Yoron Israel

Yoron Israel is a drummer, percussionist, composer, band leader, and educator. He is the chair and a professor in the Percussion Department at Berklee College of Music. He has performed or recorded with such notable artists as Otis Clay, Shirley Caesar, Kenny Burrell, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Abbey Lincoln, Ahmad Jamal, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller, Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutchinson, and many more.

As a leader, Israel has recorded five albums—Basic Traneing, Chicago, Live at the Blue Note, A Gift for You, and Visions: The Music of Stevie Wonder. Basic Traneing reached no. 3 on the nationaljazz charts in 2004. His projects include the trio Organic with organist Kyle Koehler and guitarist Ed Cherry; his quintet Connection with Cherry, vibraphonist Bryan Carrott, and bassist Sean Conly; and the Boston band High Standards. He tours regularly with saxophonist Marco Pignataro and vibraphonist Jay Hoggard, in addition to performing and recording in the New England area with artists such as Abraham Laboriel, Eddie Gomez, Frank Morgan, Joanne Brackeen, Eliane Elias, and Larry Goldings.

Israel's influences include jazz, world, gospel, contemporary Christian, funk, R&B, and orchestral music. He received a bachelor's degree in music from Roosevelt University in 1986 and a master's degree in music from Rutgers University in 1997. He has been recognized in publications such as Jazz.com, Variety, Jazz Improv Magazine, Down Beat, Jazz Times, Modern Drummer, Stick It, and Percussive Notes. Israel is the author of the educational DVD Creative Jazz Improvisation for Drum Set. He was formerly on the faculty at Rutgers University, William Paterson University, and Mannes New School, and continues to teach privately and conduct clinics, workshops, residencies, and music camps throughout the world.