Uri Gurvich is a saxophonist and composer originally from Israel, currently residing in New York City, where he is an in-demand saxophonist and a critically acclaimed bandleader and composer. Last year he released his debut The Storyteller on John Zorn’s label, Tzadik Records, featuring Chris Cheek, Francisco Mela, Peter Slavov and Leonardo Genovese, some of most prominent voices on the contemporary New York jazz scene. The album received rave reviews from Jazz Times, All About Jazz, and All Music Guide hailing Gurvich “a new major voice in jazz”.
Born and raised in Israel, Gurvich began playing the saxophone at an early age. He was a member of the Tel Aviv Jazz Orchestra, and at 19, won the prestigious Jazz Player of the Year competition in Israel.
In 2002, he was selected to represent Israel in the European Jazz Orchestra touring across Europe with world-renowned British composer Django Bates.
Shortly after, he received a scholarship and relocated to Boston to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music. At Berklee, he studied with jazz masters such as: Joe Lovano, Hal Crook, Dave Liebman, Ed Tomassi and Herb Pomeroy, among others. Gurvich graduated with honors and moved to New York City, where he currently resides.
For the past two years Gurvich has received the ASCAPLUS award from the American Society of Composers, recognizing up and coming jazz composers. Active as an educator, he gave clinics in the US, Europe, Israel, and Japan.
Recently, he joined Cuban stellar jazz drummer Francisco Mela in his latest project, Cuban Safari. The band debuted at the JVC Jazz Festival, NYC.
Gurvich has shared the stage and recorded with such artists as: Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Niels Pederson, Bill Pierce, Herb Pomeroy, Esperanza Spalding, Avishai Cohen, Seamus Blake, Ben Monder, Jorge Rossy, Anat Cohen, Chris Cheek, Francisco Mela, Django Bates, The New York Voices, Aruan Ortiz, Elio Villafranca, Clarence Penn and Massimo Biolcati among others.
Over the past few years, he has performed in major international jazz festivals and venues in the U.S., Europe, and Japan including: Jazz a Vienne Festival, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Rose Hall - Jazz @ Lincoln Center, DC Jazz Festival, The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, DC Jewish Music Festival, The Stone, Stuttgart Jazz Festival, Takoname Jazz Festival (Japan), Nisville Jazz Festival (Serbia), Centro Coltural de Belem (Portugal), Santander Jazz Festival (Spain), Ezcaray Jazz Festival, The Red Sea Jazz Festival, Tel Aviv Jazz Festival, Israel Opera House, Jamboree, DC Blues Alley and many more.
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