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Roy Assaf

At the age of 23, after graduating from the Berklee College of Music, Israeli jazz pianist Roy Assaf moved to New York City to pursue his dream. Just a few months passed before he met legendary bassist and producer John Lee; soon Roy found himself touring around the world and playing the most prestigious festivals, clubs, and concert halls with the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars, a band that included James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Paquito D’Rivera, Roy Hargrove, Lewis Nash, Randy Brecker, Antonio Hart, and other jazz masters. Before long, Roy was getting calls from some of the world’s most influential contemporary jazz bands: Slide Hampton Sextet, The Mingus Big Band, Steve Turre’s bands, Roberta Gambarini Quartet, David Sanborn Group, Claudio Roditi Quartet, and many others.

While completing his master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music, Roy established his reputation as one of the most sought-after young pianists in the New York jazz scene. In 2012, he released his debut album, Respect, on Jazz Legacy Productions accompanied by Reuben Rogers on bass and Greg Hutchinson on drums.

Roy was ready to establish a band of his own.

“I’ve always dreamt of having a band that works regularly together,” he explains, “a band that shares a special musical connection, sound, feel, and time. I want to bring the experience of playing with musicians I admire and also share my own voice, both as a musician and as a human being.”

In 2013, Roy formed a trio with Raviv Markovitz on bass and Jake Goldbas on drums. Together they began to establish the unique voice of the Roy Assaf Trio. They have performed across North America at venues such as The Blue Note and the Rubin Museum of Art. Their debut album, Second Row Behind The Painter will be released in May 2014.

“I love playing in other people’s bands, painting their compositions with the colors I hear in my head,” Roy says. “But for now I’m excited to dive into my own personality as a pianist, composer, and band leader; deliver stories from my life into my music; and discover what Raviv and Jake bring from their own backgrounds to the trio.

“It’s a journey to unknown boundaries. We take the audience on a quest every time we take the stage.”

Awards

1.ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award (2008) 2. 31st Downbeat Student Music Award - Outstanding Performance (2008) 3. 30th Downbeat Student Music Award - Best Arrangement (2007) 4. Charlie Palmieri Memorial Piano Competiion - 2nd Place (2006) 5. Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute Award (2004-2006) 6. America-Israel Cultural Foundation Prize for Young Musicians (2000-2004)


Tags

Live Review

Pianisti a confronto al Ritmo delle Città

Read "Pianisti a confronto al Ritmo delle Città" reviewed by Paolo Peviani


Ritmo delle Città Orto Botanico Milano 07-09.07.2015 Nella prima decade di luglio la rassegna milanese Il Ritmo delle Città ha messo al centro della propria programmazione il pianoforte. Tre le formazioni coinvolte, ciascuna a suo modo paradigmatica di un certo modo di intendere il jazz. C'era il virtuosismo sfrenato e tipicamente caraibico dell'ultra-premiato Gonzalo Rubalcaba, il distacco nordico dell'absolute beginner Holger Marjamaa, le strutture aperte ed impreziosite da scansioni metropolitane di Roy Assaf. ...

5
Album Review

Roy Assaf Trio: Second Row Behind The Painter

Read "Second Row Behind The Painter" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Pianist Roy Assaf decided to try a different studio tactic when he set out to make this record. Instead of simply having his trio take multiple passes at tracks on a single predetermined playlist, he decided to have the group simulate a stay at a club. They recorded multiple sets, accumulating almost five hours worth of recorded music. When all was said and done, he sifted through it all to come up with the best material for this album. It's ...

2
Album Review

Roy Assaf: Respect, Vol.1

Read "Respect, Vol.1" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Innovation and as-yet-unheard-of ideals tend to sell headlines in jazz, but they mean nothing without respect for those who paved the road to the present. Many young emerging talents seem content to walk into jazz without doing their due diligence in discovery and digestion, but that often puts them in a peculiar position of being a mouthpiece for a music that they don't fully embrace. Jazz is certainly the here-and-now, but it's also the there-and-then, and that's a concept that ...

125
Album Review

Augmented Reality: Augmented Reality

Read "Augmented Reality" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Collaborative trios are a tricky business. While all three members might set out to form an equal musical partnership, that rarely happens. Sometimes the instrumentation dictates the focal point, as with the fascinating group, Fly--drummer Jeff Ballard, bassist Larry Grenadier and tenor saxophonist Mark Turner--which is as democratic as they come, yet the horn draws the most attention by virtue of the general dynamic within a horn-bass-drums trio. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but it bears mentioning ...

322
Album Review

Roy Assaf & Eddy Khaimovich Quartet: Andarta

Read "Andarta" reviewed by John Barron


Pianist Roy Assaf and bassist Eddy Khaimovich are true musical soul mates. Much like the legendary partnerships of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams, or Chick Corea and Gary Burton, Assaf and Khaimovich share unique similarities in their approach to playing and composing, perhaps as a result of their shared cultural heritage. On Andarta, the two New York-based, Israeli natives display strong technical skills through an array of stylistic influences.

The quartet for the session is ...

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1

Recording

Roy Assaf Trio Release Debut Album On One Trick Dog Records

Roy Assaf Trio Release Debut Album On One Trick Dog Records

Source: Michael Martinez

One Trick Dog Records to release the Debut Album by the Roy Assaf Trio SECOND ROW BEHIND THE PAINTER Internationally Renowned Pianist Records New Album As Bandleader Available at Amazon.com and iTunes on June 3, 2014 New York, NY: One Trick Dog Records is pleased to announce the release of Second Row Behind The Painter, the debut album from the Roy Assaf Trio. The album marks the second recording as bandleader by internationally renowned pianist/composer Roy Assaf. The trio includes ...

“Roy Assaf marries tradition, both American and Israeli, into a new form of jazz. This type of culturally relevant music is vital for the future of jazz. I am certain that his musical contribution will earn many followers.” (Jason Moran, March 2008)

“Roy Assaf is an amazing pianist—you will defiantly be learning a lot of good things about him.” (Kenny Barron, April 2007)

“Roy Assaf is a strong young pianist with a good sound and feeling. He was a pleasure to work with and brought some good energy to my ensemble.” (Joe Lovano, May 2005)

“I was impressed with his knowledge of the Jazz idiom, his harmonic concept and the flow of ideas during his solo improvisation. I believe he has a great talent and a potential to become one of the “players” in the Jazz world.” (Michel Camilo, Dec. 2003)

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Primary Instrument

Piano

Location

Tel Aviv

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Credentials/Background

Roy Assaf has been teaching piano and instructing jazz ensembles worldwide, while focusing on the following areas: - Basic theory - Various piano techniques - Classical repertoire - Jazz repertoire - Improvisation - Ear training - Jazz harmony - Accompanying singers and horns - Group communication for jazz groups * 2002/03: Band Instructor at the jazz department of The Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts (Israel) * April 2007: Introduction to Jazz Workshops at PS 36A School (New York City) * Roy Assaf is currently available for private lessons in the New York City metropolitan area

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Second Row Behind The...

One Trick Dog Records
2014

buy

Respect, Vol.1

Jazz Legacy Productions
2012

buy

Augmented Reality

Daywood Drive Records
2011

buy

Andarta

Origin Records
2008

buy

Respect Vol.1

Jazz Legacy Productions
0

buy

Guardian Angels

From: Respect Vol.1
By Roy Assaf

Tabacon

From: Augmented Reality
By Roy Assaf

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