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Sam Yahel
Since moving to New York in 1990, Yahel has worked with a string of notable jazz artists including tenor saxophonists Joshua Redman and Eric Alexander, former James Brown sideman and alto sax great Maceo Parker, guitarists Peter Bernstein and Bill Frisell, trumpeters Ryan Kisor and Jim Rotondi, vocalists HYPERLINK Norah Jones (on her Grammy-winning Come Away With Me), Lizz Wright, and Madeleine Peyroux.
But it has been as a solo artist in his own right that Yahel has made his most personal statements as both composer and player.
On Truth and Beauty, his fourth outing as a leader, Yahel joins with longtime colleagues Joshua Redman and drummer Brian Blade in rekindling the potent chemistry they generated as Yaya3, a collective group that was an outgrowth of a residency they had at Small's nightclub in New York. "I'm proud of that record. I like Yaya3 (which was released by Warner Bros. in 2003). But at the same time I was always thinking about doing something purely of my own."
And while Yahel had previously released three recordings as a leader -- 1998's Searchin', 1999's Trio and 2000's In The Blink of an Eye -- his current outing is his strongest to date. "This record is not so much about the straight-ahead swinging undercurrent of the rhythm section," says Sam. "These days I feel like jazz has absorbed more world music influences. I hear Brazilian, African and Cuban music elements starting to seep into the mainstream jazz scene and I find myself drawing from those influences more. And for me, the organ is the perfect instrument to implement that kind of thing because you can really get rhythmic and percussive on it, you can evoke images and sounds just as easily as swinging. And although I'm a big fan of straight ahead swinging music and I still play it with pleasure, I think that this record is more of a foray into the other side."
With Truth and Beauty, Yahel once again stakes out his own territory on the Hammond B-3 organ while taking another important stride as a bandleader and composer.
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Laila Biali: Wintersongs

by Pierre Giroux
Laila Biali is an award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist whose recording Wintersongs offers an immersive journey into the delicate beauty and serene power of winter all through the lens of her jazz and classical roots. With two exceptions, all tracks were composed by Biali in a cabin surrounded by snow-capped mountains in the heart of Canada's Rocky Mountains. Many of Biali's usual collaborators participated in this production, including drummer Ben Wittman, renowned flutist and soprano saxophonist Jane Bunnett, accomplished trumpeter ...
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by Kyle Simpler
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Continue ReadingSam Yahel Trio: New York, NY, July 17, 2011

by Dan Bilawsky
Sam Yahel Trio The Village Vanguard New York, NY July 17, 2011 The world has changed in numerous and startling ways since pianist Bill Evans recorded Sunday At The Village Vanguard (Riverside, 1961) a half century ago, but two things remain as consistent as the rising and setting of the sun: The Village Vanguard still presents the best that jazz has to offer, and boundary-pushing piano trios are still an important part of the mix that ...
Continue ReadingSam Yahel: Hometown

by J Hunter
Sam Yahel has made the grade. His signature Hammond B3 sound--appearing on both his own work and on recordings by Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, and Norah Jones--has identified him as one of the players that will take Jimmy Smith's favorite instrument deep into the 21st century. So what does Yahel do on Hometown, his fifth disc as a leader? He puts the organ in the closet and does a piano-trio record, which believe it or not, is a good move. ...
Continue ReadingA Jazz Pianist Who Has Honed His Style While Hiding in Plain Sight

Source:
Michael Ricci
Sam Yahel played his own song Truth and Beauty" around the middle of his early set on Tuesday night at the Village Vanguard. In the past hes recorded it on Hammond organ, in a different group, with saxophone and drums. Here he was playing it on the piano, with the bassist Matt Penman and the drummer Jochen Rckert, and it had a different personality: first more tense, with its crowded contrapuntal opening, then more permissive and abstract. Lots of space ...
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Sam Yahel Trio Live at the Village Vanguard - Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 thru Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Source:
Two for the Show Media
Pianist /Composer Sam Yahel will be performing with his Trio (featuring Matt Penman on bass, Jochen Rueckert on drums) at The Village Vanguard in NYC from Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 thru Sunday, April 18th, 2010.
Sam Yahel Trio:
Sam Yahel - Piano Matt Penman - bass, Jochen Rueckert - drums
The Village Vanguard- 178 7th Ave. South New York City
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 thru Sunday April 18th, 2010
Set times- 9:00 PM & 11:00 PM ...
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Celebrate Posi-Tone Records Download Week: Free MP3s by David Binney, Sean Nowell, Mike DiRubbo, Sam Yahel and David Gibson

Source:
Michael Ricci
Download five free MP3s courtesy of Posi-Tone Record.
For All Intensive Purposes (06:52) Sean Nowell From: The Seeker Posi-Tone Records Nelsonian (07:25) Mike DiRubbo From: Repercussion Posi-Tone Records Everybody's Wonderland (05:34) David Binney/Alan Ferber From: In The Paint Posi-Tone Records Hometown (05:37) Sam Yahel From: Hometown Posi-Tone Records French Press (05:06)
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The Jazz Session #80: Sam Yahel

Source:
Michael Ricci
Listen Sam Yahel is best known as an organist who has performed and recorded with Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Lizz Wright, Ryan Kisor, Madeleine Peyroux and many others. He started as a pianist, though, a side he showcases on his new album, Hometown (Posi-Tone, 2009). In this interview, Yahel talks about his decision to make a piano recording, how his organ playing has added to his piano playing, and the influence of Malian singer Oumou Sangar (after whom ...
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Sam Yahel Trio with Lionel Loueke and Francisco Mela at the Jazz Standard, November 27-28

Source:
All About Jazz
Sam Yahel Trio Sam Yahel - organ Lionel Loueke - guitar (27th) Peter Bernstein - guitar (28th) Francisco Mela - drums The Jazz Standard New York, NY November 27-28th Sets at 7:30pm and 9:30pm $20
Free MP3 Download Saba Sam Yahel From Truth And Beauty 7:53 One of the most distinctive voices ...
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Matthieu Marthouret
organ, Hammond B3Boaz Marva
guitarTal Klein
pianoBrian Felix
organ, Hammond B3Photos
Music
Sea
From: SeaBy Sam Yahel
Bye Bye Blackbird
From: Your RequestsBy Sam Yahel
2 Pilgrims
From: From Sun to SunBy Sam Yahel