Gilad Barkan Band
Poignant and enchanting, Barkan’s music links his love for popular musics from around the world – notably Africa, Brazil, and his Israeli homeland – with a joyous rhythmic and melodic freedom as an improviser, and a distinctly warm and lyrical approach. American bassist Keala Kaumeheiwa and Surinamese drummer Harvey Wirht anchor the band within a powerful and organic texture, rooted in Latin and African rhythms and jazz.
Born in England and raised in Israel, Barkan grew up in a musical family and took up the piano as a teenager. After a year of study at Rimon School of Jazz, during which he won the school’s Jazz Musician of the Year competition, he moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee, Barkan began recording and performing nationally and internationally with guitarist Issi Rozen, and appears on the guitarist’s releases, commercially successful and critically acclaimed by Jazz Times, NPR and many others. Barkan collaborated in Boston with Sergio and Fernando Brandão, Gifrants, Dan Greenspan, John Lockwood, and Ron Gill/John Stein.
Barkan moved to New York City in 2009 and found a wonderful new expressive voice for his music in multi Grammy winning bassist John Benitez, performing a new set of compositions with a strong melodic base and greater flexibility for improvisation. In New York, Barkan has also collaborated with Nigerian vocalist, composer and master talking-drummer Kofo the Wonderman, and with the dynamic South-African vocalist and composer Lorraine Klaasen, among others.
Barkan performed at New York City’s 55 Bar, Iridium, BAM Café, Apollo Theater, Symphony Space, Cornelia St. Cafe, Zinc Bar, Smoke, Madiba, New Leaf, Club Bonafide, Firehouse Space, The Kitano, Sullivan Hall, The Shrine and Caffe Vivaldi; at Boston’s Hatch Shell, Berklee Performance Center, First Night, Regattabar, Scullers, Ryles; WFNX Jazz Festival and Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, Jamaica.
Barkan’s trio debut, Modulation (2003, New Step Music), blended African and Brazilian rhythms with jazz, creating a lyrical and vibrant interplay, and a recording that earned a wealth of praise from critics. Live Sessions (2007), Barkan’s second New Step release, includes some of the most exciting and moving performances by Barkan’s trio and quartet, and describes a period of musical growth and exploration towards a more open-ended sound, focusing and developing the group’s cohesiveness and joy in the moment. Recorded live at Boston’s Regattabar, Proceso de Duelo (2009) explores a new set of the leader’s compositions, offering a compelling and evocative portrait that speaks to a life lived through music.
Musicians:
Jennifer Vincent, Brad Jones, John Benitez, Keala Kaumeheiwa, Fernando Huergo, John Lockwood, Dan Greenspan - Bass
Karina Colis, Harvey Wirht, Chris Beck, Thierry Arpino, Francis Benitez, Sylvia Cuenca, Vanderlei Pereira, Pablo Bencid, David Rivera, Bertram Lehmann, Steve Langone - Drums
Amir Milstein - Flute
Melissa Aldana - Saxophone
Dates
Upcoming
None scheduled
2019
Francis Mbappe, Zinc Bar
Friday, June 21
8:00pm
New York, NY
2017
Razia Said, International African Arts Festival
Saturday, July 1
3:30pm
Brooklyn, NY
2016
Muriel Mwamba, Zinc Bar
Thursday, November 10
9:00pm
New York, NY
Razia Said, Duke Lemur Center 50th Anniversary
Friday, September 23
Durham, NC
Razia Said, International African Arts Festival
Saturday, June 11
5:00pm
Brooklyn, NY
Razia Said, Joe's Pub
Thursday, May 26
New York, NY
Muriel Mwamba, Club Bonafide
Monday, May 9
9:30pm
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Club Bonafide
Monday, April 18
8:30pm
New York, NY
Razia Said, Annual fundraiser for NGO benefiting marginalized Southern African farmers and small business owners.
Thursday, April 7
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Club Bonafide
Monday, April 4
8:30pm
New York, NY
2015
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, March 20
9:30pm, 11:00pm & 12:30am
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, February 20
9:30pm, 11:00pm & 12:30am
New York, NY
2014
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, December 19
9:30pm, 11:00pm & 12:30am
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, October 24
9:30pm, 11:00pm & 12:30am
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Farafina
Saturday, October 18
11:00pm
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, September 19
9:30pm, 11:00pm & 12:30am
New York, NY
2013
Capitol Music Group (private)
Wednesday, December 18
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, October 18
9:30pm, 11:00pm & 12:30am
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, September 20
9:30pm, 11:00pm & 12:30am
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, June 21
9:30pm, 11:00pm & 12:30am
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, May 17
9:30pm, 11:00pm & 12:30am
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, April 19
9:30pm, 11:00pm & 12:30am
New York, NY
New Leaf
Friday, April 12
7:30pm & 9:00pm
Brad Jones - bass
Karina Colis - drums
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Symphony Space
Sunday, April 7
6:00pm
New York, NY
Monvelyno, Sullivan Hall
Wednesday, March 27
8:50pm
New York, NY
2012
New Leaf
Friday, September 28
7:30pm & 9:00pm
Jennifer Vincent - bass
Harvey Wirht - drums
New York, NY
New Leaf
Friday, August 17
7:30pm & 9:00pm
Brad Jones - bass
Chris Beck - drums
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, July 20
9:30pm, 11:00pm & 12:30am
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, June 15
10:00pm, 11:30pm & 1:00am
New York, NY
John Benitez, Terraza 7
Sunday, June 10
9:30pm
Elmhurst, NY
New Leaf
Friday, June 8
7:30pm & 9:00pm
Brad Jones - bass
Chris Beck - drums
New York, NY
Andreas Brade, Mirelle's
Sunday, June 3
11:00am
Westbury, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Buka
Saturday, May 26
10:00pm
Brooklyn, NY
Olive Branch Music Festival,
The Sixth Street Community Synagogue
Sunday, May 20
7:00pm
Jennifer Vincent - bass
Thierry Arpino - drums
New York, NY
Mirelle's
Friday, May 18
8:00pm
Jennifer Vincent - bass
Sylvia Cuenca - drums
Westbury, NY
Harvey Wirht, The Blvd
Wednesday, May 16
8:30pm
Patrick Andriantsialonina - bass
Harvey Wirht - drums
Astoria, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Madiba
Thursday, May 10
9:00pm
Brooklyn, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, April 20
10:00pm, 11:30pm & 1:00am
New York, NY
New Leaf
Friday, April 13
7:30pm & 9:00pm
Brad Jones - bass
Karina Colis - drums
New York, NY
The Firehouse Space
Saturday, March 31
8:00pm
Jennifer Vincent - bass
Karina Colis - drums
Brooklyn, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, March 16
10:00pm, 11:30pm & 1:00am
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, February 10
10:00pm, 11:30pm & 1:00am
New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man, Zinc Bar
Friday, January 20
10:00pm, 11:30pm & 1:00am
New York, NY
5C Cultural Center
Sunday, January 15
4:00pm
John Benitz - bass
Harvey Wirht - drums
New York, NY
John Benitez, Terraza 7
Sunday, January 15
9:30pm
Elmhurst, NY
New Leaf
Friday, January 13
7:30pm & 9:00pm
Brad Jones - bass
Harvey Wirht - drums
New York, NY
2011
Kofo the Wonder Man
Zinc Bar, New York, NY
Lorraine Klaasen
Apollo Music Café, New York, NY
Lorraine Klaasen
Zinc Bar, New York, NY
Kofo the Wonder Man
Zinc Bar, New York, NY
New Leaf, New York, NY
Brad Jones - bass
Karina Colis - drums
2010
55 Bar, New York, NY
John Benitez - bass
Karina Colis - drums
Iridium, New York, NY
John Benitez - bass
Harvey Wirht - drums
New Leaf, New York, NY
Jennifer Vincent - bass
Harvey Wirht - drums
55 Bar, New York, NY
John Benitez - bass
Harvey Wirht - drums
Sergio Brandão
Regattabar, Cambridge, MA
2009
Caffe Vivaldi, New York, NY
Itaiguara Brandão - bass
Harvey Wirht - drums
Sergio Brandão
Regattabar, Cambridge, MA
The Shrine, New York, NY
Jennifer Vincent - bass
Karina Colis - drums
Regattabar, Cambridge, MA
Amir Milstein - Flute
Keala Kaumeheiwa - bass
Harvey Wirht - drums
2007
Gifrants
Bam Café, Brooklyn, NY
Press
"Barkan is...enamored of the piano's beatiful tonal qualities and its vast potential for rapturous melody."
—Ed Hazell, Boston Phoenix
"a gripping musical experience from start to finish"—Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
"the Boston-based pianist's compositions here stand shoulder-to-shoulder with tunes by Sammy Cahn, Herbie Hancock and Duke Ellington"—Seth Rogovoy, The Rogovoy Report
"a superb pianist, whose music, Hispanic-inflected, has a visceral power and excitement."
—Howard Kissel, NY Daily News
"Barkan's compositions reveal him as a distinctive voice in the sometimes crowded-seeming field of musicians with superb technique"—Siddhartha Mitter, The Boston Globe
"an inventive young pianist and a thoughtful composer"—Scot Ballin, Jazz Improv NY
"Compelling music with a tender heart."—Jeff Potter, Modern Drummer
"Barkan's masterful pianistics are rendered in the service of the song, not to prove himself to anyone"
—Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide
"I'm placing this recording amongst some pretty significant trio recordings, like the early Bill Evans Trio, early '60s Denny Zeitlin, and...Brad Mehldau"
—Michael P. Gladstone, All About Jazz
"If you are looking for a fresh, innovative sound, the piano stylings of Gilad Barkan is a welcome change!"
—Lee Prosser, jazzreview.com
Teaching
About:
I offer piano lessons in Manhattan to all ages and levels. Lessons
are tailored to each student's interests, combining music theory,
technique and repertoire. My students have focused on music ranging from
jazz standards to pop/rock and classical, and we often transcribe recordings when sheet music is unavailable.
Improvisation, ear-training, and composition studies are offered as well.
Please email for further information.
Experience/Education:
20+ years private instruction.
10 years faculty, Winchester Community Music School, Winchester, MA.
Five years faculty, Brookline Music School, Brookline, MA.
B.M., Jazz Performance, Berklee College of Music.
M.S., Family Therapy, University of Massachusetts, Boston.
Additional studies, Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, Israel.
