KOBI SHEFI
COMMON BOND ~ RHYTHM OF LIFE PRIVATE EDITION
Review by Adam Baruch – Jazzis magazine
Jazz-World Fusion
Recorded: 2006
Released: 2006
1st album by Israeli ensemble common bond founded and led by guitarist and composer Kobi Shefi.
Although founded at the end of nineteen ninety nine, the nine-piece band took a long time to mature and develop.
They recorded a demo album a few years back, but this is their formal debut release, and as it turns out it was worth waiting for.
In many respects this is one of the finest albums ever recorded in this country and it encapsulates the capabilities of the phenomenal new generation of Israeli musicians. Kobi, who wrote most of the music and the spectacular arrangements on this album, is a seasoned player with solid Jazz background - he was a member of Harold Rubin Parapr's group, drummer Roni Zadik who is another veteran musician, keeps the music incredibly tight, regardless of the complex rhythmic patterns.
All the other players are slightly younger (late 20s / early 30s) with extensive musical education and performing experience. The band creates an incredible big sound, with intricate brass arrangements and jazzy solos, but the music combines (as the band’s name suggests) the best of Jazz, Fusion, Funk and World Music elements into an amalgam of rare beauty and spectacular effect.
Think blood sweat & tears, tower of power, Santana with a dash of Middle Eastern and Balkan melancholy, and an excellent singer, Absolutely stunning!
Since the album was released, Common Bond performed extensively in many countries with enormous success and they are surely destined to go far. If you wish to explore the wonderful world of new Israeli music – this is the album to start with.
You are in for a treat of your (musical) life.
Common Bond 2006 members:
Kobi Shefi
Guitar, composition and arrangement.
For more info on Kobi, Read here
Marina Maximilian Blumin
Lead Singer
Israeli Jazz/Classical Vocalist & Actress
Born in Ukraine in 1987, Marina immigrated to Israel at age 3. A musical prodigy, she performed for state events by 6, starred in a children's operetta at 10, and sang at the Abu Ghosh Classical Festival.
Since 1996, she's been a regular on Israeli radio/TV and volunteers at nursing homes/kindergartens.
Major performances include the millennium celebration at the Tower of David broadcast across Europe/US.
Versatile in jazz, classical, acting and musicals, Marina has appeared at top Israeli jazz fests like Cinematheque. She starred in the award-winning play "Schemterling" and currently leads the musical "The Producers."
Highly trained at a conservatory, jazz/classical high school program, and with renowned vocal coach Dafna Cohen Licht. Marina has earned accolades like the America-Israel Cultural Foundation jazz scholarship and Jazz Signs competition winner.
Now just 18, Marina is hailed as a "gifted singer with rare vocal qualities." An Israeli prodigy taking the music world by storm.
Roni Zadik
Drums and percussion
For more info about Roni, Read here
Yarom Ita
Percussion instrument
Born in 1976 in Israel. From a very young age he began drumming lessons, at the conservatory in Arad and later in Rehovot, including with the well-known teacher Assaf Borla.
After he was discharged from the army, Yarom fell in love with the percussion instrument and specialized in playing these instruments in West Africa, Nepal and France where he also accompanied his playing and recorded material for African dance.
Yarom passed on his knowledge to others - he taught percussion for 6 years in Gedera and the Gezer Regional Council, and now conducts unique workshops for playing the percussion instrument.
Yarom played and plays in various ensembles - played with Ohad Hitman, with Chen Cymbalista and also plays in basket ensembles.
Ilan Postofetsky
Keyboards and computer
Born in Israel in 1981. He started learning to play the piano since he was 6 years old, when he started learning classical music. From the age of 15 he also specialized in Gaz. He studied with leading teachers such as Shlomo Lederman, Leonid Petchka, Laszlo Gardoni and Danilo Perez.In the army he served in the air force orchestra as a player, arranger and musical director. At the end of the army, Ilan used the scholarships he won - a scholarship to study at the Berklee School of Music, Boston, United States and a scholarship from the Sharet Foundation.
Ilan wrote and produced music for Israeli television programs, for commercials, and also produced various musical programs for the culture department of the Air Force.
Played with Common Bond at festivalsand in three festivals abroad, the Kaunos Festival in Lithuania, the Jazkar Festival in Estonia and the Ruska Swing Festival in Lapland.He stayed in Boston for a year where he expanded his studies in the field of music for films, and there he also played and recorded with local musicians such as Natalia Harris, Amir Rubenstein and Yoni Amber.
He recently returned to Israel and immediately integrated into the local industry. He serves as a player, writer, arranger and producer for Dean Dean Aviv, Liat Ofer, Momi Levy, Jordana ArziDehri and more.
Nimrod Lachish
Bass guitar.
Born in Israel in 1977. Studied bass guitar with Kobi Shafi, Yorai Oron, Lincoln Gionz, Gregory Jones, and Steve Marks. Nimrod played and plays in rock, jazz and fusion ensembles such as Menis', Nesham Hatafaz, Juvenil, the Symptom and also played and recorded with David Yosef in New York. Played with Common Bond at various festivals in Israel and abroad at the Kaunos Festival in Lithuania, the Jazzcar Festival in Estonia, and the Ruska Swing Festival in Lapland. Plays with the Gaia band in Israel and abroad
Jonathan Zvi Dror
Flute, tenor saxophone, dudok and didgeridoo
Jonathan was born in Israel in 1971. He studied flute with Benjamin Schwarzwald and Ra'an Elon, graduated from the Rubin Academy of Music, Tel Aviv University, twice won a scholarship from the Sharet Foundation. He studied saxophone with Steve Hornstein and Stu Cohen, and didok and Arabic music at the Center for Music and Dance from the East in Jerusalem.
Jonathan specialized in playing in several stylesFrom classical music through jazz, funk and hip hop. Jonathan played in a number of ensembles as part of "Remon - a school for jazz and contemporary music", he played at the leading festivals in Israel - the Red Sea Jazz Festival, the Klezmer Festival in Safed, the Film and Videotape Jazz Festival at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, and the Israel Festival.
Abroad he has played at leading festivals in the United States and together with Common Bond at the Kaunas Festival in Lithuania, the Jazzkar Festival in Estonia and the Roska Swing Festival in Lapland.
Alon Farber
Saxophone, baritone alto and soprano.
Born in Israel in 1974. Plays saxophone since the age of 11.
Studied saxophone with the leading teachers in Israel - Morton Kam, Stu HaKahchen and Steve Hornstein, and with George Garzon, Greg Hopkins and Hal Crook in the United States. Alon is a graduate of the Rehovot Conservatory, and served in the IDF Orchestra. He holds a bachelor's degree in music from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, majoring in jazz composition.
In 1988, he won two awards - the Wayne Shorter Award from the Berklee Composition Major and the Sadao Votanov Award from the brass department at Berklee. Alon won 5 scholarships from the "America Israel Cultural Foundation" in the field of classical saxophone studies. He played and plays in many ensembles including "Your Orchestra Avi Leibovitz", "The Celebration" (in which he is a composer and arranger), "The Jazz Orchestra of Holon" and more.
Appeared in many festivals including "Jazz Blues and Videotape", "Israel Festival" with Daniel Zamir, "Eilat Festival" and "Jazz Festival in Shoni Fort". He appeared with "Common Bond" in festivals in Israel and in to, among them at the "Jazzkar" festival in Estonia, and at the Roskoswing festival in Lapland. The debut CD of "Celebration" was released in September 2005 by the Fresh Sound company in Barcelona.Alon has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Tel Aviv University and a master's degree in music therapy
Yoram Lachish
Oboe, English horn, alto bagpipe.
Born in Israel, Yoram began learning to play the oboe at the age of 13, a student of Oded Pintos and Eliyahu Turner. He played in the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, served as an "outstanding musician" in the Education Corps, played in the Kibbutz Chamber Orchestra and the Israeli Chamber Orchestra, with which he also performed as a soloist. Member of the 'Nova Music' group.
Performed worldwide at the 'Mitte Europa' festival in Germany, the 'Verbier' festival in Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Japan, China and Hong Kong.In recent years, Yoram began to use the oboe in musical styles that are not typical for the instrument such as jazz, rock and modern improvised music.
Yoram is one of the founders of the band 'Common Bond' which performs a stylistic combination of jazz-rock and ethnic music. Yoram is a member of the Tel-Aviv Art Ensemble, an instrumental ensemble that performs improvised avant-garde music. In 2004 Yoram was chosen to represent Israel as part of the European Jazz Orchestra with which he performed throughout Europe and in Brazil.