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BIO

Yonadav Halevy-Drums
Born and raised in Haifa, Israel, where he began playing drums at age 7 for the municipal Youth Orchestra. He later shifted his attention to jazz music and began performing professionally at 16 in various straight–ahead, avant-garde, Latin, electric, small and big band settings. In 1997 Halevy joined saxophonist and jazz education guru Arnie Lawrence's band and for 6 years toured with Lawrence's many projects, combining jazz and Arabic music.

He also performed continually across Israel as well as internationally, accompanying visiting artists from Max Roach and James Moody to Mark Whitfield. In 1999 he was granted the status of "outstanding musician" by the ministry of culture and thus served in the first IDF Jazz band.

He taught high school jazz history and jazz ensembles and has worked with Sheila Jordan, Joel Frahm, Omer Avital, Jason Lindner, Vincent Herring, Donny McCaslin, Avishai Cohen, Aaron Goldberg, David Binney, Tim Berne, Dana Leong, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Pharaoh's Daughter, Frank London, 9 Volt, Zion80, David Broza, Yoni Rechter, and The Fugu Plan.

Yonadav was a founding member, led and produced post-funk band The Apples whose collaborations include trombonist Fred Wesley and Real World Records, is a member of live hip hop collective Spokinn Movement- the quartet at the center of NYC's 'Freestyle Mondays' underground hip hop scene, toured with and recorded Middle-Eastern/Americana group Sandcatchers’ debut album, recorded and produced on Singer-Songwriter McClain Sullivan’s debut E.P. ‘Rachel’, and is the drummer for World-Punk pioneers Firewater.