Take Five With Yoni Kretzmer

By YONI KRETZMER, Published: April 8, 2013

Meet Yoni Kretzmer:
Before moving to New York City in 2010, Jerusalem born tenor saxophonist and composer Yoni Kretzmer was an active member in the growing Tel Aviv nu-music scene leading various groups such as New Dilemma (chamber/free jazz string quintet) and Far From Home (free/folk quintet with two acoustic guitars). For the premier of New Dilemma at the Jerusalem/Khan Theater, Tel Aviv Jazz Festival Producer Barack Weiss wrote for NANA, "It has been a long time since I have last experienced such a sincere and impressive performance, in its willingness of the artist to expose the full force of his most inner feelings."

Kretzmer has been a sideman for Albert Beger and Harold Rubin, and performed and curated many shows and festivals including October Jazz Fest, Red Sea Jazz Festival and Tel Aviv Jazz festival.

Yoni attended the American School of Modern Music (Paris, France) and has studied with Rick Margitza, Matthieu Donarier, Ellery Eskelin and Assif Tsahar. He currently leads 2Bass Quartet (Sean Conly, Reuben Radding, Mike Pride) and 6 Boxes (Daniel Levin, Eyal Maoz, Andrew Drury), and has released four CDs under his own name: New Dilemma (Tanchelson, Cohen-Shani, Ettun, Feinglod), One Afternoon (Jacoby, Fershtman), Nevertheless (Ajemian, Pride) andOverlook (Levy, Ran, Peskoff). New Dilemma was rated top five in Ha`aretz. Kretzmer actively runs the Out Now Recordings recprd label with Israeli musician Ido Bukelman

Instrument(s):
Tenor saxophone.

Teachers and/or influences?
My first was David Perkins, a colorful, larger than life figure who remains a great influence to this day. I continued to study with Mattiew Donarier, Assif Tsahar and Ellery Eskelin. My greatest influences are Albert Ayler, Evan Parker, Peter Brötzmann, Mats Gustafsson, Ellery Eskelin, Tim Berne, Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Coleman Hawkins, David S. Ware and so many more

I knew I wanted to be a musician when...
When I understood music enables you to go deep into life's guts with the sole purpose of dedicating yourself to it.

Your sound and approach to music:
I believe jazz—and music in general—is a live organism. If it does not grow and develop it dies. I do not strive to be avant-garde, yet if music is static and non-evolving I lose interest. Music can go nowhere but forward, being a museum piece, or trying to recreate ancient times is futile; the only thing one can do is try and display her/his current day take of the same spirit that was displayed by our heroes.

A good saxophone sound is one that resonates until and beyond absurdity. The feeling of the reed must collide with a strong subconscious predetermined sense of what that sound should—or could—be. When the physical and emotional feelings meet there is nothing like it; when they do not it might lend you the ability to see yourself from the outside and redirect your focus.

Your teaching approach:
Teaching a student new to playing music I aim to pass on the deepest love of music in its unburdening yet profoundest form. If that is one's base what could go wrong?

When a natural eagerness is sparked, the teacher's main job is done.

In addition, I think that listening to music is as important as playing—maybe more. The continued search for new and challenging music has been a lifelong passion and I'm almost religiously passionate about passing it on, not just to music students but to anybody. The recorded history of jazz is a testament to the will of its creators; enabling someone to hear that will within the music, with all its implications, is an important achievement for any teacher.

Read more: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=44291#.UWaalL_hEhQ