With the recording and release of his latest album - "A Handful of Changes" - pianist Ari Erev is taking
his place as one of Israel's
top modern jazz pianists and composers. Featured mostly on his own originals during this project,
plus two songs by Alexander Argov and a pair of jazz standards, Ari leads a program that includes a
top-notch rhythm section, New York tenor-saxophonist Joel Frahm, and guest altoist and clarinetist Ofer Shapiro.
The results are memorable.
Born and raised in Israel, Ari Erev started playing the piano when he was just four. "My early influence
was my father, an amateur pianist, who played jazz at home. I studied classical music until I was 17.
At that time, I turned to jazz as my main route in music. I was always fascinated by the harmonies
in jazz and that is what drew me to that music."
Ari studied jazz and improvisation with the highly respected jazz educator Dr. Zvi Keren,
pianists Nahum Perperkovich and Arik Strauss, and arranger-composer Ilan Mociach at the
Rubin Academy of Music in Tel-Aviv.
As a performing musician, Ari plays and performs regularly in Israel's top jazz clubs, including "Milestone",
"Shablul Jazz" in Tel-Aviv, and Jerusalem's ""Yellow Submarine", as well as in Jazz performances in Europe.
He has also performed in festivals and jazz series, including a comissioned production for the 20th anniversary
of the Tel-Aviv Jazz Festival, and on Israeli radio and TV. He composed music for the documentary "Bokito",
has played in theater plays, and has served as the musical director for a number of vocalists' jazz productions.
He also teaches piano jazz improvisation.
Throughout his performance career, Ari cooperated with musicians such as saxophonists
Joel Frahm (USA), Rosta Fras (Cz), and Jamie O'Donnel (UK),
bassists Tibor Elekes (Switzerland) and Petr Dvorsky (Cz),
and trumpeter Hendrik Jorgenson (DK). Among the Israeli artists with whom he has worked have been pop/rock singer
Gali Atari, saxophonists Robert Anchipolovsky,
Erez Barnoy, Kobi Salomon and Ofer Shapiro, bassists Yorai Oron,
Arie Volinez, Udi Kazmirski and Tal Ronen, drummers Gideon Pasahov, and Shahar Haziza,
world-renowned percussionist Gilad Dobrecky, guitarists
Dan Adler and Inbar Fridman, and vocalists Tami Gerassi (Kelly),
Julia Feldman and
Ayelet-Rose Gottlieb.
In recent times, Ari has led a jazz trio performing a Bill Evans tribute program called "Jazz From The
Heart". He also is part of the "Nocturno Quartet" - playing jazz arrangements of Mexican songs and Cuban Bolero's.
In 2008 he made his debut recording, a trio set called "About Time". The release of
"A Handful of Changes", featuring saxophonist Joel Frahm, is his latest accomplishment.
"I hope that this album will create new opportunities for me to perform with different musicians and share
my music to a greater audience, possibly also outside of Israel itself."
