{"title":"Yoron Israel","description":"\u003cp\u003eYORON ISRAEL\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrummer \/ Percussionist \/ Vibraphonist \/ Band Leader \/ Educator, Composer \/ Artistic Director \/ Keyboardist \/ Producer \/ AuthorA native Chicagoan, he is among his generation's most gifted and sought-after musicians. Yoron's exciting and tasteful drumming, along with his compositional and arranging talents, are spotlighted on his new album, entitled Inspiration. Other acclaimed albums include New Dreams, This Moment – Live in Boston, Visions - The Music of Stevie Wonder, Basic Traneing, and A Gift for You, all on his label, Ronja Music Company. Also of note are Yoron's recordings, Chicago (Double Time), and Live at the Blue Note (Half Note). As co-leader of the Frank Walton\/Yoron Israel Sextet, he produced two releases: Live in Chicago and The Back Step (Han-Wal Productions). These fine works have received enthusiastic praise from radio personalities, journalists, musical peers, and fans alike. They represent the extensive depth of Yoron Israel's musicianship as he continues to evolve as a bandleader. He brings his unique influences and experiences in Jazz, Gospel, World Styles, Contemporary Christian, Funk, R\u0026amp;amp;B, and Orchestral idioms full circle with his compositions, arrangements, repertoire, and ensemble concept: \"Music to be enjoyed by all.\" As Jack DeJohnette quoted, \"Yoron's works are sparkling musical offerings from a drummer with good taste. He has a sense of direction and a feeling of joy in his drumming, compositions, and arrangements. Yoron Israel is an important voice you should listen to.\"Yoron Israel currently serves as Chair and Professor of Percussion at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He is also Pastor of Music and Arts at Destiny Life Center International Church in Brockton, MA, and Founder and Artistic Director of the concert series \"Jazz in the Sanctuary-South Shore.\"Additionally, Mr. Israel leads several dynamic ensembles that present original compositions and personalized arrangements of songs by influential composers. His latest recording, Inspiration, features an all-star cast of brilliant artists, including vocalists Leah Hinton and Michon Young-Williams; organist Dennis Montgomery; pianist Laszlo Gardony; bassist Avery Sharpe; saxophonist Ian Buss; and guitarist Rick Peckham, performing original works along with a wide range of compositions associated with Michael Jackson, Chick Corea, Ivan Lins, James Williams and others. New Dreams is a brilliant example, featuring his group \"Trio Plus\" with notable guest artists including saxophonist Bill Pierce, vocalist Nedelka Prescod, violinist David Eure, bassist Will Slater, and pianists Kevin Harris and Michael Cochrane.His Boston-based band, \"High Standards,\" is featured on This Moment and Visions: The Music of Stevie Wonder. With the standard quartet instrumentation of drums, saxophone, piano, and bass, their music showcases infectious depth of virtuosity and musical cohesion. This ensemble is committed to forging ahead with \"new standards\" for the 21st century and beyond, while adding a personalized perspective to familiar performance, compositional, and arranging references, inspiring future generations of listeners and musicians. Occasionally, the band is supplemented with vocals, guitar, and spoken word, adding more impact to their identifiable sound.Basic Traneing: Celebrating the Legacy of John Coltrane reached number three on the National Jazz Charts in 2004. It features Yoron's organ trio \"Organic\" with organist Kyle Koehler, guitarist Ed Cherry, and special guests Jay Hoggard (vibraphone\/ marimba), Bill Pierce (tenor and soprano saxophone), and Ernesto Diaz (percussion). \"Organic\" performs original compositions and works rooted in the soulful musical legacies of Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Charles Earland, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and others, while highlighting the trio's versatility and virtuosity.The recording Chicago, released in 2000 on the Double Time label, features saxophonist Joe Lovano, organist Larry Goldings, and guitarist Marvin Sewell. Yoron pays tribute to his birthplace by performing original works and compositions by other influential Chicago natives, including Johnny Griffin, Maurice White, Jack DeJohnette, Clifford Jordan, Donny Hathaway, and Julian Priester.Live from the Blue Note is Yoron Israel's second recording, featuring his quintet, \"Connection,\" with vibraphonist Bryan Carrott, guitarist Ed Cherry, and bassist Sean Conly, alongside special guests trombonist Steve Turre and saxophonist Eric Alexander. A Gift for You, Yoron's debut recording, was produced by Ronja Music Company and initially released in 1996, with a 2006 re-release. It includes performances by pianist James Williams, saxophonists Lance Bryant and Donald Harrison, trumpeter Phillip Harper, bassist John Lockwood, and regulars Carrott and Cherry. \"Connection,\" a quintet formed in 1994, features a unique and enticing instrumental blend of drums\/percussion, vibraphone, guitar, tenor\/soprano saxophone, and bass. Concert presentations are inspiring and joyful. The band members' shared musical vocabulary creates a unified ensemble sound that connects listeners to their collective musical experiences across various styles.Mr. Israel also leads such tribute groups as \"Max Roach 100,\" a quartet formed in 2024 to commemorate the centennial of master drummer, bandleader, and visionary Max Roach's birth (1924). The quartet performs works from Roach's extensive discography and original compositions by Yoron and the \"Yoron Israel Septet: A Musical Tribute to David 'Fathead' Newman,\" which features Bill Easley, David Leonhardt, and John Menegon, who have long been associated with the late David Newman throughout his career. This seven-piece, four-horn band is a project reminiscent of Newman's 2007 \"Cityscape\" and earlier recordings, including those dating back to the Ray Charles era. This year, he is performing several concerts with a quartet celebrating the centennial year of John Coltrane, with guitarist Sheryl Bailey, saxophonist Dino Govoni, and bassist Ron Mahdi. Live in Chicago and The Back Step represent Yoron's collaboration with the late Frank Walton, Sr., trumpeter, mentor, and long-time friend. Their sextet also features Allan Chase or Jaleel Shaw – alto saxophone, Lance Bryant – tenor \u0026amp;amp; soprano saxophone, Kevin Harris – piano, and Avery Sharpe – bass. This ensemble is firmly rooted in the classic bebop and hard-bop traditions, reminiscent of giants such as Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, and Miles Davis, with renewed fire and urgency. Also featured are original works and arrangements by all the sextet members. He also co-leads \"Yoron Israel \/ Bill Pierce - ICU Revisited\" with Roger Holland and Lance Bryant (vocals), John Lockwood (bass), and Kevin Harris (piano); all except Kevin were members of the James Williams \"Intensive Care Unit\" band. The group honors the magnificent compositional and artistic legacy of the late James Williams while expanding the possibilities of \"Gospel Jazz.\"In addition to leading his various projects as a bandleader. Yoron's brilliant musicality, intensity, and versatility are appreciated worldwide through consistent performances at prestigious concerts, notable festivals, and prominent clubs, as well as on more than 250 recordings as an accompanist. Sonny Rollins, Abbey Lincoln, Ahmad Jamal, Horace Silver, Tony Bennett, Joe Williams, Gloria Lynne, Dakota Staton, Grover Washington, Kenny Burrell, Jim Hall, Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutchinson, Art Farmer, Clifford Jordan, Jerome Richardson, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Heath, Cedar Walton, Freddie Cole, Pharoah Sanders, George Adams, Charles Mingus Dynasty Big Band, David \"Fathead\" Newman, Red Holloway, Larry Coryell, Henry Butler, Doctor Lonnie Smith, Benny Golson, Joe Lovano, Tom Harrell, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Curtis Fuller, Bennie Wallace, Vanessa Rubin, Kevin Mahogany, Bill Mays, James Williams, Danilo Perez, Cyrus Chestnut, Otis Clay, and Shirley Caesar are among the numerous artists that he has worked with—Yoron tours regularly with bassist Avery Sharpe, saxophonist Chico Freeman, The McCoy Tyner Legends Band, and vibraphonist Jay Hoggard.Since 2000, he has maintained a busy schedule performing and recording with many outstanding Boston-based artists, including Laszlo Gardony, The Makanda Project, Joel LaRue Smith, Andrew Wilcox, and Gabrielle Goodman, among others. Additionally, he has become a first-call accompanist for a wide range of artists appearing in the New England area; this list includes Marion Meadows, Dee Alexander, Ricky Ford, Charles Tolliver, Abraham Laboriel, Eddie Gomez, Joanne Brackeen, Eliane Elias, Larry Goldings, Ann Hampton Callaway, Jane Ira Bloom, Greg Osby, Clark Terry, and Joey DeFrancesco, among others.Yoron is a doctoral candidate at Liberty University. He received his Master of Music from Rutgers University in 1997 (New Brunswick, NJ) and his Bachelor of Music from Roosevelt University in 1986 (Chicago, IL).As an educator, in addition to his position at Berklee, he is also the author of the acclaimed educational DVD, \"Creative Jazz Improvisation for Drum Set,\" published by Hal Leonard and Berklee Press, and the online course, \"Drum Set Performance 101,\" at Berklee Online. Mr. Israel was formerly on the faculty at Rutgers University, William Paterson University, and Mannes College - The New School for Music. He continues to teach privately and to conduct clinics, workshops, residencies, and music camps worldwide. This list includes: The Tiwa Savage\/Berklee in Nigeria Music Intensive (2026), Berklee in Puerto Rico (2022-Present), Berklee at Umbria Clinics (2017- Present),  Director of Berklee Drums and Percussion Summer Workshop (2000-Present), Annual Drum Set Workshop at Gordon College (Wenham, MA, 2016 - 2024), Modern Music Camp, in Shanghai China (2017), Jiong Summer Drum Camps Beijing \u0026amp;amp; Wuhan China (2017), Berklee in San Domingo (2015 – 2024), Art Music School (Bologna Italy, 2014), Conservatory of Pescara (2014), Havana (Cuba) Jazz Festival, Hokkaido Groove Camp, Sapporo, Japan (2009, 2008, 2007), the Seminario \u0026amp;amp; Encuentro Internacional de Jazz, Xalapa Mexico (2010, 2006 \u0026amp;amp; 2004), Berklee Percussion Festivals (2003 – 2010), Taichung Jazz Festivals, Taiwan (2003 \u0026amp;amp; 2004), The International Association of Jazz Educators Convention (2002), The Percussive Arts Society International Convention (2020, 2009, 2001), , Young Audiences of New Jersey (1994 – 2006), The Vermont Jazz Camp (1990 – 1997) and The Litchfield Music School (1998 – 2013).Yoron's varied credits have earned recognition in such publications as The Bay State Banner, The Patriot Ledger, The Enterprise, Jazz.com, Variety, The Royal Gazette, Bermuda, Jazz Improv Magazine, Rocky Mount (NC) Telegraph, Outstanding Men of America, Down Beat, Jazz Times, Modern Drummer, Stick It, Percussive Notes, New York Times, Boston Globe and Boston Herald, and others. He endorses Sonor Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Drum Heads, Earthworks Microphones, Protection Racket Cases, Cympad Accessories, Prologix Percussion, Vic Firth Drumsticks, Mallets, and Brushes.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"yoron-israel-inspiration-cd","title":"Yoron Israel - Inspiration (CD)","description":"\u003cp\u003eINSPIRATION\u003cbr\u003eYoron Israel\u003cbr\u003eRenowned drummer, composer, and arranger Yoron Israel presents Inspiration — a powerful and deeply personal recording that celebrates the rich musical currents of the African Diaspora. Serving as composer, arranger, and performer on drum set and percussion, Israel offers a wide-ranging sonic journey that moves seamlessly through jazz, gospel, blues, and global traditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInspiration reflects Israel’s depth as both an artist and storyteller. Each composition carries emotional clarity, rhythmic vitality, and spiritual resonance — music designed not only to be heard, but felt. From uplifting gospel-infused anthems to groove-driven explorations and lyrical meditations, the recording speaks to the human spirit with warmth, strength, and authenticity.\u003cbr\u003eThis project brings together an all-star cast of collaborators whose artistry elevates the music at every turn:\u003cbr\u003e• Leah Hinton – vocals\u003cbr\u003e• Ian Buss – tenor \u0026amp; soprano saxophones\u003cbr\u003e• Rick Peckham – guitar\u003cbr\u003e• László Gardony – piano\u003cbr\u003e• Avery Sharpe – acoustic \u0026amp; electric bass\u003cbr\u003e• Dennis Montgomery – organ\u003cbr\u003e• Michon Williams – background vocals\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTogether, this ensemble creates a vibrant musical tapestry rooted in tradition yet alive with contemporary expression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt its core, Inspiration is exactly what its title declares — a heartfelt offering meant to encourage, uplift, and awaken. It is music for listeners across generations and backgrounds, inviting each person into a deeper place of reflection, joy, and renewal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ronja Music Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52968979595557,"sku":"195269427351","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0758\/1250\/3845\/files\/Front-Cover-1600-x-1600-1.jpg?v=1785793178"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0758\/1250\/3845\/collections\/Front-Cover-1600-x-1600-1_4513b46f-f6a5-4b7d-a201-9f3501e1b4b1.jpg?v=1786493765","url":"https:\/\/store.spinneymedia.com\/collections\/yoron-israel.oembed","provider":"Spinney Media","version":"1.0","type":"link"}