Yoni Kretzmer Two-bass Quartet Sean Conly – double bass, Reuben Radding – double bass Mike Pride – drums, Yoni Kretzmer – tenor saxophone
Yoni Kretzmer
Before moving to NYC in 2010, Jerusalem born tenor saxophonist and composer Yoni Kretzmer was an active member in the growing Tel Aviv nu-music scene leading various groups such as “New Dilemma” (chamber/free jazz string quintet) and “Far From Home” (free/folk quintet with two acoustic guitars). For the premier of “New Dilemma” (Jerusalem/Khan Theater) Tel Aviv Jazz Festival Producer Barack Weiss wrote for NANA “It has been a long time since I have last experienced such a sincere and impressive performance, in its willingness of the artist to expose the full force of his most inner feelings.” Kretzmer has been a sideman for Albert Beger, Harold Rubin and performed and curated many shows and festivals including October Jazz Fest, Red Sea Jazz Festival and Tel Aviv Jazz festival.
Two-Bass Quartet
Derived straight from the classic Sax-Bass-drum trio, Kretzmer’s latest projects augments this standard setting with the addition of an extra double-bass, thus creating a different balance, sound, deepness and flavor yet still maintaining some of the esthetics and clarity that made the sax trio so popular in the first place. One might say this quartet’s sound is obvious yet unfamiliar simultaneously.
Kretzmer’s compositions, written specifically with these great bassists and drummer in mind, take full advantage of the profound, even haunting, sound a band of this instrumentation can create and act as a vague frame for further development and expression. There new and first Album, Weight, will be available in February 2012
“What a pleasure to find that one of the greatest talents to have emerged from Israeli jazz in recent years – if not the greatest – is retaining his ability” Ben Shalev – Haaretz 10/20110.
