Avram Fefer

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Avram Fefer is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and band leader, currently residing in New York City. He has been performing and recording internationally since 1990. After spending the decade as a soloist with a number of different groups, his first several recordings as a leader were singled out as among the Best of 2001 and Best of 2002 in publications such as Downbeat Magazine, Cadence magazine, the Village Voice, the Chicago Weekly Standard, and JazzPortugal. He has four recent releases with jazz piano legend Bobby Few and has performed in most of the major clubs in New York, as well as numerous clubs and festivals in Europe, Africa, Japan, and the Middle East.

Avram grew up on both coasts of the United States, received a liberal arts degree at Harvard University and studied music at Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. He spent several years in Paris, where he played with Archie Shepp, The Last Poets, Sunny Murray, Kirk Lightsey, Jack Gregg, Rasul Siddik, Graham Haynes, and John Betsch. It was also in Paris that Avram first became interested in West African and Arabic music, playing with a variety of musicians from Senegal, Cameroon, Mali, and Morroco. He was also a composer and soloist for an “acid” jazz group in France with two top-selling discs on Virgin records (1994-95).

In New York, he has continued to compose music and lead numerous groups of his own and has released eight CD's as a leader or co-leader. He has also been featured in the David Murray Big Band, Butch Morris Orchestra, Joseph Bowie Big Band, Mingus Big Band, Frank Lacy's Vibe Tribe, the Rob Reddy Octet, Famoro Diabate’s Kakande, the Adam Lane Octet, the Michael Bisio Quartet, and Burnt Sugar. He has a private music teaching practice in downtown Manhattan and enjoys collaborations with a variety of creative artists of different genres.

Discography

   * 2007 - "Circle This" (Michael Bisio Quartet)
   * 2007 - "More Than Post Human" (Burnt Sugar)
   * 2006 - "Sanctuary" (Avram Fefer/Bobby Few Quartet)
   * 2006 - "Connections" (Michael Bisio Quartet)
   * 2005 - "Kindred Spirits" (Avram Fefer/Bobby Few Duo)
   * 2005 - "Heavenly Places" (Avram Fefer/Bobby Few Duo)
   * 2005 - "Painting Breath, Stoking Fire" (Avram Fefer/Michael Bisio Duo)
   * 2004 - "Shades of the Muse" (Avram Fefer Quartet)
   * 2002 - "Few and Far Between" (Avram Fefer/ Wilber Morris/ Bobby Few)
   * 2002 - "Lucille's Gemini Dream" (Avram Fefer Quartet)
   * 2001 - "Calling All Spirits" (Avram Fefer Trio)
   * 1998 - "The Soul of Grace" (Manhattan New Music Project)
   * 1995 - "Song of the Forest Boogeraboo" (Steve McCraven w/ Archie Shepp)
   * 1995 - "Eat that Beigel" (Beigels Daisy Toasts)
   * 1994 - "Omnibus" (Beigels Daisy Toasts)
   * 1994 - "Other Worlds" (Art Sound Orchestra)