Expanse is the sophomore album from Tel Aviv’s top jazz and funk trumpeter: Sefi Zisling, due out Nov. 22 via Tru Thoughts. Building on his debut LP Beyond The Things I Know, released on Raw Tapes – Tel Aviv’s leading collective, and championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson (BBC 6Music), Stamp The Wax, Toshio Matsuura (Worldwide FM), NTS, FIP, Radio Nova, Twistedsoul – Expanse is fronted by lead-single “Happy Solar Return ft. Kutiman”, a nine-minute afro-beat voyage that takes the listener on a journey through serendipitous phases and moods, and features prolific Israeli musician, producer and animator Kutiman aka Ophir Kutiel on keyboard.
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Inspired by his childhood heroes of John Coltrane, Grant Green and Fred Wesley, Expanse combines the sounds of afro-jazz, psychedelic funk and spiritual jazz to create an album that echoes the great creators of Alice Coltrane, Fela Kuti and Donald Byrd, while paving a new path – all catalysed through the trumpet. Recorded as a collaborative live session with all of Sefi’s close and talented friends, including live members: Omri Shani (bass), Tom Bollig (drums), Noam Havkin (drums) and long-time collaborators: Idan Kupferberg (percussion), Uzi Ramirez (guitar), Tair Slutzki (trombone), Expanse captures the essence of the classic jazz sessions, committed to the outcome–mistakes and spontaneous moments included.
“I had to bring the musicians I trust the most and that we feel together like a family” Sefi explains, “I think that this feeling is very much present in the music.” Talking about the tracks on the album, Sefi elaborates: “There’s a healthy tension between the tight and groovy to the free and the abstract… harmony is achieved by embracing the disharmony in our life, and that darkness and light are equally important.” Sefi’s music acts a dialogue between bright and dark colours, solid grooves and abstract melodies; making Expanse an instant classic, dignified in aesthetic and practice.
A stable to the Tel Aviv music scene, Sefi first started playing the trumpet at the mere age of 10, later enrolling in the prestigious art school Thelma Yellin. Performing in an array of bands since his early teens, Sefi has performed and recorded sessions with almost every key player of the jazz world in Israel. Mastering the art of trumpeting, Sefi has transcended his role as an instrumentalist on Expanse, evolving and expanding into a composer, producer and creative force to be reckoned with.