A formidable and consummately lyrical guitarist” – Time Out, New York
“A limber and inventive guitarist, Ben-Hur keeps the modernist flame alive and pure, with a low flame burning in every note — Gary Giddins, The Village Voice
An esteemed, redoubtably swinging guitarist on the New York City jazz scene for the past 35 years, Roni Ben-Hur has been immersed in the music of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk since arriving in the Big Apple from Israel in 1985. A protege of bebop piano legend, educator and 1989 NEA Jazz Master Barry Harris, Ben-Hur earned his reputation on the strength of such superb recordings as 1995’s Backyard (with the Barry Harris Trio), 1998’s Sofia’s Butterfly and 2001’s Anna’s Dance (which reunited him with his mentor Harris). A dedicated educator, he is also founding director of the jazz program at the Lucy Moses School at the Kaufman Center in Manhattan, which he established in 1994. Through his ambitious out- reach programs — his RBH Jazz Camps, which take place in Vermont during the summer and in the South of France in the spring and fall, and his popular online workshops and masterclasses — Roni has continued to pass on invaluable lessons to a new generation of aspiring jazz musicians.
A multi-directional player, Ben-Hur first hinted at an affinity for Brazilian music on his 2005 album Signature, which included faithful renditions of Jobim’s “Luiza” and Heitor Villa- Lobos’ “Choro No. 1.” That fondness for the alluring rhythms and melodies of Brazil was also evident on 2007’s Keepin’ It Open, which balanced Monk and Elmo Hope tunes with bossa novas by Dori Caymmi and Djalma Ferreira, and on 2009’s Fortuna, which alternated between Great American Songbook numbers by Harold Arlen, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin and bossa novas by Jobim. Roni followed his Brazilian muse on 2011’s Mojave, a quartet date co-led by Trio da Paz bassist Nilson Matta, and 2015’s Alegria De Viver, a collection of intimate duets with legendary Brazilian singer Leny Andrade, once described as “the Sarah Vaughan of bossa nova.”
His longstanding fascination with Brazilian music comes to full fruition on his 2020 album, Samba Do Arraial, Recorded in Sao Paolo.
In his latest recording, Stories, released March 5, 2021 via Dot Time Records, the renown guitarist and composer, collaborated with some of the finest musicians on the international jazz circuit, sharing a fascinating collection of Stories from his genre-busting 40-year multicultural musical journey. Joining Ben-Hur is the legendary George Cables on piano, esteemed trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, the steadfast rhythm section with bassist Harvie S and drummer Victor Lewis, and special guest vocalists Magos Herrera and Tamuz Nissim.
“A deep musician, a storyteller, Ben-Hur works with a warm, glowing sound and has an alluring way of combining engaging notes with supple rhythm.” Zan Stewart, The Star-Ledger
Harvie S, bass and Tim Horner, drums
Source:: http://www.ronibenhur.com
