Jazz Articles about Alon Yavnai

Alon Yavnai - Jesper Riis: Reconnect

by Jakob Baekgaard
February 26, 2016

A first meeting can be something special. Perhaps, a certain chemistry is present. Perhaps, there is feeling of immediate communication. Sometimes these first meetings evolve into long-term friendships and relationships, but other times, people just drift apart again for no particular reason. In a way, being a jazz musician could be characterized as a series of first meetings. In rock music, people often stay together in the same band for many years, but it is different with ...

Alon Yavnai: Travel Notes

by Jakob Baekgaard
January 9, 2009

Travelling. Travel across space. Finding the notes, finding the place. Where the music speaks, where the music sings. The endless map where time begins.

Three people are making a musical journey. This is Travel Notes by the Israeli pianist Alon Yavnai and his trio consisting of Omer Avital on bass and oud and percussionist Jamey Haddad. Together, they weave a rich tapestry of melodic sounds like a pencil drawing on an ancient piece of paper.

The ...

Alon Yavnai Trio: Picture This

by Stephen Latessa
April 3, 2005

Picture This, by the Alon Yavnai Trio, features an intriguing mix of music from different geographical areas as well as historical eras. Backed by Massimo Biolcati on acoustic bass and Take Toriyama on drums (with guest spots by Cuban reed player Paquito D'Rivera), pianist Yavnai tackles Middle Eastern-tinged material, a Bach fugue, as well as some Cuban jazz offerings. Impressively, the band is able to offer dynamic, forward-looking performances, even when they are looking to the past.

Drummer ...

Alon Yavnai: D. S. al Coda

by Dave Nathan
August 1, 2001

This is the initial recording of pianist Alon Yavnai's sextet (plus guests), a group with an international flavor. Yavnai and Avishai Cohen are from Tel Aviv, Massimo Biolcati was raised in Sweden and Italy, Take Toriyama is a rocker from Japan and George Garzone and Dino Govoni are Americans. All have splendid credentials including several jazz awards and competitions. With these pedigrees, the anticipation for this album is high. Yet the results are mixed as they attack a challenging play ...