Fest lineup: Israeli, yes, but international, too

Here's a rundown of the artists appearing at the Israeli Jazz Festival Monday through Jan. 24 at World Cafe Live.

Roni Ben-Hur Quartet

As guitarist Roni Ben-Hur's latest CD, "Keepin' It Open," kicks off, the bright swing and clean, slinky soloing could mark the player as a native of New York, where Ben-Hur has resided since 1985. But when the standard "Can't We Be Friends?" is succeeded by the Sephardic folk melody "Eshkolit," Ben-Hur's heritage reveals itself, even as he engages the traditional tune with a heartfelt, highly personal interpretation.

Born to Tunisian immigrants in the small Israeli town of Dimona, Ben-Hur became fascinated by jazz as a teenager, pursuing his passion to America, where he's played with the likes of Barry Harris, Clark Terry and Jimmy Heath. MONDAY

Eli Degibri

The young tenor saxophonist began his musical career with the mandolin at age 7 but switched to sax three years later. Unlike many of his peers, who have enjoyed the bulk of their jazz careers outside the country, Degibri has played extensively at home, first with the Iris and Ofer Portugaly Quartet and later as the co-founder of his own group, the Jazz Carriers.

He came to the United States on a full scholarship to Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music, then was chosen to study at the New England Conservatory's Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance program, where he caught the ear of legendary pianist Herbie Hancock. That led to more than two years of touring. Since then, besides his own music, Degibri performs with drummer Al Foster and the Mingus Big Band. TUESDAY

Alon Yavnai

Pianist Alon Yavnai came to jazz relatively late in his musical development, having trained classically at the Givatayim Conservatory.

But during those studies he became entranced with jazz - particularly the late Oscar Peterson. He spent a brief period at Berklee before professional obligations became too numerous to continue those studies.

Yavnai is best known for his recently concluded, six-year stint as pianist for Cuban reed player Paquito D'Rivera. "With Paquito," Yavnai said, "my experiences were very eclectic. He loves the music of Brazil, loves the music of Gershwin, loves Israeli music, loves klezmer, so I got to express some of my roots and interests through that gig." WEDNESDAY.

Anat and Avishai Cohen

Born in Tel Aviv, clarinetist/saxophonist Anat and trumpeter Avishai Cohen followed in the footsteps of their older brother, saxophonist Yuval, studying at the Jaffa Conservatory of Music, where they played in the school's Dixieland and big bands. Jazz was not prevalent in Israeli culture, but Anat Cohen became immersed in the music.

"Sometimes by being inside the music, feeling it played around you, moving to it, tapping your feet, it makes you feel it all the way inside and fall in love with it," she said. "That's what happened to me with jazz."

Since coming to the States in the late '90s, both Anat and Avishai have become fixtures of the modern New York jazz scene. Both are members of the swing-centric septet Waverly Seven, which recently released a CD paying tribute to Bobby Darin, and they have a trio, the 3 Cohens, with Yuval.

Both are also extremely busy with their own projects, Anat Cohen especially, having released a quartet CD and a big band project with her Anzic Orchestra. THURSDAY

- Shaun Brady