottlieb

Meet Ayelet Rose Gottlieb:

"A commanding vocalist" New York Times

Born in Jerusalem, Ayelet's sound incorporates both western and middle-eastern musical flavors. She leads several critically acclaimed projects including: "Mayim Rabim"—a song cycle she composed to segments of the erotic biblical poem Song of Songs, released in '06 on John Zorn's Tzadik Records.

The piece is performed as a staged concert with video projections; her jazz sextet, formed in 2002, is about to release a new CD, Upto Here | From Here this summer (2009), distributed by Obliq Sound. Ayelet is currently developing a new project, Pangaea, which will feature oud, violin, piano, bass and percussion. Aside from working on her own music, Ayelet has had the privilege of performing with some of the world's most cutting edge musicians including Bobby McFerrin, John Zorn, Perry Robinson, Arnie Lawrence, Joe Lovano and John Abercrombie. These days, Ayelet splits her time between New York (USA), Jerusalem (Israel) and Wellington (New Zealand).

Instrument(s):

Composer, vocalist

When were you happiest?

I'm happiest when I'm making music, and when I have my family around me.

What would your superpower be?

I'd be a form shifter... I would be able to melt into a liquid and reassemble in a firm shape (something organic, maybe wooden?).

The problem is, the first wouldn't necessarily happen at will...that would be my Achilles heal...

Which living person do you most admire, and why? My Grandmother. More than anyone I know, she is a "creature of love." She taught me love. She is also tough, opinionated, sensitive, strong, very smart, very funny. More than anything else, her family is at the center of her universe and she radiates with warmth and true intuition as to what we need in order to fly.

Which living person do you most despise, and why? Leaders across the globe who, don't work out of their people's best interests and out of pure intentions, and lead their people into enormous messes that are near impossible to untangle. Damn them.

What is your favorite smell?

Jasmin.

What is your favorite book?

There are many... but at the moment Isha Borachat Mibsora (translated, as something like—woman escaping the word) by David Grossman.

To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why? To my husband and my family, because they have to deal with me when I turn into liquid form...and I do say it, often...

Have you ever said "I love you" and not meant it? No. But I say it a lot, and mean it in many different ways.

Who would you like to invite to your dream dinner party? My peeps from all angles of the world. That would be amazing, to have all of my peeps together for one night for a long dinner party. I can tell you right now though; I wouldn't be the one cooking...

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?

Having a home base.