Interview: Yehonatan Cohen
A: I grew up in Israel, and was surrounded with music from a very young age. Both of my parents are musicians, my mother plays the piano and my father plays the harmonica and the saxophone. My father was also one of the major influences who got me into jazz and later on became one of my first teachers for saxophone as well.
Q: When did it begin for you as a musician?
A: I started playing the trumpet at the age of 10 in the school orchestra and immediately got hooked. I used to try and find the melodies for songs I knew by only using my ears. That was also how my teachers discovered I have a musical ear. Later on, I joined my city’s music school and started going to Thelma Yellin School of Arts, where I transferred to saxophone as my main instrument. When I graduated from Thelma Yellin I joined the Israeli Army orchestra and started my studies at the Israeli Conservatory in Tel Aviv, which later led to my studies at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in NY.
Q: What artists have had the greatest influence on you, especially in your early years?
A: John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Wayne Shorter have always had the biggest influences I had on my saxophone playing. Something about their uniqueness, creativity and sound on the instrument, as well as their authenticity to themselves, inspired me. Clifford Brown and Keith Jarret were also great influences on me and my music, especially when it comes to their melodic lines. I truly think they are both some of the biggest melodic geniuses that the jazz world ever seen. Israeli, classical and Turkish music also have been a great influence on me.
Q: What is it about the saxophone that appeals to you the most?
A: I like the verity of sounds that are possible to produce on this instrument, especially if you play on more than one kind of saxophone. Each saxophone has its own color and specific range to work with, and that can be a great challenge. I also enjoy the kind of expressiveness that is saved only for horn instrumentalists by using their tongue articulation, vibrato and dynamic.
Q: What are your thoughts on the jazz scene in New York?
A: The New York jazz scene is probably the best jazz scene in the world. There is something about the experience of being a musician in here, which is very unique to this place. The amount of amazing musicians you get to see and play with over here is unbelievable. This is a very inspiring experience, which can be a little shocking too sometimes.
Q: How would you describe your new album, “Stories”?
A: It is a pretty peaceful album on the one hand, but it has its intense moments, too. The melodies and harmonies are pretty simple, but at the same time, maybe that’s what’s giving them their power. The way Or, Itay, and Gadi are playing my tunes on this album is truly inspiring for me, and I really couldn’t ask for a better band.
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