Shai Zalman Quintet

A Tribute to Dizzy Gillespie’s Revolutionary Groove

Asa Cook – trumpet | Guy Moskowitz – piano | Gilad Abro – bass | Gili Ben-Tzvi – congas and percussion | Shai Zalman – drums

Drummer Shai Zalman is one of the most prominent and beloved pillars of Israel’s jazz community. Over decades of extensive musical activity, Zalman has not only established himself as the leading traditional jazz drummer in the country, but also as someone who has educated, mentored, and guided generations of prominent musicians currently at the forefront of the international scene. Reviews across the web describe him as “the beating heart of Israeli swing”—a drummer with a warm, dynamic, and sensitive touch who has collaborated over the years with international giants, including John Hicks, Kirk Lightsey, Larry Willis, Curtis Fuller, Jim Rotondi, Joe Magnarelli, Peter Bernstein, and Eric Alexander. He has also been one of the leading figures behind the legendary jam sessions at the Eilat Festival since its founding.

In this edition of the festival, Zalman and his excellent ensemble present a festive and special tribute performance dedicated to one of the most important, colorful, and revolutionary figures in the history of jazz—the trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Gillespie was one of the leading figures of the dramatic bebop revolution of the 1940s, and the pioneering musician who transformed the fascinating combination of modern jazz and deeply rooted Afro-Cuban rhythms into a new, turbulent, and exhilarating musical language that changed the face of global culture.

In this special performance, Shai Zalman and a five-piece ensemble of outstanding musicians bring Gillespie’s monumental music to the stage. The repertoire will move naturally between fast, stormy bebop pieces and the tribal Latin rhythms and explosive energy that characterized Gillespie’s performances, making him one of the most beloved and recognizable artists in jazz history.

Performance duration: 50 minutes
Photo: Yossi Tzvaker