Pianist Alon Yavnai, winner of the 2008 Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album as part of the Paquito D'Rivera Quintet for the album "Funk Tango," takes center stage as a soloist and trio leader after years of exceptional collaboration with artists like Paquito D'Rivera, Nancy Wilson, Rosa Passos, Joe Lovano and Yo-Yo Ma.
Now, with the release of Travel Notes, his first recording on ObliqSound, Yavnai emerges as a soloist and leader of a trio combination featuring Omer Avital on bass and oud and Jamey Haddad on percussion. He continues to explore new musical terrain on the album, incorporating rhythms from Cape Verde, Peru and Morocco with Brazilian harmonic influences and his solid grounding in both classical and jazz composition.
"On this impressive trio outing with bassist Omer Avital and percussionist Jamey Haddad, [Yavnai] explores a multi-faceted dreamworld that delivers on multiple levels." -Global Rhythms
"A heartfelt mix of jazz, African rhythms, and Latin harmonies, the record is a testament to Yavnai's formidable command of the piano, and his affinity for polythythmic group interplay...It is a bold musical statement, but not unexpected from the fiery artist who won first place in the '96 Great American Jazz Piano Competition." -Keyboard Magazine
"...a complex transcultural stew" -Downbeat
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