Don't shy away - Israeli jazz is worth a listen.

In the wide world, Israeli jazz still connotes with obscurantism, as for many years the music has been plagued with excessive, uninteresting emulation of jazz greats.

But playing "Autumn in New York" or "April in Paris" in Tel Aviv year in year out cannot be taken to represent the musical spirit of Israel in swinging bebop improvisations.
In recent years, however, new voices emerged attracting a growing audience. Their new music is aware of the jazz tradition but acknowledges the meaning of being Israeli: experiencing, living, and making music in and from a Mediterranean country, which thinks it is western but in fact hasn't decided what it wants to be.

Notable international successes are two Avishai Cohens - one a trumpeter, the other a bass player - who cut their teeth on the New York jazz scene. Trumpeter Cohen combines fronting the Third World Love band with a solo career, while bassist Cohen boasts five international albums and a six-year-long collaboration with Chick Corea.

Back in Israel, artists such as saxophonist Albert Beger have been exploring the limits of tonality, musical identity and spirituality. Many more musicians perform, write and advance Israeli jazz today.

You can hear this exciting music in Israel in a variety of venues ranging from straight-ahead standards playing through more suave, sophisticated performances to full-blown avant-guard.

(Please note that this is a partial listing and all venues also feature shows that are not jazz-related. It is strongly recommended to call the venue prior to arrival to ensure the music is to your liking.)

Hashoftim Pub
39 Ibn Gvirol St., Tel Aviv, Tel: 03-6951153

Active for over twenty years, nothing seems to have changed in this pub since the day its doors opened other than the beer in the kegs and the waitresses at the counter. But every Monday night the dark, stuffy room hosts Swiss-born tenor saxophonist Jess Koren, who delves into old standards with Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins as role models reliable accompanists and guest friends as co-frontmen. The venue doesn't charge cover, but patrons are expected to order a minimum of NIS 25.

Heineken Kamelot Club
In Tel Aviv - 16 Shalom Aleichem St., Tel: 03-6298666
In Herzliya Pituah - 85 Medinat Hayehudim St., Business Park Building, Tel: 09-9588993
In Haifa Bay (as Fusion Heiniken) - Hutzot HaMifratz, Tel: 04-8721202
Kamelot Website (Hebrew only)

From a covert musical haven in the early nineties, King Arthur's castle (though misspelled) turned into a three-venue music factory in the vein of the world-famous Blue Note clubs. In the basement floor you can witness the greatest names in the world of jazz to visit Israel, or get acquainted with the best that Israeli rock, soul, blues and reggae have to offer. The entrance floor of the Tel Aviv club is reserved for a variety of DJ's and an impressive bar. Expect to leave a decent cover charge at the door, but for jazz connoisseurs the Kamelot is certainly on the "must" list.


Goldstar Zappa Music Club
24 Raul Wallenberg, Ramat HaHayal, Tel Aviv.
Tel: 03-6499550
Zappa Website (Hebrew only)

Situated in the heart of Tel Aviv's hi-tech hothouse, this is Kamelot's growing rival. Its owners ventured recently to bring over a star spangled group led by Joshua Redman and Brad Meldau, but on an ordinary day the local alternative can be just as compelling. Commensurate with its location, the venue offers a full experience of swinging, wining and dining with a full-blown gourmet kitchen.


HaGada Hasmalit
70 Ahad Ha'am St., Tel Aviv, Tel: 03-6292793

This is underground at its best. Occupying the ground floor of the radical left-wing party Hadash headquarters, HaGada Hasmalit (Hebrew for the left bank) features only subversive, avant-guard, or plainly bizarre performances. For the less adventurous, consulting a knowledgeable friend is highly recommended before going to a show; for the free-jazz savvy this is THE place.



Tzolelet Tzehuba
13 Harchavim St., Jerusalem, Tel: 03-5704646

Jerusalem's mythical jazz joint has been around forever it seems hosting mainly home-grown talents. Time brought welcomed changes as sprightly rock shows and swinging performances from around the land appear regularly.


Milestone
Shuni fortress between Zichron Ya'akov and Binyamina (some 30km south of Haifa), Tel: 04-6388760
Milestone Website (Hebrew only)

A roadside fort in the heart of vineyards country is an unlikely stronghold for swinging musicians and audiences. But this bar-restaurant's jazz activity is ongoing and regular, culminating with an annual jazz festival in Shavuot that features side by side international and local stars. Both the intimate bar and the Roman amphitheatre offer convenient seating and good acoustics. The peripheral location between the picturesque towns of Zichron Ya'akov and Binyamina can be an ideal final stop in a tour of the area.


Marteph 10
23 Jerusalem St., Haifa, Tel: 04-8240762
Marteph 10 Website

Saved for last, but certainly not least, is quiet Haifa town's pride and joy. It is certainly clandestine (Marteph is Hebrew for basement, which is where the club resides), as it is challenging to find in the back allies near the municipal theatre. But the interior reflects what Israeli jazz is about - the stuffy jazz air, with floor-level seating arrangement of an oriental divan, a bar offering alcohol next to herbal tea, and great music.