Featured Release

Album Overview

Five-string acoustic bass guitar and piano form the core of Yosef Gutman’s Perfect Traveler. Gutman and pianist Yonathan Avishai recorded together over two days at Gutman’s Jerusalem studio, often beginning with improvised patterns rather than finished arrangements. The music was shaped afterward, with melodies developed and Gilad Ronen’s woodwinds layered into the recordings. Gutman’s singing upper-register bass tone and Avishai’s economical approach to the piano establish a musical dialogue built around space, melodic exchange and spontaneous interaction.

The fourteen tracks place Gutman’s original writing alongside nigunim and melodies associated with Yemenite and Moroccan Jewish traditions. Four selections introduce passages of Gutman’s spoken poetry, while the remaining pieces are instrumental. Throughout the album, composition and improvisation serve as complementary ways of approaching melodies that connect personal expression with inherited musical traditions.

From the album…

“Hareshut,” translated as “With Permission,” is a short instrumental setting of a melody from the Yemenite Jewish tradition. The composition credit joins Yonathan Avishai with a traditional source, reflecting the album’s connection to music passed through generations.

At two minutes and twenty seconds, “Hareshut” provides a concise introduction to the relationship between Gutman’s acoustic bass guitar and Avishai’s piano. The traditional melody becomes part of their contemporary improvising language, with the instrumental conversation remaining central. Without a spoken-word passage, the track offers a direct entry into the album’s musical approach.

Listen to the album

Recommended listening: Start with “Hareshut” for its concise treatment of a traditional melody, then continue with “Nigun” and “Nin’alu” to explore other traditional sources within the recording. Follow with “Where Falling Becomes Flying” to hear how Gutman incorporates his spoken poetry into the album.

Album Details

Artist: Yosef Gutman

Album: Perfect Traveler

Label: Soul Song Records

Release Date: July 31, 2026

Catalog Number: CAT020

Personnel

• Yosef-Gutman Levitt — five-string acoustic bass guitar, contrabass
• Yonathan Avishai — piano
• Gilad Ronen — woodwinds
• Daniel Dor — drums

Recording / Production Details

Recorded over two days at Yosef Gutman’s studio in Jerusalem.

Produced and engineered by Yosef Gutman, with assistance from Gilad Ronen.

Mixed and mastered by Stefano Amerio at Artesuono Recording Studios, Italy.

The five-string acoustic bass guitar played by Gutman was built by Harvey Citron.

Track Listing

1. Channel Small
2. Dror Yikra
3. Modeh Ani
4. Nigun
5. Big Hug
6. Where Falling Becomes Flying
7. Hareshut
8. I Want To Be More
9. Hodu
10. Nin’alu
11. From the Narrows
12. Forward
13. Piano Solo
14. Contemplation