Jazz and the Israeli Soul

Why are there SO many Israeli Jazz artists? Over the years, many have considered this question, including JazzTimes and NPR’s All Things Considered. Most of the Israel jazz musicians in America have gravitated to New York, and from what I can tell, a lot of them are buddies and band-mates.

Is there something about Jazz that is uniquely appealing to the Israeli soul? The youth, the energy, the chaos? Your guess is as good as mine. But check out the big band stylings of rising Israeli star Eyal Vilner and groove on the Holy Land’s latest contribution to American culture…American culture.