Ronen Shmueli

Bio:

Born: January 29, 1987 in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Feel free to contact by mail: ronenshmueli@gmail.com

Ronen Shmueli (born on January 29th, 1987) is a jazz pianist, composer and arranger from Tel-Aviv, Israel, who has graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music, where he was invited to study at on a full scholarship. He's been privileged to study and play with JoAnne Brackeen, Hal Crook, Greg Osby, Ralph Peterson Jr, Terri Lyne Carrington, Dave Samuels and Tiger Okoshi among great others. Ronen has performed as a leader or a sideman at festivals and venues around the US (Los Angeles, NYC and Boston), Europe (Holland and Italy) and Israel and performed with renowned artists such as Eli Degibri, Avishai Cohen, Avi Lebovich and Ofer Ganor. In addition, Ronen has been a winner of numerous awards, including the Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts Award for Jazz, The Israeli Defense Forces & the Israeli Ministry of Education "Outstanding Musician" award, The America-Israel Cultural Foundation Award and the Berklee Jazz Performance award. While maintaining a career of a freelance pianist and educator, Ronen leads various high quality projects in which he plays, composes, arranges and / or produces.

..Brief pre-Berklee bio. ..
For recent and prominent past projects check Projects at the Band Members section.

Graduated from the Tel-Aviv School of Arts, Music major ('02) with honors. Graduated from the Givatayim Conservatory, Piano department ('04 Zila Rodan) with honors. Graduated from the Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts, Jazz major ('05) with honors. Winner of the special “Outstanding Musician” status by the Israeli ministry of education and the IDF. Completed a 3-year mandatory service as a piano & keyboard player for the IDF Orchestra. Spent the 2008-2009 year completing studies at Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music while studying with Eli Benacot, Ilan Mochiach, Guri Agmon, Avi Lebovich, Mamelo Gaitenopoulos and Dr. Alex Wasserman among others. Winner of the 2004 AICF Jazz Ensembles Contest 1st place with the Ronen Shmueli Septet. Winner of the 2005 Thelma Yellin Award for Jazz. Was awarded a full tuition scholarship to attend the Berklee 5-Week Summer Performance Program. Winner of the AICF Jazz piano scholarship since first applied in 2006. Performed at the 2004 IAJE convention in NYC with the Thelma Yellin Big Band. Toured the west coast in January 2005 with the Ronen Shmueli Septet including the 2005 IAJE convention in Long Beach, CA. Has played as a leader or a sideman at the Tel-Aviv Jazz Festival, the Red Sea Jazz Festival, the Givatayim Jazz Festival, among other clubs and venues. Wrote and arranged music for theater and ceremonies. During the service performed with the IDF Orchestra as a player, arranger & musical director around Israel, Europe and the US, while sharing the stage with the country's top cultural icons such as Dudu Fischer, Shayke Levy, Dani Robas and Eli Luzon among dozens of others. Played piano and keys at the musicals 'Blood Brothers' 'Boys from Syracuse' and 'Oliver!' which took place in Thelma Yellin.

________________________________________________

From time to time I'm adding some short videos from gigs. Some videos are in a low bitrate and short due to camera abilities :P

Here's the encore from the Ronen Shmueli Group performance at Berklee. You're listening to Jeremy De Jesus (fl), Nathan Cepelinski (sop), Clay Lyons (as), Ronen Shmueli (p), Tamir Shmerling (b) and Jonathan Pinson (d). This is an original, second line influenced minor blues by me, hope you enjoy.



A short piano solo on Yonatan Oleiski's rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In" Jan 2008 with Daniel Zondiner Amir Sadot and YO.


..

Dean Tsur Quartet, March 07'. w/DT - Tenor, Noam Massarik - Bass, Eran Fink - Drums. Thanks to EB for the video!



Ronen Shmueli, Josh Hari and Vishal Nayak playin a coda vamp during Lihi's concert in spring 2010. Amazing bass solo by Josh.


A short piano intro during AL's R&B band gig. A little variation on the main theme, again using the amazing Roland SRX-12 Classic EPs rhodes sound.



Bareket Brothers Quintet feat. Yuval Cohen on soprano sax, this sweet tune is his, named "Danielle". w Eden Bareket (baritone), Or Bareket (bass) and Yonatan Oleiski (drums). Thanks to LR for the video!


Have recently got this lost video file from a friend who video captured us playing 'If Ever I would Leave You', a-la Rollins style arrangement. With the attentive and amazing dynamic duo of Massarik (bass) & Fink (drums) in early 2007.





This video below captures the quintet paying tribute to Jazz legend Horace Silver. This beautiful song is called "Moonrays" (Late 2006).


This is from a taped session on July 2006, the piece is by the great Art Farmer, it's called "Wisteria". w Or Bareket on bass and Dani Danor on drums.





MEEZ version Ronen :P


Below are videos from Amit Silverman's recital feat. Tamir Shmerling on bass, Yonatan Yudkovich on Tenor or Trumpet, Silverman on da drumz and me on piano.







THE NEW QUINTET SET FLYER
/



found some nice pics to slide, will add more soon

Member Since:

November 02, 2006

Members:

"Power Rangers" and "Bimhuis" - Original Music by Ronen Shmueli, "Who Will Buy?" Original Music by Lionel Bart arrangment by Ronen Shmueli. Those three tracks are performed by the Ronen Shmueli Quintet feat. Niv Toar (trp), Eitan Gofman (ts, fl), Ronen Shmueli (p), Tamir Shmerling (b) and Yonatan Oleiski (d). August 2009.

"Love for Sale" by Cole Porter and "Super Noam" - Performed with Tamir Shmerling (b) and Noam Israeli (d).

personnel for Roei's tune:
original music by Roei Harmon. w Or Bareket - Bass and Yonatan Oleiski - Drums, October 2007.

"Moses Party" features the Mika Hary / Ronen Shmueli Quartet plus special guest Niv Toar.


Projects
Current and most recent projects include The Ronen Shmueli Quintet, The Willy Rodriguez Group, The Ruben Carles Group, Tyler Scott Quintet, Emi Inaba Jazz Orchestra, Lakamire Mark Orchestra, Lihi Haruvi Group (featured on 'Sounds of Berklee' free iTunes Podcast), Sittin in with the Jeremy De Jesus Quartet, Eli Degibri / Eran Tzur "Adama Ahrei Ha'Geshem" tour, Tamir Shmerling Quartet, Yonatan Yudkovic Quartet, Yakir Sasson Quartet, Nitsa Shaul "Zlili Kesem" Hot Jazz Series, Avi Lebo Mosaic, Tammy Scheffer Sextet, producing for Yotam Mahler's ensemble project, Shauli Einav Red Sea quartet, The Mika Hary / Ronen Shmueli Quartet , The Zoom Trio w Roei Harmon (tp) and Nir Brener (ds); Yonatan Oleiski Quintet, Eran Fink Quartet, Amit Silverman Group, the Dean Tsur Quartet, Bareket Bros Quintet, Erez Barnoy Shablul Jam Session Opening Quartet, member of the Berklee..Rimon Workshops Scott deOgburn Modern Jazz Ensemble at the 2007 Red Sea Jazz Festival, Rony Stav project, Atalya Lavi Project, Ramzailech, Julia Easterlin Ronen Shmueli Project and more.


Prominent past projects include the Ronen Shmueli Septet (IAJE 2005 Long Beach, CA & The 2005 Tel-Aviv Jazz Festival), Ronen Shmueli Trio, Ronen Shmueli Quintet among many other sideman collaborations (Thelma Yellin Big Band 2004 east coast tour, Bareket Bros Quartet/Quintet, Jonathan Greenstein Quartet, Niv Toar Quartet, Eyal Hay Sextet/Quartet and more) and sitting-in stints.

Celebrating Israel's 60th Anniversary

Influences:

Lots, but the primaries are

Horace, Bud, Barry Harris, Bobby Timmons, Hank Jones, Tomy, Wynton, Cedar, McCoy, Mulgrew, Chick. Coltrane, Joe, Rollins, Mobley. Grant Green, Wes, Russell Malone. Stevie.

I'm feeling very inspired by old Israeli and Jewish music, composers such as Wilensky, Shemer, Rosenblum, Amerilio, Hitman, among others. Also very attracted to Gospel, Soul and R&B music, from today and from the past. Brazilian music is a special inspiration for me also.
Two huge souls I've met recently who deeply influenced me are Scott deOgburn and Dennis Montgomery, III. All the love and appreciation to you guys.

Sounds Like:

Me? :P
My complete gigrig:
Mostly play an acoustic piano. For Rhodes and Clavs I use the amazing SRX-12 "Classic EPs", and have recently added the SRX-11 "Complete Piano" to my rig for authentic piano sounds in productions where needed - both are sitting in my XV-5050 by Roland - controlled by a Technics' SX-P30 stage piano. When playing Organ I use Roland's VK-8M on my vintage DX-7 keys. I'm also using Roland's KC-350 amp.

Record Label:

Unsigned