Guy Mintus Trio | The Playground

Israeli pianist Guy Mintus’ trio arrives at the Jerusalem Festival with an eclectic and energetic show that ranges from jazz to the realms of Andalusian music. A rising star in contemporary jazz, Mintus is a gifted multidisciplinary performer who feels at home with Western classical orchestras, jazz giants or world music masters, a skilled classical pianist with rock-star qualities who is not afraid to mix together a heady brew of world music and Middle Eastern rhythms. 

Mintus has performed, among others, with jazz legends Jon Hendricks and Jimmy Cobb. He has performed with the ensemble and as a soloist with renowned orchestras, including: the Bavarian State Orchestra, the Jerusalem East and West Orchestra, the Kyiv Fantastic Orchestra, the Israel Chamber Orchestra, and most recently as part of the trio with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. he was crowned “an artist of marvelous talent and boundless ambition.” in the American jazz magazine, DownBeat. He is the winner of the ASCAP Foundation’s Leonard Bernstein and Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer awards.

At this year’s Jazz Festival, Mintus and his trio members, double bassist Eran Haradi and drummer Yonatan Rosen, will present an eclectic program of original materials, surprising interpretations of classics and selections from the band’s latest album, A Gershwin Playground, which offers a personal and up-to-date interpretation of the Jewish American composer. A review of the album, posted on the All About Jazz website, read: “For those wondering if the world needs another tribute album to Gershwin, well, in the hands of Mintus, the answer is an unreserved yes!”. The band’s two earlier albums, A Home in Between and Connecting the Dots, also received rave reviews.

A show with a Mediterranean groove, elements of pop, touches of swing and lots of joie de vivre and creative joy. An enchanting invitation to visit the playground of a trio which never ceases to amaze.