ALBARE iTD
ALBARE is the nom de guerre of Albert Dadon, a jazz guitarist with a strong melodic sense and a wealth of global influences. Born in Morocco and raised in Israel and France, Albare first worked as a musician in Paris, before emigrating to Australia at the age of 27. He is not only known as a jazz musician but has maintained a highly successful career as he is one of Australia’s prominent business entrepreneurs.
He is undoubtedly a major force in Australian jazz, having directed the Melbourne Jazz Festival for many years and as chairman of the Australian Jazz Awards. In 2008 he received the Order of Australia for his service to the arts.
One of the hallmarks of Albare’s playing is his guitar sound, which he personally developed with the help of independent Australian engineers and Gibson Guitars who has been endorsing Albare for over 20 years.
Most of his guitars are made in Gibson’s custom shop. His current touring guitar is a Les Paul Custom with a hollow body and a neck on the scale of a Super 400. The woods from this guitar, which was made 10 years ago, are no longer available. Other guitars used by Albare on stage include a Gibson L5 and a Takamine Concert Acoustic.
We asked Albare:
JA: How much difference does it make to be able to play custom made guitars?
AD: Special woods (although US leglislation makes this difficult these days) special attention, custom made necks and alterations according to my specifications.
JA: What sort of sound are you able to obtain from this?
AD:The sound of the instrument is the voice. Listen to my music and you will hear the difference. Unfortunately if you don't hear it, I can't help you.
JA Why do you like using Gibson Guitars?
AD: It's a reputable guitar maker that understand the tradition of guitar making going back for generations. The know how and the extraordinary workmanship and reliability of the instrument makes Gibson the guitar of choice of most professionals.
Albare’s recording career began with a string of ‘acid jazz’ albums for Festival Records. Longing to return to his first love, instrumental jazz, Albare began recording and performing with his own band while simultaneously becoming a major force in Australia jazz in general. As director of the Melbourne Jazz Festival he presented artists such as such as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Sonny Rollins and Gary Burton. He also founded the Australian Jazz ‘Bell’ Awards during this time.
In January 2012 Albare recorded and released Long Way, Albare’s first album for the prestigious German jazz label Enja Records. Recorded in Brooklyn at Systems Sound, the album features triple GRAMMY® winner drummer Antonio Sanchez (Pat Metheny Group), saxophonist George Garzone (the Joe Lovano Nonet), pianist Leo Genovese (Esperanza Spalding), prolific harmonica player Hendrik Meurkens and Albare’s long time musical collaborator, bassist Evri (Evripedes Evripidou). Albare calls this super group iTD, or the International Travel Diary, reflecting their global backgrounds. In the fall and winter of 2012 Albare iTD toured the United States with stops in New York, Boston, Miami, Cleveland and Washington DC. During this time Long Way maintained its place on the national Jazz Week Chart for over twenty weeks!
In early 2013 Albare went back into the same Brooklyn studio to record The Road Ahead with his new line up. This ensemble has proved to be a great setting for Albare’s melodic playing while continuing the international cosmopolitan theme. The band features pianist Phil Turcio (also one of Australia’s premier pop record producers), Cuban bassist Yunior Terry and Venezuelan drummer Pablo Bencid. They combine the fresh excitement of Long Way with a more sophisticated and interactive feeling within the band. Albare is about to embark on an Australian tour.
TOUR DATES:
AUSTRALIA
Sat, April 13th – The Blakiston Drama Theatre, Geelong Performing Arts Centre www.gpac.org.au
Sat, April 20th – Judith Wright Centre (Brisbane) www.jwcoca.qld.gov.au
Sun, April 21st – Byron Bay Community Centre www.byroncentre.com.au
Wed, April 24th – Melbourne Recital Centre, The Salon www.melbournerecital.com.au
Sun, May 5th – Sydney Opera House, The Studio www.sydneyoperahouse.com
