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Rotem Sivan

Rotem Sivan is a well-praised and fascinating new voice in the New York jazz scene. Born in Haifa, Israel, Sivan’s early attraction to guitar and jazz started at a very early age. He was exposed and influenced by a variety of music genres including Baroque compositors, classic rock, Middle-Eastern and Indian music. His early influences were Led Zeppelin, J.S. Bach, Jimi Hendrix, Pat Metheny, Leonard Cohen, John Schofield, Erik Satie, W.A. Mozart, Bill Evans, Ahmad Jamal and Brad Mehldau.

Sivan is a graduate of the prestigious WIZO arts high school’s music department. He continued to study in the Tel- Aviv University Music Academy, where he completed his B.A. with honors in Classical Composition. In 2008, Sivan moved to New York City and continued his music education at The New School earning his B.F.A in Jazz and Contemporary Music, with honors.

In New York, Sivan instantly became an active player in the village jazz scene and started collaborating with acclaimed musicians such as Ari Hoenig, Peter Bernstein, Yasushi Nakamura, Colin Stranahan, Haggai Cohen-Milo, Paul Bollenback, Ziv Ravitz, Dave Schnitter and Omer Avital. He performs regularly at well-known jazz venues such as Birdland, The Bar Next Door, Smalls, Fat Cat, Le Poisson Rouge, and many others. Sivan is a prize-winner of the Montreux Jazz Festival 2009 and, in the summer of 2010, the Rotem Sivan Group was invited to perform at the renowned Bern Jazz Festival, playing side by side with the McCoy Tyner Quartet. Sivan played at Sonora Jazz Festival, and he regularly stars in jazz magazines reviews and articles such as All About Jazz, Hot House Jazz, New York Jazz Record, Jocks and Nerds and Jazz Times.

Sivan’s musical palette draws from classical and jazz influences combined with ethnic elements. In his recent and well-received debut album, Enchanted Sun, Sivan skillfully fuses these into a new approach to the Jazz Guitar Trio instrumentation. The album, recorded with Sam Anning and Rajiv Jayaweera was released in June 2013 on Steeple-Chase Records. Through music, Sivan, Anning and Jayaweera became close friends and they continue to collaborate and perform together. The creative process was a collaboration and exchange of ideas that resulted in a collection of concepts, forms and eventually compositions. Sivan’s compositions and other materials used in this album represent a certain period of musical explorations that began with his relocation to New York City from Israel.

Sivan believes in the interactive and intimate format of the trio setting that allows for flexible collaboration.

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Radio & Podcasts

Kenny Burrell, Joseph Daley, Sam Rivers & Rotem Sivan

Read "Kenny Burrell, Joseph Daley, Sam Rivers & Rotem Sivan" reviewed by Joe Dimino


We kick off the 841st Episode of Neon Jazz with Israeli-born guitarist Rotem Sivan with his cover of “Mack the Knife." From there, we keep the jazz guitar theme going with the legendary Kenny Burrell then we get into a host of veterans releasing new material including Bill Anschell, Giorgi Mikadze and Joseph Daley. A superstar group of KC musicians gives us a new album called Wire Town done live at the Green Lady Lounge. In between tracks, we hear ...

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Album Review

Rotem Sivan Trio: Antidote

Read "Antidote" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Heartbreak knows no true cure, but music can act as something of an antidote or coping mechanism to assist in dealing with it and suffering through it. That's what guitarist-composer Rotem Sivan discovered after a long-term relationship came to a swift and unexpected end. He turned to music to help him grapple with his demons and confront his new reality, emerging from the experience a year later with a newfound sense of emotional well-being and this powerful album.

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Album Review

Rotem Sivan Trio: A New Dance

Read "A New Dance" reviewed by Dave Wayne


You can only imagine the hurricane-like storm of hyperbole that accompanies every new release by every single fresh young jazz artist on today's scene. We are promised, every time, that the artist in question (...always immensely-talented) is a “musical genius" and “true innovator" who is going to “transform the jazz world as we know it." The only thing such purple prose engenders in me is a healthy sense of skepticism. You hear such stuff once, twice, a million times and ...

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Album Review

Rotem Sivan: For Emotional Use Only

Read "For Emotional Use Only" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


A large number of younger jazz guitarists tend to turn their albums into shock and awe campaigns, with aggression, overwhelming force, cutting tones, and electronic gadgets galore firing down on listeners. The work of guitarist Rotem Silvan is a refreshing alternative to that heavy artillery school of guitar. On his debut--Enchanted Sun (Steeplechase Lookout, 2013)--Sivan established himself as a thoughtful improviser, composer, and collaborator, drifting along and letting his guitar tones waft out into the atmosphere as ...

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Album Review

Rotem Sivan: Enchanted Sun

Read "Enchanted Sun" reviewed by Chris May


Is this destined to be one of the great undiscovered albums of the year? Released with little fanfare on Steeplechase's Lookout strand back in June, Enchanted Sun has picked up precious few reviews. Maybe it is just the summer slumber. Let us hope so, for the debut recording from Israeli-born, New York-based guitarist Rotem Sivan and his trio deserves to get n.o.t.i.c.e.d.Unusually for a modern guitar-led album, there are no loops, no effects, no overdubs, no turntablists, no ...

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Album Review

Rotem Sivan: Enchanted Sun

Read "Enchanted Sun" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Guitarist Rotem Sivan, who made the move from his native Israel to New York City in 2008, chose the trio format for his debut, Enchanted Sun. Working with just bass and drums accompanying--whether the “lead" is a piano, a horn or a guitar---is one of the most intimate ways to make music; since pianist Bill Evans' groundbreaking trio of the late fifties and early sixties, it's also one of the most potentially interactive. And, with drummer Rajiv Jayaweera and bassist ...

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Contest

Enter the "Rotem Sivan - For Emotional Use Only" Giveaway!

Enter the "Rotem Sivan - For Emotional Use Only" Giveaway!

Source: All About Jazz

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the Fresh Sound New Talent “Rotem Sivan - For Emotional Use Only“ giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on October 6th. Click here to enter the contest (Tracking Rotem Sivan at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.) Good luck! Your Friends at Fresh Sound New Talent About For Emotional Use Only One of the most exciting young jazz performers on the ...

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Recording

Fresh Sound Records To Release Guitarist Rotem Sivan’s Exceptional New Trio CD "For Emotional Use Only"

Fresh Sound Records To Release Guitarist Rotem Sivan’s Exceptional New Trio CD "For Emotional Use Only"

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications

Israeli-Born, NYC-Based Guitarist Earning Wide Praise As “A True Artist” Barcelona, Spain, May 13, 2014 — Fresh Sound Records, a Spanish record label specializing in American jazz, announces the September 2 release of For Emotional Use Only, a new album by New York City based jazz guitarist Rotem Sivan. Watch the EPK video: Rotem Sivan Trio - For Emotional Use Only EPK An acclaimed and fascinating new voice on the New York jazz scene, Sivan skillfully fuses classical music and ...

“The gifted guitarist combines energy, ideas and undeniable chops..A remarkable talent and a welcome new voice on the scene.” DownBeat

"He lets you hear the innate sound of his instrument, using classic jazz-guitar tone with dynamics and a searching quality to his improvising.. He attains a kind of private language.. It’s the kind of thing that makes you listen harder." New York Times, Ben Ratliff

Rotem Sivan is, with no doubt, the next guitarist of our times. He is a leader and a listener.” Peter Bernstein

“I am confident in Sivan’s unique abilities to transform the jazz guitar world.” Ari Hoenig “His style and sound bring a fresh flair and a remarkable sophistication to jazz, which transcends audiences” Jazz Times Magazine “Israeli guitarist Rotem Sivan has been taking the NYC club scene by storm” Jazz Inside Magazine “Not only is Rotem Sivan a master of jazz guitar, he is a true artist” Just Jazz Guitar

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Shakti
band / ensemble / orchestra
Pat Metheny
guitar

Photos

Concerts

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Same Way Home

Rotem Sivan
2019

buy

My Favorite Monster

Aima Records
2018

buy

Antidote

Alma Records
2017

buy

A New Dance

Fresh Sound Records
2015

buy

For Emotional Use Only

Fresh Sound Records
2014

buy

Enchanted Sun

Steeplechase Lookout
2013

buy
https://soundcloud.com/rotemsivan

Videos

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