Ramon Valle (Cuba) Piano,
Pablo Nahar (Surinam) Bass,
Roberto Haliffi (Italy) Drums,
Eduardo Blanco (Spain) Trumpet,
Lior Kuperberg (Israel) Saxophone,
Sounds Like
" one of the things we celebrate, is the fact there is music, who expreses who we are and what we are about" Dr. Billy Taylor
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Music is a healing force. It has the ability to trancend boundaries. It can touch the heart directly, it can speak to a depth of the spirit where no words are needed. It is the most powerful form of communication and expression of beauty. I feel a great joy to play music with other people. I also refer to them as healing power, as each time we play together, there is a wholeness that makes me feel different from before I got there. Great atmosphere. I'm really grateful to have the chance to have met great people like Charlie Green, Stu Hacohen and Ferdinand Povel. There were leading the way for me (and still do!!) and explained me about the Real Jazz Masters. We must go forward, all the great ones that went before us insisted on this. Each generation has to rise up and sing the song. The journey and pursuit is never ending. I will always remember what the great Master, Stu Hacohen, my teacher told me, before he died: "We must continue working on the music". I decided to do so, as long as I'm able. Each one of us has his or her own experience, and from that something is transmitted. For me, the purpose of life is to learn and know the energy of the universe, let this energy flow through. The struggle of spiritual life will go on as long as I have breath. The pursuit and music are one.
We all begin our lives in simple innocence, knowing deep down that all is good and all is love, we are home. Life's journey begins. Somehow, somewhere along the way we realize that life has become very complex and filled with all sorts of fear and doubt. When darkness surrounds us, we become lost on our journey. The memory of our simple essence begins to call and we begin our journey back home. Most of us spend the majority of our lives trying to get back home. It can be a very circuitous route, but I believe, we all eventually get there....
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Born in Tel-Aviv, Israel, Lior started playing keyboards and flute at an early age. In 1995 he went to New Orleans to explore the roots of jazz and blues, and joined local Dixieland, blues, jazz and soul bands. After returning to Tel Aviv, he joined the Music Plus Quintet, led by Miguel Yaakobi, and toured with the band for five years all over Israel, playing jazz, rock and latin music. He studied with saxophone masters Peter Wertheimer and Stu Hacohen, and explored bebop music. In 2000 Lior Kuperberg came to the Netherlands, to study with saxophonist Ferdinand Povel. During his studies, he played with different jazz ensembles as well as Big Bands and a salsa band. He also has had many years of experience playing in klezmer bands at concerts, weddings, parties, etc. He played a world music program with great Dutch artists like Trijntje Oosterhuis, Astrid Serierse, Eric Vaarzon Morel and many others. With Leoni Jansen he played on the renowned Dutch TV show Barend en van Dorp. As a solo player he performed on two cd’s of Lenny Kuhr on soprano and tenor saxophone. Since 2005 he is member of Charlie Green Big Band, and plays all over Europe. He is a regular performer in local jazz night clubs in Amsterdam. Since 2007 he is a member of Klezmokum, led by Burton Greene, playing tenor and soprano saxophones, and with whom he is touring all over Europe.
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Lior Kuperberg, geboren in Tel Aviv, studeerde aan het Hed College of Contemporary Music in Israel en speelde in zijn geboorteland ruim vier jaar in een professionele commerciële band. Hij nam saxofoonlessen bij de onlangs overleden saxofoongrootheid Stu Hacohen, die in de VS studeerde en werkte met Sonny Rollins en Dizzy Gillespie en in Nederland regelmatig speelde met o.a. Jasper van ‘t Hoff en Ferdinand Povel.
Hacohen spoorde Lior in 2000 aan om bij Povel te gaan studeren op het Conservatorium in Amsterdam. In 2004 rondde hij de Bachelorfase af voor hoofdvak tenorsaxofoon en bijvakken klarinet en dwarsfluit. Daarna volgde hij aan het Rotterdams Conservatorium de Mastersopleiding
Tijdens zijn studie speelde hij onder andere in big bands, een salsaband en diverse (jazz)ensembles. Ook stond hij in Carré op het podium met Trijntje Oosterhuis, Astrid Serierse en Eric Vaarzon Morel en vele anderen in kader van een Wereldmuziek-programma. Op tv speelde hij met Leoni Jansen bij Barend en Van Dorp. Als solist is hij te horen op de cd van de Studentproof Bigband o.l.v. Charlie Green en recentelijk werkte hij mee aan de nieuwste cd van Lenny Kuhr, met wie hij ook regelmatig optreedt.
Zijn ervaring in lesgeven gaat terug tot 1996. Niet alleen op tenor-, alt-, en sopraansax, maar ook op keyboards gaf hij privé-les op alle niveaus, in alle stijlen en voor alle leeftijden.
