- Ori Dagan – vocals
- David Restivo – piano
- Nathan Hiltz – guitar
- Ross MacIntyre – bass
Vocalist Ori Dagan, winner of “Best Jazz Vocals” at the 2015 Toronto Independent Music Awards, is one of Canada’s rising jazz stars. Born in Israel and raised in Toronto, he initially trained as a classical pianist, dabbling in creative writing and musical theatre before discovering Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O’Day, Lester Young and Charlie Parker.
Dagan’s debut recording “S’Cat Got My Tongue” (2009) garnered critical acclaim for the singer’s sense of musical adventure, from the blistering bebop of “Four Brothers” to the sleek coolness of “Star Eyes”. JazzTimes called him “a budding Kurt Elling” and The Los Angeles Jazz Scene proclaimed that the album is “a major step forward for Ori Dagan, who in a few years will likely be very well known in the jazz world.”
On Dagan’s sophomore release, “Less Than Three <3” (2012) the vocalist explored new territory, including reimagined classics by Elton John and Elvis Presley, a scat roller coaster ride on Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” the original ode to search engines “Googleable” and selections in his native tongue of Hebrew stirred into the mix. The recording featured appearances by the Eric St-Laurent Trio and legendary saxophonist Jane Bunnett. The Toronto Star wrote: “the Toronto singer’s second album is serving notice that a major talent is on the scene.”
Ori Dagan is currently working on his third recorded effort, a tribute to the music of Nat King Cole, due out in the autumn of 2016. The album will include several original song that will he will be debuting at The Jazz Room.
Check out Ori’s new video!
