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Asaf Sirkis
Asaf Sirkis - drummer, composer, bandleader, educator
About Me
Asaf Sirkis - Drummer, Composer
Born in 1969 in Petah-Tikva, Israel, Asaf later moved to the town of Rehovot, where he
spent his teens and early twenties. This was an influential move for Asaf, as it was here
amongst the diverse cultural influences he found in Rehovot that Asaf began to show an
interest in music and rhythm. In Rehovot he lived amongst people from North Africa, east
and central Europe, and the Middle East. Living in Shaarayim, the Yemenite neighbourhood
in Rehovot, Asaf was particularly drawn to Yemenite culture, music, and rhythms.
At the age of 12 Asaf began drum lessons, while also having a strong interest in playing
electric bass. The music that influenced Asaf at the time still influences his writing and
playing till this day; The Beatles, Police, Yes, Genesis, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Allan
Holdsworth, and Weather Report to name a few.
1987 � 1990 Asaf did his compulsory national service.
Out of the army in 1990, Asaf started his professional career as a musician playing with
many different young Jazz-Rock, Kleizmer, world music, and Free Jazz bands. During that
time he co-operated with Israel�s local Jazz/world luminaries such as Harold Rubin,
Albert
Beger, Yair Dlal and Eyal Sela. Many of those early projects where recorded and released by
a pioneer Jazz record label in Israel called Jazzis (founded by Adam Baruch). Around those
years Asaf started to write music but it wasn�t until 1995 when he formed his first trio
that
he found an outlet for his writing.
In 1993 moved to Tel-Aviv. While making his living playing mainly Jewish music Asaf
continued to develop his own voice as a drummer and composer until, in 1995, formed his
own trio (consisting of Kobi Arad on Keyboards and Gabriel Mayer on Bass) and recorded
his first album �One Step Close� (independent).
In 1996, Inspired by French Church Organ composers such as Olivier Messiaen, Maurice
Durufle� and Cesar Frank he formed a unique new band �The Inner Noise� consisting of
Church Organ, Electric Guitar and Drums (with Adi Goldstein on Organ and Amir Perelman
on Guitar). The Inner Noise�s first project was commissioned by the Arts department of
the
Tel-Aviv City Council and was performed around Israel in 1997-8.
In October 1998 Asaf left Israel for Holland and then to France, and in April 1999 he
settled to London.
In London, Asaf very soon become a part of the UK Jazz and world music scene. During
that year he started working with Adel Salameh, a Palestinian Aud player/composer with
whom he recorded the album �Nuzha� which also featured, for the first time, Asaf�s
Middle
Eastern frame drum playing.
Soon after arriving to the UK Asaf re-formed the Inner Noise band with Steve Lodder on
Organ and Mike Outram on Guitar.
In 2000 Asaf met Gilad Atzmon, which was to be a start of a creative musical collaboration
that remains to this day. With Atzmon they formed The Orient House Ensemble. This band
has now recorded 6 albums (�Orient House�, �Nostalgico�, �Exile�, �Musik�,
�Artie Fishel &
the Promised Band�, and �Refuge�). OHE�s album 'Exile' has won the 'Best CD of the
Year'
category at the BBC Jazz Award 2003 and nominated in the �Best Band� category in
2004.
The OHE performs regularly in many high profile festival and venues in the UK and in
Europe.
In 2003 Asaf recorded the Inner Noise� first album (�Inner Noise�, Konnex KCD 5113).
�Inner Noise� is widely considered a groundbreaking album and the music has been
described as a new gender - �Gothic Jazz�. The CD was chosen as one of the best
albums
of 2005 at the CHUOFM89 radio jazz station in Canada.
In 2006 Asaf started a unique collaboration with Saxophonist/composer Tim Garland and
has enjoyed making four album with him so far; �If The Sea Replied� (The Lighthouse
Trio),
Due North (Northern Underground Orchestra), The Mystery (featuring Chick Corea and the
Northern Simfonia Orchestra), and �Libra� (The Lighthouse Trio).
With the Inner Noise band Asaf had made two more albums, �We Are Falling� (Konnex
2005) and �The Song Within� (SAM Productions/Egea 2007) which was selected as one of
the best albums of 2007 at the �All About Jazz� web-site by John Kelman.
In 2007 continuing with writing music Asaf formed the Asaf Sirkis trio with Greek Guitarist
Tassos Spiliotopoulos and Israeli Bassist Yaron Stavi. This trio has recorded their first
album �The Monk� (SAM Productions/Egea) � to be released September 2008.
Asaf is also working regularly with the Larry Coryell�s �Power Trio� (featuring Larry
Coryell
on Guitar and Jeff Berlin on Bass), Nicolas Meier Group, a group that combines Jazz with
Middle Eastern music (albums available: �Ribbon In The Wind�, �Orient�, �Yuz� and
�Silence
Talks�), and with John Law�s Art Of Sound trio as well as working with other artists such
as:
Mark Egan, Dave Liebman, David Binney, Gary Husband, John Taylor, Norma Winstone,
Kenny Wheeler, Andy Sheppard, Lenny Stern, Paul Bollenback (NY), Julian Siegel, Dan Stern,
Peter King, Stan Sulzman, Barbaros Erkose (Turkey), Ari Brown (Chicago), Bela Szakcsi-
Lokatos (Hungary), Glauco Venier (Italy), Yuri Goloubev (Russia), Klaus Gesing (Austria),
Christoph Spendel (Germany), Eyal Maoz (NY), Carlos Barretto (Portugal), Simon Fisher
Turner, Phil Robson, Arnie Somogyi, Martin Speake, Mark Latimer, Reem Kelani, Christine
Tobin, Nicolas Meier, Tom Arthurs, John Etherigde and more.
