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Praised by critics as, “extraordinary” (New York Times), “roaringly inventive” (JAZZIZ), “a pioneer in combining jazz with myriad world music elements” (LA Times) and, “one of the most exciting musicians to come onto the jazz scene in the last 20 years” (DownBeat), Omer Avital is a visionary composer and virtuoso musician whose genre-defying ensembles are pushing the boundaries of jazz expression and providing audiences with swing and spiritual sustenance in equal measure.
Among the many talented Israeli musicians who have appeared on the world jazz scene in recent years, Avital stands out from the rest. He is not part of this wave but rather one of those who initiated it – Omer Avital is a pioneer. The musician, who has lived in New York since 1992, is partly responsible for putting his native country on the jazz map. Critics from Downbeat and The New York Times have high praise for the classically trained virtuoso bass player; he has even been called the Israeli Charles Mingus.
Avital is a visionary who combines music from his cultural background with modern Western jazz. This makes for an atmospheric sound with contagious Middle-Eastern grooves, subtle jazz melodies and orchestral arrangements of Sephardic compositions. With his latest album, New Song, Avital follows up on the highly acclaimed Suite of The East from 2012. Again an impressive album, where two cultures joyfully meet in multiple colors and rhythms, and Eastern melodies breathe the passion of gospel and soul. With his extraordinary vision, Avital can rightly be called one of the most unique musicians of his generation.