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Naama Gheber

NAAMA GHEBER is a New York-based jazz vocalist inspired by the emotionaly direct compositions of Rodgers and Hart, Fields and Hugh, Cole Porter and other great composers and lyricist of the 1930’s and ‘40’s. Possessed with an urbane and elegant voice, Gheber’s sensitive interpretation and crisp phrasing have become recognizable elements of her signature style and timeless appeal.

​ Naama was born in 1991 to aspiring scientists in Be’er Sheva, a southern city in the Negev desert. When she was four years old, the family relocated to Baltimore MD, for a period of four years. “When I think of it, that was probably where my infatuation with American culture and music was first formed” she recalls. Her parents thought it best for her to study piano. "That was where music first entered my life, but after ten years of classical piano, I kind of got tired of it. I realized that I actually wanted to sing".

In spite of her wish, Naama wasn’t encouraged to pursue singing right away. "To this day, my father will tell you that I couldn’t carry a note until a late age. When I asked for singing lessons, my parents offered drama classes instead”. It was not until her senior year in high school when she decided to study voice professionally. “I used my grandparent’s graduation gift to pay for lessons with the famous Israeli singer Ricki Gal. It was such a big deal for me, a young girl from the south, taking weekly trips to Tel Aviv to study with a master!

Somewhere into our third lesson she said: 'You know, you should really be singing jazz.’”

In 2012 Gheber was accepted to the The Center for Jazz Studies in Tel Aviv, where she spent three years studying jazz and classical voice. Exposed to new music, she was infatuated by singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. " I was seduced by the urbane lyrical style along with the beautifully constructed melodies these singers were singing. I immediately felt at home with these songs. I worked on finding my own voice within these standards and found ways to insert fresh concepts, make them interesting."

In 2013 Naama formed a band named “Guys & Doll” Known today as "The Misbehavin' Seven". The band includes seven musicians and plays original arrangements to beautiful hits of the 30 and 40's. The Misbehavin' Seven has been performing widely in Israel and New York in venues such as Smalls Jazz Club and The Cell Theater.

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Radio & Podcasts

Sarah Vaughan, Wes Montgomery & Naama Gheber

Read "Sarah Vaughan, Wes Montgomery & Naama Gheber" reviewed by Joe Dimino


On this new 791st Episode of Neon Jazz we celebrate the new, the young and the champions. We kick off the show with a New York City singer Naama with the title track off her 2023 album Where Flamingos Fly. From there, we celebrate the local team in Super Bowl 57 by way of the Kansas City Chiefs with the song “Chiefs Kingdom" from Polish saxophonist Sylwester Ostrowski. We then take a look a another crop of new albums in ...

4
Album Review

Naama Gheber: If I Knew Then

Read "If I Knew Then" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


New York City-based vocalist Naama Gheber released her debut recording, Dearly Beloved (Cellar Music) in 2020, just before the global COVID-19 pandemic. With live entertainment brought to a halt, Gheber found herself with time on her hands and no way to promote her considerable talent in live performance. Israeli by birth, Gheber was an enfant terrible who ascended quickly professionally. After being trained at the Center for Jazz Studies in Tel Aviv, Gheber was accepted into the jazz program at ...

7
Album Review

Naama Gheber: The Very Thought of You

Read "The Very Thought of You" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Naama Gheber closes her 2022 summer season of singles releases with Ray Noble's 1934 composition, “The Very Thought Of You." The song was first recorded by Ray Noble and His Orchestra with Al Bowlly on vocals for HMV in England in April, closely followed by Bing Crosby's performance that same year and enjoying many revivals since then. The spring and summer of 2022 saw Gheber releasing, “Old Mother Hubbard," “I'm A Fool To Want You," “You're Driving Me Crazy," and ...

4
Album Review

Naama Gheber: Dream Dancing

Read "Dream Dancing" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Vocalist Naama Gheber released her debut recording Dearly Beloved (Cellar Live, 2020) immediately before the pandemic. In spite of this interruption in the traditional marketing of music, the recording received much positive attention within the All About Jazz community and other outlets. Since the easing of restrictions, Gheber has turned things upside down by releasing as singles her entire upcoming EP If I Knew Then, slated for the street in November. Gheber has already released, “Old Mother Hubbard" ...

4
Album Review

Naama Gheber: You're Driving Me Crazy

Read "You're Driving Me Crazy" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Vocalist Naama Gheber continues to release singles from her upcoming recording, If I Knew Then, presently due to drop in November 2022. She has previously released the singles “Old Mother Hubbard" and I'm A Fool To Want You. Staying in the same orbit with The Great American Songbook, Gheber affords us the 1930 Walter Donaldson composition, “You're Driving Me Crazy." This song has been a popular feature in film, finding its way into cartoons featuring Betty Boop, Silly ...

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Album Review

Naama Gheber: I’m A Fool To Want You

Read "I’m A Fool To Want You" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Vocalist Naama Gheber is applying a different paradigm to the release of her second recording, the EP If I Knew Then, presently due for release in November 2022. She previously released the single “Old Mother Hubbard" and now follows it with a starkly fashioned “I'm A Fool To Want You." Gheber released her debut recording Dearly Beloved (Cellar Live) in early 2020. It received considerable attention within All About Jazz and other outlets. The talent revealed rivals that of Veronica ...

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Catching Up With

Naama Gheber's Detours Lead Straight To Jazz Career

Read "Naama Gheber's Detours Lead Straight To Jazz Career" reviewed by Jim Trageser


There is no “normal" journey to becoming an established, professional musician. Every path is different; each story one of a kind. But some are perhaps more different than most. Naama Gheber's surely ranks among those in the “more different" category: not many jazz singers began their adult years by serving as an intelligence analyst in the Israeli air force. Both born and raised in Be'er Sheva, Israel, she fell in love with jazz not ...

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Recording

Naama Gheber Offers Highly Personal Take On The Great American Songbook On "Dearly Beloved," Her Debut Album, Set For April 10 Release

Naama Gheber Offers Highly Personal Take On The Great American Songbook On "Dearly Beloved," Her Debut Album, Set For April 10 Release

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity

Noted vocalist Naama Gheber makes her auspicious, radiant recording debut with Dearly Beloved, to be released April 10 on Cellar Music Records, preceded by the release of two singles—the title track on February 14 and “So in Love” March 13. The New York-based singer (by way of Beér Sheva, Israel), who first turned heads during her yearlong residency at Manhattan’s Mezzrow Jazz Club, engages the superb trio that has long supported her at that residency (pianist Ray Gallon, bassist David ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

First Fall

Shai Jaschek
2023

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If I Knew Then

Sassy’s In Town
2022

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If I Knew Then

Sassy's In Town
2022

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If I knew Then

Sassy’s In Town
2022

buy

If I Knew Then

Sassy's In Town
2022

buy

If I Knew Then

Sassy's In Town
2022

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