Avram Fefer

Avram Fefer (born 1965cite book|last=Cook|first=Richard|authorlink=Richard Cook|coauthors=Brian Morton|title=The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings|origyear=1992|edition=8th ed.|series=The Penguin Guide to Jazz|year=2006|publisher=Penguin|location=New York|language=English|isbn=0-141-02327-9|pages=p. 436] ) is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and band leader, currently residing in New York City. He has been performing and recording internationally since 1990. After spending the decade as a soloist with a number of different groups, his first several recordings as a leader were singled out as among the Best of 2001 and Best of 2002 in publications such as "Down Beat", "Cadence", the "Village Voice", the "Chicago Weekly Standard", and "JazzPortugal". He has four recent releases with jazz pianist Bobby Few and has performed in most of the major clubs in New York, as well as numerous clubs and festivals in Europe, Africa, Japan, and the Middle East.

Avram grew up on both coasts of the United States, received a liberal arts degree at Harvard University and studied music at Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. He spent several years in Paris, where he played with Archie Shepp, The Last Poets, Sunny Murray, Kirk Lightsey, Jack Gregg, Rasul Siddik, Graham Haynes, and John Betsch. It was also in Paris that Avram first became interested in West African and Arabic music, playing with a variety of musicians from Senegal, Cameroon, Mali, and Morocco. He was also a composer and soloist for an “acid” jazz group in France with two top-selling discs on Virgin records (1994-95).

In New York, he has continued to compose music and lead numerous groups of his own and has released eight CD's as a leader or co-leader. He has also been featured in the David Murray Big Band, Butch Morris Orchestra, Joseph Bowie Big Band, Mingus Big Band, Frank Lacy's Vibe Tribe, the Rob Reddy Octet, Famoro Diabate’s Kakande, the Adam Lane Octet, the Michael Bisio Quartet, and Burnt Sugar. He has a private music teaching practice in downtown Manhattan and enjoys collaborations with a variety of creative artists of different genres.

Discography

* 1994 - "Other Worlds", Art Sound Orchestra
* 1994 - "Omnibus", Beigels Daisy Toasts
* 1995 - "Eat that Beigel", Beigels Daisy Toasts
* 1995 - "Song of the Forest Boogeraboo", Steve McCraven with Archie Shepp
* 1998 - "The Soul of Grace", Manhattan New Music Project
* 2001 - "Calling All Spirits", Avram Fefer Trio
* 2002 - "Lucille's Gemini Dream", Avram Fefer Quartet
* 2002 - "Few and Far Between", Avram Fefer/Wilber Morris/Bobby Few
* 2004 - "Shades of the Muse", Avram Fefer Quartet
* 2005 - "Painting Breath, Stoking Fire", Avram Fefer/Michael Bisio Duo
* 2005 - "Heavenly Places", Avram Fefer/Bobby Few Duo
* 2005 - "Kindred Spirits", Avram Fefer/Bobby Few Duo
* 2006 - "Connections", Michael Bisio Quartet
* 2006 - "Sanctuary", Avram Fefer/Bobby Few Quartet
* 2007 - "More Than Post Human", Burnt Sugar
* 2007 - "Circle This", Michael Bisio Quartet

References