Ari Ben Moses Band @ Nevin's Live

The ARI BEN MOSES BAND has emerged as a new force in World Rock & Reggae, captivating audiences across the United States. Reggae bass lines, African and Latin beats; Middle Eastern and traditional Jewish scales, punctuated with gritty Funk Rock grooves are masterfully blended by this international ensemble. The band performs a show at Nevin'’s Live on Sunday October 24, presented by KFAR Jewish Arts Center, one of the 3 year-old Evanston music venue’s last shows before it ceases to present music on October 28.

Ari’s music often compared to Carlos Santana and Peter Gabriel, Ari’s compelling lyrics, powerful voice and brilliant piano playing have captivated audiences across the United States. With the release of his CD, “Burning Bush”, his innovative sound has been featured on WLIB-AM, WBAI-FM and WSIA-FM Radio stations in New York City, WNUR-FM in Chicago, as well as on Radio Eshel 106-FM in Israel. Through the Internet, he has successfully reached listeners in Holland, Israel, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Japan; the Pacific Rim and UK.

A native New Yorker, Ari grew up in Westport, Connecticut. After a brief stint in acting (he was the first ‘Jason Voorhees’ in the horror classic “Friday the 13th”), he turned to his passion and trained in classical music and jazz. Recognized at an early age for his musical abilities by famed jazz musician and educator Dr. Billy Taylor, he won a scholarship to Berklee School of Music. In the 1980s, after he returned to New York City, where he studied big band orchestration and jazz piano with Joanne Brackeen, Jim McNeely, Gay Mehegan and Vladimir Shafranov, and began to explore beyond Western tradition. Finding inspiration in the West African and Reggae music scenes, Ari toured nationally and in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, as keyboardist and vocalist for many top artists, including Ishmael Isaacs, Ijahman Levi, Sister Carol; and Majek Fashek, with whom he made two albums, “Spirit of Love” (Interscope) and “Rainmaker” (Tuff Gong).

In the late-1990s, Ari re-discovered the music of his Jewish ancestors, infusing traditional melodies and rhythms into his eclectic compositions. To reveal the direction of his music, Ari formed a group of the best local artists, the Ari Ben Moses Band. Together, they approached Ari’s exotic musical expressions with a refreshing, vibrant energy and urbane confidence nourished by the multi-cultural setting of New York City.

Tickets: $15 on secure ticketweb.com

Presented as part of KFAR's concert series