In Spite Of All Arik Strauss

• 1 Blues for Sigal (kHz 96) 06:47
• 2 Fleeting Thoughts (kHz 96) 02:44
• 3 In Spite of All (kHz 96) 08:47
• 4 Lia's Steps (kHz 96) 04:54
• 5 Seany's Love Blanket 10:36
• 6 Overcoming 05:34
• 7 Nadav 04:33
• 8 Freedom 05:05
• 9 It's Incredible 04:00
• 10 Bach's Bossa 07:40
• 11 War and Peace 05:40
• 12 Peace Prayer (kHz 96) 06:15
• Total Runtime 01:12:35

Info for In Spite Of All

Arik Strauss’s second piano trio album – In Spite of All – presents ten new compositions and two free improvisations. Following on the success of his first trio album, Mostly Ballads, these original compositions express a more upbeat atmosphere. Joined again by bass player Tal Ronen and for the first time by drummer Gasper Bertocelj, Arik, through the lyrical and thoughtful melodic structure of his song, captures our undivided attention again and shows us the joy and determination of his musical soul.

Arik Strauss, piano
Tal Ronen, bass
Gasper Bertocelj, drums

Arik Strauss
(born in Jerusalem) is a pianist, composer, arranger and music teacher. He performed in the USA, Japan, Europe and Israel. Strauss spent 12 years in New York where he studied with Jack Reilly and Richie Beirach and performed with top musicians and in leading jazz clubs, such as Birdland, New York, and Blue Note, Philadelphia. Strauss was the arranger of a tribute to Duke Ellington and worked with his son, Mercer Ellington.

Back in Israel he released - between 2002 and 2012 - 4 CDs, the last of which, "Mostly Ballads", was released by Dot Time Records in 2012. Production of the CD was made possible through the support of ACUM's social and promotion fund. In 2015 a new solo piano recording of Strauss's original music will be released in a vinyl album by Dot Time Records also through the support of ACUM's social and promotion fund.

In 2010 Strauss was chosen by Israel's Ministry of Culture and Sport for a six months' stay at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris as an artist resident, where he performed, recorded and wrote most of his last CD's music.

In April 2013 Strauss performed in Jazzahead held in Bremen, Germany.

In addition to performances in the Tel Aviv Jazz Festival of 2005 and 2011, Strauss performs in clubs around Israel.

Strauss is among the founders of a jazz department in the Givaataim conservatory where he teaches.

"… fellow pianist Marc Copland once remarked…"Playing ballads is, in many ways, the ultimate challenge. A ballad is like a window into the soul of the artist." Strauss meets the challenge and comes away as a winner because he dares to enter the emotional territory where a ballad becomes interesting …he plays with refined sense of feeling and sensitivity somewhere between Bill Evans and Frédéric Chopin and yet there's also the charm of the pop song present… Together these three balladeers get the best out of the material and capture the sweetness and sadness of love in all its guises." - All-About-Jazz

"Buddy Rich said something else that has stuck in my head. In another interview he remarked that “jazz should be treated the same as classical music – it’s to be listened to.” His words certainly apply to this sterling effort from the Arik Strauss Trio – an album that you will come back to again and again." - Jazz in Europe

This album contains no booklet.