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Tag: ilan bar-lavi

ilan bar-lavi

Guest Posts: Ilan Bar-Lavi and Victor Gould

More thoughts from the band:

When I first started playing jazz, one of my biggest dreams was to play at the Blue Note in New York.  It was kinda like a joke between my friends, we use to say: yeah right, I’m going to play at the Blue Note when we really were going to play in a small place in my hometown. That dream came true. I played at the Blue Note with some of my best friends and favorite musicians, and under the musical command of my favorite mentor teacher/menthor Darren Barrett. It was an amazing experience working with Darren’s ensemble for an entire year.  I really believe that each one of us stepped it up since the first time we played together.  After all the hard work and extra hours of rehearsing the challenging music of Myron Walden, there is no better reward than going on a trip to the Apple (New York) and perfom in front of a full house at the Blue Note. This was defenetly one of my best Berklee experiences.  ~Ilan Bar-Lavi

I had an amazing time. It means a lot to me to perform with a group that is able to rehearse as much as we did. Also it was a big surprise to find out that Myron Walden would be performing with us as we as Darren Barrett. This was the perfect event to close out my Berklee experience. ~Victor Gould

The Show

The Sextet, hammering along on Myron Waldens The Road.  From left:  Jonathan, Ilan, Josh, and Emile.

The Sextet, hammering along on Myron Walden's "The Road." From left: Jonathan, Ilan, Josh, and Emile.

On the way back to the club, passing the West 4th subway, I look to my left and there’s guitarist Jeff Miles, sporting a lemurian grin.  He’s lent Ilan Bar-Lavi his guitar amp, and so is anointed for the guest list.  We cross the threshold a half hour before downbeat, the place is gloriously packed, and we’re extra glad to have seats reserved down front. 

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The Club

Another thrilling van ride.  I was much reminded of The Matrix, and Morpheus’s admonition to his crew.  “You told me never to get on the freeway; you said that it was suicide,” Trinity reminds him.  His reply:  “Then let us hope that I was wrong.”  Intact but enervated, we arrive in Greenwich Village at the Blue Note.

 In live performance on WBGO-FM, the Berklee Scholarship Sextet.  From left:  Victor Gould, piano; Emile Martinez, trumpet; Jonathan Greenstein, saxophone; Ilan Bar-Lavi, guitar; Josh Hari, bass; and Mark Whitfield, Jr., drums.

In live performance on WBGO-FM, the Berklee Scholarship Sextet. From left: Victor Gould, piano; Emile Martinez, trumpet; Jonathan Greenstein, saxophone; Ilan Bar-Lavi, guitar; Josh Hari, bass; and Mark Whitfield, Jr., drums.

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NYC, what is it about you?

To close out the month, Berklee staff are checking in from the hallowed Blue Note Jazz Club in Manhattan, a place whose very name evokes the genre’s sophisticated greats. Some of our best young jazz musicians will appear there on April 27 (buy tickets), getting their first gander at the city where many move after graduation. Read about the concert.

Associate professor Darren Barrett directs the 2009 Berklee Scholarship Jazz Sextet with student performers Ilan Bar-Lavi, Victor Gould, Jonathan Greenstein, Josh Hari, and Emile Martinez. Watch for updates from the weekend.

p.s. At 2 p.m. that day, the sextet is playing live on my two jazz uncles’ favorite station, WBGO-Newark. Listen in!

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