Why Are So Many Jazz Musicians From Israel These Days?

Clockwise, from upper left: Anat Fort, Eli Degibri, Avishai Cohen, Rafi Malkiel. Arne Reimer/courtesy of the artist/Orit Pnini/courtesy of the artist

November 21, 2010

For a country of some 7.5 million, Israel has a surprisingly large jazz footprint. More and more internationally acclaimed jazz musicians happen to be from the country.

Twenty-five years ago, the Israeli jazz scene was barely on the cultural map. But enough American musicians moved there, and enough foreign-trained Israelis moved back -- and they started teaching. There's long been an infrastructure for classical music in Israel, and jazz latched onto that model. U.S. jazz schools have since established relationships with Israeli ones, owing in part to long-standing political relations.

But observers wouldn't be paying attention to the trend if the musicians weren't exceptional, either, in a lot of different ways and styles. In a conversation with Weekend All Things Considered host Guy Raz, I pointed out four Israeli musicians with standout records released in the second half of this year alone.

“For a country of some 7.5 million, Israel has a surprisingly large jazz footprint. More and more internationally acclaimed jazz musicians happen to be from the country.”

'Israeli Song'

If you go through saxophonist Eli Degibri's biography, you learn he largely represents the trend of Israeli jazz musicians, inasmuch as there is a standard route to success in jazz anymore. He studied with some of the folks who came to Israel to teach jazz; he studied at a popular Tel Aviv arts magnet high school; he spent time at The Rimon School, where many a jazz student trains. Rimon has a connection with Boston's Berklee College of Music. After time in a prestigious master's program, he finally made it to New York, where he ended up playing with some of his heroes. Miles Davis alumni Ron Carter and Al Foster are both on his new album Israeli Song -- Degibri is actually in Foster's working band. And the elegant, fluid pianist Brad Mehldau is here, too: His lilting duet with Degibri in the title track is an album highlight.

'Israeli Song'

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