Barak Mori – Bass

Barak Mori (Bass, Composer) has been one of the New York jazz scene’s most sought after musicians since 1998. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1975, Mori began playing the organ at age seven, and by the age of 13 was playing jazz on the guitar and electric bass. At age 15, in addition to his jazz studies, Mori began his classical training on the acoustic bass. By the time Mori had graduated from the Thelma Yelin School of the Arts he had already played professionally at the world renowned Red Sea Jazz Festival, and toured internationally with the Young Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. 

In 1996, Mori joined Israel’s most prestigious jazz band led by saxophonist Walter Blanding, Jr. In 1998, he received a scholarship to study at the New School University. Residing in New York for the past 17years, Mori has performed and recorded alongside many distinguished artists such as Benny Green, Peter Bernstein, Eric Reed, Paula West, Kenny Washington, David Hazeltine, Jim Rotondi, Anat Cohen, Peter Cincotti, Marcus Printup, Madeleine Peyroux, Shai Maestro, Yaron Herman, Eli degibri and Avishai Cohen. 

In 2016 Mori moved his home base back to Israel and has been teaching at the Jerusalem Academy Of Music And Dance since 2019.

(biographical information from the Jerusalem Academy Of Music And Dance website)

This transcription came about because I bought trumpeter Avishai Cohen’s 2022 ECM album, ‘Naked Truth’ in a charity shop in Frinton, Essex, for £2. I had heard Cohen with eh SF Jazz Collective and through his own recordings but this was a new record for me. I put it on in the car and this track immediately caught my imagination. The tune is in 7:4 with two extended 3:4 sections that act as an intro and outro. The lines are gently shifting so you need to concentrate to avoid mistakes but it is a delightful piece very much in keeping with Manfred Eicher’s ethos of ECM atmospherics. Mori’s tone fits the composition beautifully.