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Assaf Kehati

NEW ALBUM REVIEWS:

• "An impressive musical production from start to finish". MUSES MUSE.

• "A new chapter of modern jazz". EJAZZNEWS.

• "A master musical sculptor". ALL ABOUT JAZZ.

Playing regularly with drummer Billy Hart and performed at the Blue Note, NYC, the Washington DC Jazz Festival, and the Regattabar, New England Cable News, the MuzEnergo International Jazz Festival, Russia and for the TV show Jazz Talk, RI.

His compositions are inspired by the daily and trivial, yet wonderful and significant experiences of life: from a winter, snow-laden view of Fenway Park from his apartment porch (A View From My Window), to the mundane but satisfying life of a snail (Sunshine Berale), to a girl seeking love in a land beyond the oceans (The Snow and the Sun), and to a story about the universal character, Mr. Mario that travels the world like a gypsy to places like Africa, the Middle East and the Pyramids in Egypt (Mr.Mario).

Assaf Kehati arrived to Boston in 2007 after finishing his jazz studies at prestigious Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music (member of Berklee International Network), Israel. He has been exposed to music since he was born. His grandmother was a professional pianist from whom he learned his first music notes. He started to play piano and guitar at the age of ten, later followed by classical violin. After being involved with different music styles for nearly ten years, he started to take interest in jazz.

Shortly after, he was accepted to Rimon School. A few months into his jazz studies, he already became the winner of a number of local jazz awards, including the third place of "the Jazz Player" national competition in Israel. He also became a member of internationally recognized Rimon Honors Ensemble, "Hot Jazz," which featured famous Australian jazz fusion guitarist, Frank Gambale.

While in Israel, Kehati performed with many prominent musicians including Alon Farber (Fresh Sound Label), Shai Chen, Haggai Amir and Daniel Sapir (Yehuda Poliker Band). He appeared at the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival, Channel 22 TV, Shablul Jazz Club, Machtesh Ramon Jazz Festival and at the Israel National Festival in Jerusalem.

After receiving a scholarship to pursue his graduate studies at New England Conservatory, he moved to Boston and was immediately noticed by such famous artists and faculty members as Ran Blake, George Garzone and Billy Hart, who later joined his trio.

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7
Album Review

Daniel Bennett Group: New York Nerve

Read "New York Nerve" reviewed by Tyran Grillo


"This is not a pandemic record, but it is," says Daniel Bennett about his latest album. What might come across as a paradoxical statement is, from the multi-instrumentalist and composer's lips, a poignant assessment of his creative turn. “I didn't go on pause at all. I did my best as a human, using common sense while taking the blessings I had in my life. I didn't want to be consumed by fear. No disrespect, of course, to everyone who has ...

4
Album Review

Assaf Kehati Trio: Naked

Read "Naked" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Guitarist Assaf Kehati's Naked is, as the title insinuates, an adornment free celebration of melody in a spare and intimate setting. Unlike his two earlier recordings Naked features Kehati without a saxophonist and with a new rhythm duo on an introspective set of his expressive originals and three standards.On the cinematic “The Horses' Fight" for example, Kehati's shimmering lines meander around his sidemen's percolating vamps in an intricate and mellifluous sonic patterns. A mystical sense permeates the music ...

17
Album Review

Assaf Kehati Trio: Naked

Read "Naked" reviewed by Edward Blanco


A progressive jazz guitarist with a preference for the electric strings and a light touch, Assaf Kehati unveils his third album Naked since arriving from Israel in 2007 and establishing himself as a modern force to be reckoned with. Kehati offers an album of primarily original music conveying a story behind every piece beginning with the title track that refers to his feelings of being ..."emotionally naked-with no barriers, limits or mask," translating musically into a nine-minute slow burn. Accompanying ...

3
Album Review

Assaf Kehati Trio: Naked

Read "Naked" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Guitarist Assaf Kehati has never been one to hide behind the impenetrable or the opaque; his art has always been centered on clarity of thought and communicative expressionism, yet he's reached a new level of musical directness and comprehensibility with Naked. On this, his third release, Kehati winnows away anything that could remotely be thought of as excess. There's still plenty to take in, as Kehati paints and peruses well-conceived canvases with his trio mates, but this ...

176
Album Review

Assaf Kehati: Flowers And Other Stories

Read "Flowers And Other Stories" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Dynamic tension and release is an under-explored avenue in jazz. While composers and performers of this music seem to come out of institutes of higher learning with advanced harmonic knowledge, allowing them to create stunningly complex chords that resolve in an amiable fashion, these very musicians are often incapable of using the same techniques when dealing with volume concerns. Dynamics, like melody and harmony, play a key part in shaping any musical performance, and guitarist Assaf Kehati is keenly aware ...

307
Multiple Reviews

Assaf Kehati Quartet: Finding Its Own Voice

Read "Assaf Kehati Quartet: Finding Its Own Voice" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni


Israeli guitarist Assaf Kehati, Boston-based since 2007, is a regular in drummer Billy Hart's outfits. His melodic compositions are, he says, inspired by the details of daily life. He cites as influences composers who have blurred the distinctions between folk/pop and more sophisticated music--Hector Berlioz, George Gershwin, guitarist Pat Metheny, Sting and even country singer Kenny Rogers. On both of his self-produced releases he is backed by young Israeli players--Alon Farber on sax, Daniel Sapir on bass and Udi Shlomo ...

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Live Review

Assaf Kehati Quartet: Live at Blue Note

Read "Assaf Kehati Quartet: Live at Blue Note" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Assaf Kehati QuartetBlue NoteNew York, New YorkAugust 1, 2010 Guitarist Assaf Kehati brought his enthralling post-modern, Middle Eastern-tinged music to an appreciative though occasionally chatty, crowd during Sunday jazz brunch at New York's Blue Note. Kehati's education--with undergraduate studies at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in his native Israel and a masters degree in jazz performance from the New England Conservatory of Music--is reflected in his music and he leads with ...

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Performance / Tour

Assaf Kehati Trio Featuring Legendary Drummer, Billy Hart. June in Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD.

Assaf Kehati Trio Featuring Legendary Drummer, Billy Hart. June in Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD.

Source: Michael Ricci

Assaf Kehati Trio featuring legendary drummer, Billy Hart will perform on June 4th and 5th at Twins Jazz in Washington, DC. Playing at 9pm and 11pm each night. The trio will also perform on June 6th at An Die Musik Live in Baltimore, MD. Playing at 5pm and 7pm.

Tickets ($20 in DC and $15/$10 students in MD) are available at the following links:

Twins Jazz

An Die Musik Live

“Israel- born, Boston resident guitarist Assaf Kehatis group grabs a ...

Primary Instrument

Guitar

Willing to teach

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

New York Nerve

Manhattan Daylight Media Group
2021

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Naked

Self Produced
2015

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Naked

Self Produced
2014

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Flowers And Other...

Self Produced
2011

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Videos

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