David Broza, one of Israel’s most durable and inventive musicians, doesn’t think that turning 70 means winding down. On the contrary, he’s busier than ever, performing regularly in both the US, where he spends half his time, and back home, where he’s launching a second year of the triumphant Hakeves Hashisha-Asar (The Sixteenth Sheep) reunion performances with Yoni Rechter, Gidi Gov, and Yehudit Ravitz.
And he’s still creating firsts, the latest being his inaugural jazz album, Brozajazz: Paris Alhambra, recorded live last year in Paris, with some top Israeli musicians. “I’ve always had this inclination and inkling for jazz,” Broza told The Jerusalem Post earlier this month. “Even when I was young and living in Spain for four years, I ended up collaborating with a lot of flamenco artists, which is another form of jazz. They share these great, unexpected moments when you have to go with the flow.”
The fluidity of Jazz
Playing jazz is like being on a basketball court, and you’re waiting for the ball to be in your hands so you can make the next move, he said. “It’s a constant relationship between the melody and how far you can interpret it. I don’t know if it’s an inner intelligence or just the ability to be free, but you really have to know music before you play jazz.”
And he admits that he’s not a jazz musician.
“I don’t know music to that degree, and I don’t mind finding myself in trouble in rough spots and finding a way out because I love improvisation. And I just love challenges. When you’re around great musicians – jazz musicians, especially –they’re the safety net, like in the circus. You can do whatever you want, and they’ll always be there to lift you just a second before you hit the ground and you break to pieces.”
Appearing on the album are musical director and bassist Omer Avital, Eden Ladin on piano, Itamar Borochov on trumpet, and Itay Morchi on drums – the same quartet that will be joining Broza for two shows on December 25 at the showcase club, the City Winery in New York City. “Omar is one of the best companions on this road and best partners that I could think of musically, because the musical director really helps me. I can be at ease when I get on stage or when I come to rehearsals under his baton,” he said.
The performances this month mark the 30th anniversary of the Not Exactly Christmas shows that Broza has been hosting in New York on Christmas Eve or Christmas day – the modern-day alternative for New York-area Jews and Israelis instead of going out for Chinese food. “Instead of doing it in a theater, I wanted the audience to be able to drink and eat in a festive atmosphere,” said Broza. “City Winery is a beautiful performance place and very intimate [350 at tables]. And we’ll be doing an afternoon and evening show, which means both shows can be long.
“For me, as a musician, there’s nothing more exciting than being able to stretch out and take your time. Not that you can take all your time with two shows, but being onstage for something like six hours and play with these great musicians is a gift.”
A gift that keeps on giving
Another gift that keeps on giving is Broza’s participation in Hakeves Hashisha-Asar, the legendary Yonatan Geffen/Yoni Rechter collaboration that an entire generation of Israelis grew up on in the 1970s and 80s. Released in 1978, this iconic children’s album – woven with the poetic genius of Geffen, who died in April 2023, and the music of Rechter – captures the essence of childhood wonder and unbridled curiosity. Sung by Ravitz, Gov, and Broza, its melodies and heartfelt lyrics continue to resonate, making it a living, breathing part of Israeli cultural heritage.
“We debuted last January and the reception has been amazing,” said Broza. “We rehearsed for a year, which is unreal. Normally productions rehearse for two weeks, maybe a month, if they can afford it. We really wanted to be sure that we can sing together at the same level, if not better, than we did almost 50 years ago, and to live up to those amazing arrangements by Yoni. He oversaw the entire project back then and he took it upon himself now to be the musical director and arrange all of those complex songs and harmonies.
“We just pinch ourselves to be able to sing together,” he said. “I was told there are 200,000 people on the waiting list to buy tickets for our performances this year. It’s been another drop of sweetness to the bitter reality.” Broza was referring to the two-year long war in Gaza and the toll it has taken throughout the country. In despair, like the rest of the population, he did the only thing he knew: volunteering to perform over 200 times for displaced residents from the North and South, soldiers who had served in Gaza, schools, and wherever he was needed.
Anthems of his like the hymn “Yihye Tov” (Things will be OK) took on a new level of meaning as he performed for a trauma-stricken country, with tears frequently flowing from both the audience and performer. “The war put the inner space in my world in a very narrow and dark hole. And the music was my way of dealing with it, trying to squeeze out all the darkness,” he said. “So, for me, if I could play eight hours a day, I’d be really happy, because by the end of that, I’m so exhausted. I go to sleep with no dreams, with no second thoughts; wake up to the next day doing the same thing.” The performances during these two years were under duress and were traumatic, he said. “I was like, everybody is in trauma.” Even while in the US, he would call synagogues and ask if they had an open day on a Sunday afternoon so he could come and perform. "And I’d walk in and just do a show and go away. Whether it was in New York City, Los Angeles or different areas. Everybody was trying to find a way to unite and to get their strength together – and that included me.”
“A lot has changed. A lot is still changing. And it’s going to take twists and turns – and in the meantime, I’m performing,” Broza said. “You know, I do hundreds of shows a year and it helps me be a better artist. And I think I’m nicer to myself now: I managed to overcome the pain.”
Neria Barr contributed to this report.