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Gregory Rivkin

“The trumpeter, whose playing is in the tradition of Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan, would in another era be a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers– Scott Yanow, Los Angeles Jazz Scene, Author of the “Jazz Trumpet Kings” Encyclopedia

About Me

“The trumpeter, whose playing is in the tradition of Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan, would in another era be a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. His tone is quite attractive, his solos are full of surprises, and he plays with consistent passion and creativity within the hard bop and post bop tradition. Rivkin’s fiery and forward-looking playing with luck makes him one of the pacesetters of the trumpet in the present and future years” – Scott Yanow, Los Angeles Jazz Scene, Author of the “Jazz Trumpet Kings” Encyclopedia (Third Ear)

At this day and age the art Gregory Rivkin’s trumpet-playing is at the stage of epitome of taste and equilibrium on every and any level.

Always connected on stage to the moment and present tense, Gregory is a real -deal story-teller, when he plays ballads. Hard-swinging, lyrical and melodic at medium tempos, he becomes extremely dangerous, when it’s time to burn. An accomplished band-leader with robust musical individuality and a prolific sideman, the trumpeter gained his international reputation in the scene of Paris, France and New York, N.Y., U.S.A. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2006. In addition to his diplomas with excellence in classical trumpet, Gregory has won awards in several international and national competitions in a discipline of classical and jazz trumpet held in Israel, France and the United States. His high light sideman work in New York credits: Elvin Jones Jazz Machine, Mingus Big-Band just to name a few. Arguably one of the finest Israeli trumpeters and jazz artists, Greg leads his own groups and works as featured soloist and core member with Tel-Aviv Big-Band, Haifa Big-Band, Eli De-Gibri Big-Band. Rivkin’s creative imagination, virtuosity and ability to sink into the roots of Black American Music and deliver the authenticity of this art-form is also highly demanded by band-leaders and producers, who work in the alternative streams of music, by mixing contemporary hip-hop, folk and rock elements.