New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Michael Martinez PR) One Trick Dog Records is pleased to announce the release of Second Row Behind The Painter, the debut album from the Roy Assaf Trio. The album marks the second recording as bandleader by internationally renowned pianist/composer Roy Assaf. The trio includes Raviv Markovitz on bass and Jake Goldbas on drums. Roy Assaf has performed and toured with jazz greats including the
Dizzy Gillespie All Stars, the Mingus Big Band, the Slide Hampton Sextet and the
David Sanborn Group. Second Row Behind The Painter showcases the unique artistic vision of the trio as they strive to create music for both jazz aficionados and audiences yet to discover jazz. The album's title is derived from one of Roy's childhood memories in
Israel of an older blind man who often sat in front of him during Yom Kippur services. The magical aura that surrounded this man left a vivid impression and spoke to his profound belief in the importance of learning from older, experienced people in continuing to grow musically. Second Row Behind The Painter will be available on Amazon.com and iTunes on June 3, 2014.
Second Row Behind The Painter is an album that speaks to people of all ages and cultures. Recurring melodies combined with danceable rhythms invite listeners to accompany the trio on a musical journey. The band's vision of creating a unified voice is evident throughout the album. Assaf's original compositions explore many of his artistic and personal passions: Babel is inspired by the 2006 film, Budva, is a love letter to the coastal town in Montenegro, and Con Grew is dedicated to the late Mulgrew Miller. In addition to Roy's original pieces, several inventive arrangements are seamlessly integrated into the group's larger vision, including the Israeli song Kvar Acharei Chatzot, and the late French pianist Michel Petrucciani's piece It's a Dance.
To listen to Second Row Behind The Painter visit: https://www.royassaf.com/music/
The Roy Assaf Trio is composed of three in demand musicians who have toured and recorded with many renowned artists. Drummer Jake Goldbas has played with Dave Brubeck, Candido Camero, Jose Feliciano,
Patti Austin and Bill T Jones. Bassist Raviv Markovitz has performed with Joe Lovano, Cassandra Wilson, Jimmy Heath, Matt Wilson and Makoto Ozone. Roy took great care in forming a trio that shared a unified direction and identity, and from the very beginning the group had chemistry. Their goal was to create a sound that challenges them artistically and conceptually but at the same time can appeal to larger audiences. Roy's vision was not to create the traditional jazz trio, where the pianist leads and bassist and drummer accompany, but rather an integral whole in which each is an equal member. Together they explore new emotions, styles and rhythms in jazz.
The trio's first performance at the Jewish Community Center in Washington D.C. enjoyed an enthusiastic reception. The trio subsequently played such important venues as the Blue Note and the Rubin Museum in NYC. In
September 2013, the band brought their special bond to NRS Studio in the Catskills to record Second Row Behind The Painter. Defying the conventional recording process, the group recorded a series of sets, as if playing a live engagement, and then selected the final content from nearly five hours of raw music. The album was then mixed and mastered by Dev Avidon at Avidon Audio Labs. The result is a unique take on recorded jazz, capturing the feel of live performance but with the attention to detail and fidelity of a studio album. The trio is currently scheduled to tour the world with performances in Canada, Europe, Japan, Central and South
America and the U.S.A.
Roy is also the co-leader of NYConnection, an international quartet that combines folk and jazz. Their second album Urban Griot will be released on April 15th, 2014. The group will be touring
Europe and Japan in 2014.
