Black Velvet play Irish music with full heart, spirit and energy which is not often found outside Ireland.
- Shane Mitchell, DERVISH
Black Velvet's music is performed with the passion and conviction that truely showcase their incredible musicianship and originality within the arrangements of traditional Irish melodies that they play.
- Kevin Crawford, LUNASA
It has always been a pleasure to find myself playing music with Black Velvet. There is such a wide array of talent and influence in the band, most notably the founder Ehud Nathan who has been the driving force behind the band's foundation and development. Black Velvet's choice of tunes is diverse and full of interesting origins. Their own compositions are highly commendable, a challenge for any musician to learn and always enjoyable to perform. The influence of Irish music has only served to enhance an already vibrant repertoire of Middle Eastern influences and original compositions, the presence of which creates both a rhythmic and melodic listening feast. - Emer Mayock
Black Velvet has probably been one of the best-kept secrets of the Irish music scene for some time now, but I feel certain that their musicianship and vision will soon bring them and their music to the attention of a much wider audience. All of the band are based in Israel, and play traditional Irish music to a standard which would be the envy of many native Irish players. - Máire Breatnach
When I listened to the (first) Black Velvet CD I was totally amazed. It is absolutely brilliant, and I have played it just for pleasure on numerous occasions since. The musicianship is extraordinary, and the playing just great. A fresh welcome sound…Magnificent! - Mick Moloney
I received your (first) CD last week. You are all very good musicians and you have a very particular sound. This I find very appealing, as there is sometimes a lack of musical personality in many of the modern groups. I was especially impressed by the newly composed pieces - well done. - Joe McHugh, AIRLA
I just got your (second) Cd, thank you! I really enjoyed listening to the diversity of what you guys do. My hat is off to you all, a job well done. I especially liked the Israeli song you did; that's not a sound heard too often over here I can tell you. - Jeremiah McLane, NIGHTINGALE
I have played your CD over and over - it's the best thing I have heard in a very long time. The whole band is very strong, and I just love it! The original tunes are superb. I have already worn out track 8, the Balkan set, and the Air is so beautiful and evocative. No wonder these great musicians want to play with you! Lots of instruments are being made while you entertain us! - Tony Dixon, whisle player and maker
I managed to see Black Velvet in concert at the Yellow Submarine in Jerusalem last Thursday night - hours before leaving to the airport back to the U.S and, man, was it worth it!! The place was packed with people, spilling into the space next door where some were dancing the entire performance.
This was my first time experiencing BV and, although I had heard their older CD, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. What I encountered was a wall of exciting music moving towards me from the stage and engulfing my senses. Not only are the musicians skilled and inspired, but the arrangements elevated the music tossing the tunes from one side of the stage to another seamlessly; creatively; effortlessly.
As much as I love Irish music in particular, I enjoyed the tour of the Celtic (and nearby) world with tunes from Scotland, France, Spain and on to Scandinavia and even Bulgaria. The original music was interesting and complex without sounding contrived. At first I wasn't quite sure what to make of two flute players on stage but it quickly became clear that these two bring completely complementary skills to the table - nothing was redundant.
My companion for the evening was my 82-year-young dad who is a life-long music lover but one who had never experienced live Irish music before. He was completely hypnotized by the music and adored every minute of the show. BV's music transcended geographical and temporal boundaries and placed me on the airplane with a huge smile on my face. I'll be back for more. - Avi Ziv, mandolin player
The (second) cd arrived....wonderful music! That's a great package you've put together! I look forward to sharing your music with my listeners! - Tim Larkin, "Celtic Stew" radio show, USA
- Shane Mitchell, DERVISH
Black Velvet's music is performed with the passion and conviction that truely showcase their incredible musicianship and originality within the arrangements of traditional Irish melodies that they play.
- Kevin Crawford, LUNASA
It has always been a pleasure to find myself playing music with Black Velvet. There is such a wide array of talent and influence in the band, most notably the founder Ehud Nathan who has been the driving force behind the band's foundation and development. Black Velvet's choice of tunes is diverse and full of interesting origins. Their own compositions are highly commendable, a challenge for any musician to learn and always enjoyable to perform. The influence of Irish music has only served to enhance an already vibrant repertoire of Middle Eastern influences and original compositions, the presence of which creates both a rhythmic and melodic listening feast. - Emer Mayock
Black Velvet has probably been one of the best-kept secrets of the Irish music scene for some time now, but I feel certain that their musicianship and vision will soon bring them and their music to the attention of a much wider audience. All of the band are based in Israel, and play traditional Irish music to a standard which would be the envy of many native Irish players. - Máire Breatnach
When I listened to the (first) Black Velvet CD I was totally amazed. It is absolutely brilliant, and I have played it just for pleasure on numerous occasions since. The musicianship is extraordinary, and the playing just great. A fresh welcome sound…Magnificent! - Mick Moloney
I received your (first) CD last week. You are all very good musicians and you have a very particular sound. This I find very appealing, as there is sometimes a lack of musical personality in many of the modern groups. I was especially impressed by the newly composed pieces - well done. - Joe McHugh, AIRLA
I just got your (second) Cd, thank you! I really enjoyed listening to the diversity of what you guys do. My hat is off to you all, a job well done. I especially liked the Israeli song you did; that's not a sound heard too often over here I can tell you. - Jeremiah McLane, NIGHTINGALE
I have played your CD over and over - it's the best thing I have heard in a very long time. The whole band is very strong, and I just love it! The original tunes are superb. I have already worn out track 8, the Balkan set, and the Air is so beautiful and evocative. No wonder these great musicians want to play with you! Lots of instruments are being made while you entertain us! - Tony Dixon, whisle player and maker
I managed to see Black Velvet in concert at the Yellow Submarine in Jerusalem last Thursday night - hours before leaving to the airport back to the U.S and, man, was it worth it!! The place was packed with people, spilling into the space next door where some were dancing the entire performance.
This was my first time experiencing BV and, although I had heard their older CD, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. What I encountered was a wall of exciting music moving towards me from the stage and engulfing my senses. Not only are the musicians skilled and inspired, but the arrangements elevated the music tossing the tunes from one side of the stage to another seamlessly; creatively; effortlessly.
As much as I love Irish music in particular, I enjoyed the tour of the Celtic (and nearby) world with tunes from Scotland, France, Spain and on to Scandinavia and even Bulgaria. The original music was interesting and complex without sounding contrived. At first I wasn't quite sure what to make of two flute players on stage but it quickly became clear that these two bring completely complementary skills to the table - nothing was redundant.
My companion for the evening was my 82-year-young dad who is a life-long music lover but one who had never experienced live Irish music before. He was completely hypnotized by the music and adored every minute of the show. BV's music transcended geographical and temporal boundaries and placed me on the airplane with a huge smile on my face. I'll be back for more. - Avi Ziv, mandolin player
The (second) cd arrived....wonderful music! That's a great package you've put together! I look forward to sharing your music with my listeners! - Tim Larkin, "Celtic Stew" radio show, USA
Photo: Gangi N'all that jazz
Headline photo: Shay Samia