YOSEF-GUTMAN LEVITT
South African-born, Jerusalem-based Yosef Gutman is highly skilled on upright bass, but chose as his primary instrument the acoustic bass guitar. On Upside Down Mountain, Gutman’s first trio recording, he shares with the world what he has found on that beautiful instrument: a warm, singing, bell-like high-register sound of his own, with a focus on simple, direct, endlessly expressive melodies. “When I’m playing upper-register melody, I feel like that’s the place I can expose my truth,” Gutman declares.
The title Upside Down Mountain, according to Gutman, refers to “a story of a love so great, it’s as if a mountain is being held over our heads that at any time could be dropped — a love that’s compelling and leaves no room for even a shadow of a doubt.”
Partnering with Omri Mor (piano) and Ofri Nehemya (drums) on this set of original pieces, Gutman plays with a striking clarity and resolve as the trio’s frequent lead melodic voice. He plays what serves the music and the flowing, interactive rhythms of the trio. The result is a sound of joy and fulfilment. “I was flying the entire four days of recording,” Gutman recalls. “I was flying, my soul was alive. It comes alive when I get to play with people like this. Omri is very emotionally intelligent and has an organic apprehension of style, whether it’s hints of Moroccan-Andalusian vocabulary or even making the piano sound like a kora.”
September 2022 Release
