Everywhere you look, the annual Piano Festival has something extracurricular to offer.
By BARRY DAVISpiano keys 88(photo credit: )
The annual Piano Festival, which takes place on Wednesday through Saturday, is something of a fig leaf - but strictly of the best kind. Considering the name you would be forgiven for expecting to see a roster of pianists playing solo or, possibly, accompanying their keyboard efforts with their own vocals over the four days. In fact, while all the shows - there are 27 all told - feature a piano there is a lot more on offer.
Over its ten year existence the Piano Festival has hosted some of the biggest names in the local pop and rock business at its perennial Suzanne Dellal Center home. This year is no different. The lineup includes titans such as the well established Aviv Geffen and Gali Atari, alongside some newer stars, like Yoni Bloch, and hot-off-the-press artists the likes of Alma Zohar and Emily Karpel. It makes for impressive reading and, no doubt, listening too.
Festival director, and head of the concert department at the Tel Aviv Municipality, Shabi Mizrahi, has no problems with the titular smokescreen. "During its ten years, the festival has developed from a sort of 'hosting piano' event to a breeding ground," says Mizrahi. "The festival has spawned a long list of excellent shows which debuted with us and went on to tour the country successfully. We are proud to keep this tradition going."
Next week's original show list includes a tribute to Shlomo Gronich, with a stellar lineup that includes Evyatar Banai, Daniel Salomon and Shlomi Shaban, Rita's "Side B" show, an intriguing pairing of Aviv Geffen and British rock outfit Suede front man Brett Anderson, Mosh Ben-Ari with Arcadi Dukhin, and Yonatan Razel synergy with Meir Banai. Everywhere you look, the festival has something extracurricular to offer.
The festival spread also stretches further than pure pop and rock. Consider jazz saxophonist Daniel Zamir's Thursday night (12:30 a.m.) appearance with Evyatar Banai, which brings together Banai's highly personalized torch song ethos with Zamir's beefy Jewish-tinged jazz style. And there's more jazzy coloring on Wednesday evening (10:45 p.m.) in the Three Duets show headed by veteran singer-songwriter Yoni Rechter and guests Shaban, local progressive rock pioneer Avner Kanner and US-based jazz pianist Alon Yavnai. Considering Rechter's eclectic approach - his rich CV to date includes a berth in seminal Israeli rock band Kaveret, as well as numerous soft rock and pop efforts and jazz outings - and Shaban's bluesy mindset, Three Duets is one of the more diverse slots in the festival.
On Friday evening (8 p.m.) there will be some feminine intimacy, and some ethnic seasoning, to be had when pop superstar Miri Mesika hosts iconic singer-songwriter Leah Shabbat. Mesika will set aside her trademark powerhouse style for the show which will follow a far softer acoustic trail. Mesika and Shabbat will be supported by an instrumental quintet that includes Yankeleh Segal on oud and tar (Iranian-Azerbaijani lute).
Shlomi Shaban has certainly got his work cut out for him next week,
with no less than four shows planned. Thursday evening (10:15 p.m.) sees him team up with popular French-Israeli singer-songwriter Keren Ann and New York-based Israeli jazz trumpeter Avishai Cohen. More ethnically oriented vibes kick in on the last evening when Iranian-born flutist-vocalist Amir Shahasar joins forces with jazz pianist Adi Renert and eastern percussion specialist Zohar Fresco. Add to that the frenetic standup antics of Guri Alfi and you get an all bases covered event that seems to go from strength to strength with the years.
For more information call (03) 510-5656 or visit www.suzannedellal.org.il.
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