- A sensitive colorist on the kit
- Jazz Times
- A brush specialist
- Jazz Preview.com
- Aran furnishes the eclectic
sound scape with tactful
rhythmic foundations that subtly
intertwine traditional rhythms
with jazz and contemporary rhythms
- Christopher Ruel
- A very sincere and expressive player
with scary good "chops"
- Luke Kaven, Smalls Records.
- A great drummer!!
Photo by Hanayo Takai
- Avishai Cohen-Bass player
Dan Aran has become one of the most sought after
drummers in New York City.
In addition to Touring, recording and performing
with artists such as Harry Whitaker, Natalie Merchant, Stacey Kent, Adam Birnbaum and many
others, Dan leads his own quintet and is establishing
himself as a writer and bandleader.
Dan's debut recording as a leader "Breathing" (smalls
records), was described as “Disarmingly pretty, pure
in melodic focus.” - All About Jazz.
And as “One of the most beautiful recordings I have
heard in a long time.” – Pamela Espeland / Bebopified.
Dan's versatility and ability to play different styles is
what keeps him busy with a wide variety of bands.
He is a regular member of The Michael Arenella
Dreamland Orchestra, The Nick Hempton Band and
Itai Kriss's TELAVANA.
Dan is also an in demand dumbek player, and is
active in the world music scene.
Dan's musical journey started in his hometown of
Jerusalem. He graduated from the Rubin Academy
of Music high school and was already a busy drummer in the Israeli music scene, playing with a
number of different groups including bassist Avishai
Cohen’s trio, the Amos Hoffman group, Omer Avital
and Arnie Lawrence.
Dan continued his education at the New School
University in New York City.
He graduated in 2004 earning a BFA in performance and has been playing in major venues in the
U.S, Europe, the Middle East and Asia ever since.
Dan Aran plays Istanbul Agop Cymbals
& Canopus Drums.
www.danaran.net | New York +1 (917) 334-8773 | Tel Aviv 03 522-9522 | [email protected]
CONTACT: [email protected]
WITH A PASSIONATE, LYRICAL
DEBUT, JAZZ DRUMMER
DAN ARAN JOINS THE RANKS
OF ISRAELI JAZZ STARS
New York, NY – October 1, 2009
Continuing Smalls Records tradition of featuring the top names in the Israeli-American jazz connection, drummer Dan
Aran comes forth with a lyrical debut (Breathing / Smalls Records SRCD-0045) that hosts a veritable who’s who of
Israeli artists alongside American cohorts serving up passionate and virtuosic performances. This release is available
now and slated for worldwide release on October 10th.
The Israeli-American jazz movement is characterized by a wave of extraordinarily talented musicians who emigrated
from Israeli over the last fifteen years, and who have demonstrated a deeply rooted understanding of the American Jazz
tradition and the spiritual and popular music of the Middle East. This synthesis of styles maintains the rich possibilities
inherent in the two cultures, and has itself become influential on the new American Jazz scene.
Dan Aran was born in Jerusalem in 1977. He recounts his first experience with jazz at age 12 in hearing the sound of
Don Cherry’s album Art Deco, whereupon he was immediately struck by the musical drum sound of Billy Higgins. It
seems clear that Aran’s engaging, pitch-perfect drumming style with its polyrhythmic splendor takes after the great
master, though Aran’s influences are many. Growing up in Jerusalem, Aran’s ears were open to the wealth of the
Israeli, Jordanian, Yemeni, Algerian, Tunisian, Moroccan, and Persian musical cultures concentrated there. He associated early with maestro Omer Avital, bassist Avishai Cohen, oud master Amos Hoffman, and the great saxophonist and
educator Arnie Lawrence, all of whom urged Aran to make his career in New York. Aran heeded, and transposed to
New York. He attended the New School, from which he graduated in 2004 with a BFA, and has been playing extensively with artists such as Harry Whitaker, Junior Mance, Natalie Merchant, Stacey Kent, Omer Avital, Alon Yavnai, Ron
Afif, Dave Glasser, and many others. Aran has been featured with Omer Avital on Harry Whitaker’s acclaimed album
Thoughts (Past And Present) (Smalls SRCD-0026), named by the BBC’s Gilles Peterson as one of the Worldwide All
Winners of 2009.
On Breathing, Aran places himself squarely in the company of creative, like-minded musicians.
Featured are trumpeter Avishai Cohen, saxophonist Eli Degibri, bassist Matt Brewer, guitarist Nir Felder, trombonist Jonathan Voltzok,
flutist Itai Kriss, pianist Art Hirahara, trumpeter Ben Holmes, pianist Uri Sharlin, bassist Tal Ronen, and bassoonist Gili
Sharret. The music is lyrical, warm, and full of fire, and Aran lays down rhythmic textures that inspire his musicians
throughout. Aran pays special tribute to musician and educator extraordinaire Arnie Lawrence in his rendering of one
of Lawrence’s signature tunes “I’m So Blue” which instantly evokes a full-blown image of the late beloved jazz hero.
Notes Aran, “he was a true and honest musician always…on a mission, a mission of peace and swing, and I was
amazingly lucky to have been a part of it.” The tune “Giul Lihibib,” by Yemenite singer Aharon Amram, is based on
traditional Yemeni rhythms and melodies, and shows Aran’s Middle Eastern influences very clearly.
See www.danaran.com or www.smallsrecords.com for more information
Review Of Dan's New Cd. Jazz Times, December 2009 Issue
Israeli drummer-composer Dan Aran is joined by several of his talented compatriots,
including trumpeter Avishai Cohen, Tenor Saxophonist Eli Degibri, pianist Uri Sharlin,
bassist Tal Ronen and trombonist Jonathan Voltzok, on his superb debut as a leader.
A sensitive colorist on the kit, Aran takes a Zen-like approach on mesmerizing, ECMesque fare like "Sun Bath","Shnozel" and the entrancing "Riva".
Other highlights include a cover of Ornette Colman's "The Blessing";
a relaxed reading of Cole Porter's melancholy " I concentrate on you" featuring
basoonist Gili Sharrett; The meditative, folkloric number- Gul Lihibib with Aran on
Darbuka and Itai Kriss on Flute; and a swinging "I'm so Blue" (by Aran's mentor Arnie
Lawrence) featuring some slick brushwork.
Bill Milkowski
Breathing
Dan Aran | Smalls Records (2009)
By Bridget A. Arnwine
When a CD is released, one of its most revealing aspects—and that of the artist's mindset during the
recording process—is the title that has been assigned. With a title like Breathing, there are several things
that can be presupposed: first, maybe the artist recorded the album in a stiflingly hot space and the title
was chosen for its irony; second, perhaps making the music was as effortless a process as breathing; or
third, it's possible that the process of creating the music was so essential to life that it ranked as being, in
the artist's mind, as necessary as the need to breathe. Whatever rationale, Jerusalem-born drummer Dan
Aran's debut as a bandleader is a breath of fresh air.
What sustains Aran's proverbial breathing is the support he receives from a highly skilled group of
musicians, along with a good selection of music. Featuring only four of his own compositions, Aran's
approach to recording is that of a man with no ego or pretense—the best music gets featured here
whether it was composed under Aran's pen or someone else's. With standout performances occurring on
"Sun Bath," "Schnozel," "I'm So Blue," "Riva," "I Concentrate on You," "Tenderly," and "Gul Lihibib"
the music is understated yet present. There are no overly dramatic flourishes or grand gestures played on
the recording, in fact, Aran probably has the softest stroke of any drummer on the jazz scene today, but
with contributions from a talented band of musicians that includes pianist Art Hirahara, trumpeter
Avishai Cohen, bassist Matt Brewer, trombonist Jonathan Voltzok and tenor saxophonist Eli Degibri, he
has fashioned a solid supporting cast that helps make the music hard to ignore.
Aran and his band rise to every challenge and don't disappoint, regardless of the context. Some songs are
played in a more traditional manner ("I'm So Blue" and Cole Porter's "I Concentrate on You"), while
others feature interesting additions that uniquely change tradition, such as the inclusion of Gili Sharett's
bassoon on "Tenderly." Aran's original music is performed in a manner that merges his creative vision
with his heritage and respect for jazz history on "Sun Bath," "Schnozel" and "Riva," while "Gul Lihibib"
is performed with a Middle Eastern flair.
Recordings like Breathing are good reminders of what's great about jazz. When artists have a vision for
their music, and a respect for where the music has been and where it's going, that artist gives the jazz
body one breath, one chance at life. Jazz cannot survive on the success of one artist alone; it is a community. Jazz is a culture that represents life, and needs artists like Dan Aran to help it breathe a little easier.
Track listing: Sun Bath; Shnozel; I'm So Blue; Riva; Para Ezequiel; The Blessing; I Concentrate on You; Tenderly; Gul Lihibib; Yemini Pne.
Personnel: Dan Aran: drums, percussion; Avishai Cohen: trumpet (1, 2, 6, 10); Eli Degibri: tenor sax (3, 4, 9); Jonathan Voltzok: trombone (1, 2, 6, 10); Itai
Kriss: flute (9); Nir Felder: guitar (1, 10); Ben Holmes: trumpet (9); Art Hirahara: piano (1-8, 10); Uri Sharlin: piano, accordion (9); Tal Ronen: bass (3, 4, 5,
7, 9); Matt Brewer: bass (1, 2, 6, 8, 10); Gili Sharett: bassoon (7).
Published: December 16, 2009
The following review appears in the December 2009 issue of All About Jazz-New York.
Dan Aran
Breathing (Smalls Records)
By David R. Adler
Dan Aran’s Breathing arrived with a short, dour note from Luke Kaven, head of Smalls Records, on the
shaky future of indie-label jazz. That’s not news, and yet Breathing underscores the stakes involved for
artists whose work is too fine to go undocumented. Aran, an Israeli-born drummer, is such an artist.
Breathing is very much a jazz record but not a straightforward band date. There are many musicians on
the roster, some playing only small roles, although Aran relies on top-tier pianist Art Hirahara to anchor
every track except one. Bassists Matt Brewer and Tal Ronen handle five tunes each. Trumpeter Avishai
Cohen, saxophonist Eli Degibri and trombonist Jonathan Voltzok all make substantial contributions.
Degibri plays gruff tenor on Arnie Lawrence’s midtempo “I’m So Blue” and takes up soprano for Aran’s
“Riva,” a Trane-like waltz. Cohen’s solo on Ornette Coleman’s “The Blessing” is a burst of lucidity, the
album’s improvisational centerpiece.
But it’s the subtle textures and tone colors — Nir Felder’s mix of acoustic slide and fuzztone guitar on
the rubato second half of the ballad “Sun Bath,” Gili Sharett’s lonely bassoon on the melody of Cole
Porter’s “I Concentrate on You,” Brewer’s 5/4 bass feature on “Tenderly” — that give Breathing its
radiance, its flavor of surprise. Aran’s writing, too, is disarmingly pretty, pure in melodic focus. He
opens smartly with “Sun Bath” and the evocative tone poem “Shnozel,” and closes with “Yemini Pne,” a
loping, unorthodox two-chord vamp that gives way to a brighter sequence in ¾, framed by a joyous
staccato line and dueling solos from the brass.
The one big departure — an explicit nod to Aran’s ethnic heritage — is “Gul Lihibib,” Aharon Amram’s
hypnotic 7/8 theme, involving cameos by flutist Itai Kriss, trumpeter Ben Holmes and
pianist/accordionist Uri Sharlin. The Middle Eastern vibe is fleeting, however. Aran’s work is steeped
first and foremost in straightahead jazz, and yet the forms and contours are every bit his own.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Live jazz mostly in Minneapolis-St. Paul
CD Review: Dan Aran: Breathing
Smalls Records SRCD-0045, released September 2009
It’s rare (for me) to open a new CD by an artist I don’t know, pop it in the player, and leave it in for most of the day,
backing up to hear tunes over again, not wanting to skip anything. I did that with Dan Aran’s Breathing, one of the most
beautiful recordings I have heard in a long time.
Who’s Dan Aran? A New-York-via-Jerusalem drummer, one of that fascinating crowd of serious, well-educated,
grown-up Israeli musicians who have moved to NYC in recent years. (Read more about that here.) Born in 1977, a
drummer since 11, educated at the Rubin Academy of Music high school in Jerusalem and the New School University
in NYC (from which he graduated in 2004 with a BFA in performance), he has played with bassists Avishai Cohen and
Omer Avital, jazz vocalist Stacey Kent, pop singer Natalie Merchant, and many others. He seems to divide his time
between NYC and Israel; I don’t believe he has made it to the Midwest yet, unlike Avital and Cohen, guitarist Gilad
Hekselman, pianist Omer Klein, and trombonist Avishai Lubovitch. (Note to all JCCs and synagogues who bring Israeli
jazz musicians to Minneapolis/St. Paul: Put me on your mailing list and I’ll show up.)
Breathing is Aran’s first CD as leader, just out on Smalls Records, which Chris Kelsey reports is “surviving, but just
barely.” Smalls, the NYC jazz club in the West Village with which the label is associated, has been a home-away-fromhome for many Israeli musicians.
For Breathing, Aran gathered a fine group of mostly compatriots: trumpeter Avishai Cohen (no relation to the bassist,
but brother to clarinetist/saxophonist Anat and pianist Yuval), saxophonist Eli Degibri, trombonist Jonathan Voltzok,
flutist Itai Kriss, guitarist Nir Felder, trumpeter Ben Holmes, pianists Art Hirahara and Uri Sharlin, bassists Tal Ronen
and Matt Brewer, and bassoonist Gili Sharett. They don’t all play together or this would be a big band recording, but
appear in various combinations on various tracks.
Ah, the tracks. Four out of ten are originals by Aran, including the opener, “Sun Bath,” which begins with a gentle
summons by Cohen’s trumpet, layers on instruments (soft piano, plashy cymbals, bass, trombone, guitar), builds in
intensity, digresses into a conversation between trumpet and trombone, then pauses, takes a breath, and moves into a
ruminative piano-bass-guitar section that picks up speed (but not much) when Aran and the rest return. Another
crescendo, another diminuendo, another digression, this time into big, chordy guitar. I’m never sure where this piece is
going but it pulls me along. It’s more of a sunrise than a sun bath, changing colors moment by moment.
“Sun Bath” gives way to “Shnozel,” an odd name for a slow, measured work of real beauty that sounds at first as if it
might turn into “Moanin’.” The spotlight is on Hirahara’s piano.
“I’m So Blue” shifts the mood to saucy and swinging. Degibri’s tenor sax takes the lead on this tune I know I've heard
before--by someone named Lawrence?--but can't find anything about. (If you know this music, please comment.) By
now I’m completely won over by pianist Hirahara. Aran takes his first notable solos and I’m reminded that this is his
CD as leader. Throughout, he seldom asserts himself; this is a group effort. [Note: Dan Aran wrote to tell me that "I'm
So Blue" was written by his former teacher at the New School, Arnie Lawrence.]
Live jazz mostly in Minneapolis-St. Paul
“Riva,” an Aran original with a Middle Eastern flavor, features Degibri on soprano sax, who turns it over to Hirahara et
al. midway and comes back to bring it home. Nice. “Para Ezequiel” by bassist Ronen is tuneful and lovely, Aran’s
drums laying down a sweet Latin groove for Hirahara’s piano to dance on, and later Ronen’s bass in a moody solo. And
here—five tunes into the ten on this CD—is where I know this is music I will likely play again and again. I won’t insult
Aran and his bandmates by calling it “easy listening,” but it’s oh so easy to listen to.
(Meanwhile, my husband has wandered into my office twice to say "What's that?" "Who's that?" and "I like that.")
Ornette Coleman’s “The Blessing” comes as a surprise, simply because I didn’t expect to hear it in this particular mix.
Any rough edges and occasional squawks from the pretty-tame-for-Coleman original on Something Else!!!! have been
polished out, leaving the melody in the hands of Cohen and Voltzok—no sax on this track. The tempo is slower, more
deliberate, giving the tune more space. (This version is also twice as long as Coleman’s.)
Cole Porter’s “I Concentrate on You” (which more jazz artists seem to be playing these days) is a showcase for Gili
Sharett’s bassoon, which I would have liked to hear more of. You could (and should) slow-dance to this tune, at home
on a Friday night, with the kids in bed and a candle or two flickering and the phone turned off and cocktails sweating on
the coffee table…. Excuse me. Where was I?
Jack Lawrence and Walter Gross’ “Tenderly” begins with Brewer plucking the melody on his bass. Brewer leads on
most of the 7-plus-minutes track, which resolves into a riff that cushions a playful extended solo by Aran.
“Gul Lihibib” is probably Breathing’s farthest-out track, the most exotic-sounding and least straight-ahead. I wasn't
able to learn anything about this tune or its composer, someone named Amram—perhaps David Amram? Comment if
you know more. This is the only track to feature Uri Sharlin, who plays both piano and accordion above Aran’s deep,
driving percussion. [Note: Dan Aran wrote to tell me that "Gul Lihibib" was written by Israeli composer Aharon
Amram.]
In closing: Aran’s “Yemini Pne.” At the start, a loose and lazy meditation. More nice work by Cohen/Voltzok and
Hirahara/Brewer. A brief, exploratory solo piano transition into a lively second half and a spirited back-and-forth
between the horns. Bright calls from the trumpet, closing thrums and rumbles from the bass and drums, a final exhalation from the trumpet, and it’s time to start over at track 1.
Let's hope that Smalls Records doesn't die, that Breathing gets air play, that Aran ventures west of the Hudson before
too long, that good things happen for this deserving new release. It's a CD many people will enjoy if they have the
chance to hear it.
Editorial Reviews
Drummer Dan Aran can certainly claim stylistic allegiance to several factions of modern jazz, from the
progressive to ethnic fusion and neo-bop. But it is Dan Aran the composer and theorist who also stands
out on this, his debut as a leader, teamed with various-sized groups and instrumentations that showcase
the depth and breadth of his fertile imagination. As a rhythmic navigator, he challenges the norm with
either extremely complex charts or adapting simple equations of swing into slightly embellished or
peaceful pulses. A younger crowd of N.Y.C.-based musicians joins him, most notably trumpeter Avishai
Cohen alongside trombonist Jonathan Voltzok, saxophonist Eli Degibri on three cuts, Matt Brewer or Tal
Ronen on bass, and the very fine pianist Art Hirahara throughout. There's a large quotient of soul in this
music based on patient virtue, and the steadfast belief that even though all of the notes have been played,
they can still have new depth and meaning. The four tracks featuring the two brass players represent the
most bluesy pieces, including the slow, sighing six-beat-in-five-note strains of the opener, "Sun Bath,"
with delicate yet intricate, cascading stairstep lines over the processed, looped electric guitar of Nir
Felder -- a beautifully developed objet d'art. An outstanding finale, "Yemini Pne" really digs deep into
the midnight blue spectrum via Hirahara's uptown late-night musings that merge into a modal groove
with a stunning, jamming horn discourse that bumps the sleepy mood up several notches. A soft and
gentle "Shnozel" recalls the sonic footprint of the great large ensembles of Woody Shaw that featured
Slide Hampton or Steve Turre, where a slowed version of Ornette Coleman's "The Blessing" also gives
sway to the notion of where these musicians received major information and inspiration. Another Aran
original, "Riva" sounds like a waltz or 6/8 amalgam of "Nature Boy" and "Midnight Sun." Ronen's
contribution to the date, "Para Ezequiel" is a straight piano-bass-drums trio waltz, nothing fancy except a
slight tango inference encouraging Hirahara's romantic stance. David Amram's multicultural theme "Gul
Lihibib" is unearthed, a 7/8 Middle Eastern/Yiddish snake charmer/belly dance composition accented by
the exotic flute of Itai Kriss and Uri Sharlin's accordion, while the bassoon of Gili Sharett is woven
through a tango ballad version of Cole Porter's "I Concentrate on You." This is a recording deserving of
several repeat listenings to hear the unfolded layers of sound and ideas that are more subtle, or not
readily discernible upon first blush. It's that rare album that grows on you with each spin, a rare commodity in the modern jazz era of copyist populism and well-worn standard fare. For an initial outing, it's
an outstanding effort, and comes with a hearty "two thumbs up" recommendation.
Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
Israeli drummer Dan Aran takes a more contemporary tack on Breathing (Smalls 0045). Aran – a student
of the late saxophonist (and founder of the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music) Arnie Lawrence – is notably un-drummer-like in his leadership. He’s a laid-back team player, disinclined to put
himself out front. Could be that he’s without ego, or that he’s content to let his tuneful compositions and
enlightened arrangements serve as the focus. If so, mission accomplished, because while he’s convened
a large group of fine players – the most well-known of whom is probably trumpeter (and fellow Smalls
habitué) Avishai Cohen – the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Aran seems fond of gently grooving Latin rhythms and the occasional odd meter, both of which suit his tasteful, ECM-ish drumming
style to a “T.” The music exudes calm, even at its most agitated (which really isn’t very). Like most of
the Smalls catalog (and unlike the Roland album), it doesn’t look back, but rather pulls the listener along
in modest, well-considered increments. There’s plenty of room in jazz for music like that. If we’re lucky,
Smalls will continue to deliver it – in some form – well into the future.
Chris Kelsey
Dan's CD review by Greg Edwards
Dan Aran, Lynch Pin of Israeli-American Jazz
OK, so there IS an Israeli-American jazz scene. What better day than Yom Kippur to bring it up? Drummer Dan Aran is an important part of it. His new album Breathing (Smalls) makes that clear. He can play
some solid drums, lead a middle-sized ensemble from the drum stool, and make use of the talent around
him as well as his own in choosing a program of originals, standards and roots music finely arranged and
performed.
The ensemble on this disk is in continual flux, but generally there is a front line of several horns (Avishai
Cohen on trumpet being one of the most accomplished), plus some special sound color instruments here
and there, like accordion and bassoon.
The music is contemporary with some bop underpinning now and then and some roots, like on the final
cut, "Yemeni Prie," a very nice 7/8 timed piece based on Yemeni traditional music.
That's the basics of it. For the specifics, you just need to listen to it a few times and you should find
yourself falling in with its varied program and its delightfully solid musical qualities. If you want
modern contemporary in the new mainstream and you have had enough of the cliches that can be repackaged and regurgitated from the Jamey Aebersold practice books and music-minus-one CDs, here are a
group of folks who know that it's not enough to get the changes right and learn to string the "correct"
cliches together flowingly. Not to take anything away from the Aebersold books. They are great. But
they are like Wittgenstein's idea of philosophy. It is a ladder to get you somewhere. Once you've climbed
up there, you don't need the ladder anymore. And that's when the real work begins. Dan Aran and his
colleagues are way past the ladder and working on what comes after, what you put into the music after
you get the basics down, with very successful and listenable results.
Photo by Ania Gruca