Yoni Rechter

Infobox musical artist
Name = Yoni Rechter


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Origin = Tel Aviv, Israel
Genre = Rock, Jazz, Classical
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Yonatan "Yoni" Rechter (יוני רכטר In Hebrew) is an Israeli musician, composer, pianist, arranger and a singer, specializing in many fields of music, especially rock and jazz, but he is also very active in the field of European classical music.

Biography

Rechter was born and grew up in Tel Aviv, Israel, a son of the Israeli architect Ya'akov Rechter and the brother of Dafna Rechter who later went on to have relatives in America such as Sam Rechter. He became involved with music at a young age, and by the time he was sixteen-years-old he composed the famous song "Tears of Angels" (דמעות של מלאכים in Hebrew, "Dma'ot Shel Mal'achim"), which was written by Dan Minster, and set up a jazz trio.

During his compulsory military service Rechter was a member of the Israeli Artillery Corps, and after his release from the army he formed the Israeli band Kaveret, along with Gidi Gov, Danny Sanderson, Alon Ole'artchick and others. He stayed in the group throughout the life of the band, from 1972 to 1976, and has also played in the reunification concerts, which took place in 1982, 1993, 1998 and 2003. He was known as "The quiet keyboard player" in Kaveret, but got many chances to express his own material outside of the band. In parallel to his work in Kaveret, he formed with Avner Kenner the progressive rock duo "14 Ocatavas" and started arranging and composing songs for singers. There was an outstanding cooperation between him and Arik Einstein, he composed and produced songs for several of his records. One of the songs he composed for Einstein was "Your Forehead is Ornamented" (עטור מצחך in Hebrew, "Atur Mitz'chech".) Its first version was arranged by Rechter, and was sung by Arik Einstein with Korin Allal and Yehudit Ravitz - two of Israel's most notable singers.

Afterwards he carried on with producing albums for other singers, such as Gidi Gov, Ester Ofarim, Yossi Banay and Yehudit Ravitz. One of his performances with Yehudith Ravitz, which was titled "Once And Forever" (באופן קבוע וחד פעמי in Hebrew, "Be'Ofen Kavu'ah Ve'Chad Pe'ami"), was also released as an album.

In 1978 Rechter was a partner in creating the classic Israeli album "The Sixteenth Sheep" (הכבש השישה-עשר in Hebrew, "Ha'Keves Ha'Shishah Asar), which was a compilation of songs composed by the Israeli songwriter Yonatan Geffen. Some of these songs are so embedded in Israeli culture that the composition of the songs is sometimes attributed as "Traditional".

His debut album "Intending" (התכוונות in Hebrew, "Hitkavnut") was published in 1979, and includes quiet ballads, some of which were composed to the lyrics of Israeli popular songwriter Eli Mohar, with whom he was and is active in creating albums and performances.

In 1981 Rechter participated with other musicians such as Matti Caspi and Itzhak Clapter in the instrumental album "Lines" (קווים in Hebrew, "Kavim"). In 1982 he produced another one of Gidi Gov's albums, entitled "40:06", and composed all of its melodies. In 1984 he produced Israeli singer Nurit Galron's album "One Soft Touch" (נגיעה אחת רכה in Hebrew, "Negi'aa Achat Rakah").

In 1986 he took part in shows alongside Israeli comedians and performers Gidi Gov, Monni Moshunov and Shlomo Baraba in the comedy show "A One-Time Evening" (ערב חד-פעמי in Hebrew, "Erev Chad Pe'ami"), and in the Gulf War in 1991 they did a follow-up show, titled "A Conventional One-Time Evening" (ערב חד פעמי קונבנציונאלי).

Rechter continued working in the eighties and nineties with Arik Einstein. In the 1988 album "From the Songs of Avraham Chalfi (משירי אברהם חלפי in Hebrew) he composed and arranged the music to accompany the lyrics of the Israeli poet Avraham Chalfi. In the album "I Used To Be a Child" (הייתי פעם ילד in Hebrew, "Hayiti Pa'am Yeled") he composed and arranged all songs, some of which became very popular in Israel. In the album "The Lion, The Dove and a Blue Hen" (האריה, היונה ותרנגולת כחולה in Hebrew, "Ha'Arie, Ha'Yonah Ve'Tarnegolet Kchulah") Rechter composed and arranged more children's songs.

In 1991 "Festival Israel" produced, in association with the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, an evening of the songs of Yoni Rechter titled "The Main Thing is The Romance" (העיקר זה הרומנטיקה in Hebrew, "Ha'Ikar Ze Ha'Romantika"), which aired on the Israeli television, and was released as an album. In the evening, which was produced by Recther himself, the Israeli singers Gidi Gov, Mazi Cohen, Chaim Tzinovich and Yehudith Ravits performed.

In 1995 Rechter and Eli Mohar released an album titled "Thoughts and Options" (מחשבות ואפשרויות in Hebrew, "Machshavot Ve'Efsharuiot"), which was not as big a success as his previous albums.

In 2002 Rechter released a solo album, titled "Another Story" (עוד סיפור). The album, which was divided into three sections, consisted of mostly intimate songs. The album was well-received by music critics, but was not a commercial success.

Rechter also took part in composing and arranging music for many theatre plays and shows.

In 2005 Rechter released a best of double CD entitled "Each time I play", filled with his own recordings, as well as pieces with many other singers.

Albums

* The Sixteenth Sheep (הכבש השישה-עשר, Ha'Keves Ha'Shisha-Asar)
* Intending (התכוונות, Hitkavnut)
* Love Has Many Faces (האהבה, פנים רבות לה Ha'Ahava, Panim Rabot La) With Arik Einstein
* Once And Forever (באופן קבוע וחד פעמי, Be'Ofen Kavuah Ve'Chad Pe'ami) With Yehudith Ravitz
* At Eye Level (בגובה העיניים, Be'Govah Ha'Einayim) With Eli Mohar
* Romance Is What Matters (העיקר זה הרומנטיקה, Ha'Ikar Ze Ha'Romantica)
* Lines (קווים, Kavim)
* Thoughts and Options (מחשבות ואפשרויות, Machshavot Ve'Efsharuiot) With Eli Mohar
* Another Story (עוד סיפור, Od Sipur)
* Right Now (ממש עכשיו, Mamash Achshav) A live recording
* The Lion, The Dove and a Blue Hen (האריה, היונה ותרנגולת כחולה, Ha'Arie, Ha'Yonah Ve'Tarnegolet Kchulah)
* 14 Octavas With Avner Kenner
* From The Songs of Avraham Chalfi (משירי אברהם חלפי, Mi'Shirei Avraham Chalfi)
* I Used to be a Child (הייתי פעם ילד, Hayiti Pa'am Yeled) With Arik Einstein
* A Legend in the Sands (אגדה בחולות, Agada Ba'Cholot)

External links

* [http://www.shiron.net/homepage.aspx?id=489&name=יוני_רכטר&type=2&tab=0 Lyrics to the songs of Yoni Rechter]