Asaf Harris: Walk of the Ducks (UBU0109)

Ubuntu Music is proud to announce the signing of the talented young saxophonist, Asaf Harris, for the release of his debut album, Walk of The Ducks, on 6th May 2022.

Asaf is an Israeli musician and composer based in Brooklyn, New York. He gained considerable experience in prestigious jazz clubs and festivals worldwide including Birdland, Beit Haamudim, Bern Jazz Festival, and the Red Sea Jazz Festival. He played alongside leading jazz musicians such as Ofer Ganor, Hal Galper, Abraham Burton, and ‘Avi Leibovich and the Israeli Jazz Orchestra’.

Asaf is a recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarship and was Awarded with Excellence Scholarship by the Center for Jazz Studies at the Israel Conservatory for Music in Tel Aviv.

Asaf has experience with film-scoring and orchestral arranging. He scored music for two award-winning documentary films ("Truth, Nothing But..." - 2014 & "Sulha" - 2016) and arranged music for the Israel Police Orchestra and for The New School Studio Orchestra conducted by Mr. Arturo O'Farrill.

In the Spring of 2020, Harris graduated from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York, receiving the ‘John Coltrane Award’ for outstanding performers/composers/improvisers.

In August 2020, Asaf recorded his debut original album, Walk of The Ducks. He describes the project: “The idea behind ‘Walk of The Ducks’ is to make an album that is sincerely me. It concludes some of the most powerful experiences and emotions I have had in my journey of life. I strongly believe that composing and playing music is my best way for self-expression, and I can’t wait to share this album with the world.”

Asaf continues: “In March 2020, when this world crisis started, I decided to temporarily leave my home in NYC and go back to my homeland - Israel. During this time, while accepting the new condition, I experienced some difficulties with my creativity and with my artistic passion. Those feelings have passed when I have decided to take advantage of these weird and uncertain times, to record and produce my debut original album with my dear quintet.

“After working for months on funding, composing, arranging, orchestrating, rehearsing, and many others, in August 2020 I managed to record my debut album at the best recording studios in Israel - Bardo Studios. It was sound engineered by Ofek Ariov, a dear childhood friend of mine. The album features Nitzan Bar on guitar, Guy Moskovich on piano, Omri Hadani on contrabass, David Sirkis on drums, and myself on saxophone. The band has been playing together since 2016, and it is based on a deep connection and friendship.

“This kind of project requires a long process of experimenting with the materials. For example, one of my compositions in the album - ‘The Gate Keeper’ - is written about the protest of Summer 2020 in Israel against the Israeli government. To empower this musical composition, I decided to go and record protest sounds in every protest, from June till August, and combine them into a “sound composition” that will work linearly with the recording.”

“Music is one form of artistic expression. By combining different musical and personal influences into an original sound, I aspire to characterize a unique voice that has a signature of its own. The album contains many political messages and criticism. In May 2020, I flew back to New York City to empty my apartment in Brooklyn, one day before the murder of George Floyd. The piece ‘Helen Court 2020’ (Helen Court is the name of my building in Brooklyn) is written about these three weeks I spent there, in the middle of the biggest health crisis in over 100 years, while the streets were burning and the protests were at their peak. This experience has opened my eyes and changed forever the way I look at the world.The composition is written in a concerto format and divided into three different parts. The first part is full of mystery and uncertainness, followed by the second part, which is stormy and full of anger, while the third and last part is comforting and full of optimism.

“All of the pieces in the album came out of personal experiences. For example, ‘Walk of The Ducks’ (which is also the name of the album) is about a magical night in Tel Aviv a few years ago. It was a day before I left Israel for New York and had to break up with my girlfriend whom I loved very much. We were sitting by the Yarkon River when suddenly a group of five ducks came out of the water and started to march through the streets of Tel Aviv. At that moment, this unusual phenomenon felt very symbolic. The piece was arranged for three saxophones - soprano, alto, and tenor. It features Yehonatan Cohen on soprano saxophone and Yuval Drabkin on alto saxophone.”

Asaf concludes, describing his new relationship with Ubuntu Music: “I am very excited and honoured about my new relationship with Ubuntu Music. Getting my first album released on such a great record label is truly a dream coming true. I am thankful for Mr. Martin Hummel’s trust in this project, and I can’t imagine a better home for my debut album.”

Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, shares his thoughts: “I initially met Asaf through some Israeli jazz musicians we know. Immediately, I was struck by his deep, passionate commitment to his project which was meticulously brought to life by the shape of his compositions and the overall quality of the music. We’re both highly emotional people, which is yet another reason for the desire to work together on this project. It’s a pleasure to have Asaf join the Ubuntu Music Family.”