Asaf Sirkis - Drummer, Composer
Born in 1969 in Petah-Tikva, Israel, Asaf later moved to the town of Rehovot, where he spent his teens and early twenties. This was an influential move for Asaf, as it was here amongst the diverse cultural influences he found in Rehovot that Asaf began to show an interest in music and rhythm. In Rehovot he lived amongst people from North Africa, east and central Europe, and the Middle East. Living in Shaarayim, the Yemenite neighbourhood in Rehovot, Asaf was particularly drawn to Yemenite culture, music, and rhythms.
At the age of 12 Asaf began drum lessons, while also having a strong interest in playing electric bass. The music that influenced Asaf at the time still influences his writing and playing till this day; The Beatles, Police, Yes, Genesis, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Allan Holdsworth, and Weather Report to name a few.
1987 – 1990 Asaf did his compulsory national service.
Out of the army in 1990, Asaf started his professional career as a musician playing with many different young Jazz-Rock, Kleizmer, world music, and Free Jazz bands. During that time he co-operated with Israel’s local Jazz/world luminaries such as Harold Rubin, Albert Beger, Yair Dlal and Eyal Sela. Many of those early projects where recorded and released by a pioneer Jazz record label in Israel called Jazzis (founded by Adam Baruch). Around those years Asaf started to write music but it wasn’t until 1995 when he formed his first trio that he found an outlet for his writing.
In 1993 moved to Tel-Aviv. While making his living playing mainly Jewish music Asaf continued to develop his own voice as a drummer and composer until, in 1995, formed his own trio (consisting of Kobi Arad on Keyboards and Gabriel Mayer on Bass) and recorded his first album ‘One Step Close’ (independent).
In 1996, Inspired by French Church Organ composers such as Olivier Messiaen, Maurice Durufle’ and Cesar Frank he formed a unique new band ‘The Inner Noise’ consisting of Church Organ, Electric Guitar and Drums (with Adi Goldstein on Organ and Amir Perelman on Guitar). The Inner Noise’s first project was commissioned by the Arts department of the Tel-Aviv City Council and was performed around Israel in 1997-8.
In October 1998 Asaf left Israel for Holland and then to France, and in April 1999 he settled to London.
In London, Asaf very soon become a part of the UK Jazz and world music scene. During that year he started working with Adel Salameh, a Palestinian Aud player/composer with whom he recorded the album ‘Nuzha’ which also featured, for the first time, Asaf’s Middle Eastern frame drum playing.
Soon after arriving to the UK Asaf re-formed the Inner Noise band with Steve Lodder on Organ and Mike Outram on Guitar.
In 2000 Asaf met Gilad Atzmon, which was to be a start of a creative musical collaboration that remains to this day. With Atzmon they formed The Orient House Ensemble. This band has now recorded 6 albums (‘Orient House’, ‘Nostalgico’, ‘Exile’, ‘Musik’, ‘Artie Fishel & the Promised Band’, and ‘Refuge’). OHE’s album 'Exile' has won the 'Best CD of the Year' category at the BBC Jazz Award 2003 and nominated in the ‘Best Band’ category in 2004. The OHE performs regularly in many high profile festival and venues in the UK and in Europe.
In 2003 Asaf recorded the Inner Noise’ first album (‘Inner Noise’, Konnex KCD 5113). ‘Inner Noise’ is widely considered a groundbreaking album and the music has been described as a new gender - ‘Gothic Jazz’. The CD was chosen as one of the best albums of 2005 at the CHUOFM89 radio jazz station in Canada.
In 2006 Asaf started a unique collaboration with Saxophonist/composer Tim Garland and has enjoyed making four album with him so far; ‘If The Sea Replied’ (The Lighthouse Trio), Due North (Northern Underground Orchestra), The Mystery (featuring Chick Corea and the Northern Simfonia Orchestra), and ‘Libra’ (The Lighthouse Trio).
With the Inner Noise band Asaf had made two more albums, ‘We Are Falling’ (Konnex 2005) and ‘The Song Within’ (SAM Productions/Egea 2007) which was selected as one of the best albums of 2007 at the ‘All About Jazz’ web-site by John Kelman.
In 2007 continuing with writing music Asaf formed the Asaf Sirkis trio with Greek Guitarist Tassos Spiliotopoulos and Israeli Bassist Yaron Stavi. This trio has recorded their first album ‘The Monk’ (SAM Productions/Egea) – to be released September 2008.
Asaf is also working regularly with the Larry Coryell’s ‘Power Trio’ (featuring Larry Coryell on Guitar and Jeff Berlin on Bass), Nicolas Meier Group, a group that combines Jazz with Middle Eastern music (albums available: ‘Ribbon In The Wind’, ‘Orient’, ‘Yuz’ and ‘Silence Talks’), and with John Law’s Art Of Sound trio as well as working with other artists such as: Mark Egan, Dave Liebman, David Binney, Gary Husband, John Taylor, Norma Winstone, Andy Sheppard, Lenny Stern, Paul Bollenback (NY), Julian Siegel, Dan Stern, Peter King, Stan Sulzman, Barbaros Erkose (Turkey), Ari Brown (Chicago), Bela Szakcsi-Lokatos (Hungary), Glauco Venier (Italy), Yuri Goloubev (Russia), Klaus Gesing (Austria), Christoph Spendel (Germany), Eyal Maoz (NY), Carlos Barretto (Portugal), Simon Fisher Turner, Phil Robson, Arnie Somogyi, Martin Speake, Mark Latimer, Reem Kelani, Christine Tobin, Nicolas Meier, Tom Arthurs, John Etherigde and more.
Discography
As a leader:
Asaf
Sirkis Trio - One Step Closer - Fasson 009,
1998 details
Asaf Sirkis & the Inner Noise - Inner
Noise - Konnex KCD 5113, 2003 details
Asaf Sirkis & the Inner Noise - We
Are Falling - Konnex KCD 5150, 2005 details
Asaf Sirkis & the Inner Noise -
The Song Within - SAM Productions - sam9004, 2007
Asaf Sirkis Trio - The Monk - To be
released 2008
With
other artists:
Early
years, Israel 1990-1999
Biological
Madness - Biological Madness - Jazzis
1011, 1990
Odeon - Odeon - Jazzis
1015, 1991
Tact - Downtown - Jazzis
- 1016, 1992
Harold Rubin - Trialog Jazzis
- 1021, 1993
Changes - Changes - Jazzis
1022, 1993
Rami Shuler - With One Breath - NMC
1035-2, 1993
details
Return To Zero - R.T.Z - Fasson 001,
1994
Fantasy Jazz Trio - F.J.T - (released
independently), 1994
Albert Beger - The Primitive - NMC
33012-2, 1995
Return To Zero - Back For More - Fasson
003, 1995
Harold Rubin - Blue Bag - (released
independently), 1996
Albert Beger - This Life - (distribution
by Sony) NMC 20288-2, 1997 details
Amir Perelman Trio - Trio 1997 Vol.
1 - Fasson 005, 1997
Eyal
Maoz & Asaf Sirkis - Freedom Has It’s
Own Taste - Fasson 011, 1998
Christoph Spendel - The Three Worlds
- Konnex 5088, 1999 details
UK,
from 1999
Adel Salameh - Nuzha - Arion 64500,
2000 details
Gilad
Atzmon & the Orient House Ensemble - ENJA
TIP-888839 2, 2000 details
Gilad atzmon & the O.H.E - Nostalgico
- ENJA
TIP-888 841 2, 2001 details
Nick Homes - Not Tonight - Dog's Dinner
CD 4403, 2001
The Meier Group - Ribbon in the Wind
- Elephant EL 2219, 2002 details
Simon Fisher Turner - Swift - MUTE
records, 2002
Phil Robson - Impish - Babel BDV2235,
2002 details
Mark Latimer - Unhinged, Take 2 - Spotlite
SPJ CD 573, 2002 details
Lee Gibson - Songs of Time and Place
- Spotlite SPJ CD 568, 2002 details
Gilad Atzmon and the O.H.E - Exile
- ENJA
TIP-888 844 2, 2003 details
John Williams' - Tenorama - Spotlite
SPJ-CD 572, 2003
Nick Homes - Indian Summer - Dog's
Dinner DDCD 4404, 2003
Gilad Atzmon & the Orient House Ensemble - MusiK - ENJA
TIP888 848-2
Tim Garland's Lighthouse - If the Sea
Replied - Sirocco Music SJL 1031, 2005
Nicolas Meier Group - Orient - NAIM
Label naimcd091, 2005
Sue Kibbey - Sue Kibbey sings Jimmy
Van Heusen - KIBBE002
Simon Fisher Turner - LANA LARA LATA-
MUTE records, 2005
Tassos Spiliotopoulos Quartet - Wait
For Dusk - KONNEX KCD5166
Giulio
Risi - Deep down where the heart beats no
more - Indipendent, 2005
John Donaldson Trio - Music Box - Woodville
Records WVCD110, 2005
Alcyona Mick - Around the Sun - ABCD5018,
2006
Gilad Atzmon Presents Artie Fishel & The
Promised Band - WMDCD 0011968
Klaus Gesing - Heart Luggage - ATS
Records CD-610, 2006
Nicolas Meier - YUZ - Naim Records
Naimcd103 2007
Glauco Venier & Yuri Goloubev -
Homage a Duke - CALIGOLA 2083, 2007
Sirkis/Venier/Goloubev - Intermezzo
- artesuono, ART054, 2007
Tim Garland - The Mystery (featuring
Chick corea) - audio-b ABCD5020, 2007
Law/Burgess/Sirkis - the art of sound
volume 1 - 33 Records - 33jazz155, 2007
Gilad Atzmon OHE - Refuge - ENJA RECORDS
- , 2007
Dan
Stern -
Traces - Kvetch Records - KVRJ0001, 2007
Tim
Garland - The Northern Underground Orchestra
- Jazzaction, JA11, 2007
SGS Group (Sirkis/Goloubev/Simcock)
- Presents... - BA 176 CD, 2008
Nicolas Meier - Silence Talks - NAIM
CD 113, 2008
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