Born and raised in Israel, alto saxophonist and jazz composer Uri Gurvich first began playing the saxophone at the age of 10. He studied at the Rimon School in Israel and was a member of the Tel Aviv Jazz Orchestra before relocating to the U.S. and Boston in 2003 to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, studying there with Joe Lovano and Herb Pomeroy. After graduating from Berklee with honors, Gurvich moved to Brooklyn, and began playing regularly with various ensembles in the New York City area and also became active on the international jazz festival circuit, which has taken Gurvich and his brand of folk-jazz all though the U.S., Europe, Japan. and elsewhere. His debut album as a bandleader, The Storyteller, was released in 2009 by John Zorn's Tzadik Records and featured Francisco Mela on drums, Leo Genovese on piano, Peter Slavov on bass, and guest Chris Cheek on tenor sax. ~ Steve Leggett