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Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Yotam Ben-Or interview

March 28, 2024 Neil Warren Season 1 Episode 107

Chapters

Based in New York, but is from Israel and has a Belgian mother

Does Belgian heritage explain affinity to the chromatic? (Due to Toots Thielemans link)

The status which Toots Thielemans is held in Belgium

Yotam started playing age 11, and was taught by his uncle, initially on piano but soon discovered his love of the chromatic harmonica

Continues to play piano now, using the instrument to compose, but chromatic is main instrument

Doesn’t see a strong similarity between piano and chromatic, thinking of them separately as he plays them

Played alto saxophone at in middle school and high school as no teachers for chromatic available, but from age 18 chromatic was main instrument

Also plays some percussion to help with other music genres interested in

When recording with jazz quartet, plays chromatic and some piano

Also has a singer songwriter project where Yotam also does some singing

Deliberations EP has five songs with Yotam singing in Hebrew

Went to the Tel Aviv Conservatory of Music, which has a collaboration with The New School in New York

Received a scholarship to move to New York where he was able to formally study the chromatic harmonica

Won scholarship for New School in New York through an audition held in Tel Aviv

How Yotam has found the music scene in New York

How got into playing jazz and the dream to play and live in New York

Also deeply into other styles beyond jazz, such as Cuban music

Yotam’s song ‘Astar’ has influences from Venezuela, where the pianist from the band is from

The shift in time signature in the song Star

Other South American players who have been on the podcast and how that music works so well on chromatic

Received some mentoring from Gregoire Maret

Yotam has lived in New York since 2014, but travelled to other places during that time, including Mexico, Israel and Europe

Now more permanently based in New York and the number of great musicians who live there

Mainly playing in New York at present but has a manager in Europe to arrange gigs

Locations played in Europe

First album Yotam appears on is with the Jupiter Group, the best young Israeli jazz, when Yotam was still a student

Formed own band in 2015, from International players who met at The New School in New York

First album under own name is Sitting On A Cloud, released in 2018, all original compositions by Yotam

Yotam approaches composing by playing the piano and singing the melodic phrases, later translating those to chromatic

Often selects the key of the piece to one which works well on the chromatic

Only uses chromatic in the key of C, although is considering using other keys too

Interplay with keyboard and chromatic on the Viva Hermoto Pascoal song on Sitting On A Cloud album

Uses an octave pedal on the song Ebb and Flow and other effects Yotam uses

Modern sound to Yotam’s compositions comes from different flavours of jazz

Influences on his music come from singer songwriters from native Israel and also classical music

Has learnt classical pieces on the chromatic but no recordings of them yet

New York brought a vast world of rhythm to Yotam’s attention, which he incorporates into his music

Speak Love song which has multiple harmonicas, recorded by Yotam

Loose Pace is three songs Yotam was commissioned to record for a video

Second album, released in 2022: Endless Deliberations, made up of one EP of instrumentals and one EP of vocals sung by Yotam

Satla is an instrumental from the Endless EP

Forza Roma is another song from the Endless EP, written after playing a gig in Rome when the football team Roma defeated Barcelona and people were on the streets celebrating

New album currently in development, being released in 2025, with a working title of ‘Trying’

Kafka song may have drawn inspiration from Toot’s song Bluesette

Still adding some other musicians onto the album before releasing it in 2025

Recorded a song on diatonic but he doesn’t really play the instrument

When composing songs, decides the chord structure, the melody, and then leaves room for improvisation

Has performed in prestigious venues including: Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center and The Blue Note

Won first prize in the Rostov International Jazz competition in 2013

10 minute question

Typical practise routine involves working on current repertoire, including learning the song on the piano then the harmonica, learning the melody and the chords

Learns some conga rhythms on the harmonica

Transcribing parts on to the harmonica from every instrument, with melodic instruments like trumpet and saxophone, and also singers and piano

Chromatic of choice is the Suzuki Sirius 56 (14 hole) and why likes 14 hole

Doesn’t like the sound of the lower notes on the 16 hole

Trumpet and flute has notes lower than middle C, which are missing on a 12 hole chromatic, particularly the low G

Used to play the Hohner 64 (16 hole) when younger

The transition to 14 hole has been challenging at times

Hasn’t tried the DM48 midi chromatic, but would like to

Embouchre is puckering

Thinks of himself as a musician and not a harmonica player and something which the world of harmonica is missing somewhat

For live playing uses SM58 or a condenser Sennheiser mic

For recording uses his own Neumann TLM102 combined with a Shure SM7B

If recording in a studio likes the combination of a large condenser and a ribbon mic (to add some darkness to the sound)

Future plans is release of album in 2025, and currently gigging in New York and plans to tour Europe in October 2024 and touring new album in Spring of 2025

Yotam is currently thirty years old, so lots to come from him in the future

Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Yotam Ben-Or interview

Mar 28, 2024 Season 1 Episode 107

Neil Warren

Yotam Ben-Or joins me on episode 107.

Yotam is a chromatic player who attended the Tel-Aviv Music Conservatory, making a name for himself on the Israeli music scene before winning a scholarship to study at The New School for Jazz in New York, age 21.

Although predominately a jazz player, Yotam is keen to emphasise the diverse range of genres this encapsulates, including world music and South American influences on his music. Yotam has previously released two albums under his own name, with a third coming out in 2025. Many of the songs on these albums are composed by Yotam as he helps to push the chromatic in new and exciting directions.

Links:
Yotam's website:
https://www.yotambo.com/

Videos:
Yotam Ben-Or Quartet live at Festival da Jazz St. Moritz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GI9HM6NqCY

Satla song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv6zOhUKa6o

MiLiM song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tGBXF0nHw4

Live at Carnegie Hall:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wmKRaXdW9A

Live in Switzerland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GI9HM6NqCY

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
AND
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: sales@theharmonicacompany.com

Support the Show.

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Yotam Ben-Or joins me on episode 107.

Yotam is a chromatic player who attended the Tel-Aviv Music Conservatory, making a name for himself on the Israeli music scene before winning a scholarship to study at The New School for Jazz in New York, age 21.

Although predominately a jazz player, Yotam is keen to emphasise the diverse range of genres this encapsulates, including world music and South American influences on his music. Yotam has previously released two albums under his own name, with a third coming out in 2025. Many of the songs on these albums are composed by Yotam as he helps to push the chromatic in new and exciting directions.

Links:
Yotam's website:
https://www.yotambo.com/

Videos:
Yotam Ben-Or Quartet live at Festival da Jazz St. Moritz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GI9HM6NqCY

Satla song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv6zOhUKa6o

MiLiM song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tGBXF0nHw4

Live at Carnegie Hall:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wmKRaXdW9A

Live in Switzerland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GI9HM6NqCY

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
AND
The Harmonica Company. Use promo code: 'happyhour7'.
Email Jonathan at: sales@theharmonicacompany.com

Support the Show.

Based in New York, but is from Israel and has a Belgian mother

Does Belgian heritage explain affinity to the chromatic? (Due to Toots Thielemans link)

The status which Toots Thielemans is held in Belgium

Yotam started playing age 11, and was taught by his uncle, initially on piano but soon discovered his love of the chromatic harmonica

Continues to play piano now, using the instrument to compose, but chromatic is main instrument

Doesn’t see a strong similarity between piano and chromatic, thinking of them separately as he plays them

Played alto saxophone at in middle school and high school as no teachers for chromatic available, but from age 18 chromatic was main instrument

Also plays some percussion to help with other music genres interested in

When recording with jazz quartet, plays chromatic and some piano

Also has a singer songwriter project where Yotam also does some singing

Deliberations EP has five songs with Yotam singing in Hebrew

Went to the Tel Aviv Conservatory of Music, which has a collaboration with The New School in New York

Received a scholarship to move to New York where he was able to formally study the chromatic harmonica

Won scholarship for New School in New York through an audition held in Tel Aviv

How Yotam has found the music scene in New York

How got into playing jazz and the dream to play and live in New York

Also deeply into other styles beyond jazz, such as Cuban music

Yotam’s song ‘Astar’ has influences from Venezuela, where the pianist from the band is from

The shift in time signature in the song Star

Other South American players who have been on the podcast and how that music works so well on chromatic

Received some mentoring from Gregoire Maret

Yotam has lived in New York since 2014, but travelled to other places during that time, including Mexico, Israel and Europe

Now more permanently based in New York and the number of great musicians who live there

Mainly playing in New York at present but has a manager in Europe to arrange gigs

Locations played in Europe

First album Yotam appears on is with the Jupiter Group, the best young Israeli jazz, when Yotam was still a student

Formed own band in 2015, from International players who met at The New School in New York

First album under own name is Sitting On A Cloud, released in 2018, all original compositions by Yotam

Yotam approaches composing by playing the piano and singing the melodic phrases, later translating those to chromatic

Often selects the key of the piece to one which works well on the chromatic

Only uses chromatic in the key of C, although is considering using other keys too

Interplay with keyboard and chromatic on the Viva Hermoto Pascoal song on Sitting On A Cloud album

Uses an octave pedal on the song Ebb and Flow and other effects Yotam uses

Modern sound to Yotam’s compositions comes from different flavours of jazz

Influences on his music come from singer songwriters from native Israel and also classical music

Has learnt classical pieces on the chromatic but no recordings of them yet

New York brought a vast world of rhythm to Yotam’s attention, which he incorporates into his music

Speak Love song which has multiple harmonicas, recorded by Yotam

Loose Pace is three songs Yotam was commissioned to record for a video

Second album, released in 2022: Endless Deliberations, made up of one EP of instrumentals and one EP of vocals sung by Yotam

Satla is an instrumental from the Endless EP

Forza Roma is another song from the Endless EP, written after playing a gig in Rome when the football team Roma defeated Barcelona and people were on the streets celebrating

New album currently in development, being released in 2025, with a working title of ‘Trying’

Kafka song may have drawn inspiration from Toot’s song Bluesette

Still adding some other musicians onto the album before releasing it in 2025

Recorded a song on diatonic but he doesn’t really play the instrument

When composing songs, decides the chord structure, the melody, and then leaves room for improvisation

Has performed in prestigious venues including: Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center and The Blue Note

Won first prize in the Rostov International Jazz competition in 2013

10 minute question

Typical practise routine involves working on current repertoire, including learning the song on the piano then the harmonica, learning the melody and the chords

Learns some conga rhythms on the harmonica

Transcribing parts on to the harmonica from every instrument, with melodic instruments like trumpet and saxophone, and also singers and piano

Chromatic of choice is the Suzuki Sirius 56 (14 hole) and why likes 14 hole

Doesn’t like the sound of the lower notes on the 16 hole

Trumpet and flute has notes lower than middle C, which are missing on a 12 hole chromatic, particularly the low G

Used to play the Hohner 64 (16 hole) when younger

The transition to 14 hole has been challenging at times

Hasn’t tried the DM48 midi chromatic, but would like to

Embouchre is puckering

Thinks of himself as a musician and not a harmonica player and something which the world of harmonica is missing somewhat

For live playing uses SM58 or a condenser Sennheiser mic

For recording uses his own Neumann TLM102 combined with a Shure SM7B

If recording in a studio likes the combination of a large condenser and a ribbon mic (to add some darkness to the sound)

Future plans is release of album in 2025, and currently gigging in New York and plans to tour Europe in October 2024 and touring new album in Spring of 2025

Yotam is currently thirty years old, so lots to come from him in the future