Shalosh
FRIDAY, 16th November 2018. from 20h
Serbian National Theatre
Gadi Stern, piano
Matan Assayag, drums
David Michaeli, double bass
The instrumental phenomenon has succeeded in performing on some of the most prestige stages in the world in three years of its activity, and given over 250 shows in the past two years. A Jazz band that behave like a Rock band or, if you will, a Rock band that plays Jazz, depends where you sit. Their music is raw, acoustic, progressive, beyond any rule of style or definition.
Despite the classic Jazz trio format (piano, bass and drums) and the band members’ deep roots in Jazz and improvised music, Shalosh’s music takes its own path across and between genres like Rock, Classical, Electronic, African and Middle Eastern music.
The story behind the band began in Jerusalem, when Matan Assayag and Gadi Stern studied in the same class in high school. The two childhood friends formed together the mythological Jerusalem band ‘Enoma Elish’; the band reached its peak when they played at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in 2008, and after that the band broke up and the members dispersed around the world.
Between 2008 and 2014 Asayag and Stern maintained a transatlantic musical partnership in the wake of Gadi’s residence in New York, and intertwined with the jazz scene there.
In early 2014 they decided to form SHALOSH as a ‘full time job’ band.
David Michaeli is one of the most promising young musicians in Israel, and soon Matan and Gadi invited him to join the band.
Since their debut album came out, ‘The Bell Garden’, on March 2014, Shalosh has made a deep impression and attracted great interest, especially in European countries.
The album received great attention and praise from the press in Israel and abroad as one of the promising debut albums of the year. The album has played thousands of times on various Internet networks, on radio in Israel, Brazil, England, Poland, Germany, Austria and the USA, its copies being sold in Japan, Europe and the USA.
At the same time, the band toured in England, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Latvia, Albania, Holland, Romania and Turkey.
In January 2017 the band released their second album, ‘Rules of Oppression’. The album came out under the famous French label ‘Jazz Family’, and for the new audacious German label ‘Contemplate Records’.
The album was an extraordinary success and was praised by critics in some of the most important jazz magazines in Europe as one of the albums of the year. The album was defined as a masterpiece by Unmagi Takoya, one of the most important radio broadcasters in Japan. The album was released all over the world, and the band toured Japan, Korea and all over Europe, performing on the most important stages on the continent.
In February 2018 a live performance album was released for the German studio and label, ‘Bauer Studios’. During 2018 the band plans to record its third studio album.
The band has set itself the goal of creating music that will touch as many people as possible in order to break the barrier that intellectual music may create.
Shalosh is very prominent on the contemporary jazz scene due to the fact that the band is led by the three members of the ensemble and not by a single leader. That allows their music to enjoy a shared artistic development, devoid of ego. The music of Shalosh comes from an emotional place and turns to that deepest and most pristine place in the cold urban jungle.
GADI STERN, piano
Pianist and composer Gadi Stern, has spent his forming years in New York where he entered the NY Jazz scene and shaped his unique style of playing and improvising. His playing is known for its strong melodic sense, and its rhythmic freedom. Stern has played with some of NY’s greats in his years there until he moved to Tel Aviv to form SHALOSH in 2014. Stern is also a prolific composer and has composed music for film and theater.
MATAN ASSAYAG, drums
“The dragon” has been Matan’s nickname on the scene for the last few years. This nickname refers to Assayag’s fiery and fearless playing. With the sound and groove like no other drummer, Matan’s unique voice combines an uncompromising groove, coming from his upbringing as a rock drummer, and a sense of melody and color which is unusual for his instrument. Other than Jazz and Funk, Matan also studied Classical Indian music on the drum set with Master Mark Moshiev. Matan is also a sought after Afrobeat drummer and Ethiopian music drummer.
DAVID MICHAELI, double bass
The rising star of bass playing in Israel, first caught the attention of the scene at the early age of 15, when he joined renowned saxophone player Eli Degibri’s young talents super-group with the country’s most talented young musicians (who are now renowned international artists.) David Michaeli is known for his extremely melodic, yet solid and groovy bass playing. Michaeli has toured and recorded with Israel’s top acts all around the globe. Since joining SHALOSH in 2016 Michaeli has been composing for the band and touring with the band all around the world. Other than being a Jazz musician, Michaeli has studied classical Indian music on Bansuri (Indian flute), and classical Arabic music. Michaeli is also a sought-after electric bass player and has been playing and touring with various groove bands playing funk and Yemenite music.
