DAYBREAK

Description

New York, a global city with over eight million inhabitants. And probably the largest concentration of musicians per square meter! Competition is fierce, and the standard is high. But Israeli flutist Itai Kriss felt right at home as soon as he arrived in 2002. Because in addition to being a jazz stronghold, the metropolis has hosted a vast community of Latin American artists for decades. It was even there, thanks to the Fania Records label, that salsa truly took off. As a passionate lover of all these musical traditions, Itai immediately excelled in these different fields. But his musical appetite is nourished by many other influences. Starting with the source: the blues. This was the sound of his childhood, the one that played on repeat on the family turntable, thanks to a father who was an absolute fan of the genre. He initiated him into this tradition, this history, and made him want to go further, exploring all the related styles: gospel, rock'n'roll, Americana... As well as hard-bop, the musical obsession of his adolescence. The one that definitively drew Itai Kriss into jazz. Today, the message of Art Blakey and his companions still guides his steps. It even infuses part of the repertoire of this new album, Daybreak, recorded with a top-notch New York rhythm section: Adam Birnbaum on piano, Luke Sellick on bass, and the late Anthony Pinciotti on drums, who tragically passed away last December. But this album is also a caress, an invitation to gently enter the world of Itai Kriss.