34 June 20 • 2019
jn
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A
dam Ben Ezra could be called a
one-man jazz band.
Although his main instru-
ment is the double bass, he also reverts
to piano, clarinet, flute, harmonica and
synth. And he commissioned a five-
string bass with a removable neck.
Going beyond improvising with
others’
music, he improvises with his
original numbers.
“My show is a solo act,
” says the
Israeli-based entertainer, making his
debut appearance 5-7 p.m. Sunday,
June 23, at Cliff Bell’
s in Detroit. “I
move around the instruments, play
and sing. I use all kinds of effects and
different techniques on the bass so it
can sound like drums and even electric
guitar.
“In Detroit, I’
m going to play songs
from my two previous albums (“Can’
t
Stop Running” and “Pin Drop”) and
new songs from my
upcoming album. The
music is very influenced
by styles from all over
— rock, Latin, flamen-
co, Middle Eastern and
many more. My show is
sort of a journey around
the globe.
”
Ben Ezra, who says
his music on YouTube
has had millions of hits,
started playing the vio-
lin at 5, switched to guitar with com-
posing at 9 and moved through other
instruments to find his double bass
calling while still in his teens.
He was fascinated by the bass’
role
in connecting melody, harmony and
rhythm.
“I knew I wanted to become a
musician, and my dream was to be a
singer-songwriter,
” says Ben Ezra, 36,
who is self-taught on instruments.
“This path has changed. I started to
focus more on instrumental music,
but in the last couple of years, I found
the way to combine my singing, so, in
a way, my early childhood dream has
come true.
“I started to play professionally when
I was 20, first in jazz cafes and clubs
in Tel Aviv and later as a side man for
many singers in Israel. At 27, I started
to perform solo and upload videos to
YouTube, which pushed my career.
Today, I tour all over the world, and
I’
m really grateful for that.
”
Ben Ezra’
s composing starts with
improvisation as he looks for a spark
of a musical idea. It can be a groove,
melody or chord progression that feels
powerful and memorable. He works at
developing that to tell a coherent story
using structures found in pop songs.
“My upcoming album
brings jazz, world music
and lots of groove,
” he
says. “The texture is a
mix of acoustic and elec-
tronic sounds delivered
in a very communicative
and emotional way. The
thing that attracts me
most in jazz is the free-
dom to tell a story with
music and improvise it
on the spot.
”
Ben Ezra, married and with an
infant son, participated in Arts
Midwest, a program that tours musical
acts from different cultures to towns
around the world.
Although that project brought him
to Michigan, Detroit was not a destina-
tion. Now planning for Motown, he is
aiming for a “great musical celebration
with lots of fun.
” ■
music
arts&life
One-Man Band
Israeli jazz artist fi
nds his rhythm.
EVA SUTTER
Details
Adam Ben Ezra will
perform 5-7 p.m.
Sunday, June 23, at Cliff
Bell’
s, 2030 Park Ave.,
Detroit. $10. (313) 961-
2543. cliffbells.com.
TOP: Adam Ben Ezra in action on
the double bass.
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STARTS FRIDAY, JUNE 21
SPYBEHINDHOMEPLATE.ORG
MOEBERGFILM
From the director of The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg
AN AVIVA KEMPNER FILM
THE SPY BEHIND
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Q&As with director AVIVA KEMPNER at The Maple Theater Friday, June 21 after the 3:15pm and 6:00pm shows and on
Saturday, June 22 after the 12:00pm show and in Ann Arbor at the Michigan Theater on Saturday, June 22 after the 7:00pm show.
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