HARMONICA DAYS : Yotam Ben-Or • NEW-YORK VERY BEST
Yotam Ben-Or (harmonica) ; Jeremy Dumont (piano) ; Sam Gertmans (upright bass) ; Antoine Pierre (drums)
It is sometimes hard to imagine that an instrument so small can carry such a big voice. Yotam Ben-Or, Belgian-Israeli harmonicist and composer, is one of those who push the boundaries of their instrument with disconcerting ease. Compared to Stevie Wonder himself by *Bass Musician Magazine*, he has established himself as one of the most singular voices of his generation. Trained on the piano before falling in love with a harmonica given to him by his uncle, Ben-Or has been based for several years in New York, where he studied at the prestigious New School. There, he was selected for the *Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead* residency at the Kennedy Center under the direction of Jason Moran. Since then, he has graced the stages of Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Duc des Lombards in Paris. A protégé of virtuoso Grégoire Maret, he draws on jazz as well as Middle Eastern, Latin American, African and classical traditions to weave a music that is deeply lyrical and rhythmically adventurous. Having recently released his third album alongside the legendary Lars Danielsson, he will perform tonight in a quartet for our second concert of the mini festival dedicated to the harmonica.