Pauses in Shades Maya Belsitzman & Uriel Herman

• 1Dew (Tal)03:12
• 2Homage to Chopin02:22
• 3On a Boat02:59
• 4First Step (Nur)04:14
• 5The Naked Streets02:36
• 6Dance of the Blinds03:47
• 7Not Alone02:18
• 8Echo of Regrets04:01
• 9Sandbox04:18
• 10Shades01:54
• Total Runtime31:41

Info for Pauses in Shades

"Pauses in Shades" is an intimate recording where the pieces are grounded in listening, improvisation, and emotion.

The pair first met as children on Israel’s Classical music scene, but it was only when the world came to a standstill in 2020 that they were able to reconnect and make music together. Grounded in listening, improvisation, and emotion. Maya and Uriel took to the studio in an effort to pour life into images, offering their listener the opportunity to pause, join and observe moments created in the room and reflect on the outside.

The record sees the duo explore the timbral capabilities of their instruments, weaving melodies, dense harmony and improvisation together across naturally evolving spontaneity with inclinations towards song-like structures.

From delicate tranquillity with Middle Eastern folk influences, to frantic explorations of tension chaos with a free-jazz edge, each piece is built around an intimate duo performance, developed through the use of overdubs, spacious reverberated cello harmonics, filtered field recordings, synths, and delays.

Internationally recognised for his remarkable blend of classical piano, improvisation and Middle Eastern rhythms, Uriel Herman has captured the hearts of audiences all over the world, with notable performance highlights including at the Forbidden City Concert Hall (Beijing), Ronnie Scott’s, Bimhuis Amsterdam, and leading jazz festivals all over Europe. His last album ‘Different Eyes’ was selected by the Guardian as one of 2023’s top 10 jazz releases.

Maya Belsitzman is a classically educated cellist whose career has seen her perform with internationally acclaimed artists including Avishai Cohen (Trumpet), Barbara Streisand, Ehud Banai and more. In addition to her work as a performing cellist, Belsitzman regularly composes, produces and arranges original scores for theatre, modern dance, short films and documentary movies.

Maya Belsitzman, cello
Uriel Herman, piano

Maya Belsitzman
is a classical educated cellist, playing, producing, composing and arranging. She is a virtuosic, soulful cellist and vocalist, playing with effects. She's been performing in festivals around the world such as Paris Jazz Festival, Buenos Aires Jazz Festival, Cervantino Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival, Nairobi Jazz Festival, Pohoda Festival, Krakow Jewish Festival and many more.

Maya has played, recorded and collaborated with world class artists such as Keren Ann, Avishai Cohen (Trumpet), Chava Alberstein, Ehud Banai, Noa (Achinoam Nini), Inbal Pinto, Yasmin Levy, Barbara Streisand and more. She often performs with her life partner, the drummer and percussionist Matan Ephrat. Maya has composed original scores for theatre, modern dance, short films and documentary movies.

Uriel Herman
Internationally recognised for his remarkable blend of classical piano and Middle Eastern rhythm, Uriel has captured audiences worldwide. His last album, Different Eyes (2023), was selected by the UK's Guardian National Newspaper as one of the 10 best jazz albums of 2023. Over the past decade, Uriel has presented his music to audiences at prestigious festivals and venues around the globe. Notable performances include The Forbidden City Concert Hall (Beijing, CN), CCB (Lisbon, PT), Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club (London, UK), Centro Cultural Kirchner (Buenos Aires, AR), Stanford University (CA, US), Jarasum Jazz Festival (Jarasum, KR), Taichung Jazz Festival (Taichung, TW), Festival Jazz Sous Les Pommiers (Coutances, FR), Festival Eclats d’Email Jazz (Limoges, FR), Nuit de Sud Festival (Venve, FR), Jazz a Cauderan Festival (Bordeaux), Jazz Aux Carrés Festival (Annecy, FR), Limoges Opera House (Limoges, FR), Duc des Lombards (Paris, FR), Bimhuis (Amsterdam, NL) and many others. His commissioned orchestral works include a rhapsody for Jazz Quartet & Orchestra titled White Night and three dialogues for Orchestra and Jazz Quartet that Uriel was commissioned to compose for the Jenaer Philharmonic.

Booklet for Pauses in Shades