Katowice Culture Nature Festival / Jazz / Adam Ben Ezra / Heavy Drops (duo) - NOSPR

A phenomenal multi-instrumentalist and true master of the double bass, Adam Ben Ezra is one of the world’s finest bassists. He has given hundreds of solo performances in Europe and in the United States, and collaborated with such stars as Pat Metheny and Snarky Puppy. The titular piece of his 2015 debut Can’t Stop Running amassed over a million views on YouTube and the artist himself has been a favourite with critics and audiences alike for many years now. 

His playing stands out thanks to the entirely unique sound of the instrument. He seamlessly joins lyrical melodies with chordal accompaniment and energetic percussive beat hit on the sound box. He complements the solo bass timbre with electronics and looped layers of vocals and other live instruments he records himself (such as the flute and the piano), the final effect being closer to the sound of a large jazz ensemble than that of a soloist.

During his NOSPR concert, Ben Ezra will present material from his latest, fifth, album Heavy Drops. He made the recording in a duo with the exquisite Spanish drummer Michael Olivera, while on the Katowice stage he will be joined by the drummer Shayan Fathi, originally from Tehran. Similarly to his earlier albums, Ezra once more blends the sound of electric jazz (Cosmic Nomad) with oriental and flamenco influences (Taming the Bull), additionally enchanting listeners with his sensitivity and musicality in purely acoustic pieces (Portrait of Natalie). 

Magdalena Stochniol