Yoshie Fruchter (born February 1, 1982)Matthue Roth, “Jazz Is the New Klezmer: An Interview with Yoshie Fruchter,” Jewcy, January 27, 2009. is an American guitarist, bassist, oud player and composer.

Early life and education Fruchter was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, in an Orthodox Jewish household,Mordechai Shinefield, “The Secret History of Jewish Metal,” The Forward, March 18, 2011. singing and playing Jewish music in his youth.Christopher R. Weingarten, Village Voice, September 22, 2009. His father is a musician, and his sister Temim is the former drummer of the indie punk band The Shondes. He studied jazz in the music department at the University of Maryland,Paul Wieder, “E-pitom-izing Jewish Rock,” Oy! Chicago, March 22, 2011. and moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 2005.Matthue Roth, “Genre Benders,” Tablet, November 6, 2008.

Music career

Pitom Fruchter's debut solo album as composer and guitarist, Pitom, was released in 2008.Jim Fusilli, “They Don’t All Sound Familiar,” Wall Street Journal, December 26, 2008. The Wall Street Journal called it "a dazzling debut" and JazzTimes called the debut "audacious," describing it as klezmer music with a punk sensibility.Bill Milkowski, “Yoshie Fruchter’s Pitom,” JazzTimes, March 2009. "Pitom" is Hebrew for "Suddenly,"Jason Bivins, “Dusted Reviews: Yoshie Fruchter – Pitom,” Dusted, April 15, 2009. and the album was named after his band, which, along with Fruchter on guitar, includes Jeremy Brown (violin), Shanir Blumenkranz (bass) and Kevin Zubek (drums).

Pitom's second album, Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes, was released in 2011. Fruchter again composed and played guitar, with the album further exploring Jewish music along with surf and sludge metal influences. The album was chosen by The Forward as one of the newspaper's 2011 Forward Fives, an annual list honoring five of the most important Jewish music releases of the year.“Forward Fives: 2011 in Music,” The Forward, December 19, 2011.

Fruchter's music combines elements of jazz, klezmer, rock, surf and heavy metal, while exploring themes of God, religion, repentance and redemption.Sean Murphy, “Pitom: Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes,” PopMatters, April 13, 2011. Both Pitom albums have been released on John Zorn's Tzadik Records label. Fruchter has been described as a member of the "Radical Jewish Culture" scene, a term coined by Zorn.

Schizophonia In December 2014, Fruchter released Cantorial Recordings Reimagined, an album with a new band called Schizophonia, in which he arranged Jewish cantorial recordings for a progressive rock quintet, with world music influences.Jake Marmer, “5 Albums To Pick Up in 2015,” The Forward, December 31, 2014. Also in the band are Shanir Blumenkranz (bass), Brian Marsella (keyboards), Yonadav Halevy (drums) and Rich Stein (percussion).“Golem / Schizophonia / Doppelskope / Brian Marsella’s Imaginarium,” NY Blueprint, October 23, 2014.

Other projects In 2006, Fruchter collaborated with his father, Chaim (Harold) Fruchter on Beyond the Book, an album of songs they co-wrote and produced that explore critical moments in the lives of various Biblical personalities.

Fruchter is a member of Jon Madof's 13-piece afrobeat group Zion80, playing guitar on the group's self-titled 2013 debut. In April 2014, Zion80 released its second album, Adramelech, an interpretation of John Zorn's Masada Book 2: The Book of Angels, on which Fruchter again played guitar.Sean Murphy, “Zion80: Adramelech: Book of Angels Volume 22,” PopMatters, November 14, 2014.

Fruchter is also a frequent substitute with the instrumental rock quartet Abraxas, which also performs the music of Zorn's Masada;“Eyal Maoz’ Abraxas,” NY Blueprint, July 15, 2014. a member of Pakistani/American collaboration Sandaraa;Sandaraa , The Montreal Jewish Music Festival, August 27, 2014. doom metal band Deveykus; and Frank London's Shekhina Big Band,George Robinson, “Frank London’s Latest Project Is Really Big,” The Jewish Week, February 2, 2013. among other projects, many of which explore the relationship of Jewish culture, identity and music.

Personal life Fruchter resides in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, journalist Leah Koenig, and their son. He is an observant Orthodox Jew.

Discography

Albums YearTitle2006Beyond the Book By: Yoshie Fruchter and Chaim Fruchter Released: February 2006 Label: Self-released Formats: CD2008Pitom By: Yoshie Fruchter Released: September 16, 2008 Label: Tzadik Records Formats: CD, digital download2011Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes By: Pitom Released: February 22, 2011 Label: Tzadik Records Formats: CD, digital download2014Cantorial Recordings Reimagined By: Schizophonia Released: December 15, 2014 Label: Blue Thread Music Formats: CD, digital download

Appears on Year Album Artist Credits2004 Shemspeed Alt Schule Juez Bass2007 Eitan Katz Unplugged Eitan Katz Bass2008 Monkey Dance Soulfarm Guitar, bass2009 Boruch Hu Eitan Katz Guitar, bass2010 Holy Ground Soulfarm Bass Yiddish Princess Yiddish Princess GuitarHave No FearBreslov Bar BandBass2011 Eitan Katz Unplugged 2 Eitan Katz Bass Resonance Asefa Guitar, oud Joey's Nigunim: Spontaneous Jewish Choir Joey Weisenberg Vocals2012 Joey's Nigunim Vol. II: Transformation of a Nigun Joey Weisenberg Mandolin, vocals Willamette Willamette Guitar2013 Shuvu Eitan Katz Bass Pillar Without Mercy Deveykus Guitar Joey's Nigunim Vol. III: Live in the Choir Loft Joey Weisenberg and the Hadar Ensemble Bass, vocals Zion80 Jon Madof GuitarHappy HourBreslov Bar BandBass2014 Joey's Nigunim Vol. IV: Brooklyn Spirituals Joey Weisenberg and the Hadar Ensemble Upright bass, vocals Adramelech: Book of Angels Volume 22 Zion80 Guitar2017 Cat Toren's HUMAN KIND Cat Toren's HUMAN KIND Guitar, Oud2020 Scintillating Beauty Cat Toren's HUMAN KIND OudRuthless Cosmopolitans EPRuthless Cosmopolitans (Eprhyme, Jon Madof)Bass2022Holy ChutzpahBreslov Bar BandBass

References

External links Official website