Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
The Schmooze

The Magnificent Sheva

While Israel has been producing ever more, and ever-more-competent, jazz musicians since a handful of pioneers burst onto the scene in the early 1990s, a new crop of aspirants has appeared, encompassing those who have the kind of style and savvy that at once recalls that past and suggests a future. Here are some to watch — none older than 30, all ready to grab the spotlight.

Haggai Cohen Milo, bass — A multidimensional talent, he reveals a flair for dramatic contrast in both his music and his photography, another avocation.

Uri Gurvich, saxophone — Matching a big sound with an expansive approach that draws on many cultures, his concept is global in scope but Jewish at its core.

Gilad Hekselman, guitar — Lyrical or roiling, structured or free, his writing and playing are unpredictable yet unwaveringly attentive to context.

Gadi Lehavi, piano — Arguably a one of a kind prodigy, adamant in his refusal to be pigeonholed, he is, in the middle of his teen years, already being heard in elite circles.

Shai Maestro, piano — A fondness for melody, an ability to articulate and a knack for communicating inside the classic trio format are central to his presentation.

Nadav Remez, guitar — An unassuming artist with a penchant for indie rock, he is forging a style built on understatement, logic and clarity.

Tamir Shmerling, bass — Influenced by American funk and the blues, his musical personality reflects an unabashed affinity for these idioms without denying his Israeli roots.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.

If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.

Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism. 

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.