"A master of melody" – FIP
"This virtuoso never ceases to surprise us!" – Paris Move
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"A concentrate of elegance and delicacy..." –TSF Jazz
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"Crystal clear and warm sound"
–Jazz Magazine Revelation
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"Amihai’s playing is extremely elegant ..."
- Jazz News
"Stylish guitarist that shines in trio ..."
- Culture Jazz
"A beautiful trio... warmly recommended"
- Etienne de Villars, TSF Jazz
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"A gem"
- Vincent Bessières, Jazz News Magazine
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"Timeless"
- Denis Dessasis, Citizan Jazz
"Yes, sometimes young musicians are not afraid of standards, and it gives superb things in Yuval Amihai’s hands”- Alex Dutilh, France Music Radio
"... An airy phrasing that favors emotion and melodic elegance to digital debauchery. Lovers of jazz guitar, with this album you hold a little gem.” - - Vincent Bessières, Jazz News
"A classic album, in the most timeless sense of the word… This jazz drawn from American sources, far from being dead as we hear constantly for decades, is alive indeed. Yuval Amihai gives here the sparkling demonstration." - Denis Dessasis, Citizen Jazz
"Our album of the day it is a kind of imaginary journey to the heart of Middle America. It passes through the same kind of landscape as in a Bill Frisell or Pat Metheny record and yet, the album was recorded in France… LONGING is a beautiful guitar album, one hundred percent jazz, where musicality and economy of notes override demonstrative technique. "
- Album of the day on TSF Jazz Radio
"Song, melody and lyricism, those are the things witch strike at the first listen to LONGING ... It's beautiful, a beautiful guitar, a beautiful trio ... we strongly recommend it to the TSF Jazz Radio listeners." - Etienne de Villars, TSF Jazz
"LONGING is carried by the taste for singing and melody to operate a beautiful guitar sound with a clear line, in obvious complicity with the two Rhythmic companions ..." - Lionel Eskenazi, Jazz Magazine
"It’s a pleasure to listen to Amihai’s playing, which is endowed with gentleness and extraordinary clarity" - Ben Shalev, Haaretz
"A magical virtuosity ... where many refined styles lead to weariness, the one used by Yuval and his fellow musicians (Damian Varaillon on bass, Gautier Garrigue on drums) suggests a limitless reverie” - Alexandre Lemaire, Djam
"Yuval Amihai is the guitarist of apparent simplicity and especially sensitivity and elegance ... He makes his guitar sing, fetching rather subtle harmonic detours in his improvisations. Yuval is zen, totally and beautifully zen! ... Yuval’s velvet notes, based on a satin bed of a soft drumming and plush bass. Totally delicious! " - Jean-Marc Gelin, Les Dernières Nouvelles du Jazz
"An undeniably promising young guitarist... This trio explores with joy different aspects of intimate jazz, played without unnecessary demonstration and with great sincerity" - Olivier Bride, Guitarist Magazine
"In a virtuoso guitar playing perfectly supported and enriched by young drummer Gautier Garrigue and bassist Damien Varaillon, Yuval Amihai thus testified of an extremely personal sound on the electric guitar, a sound signature that allows to identify musicians and to keep a long memory their creations” - La Dépêche du Midi
"A declaration of a universal love"
- Denis Dessasis, Citizan Jazz
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"An excellent Jazz musician"
- Ben Shalev, Haaretz
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"A remarkable instrumental quality"
- Luc Monge, La Savoie
“Innovative orchestrations…”
- Jazz Magazine
"The word that comes immediately to mind when listening to the first record of Yuval Amihai Ensemble, is "lyricism" ... There is something irresistible in their sunny expressiveness combining virtuosity and accessibility. This is a story that is told, and every page opens wide the doors for a declaration of a universal love"
- Denis Desassis, Citizen Jazz (full review in French here)
"A rare delicacy…"
- Paris Capitale
"A beautiful work of composition and arrangement which is adorned with middle-eastern colors while remaining firmly rooted in the spirit of jazz. Endearing!"
- Thierry Giard, CultureJazz
" …His melodic artistry instantly moved the public during this sold out concert… It was so well performed that it was like being part of a movie, an immobile journey, and when the band left the stage, it felt like the disappointment of those who stay at the platform."
- L'Est Républicain review of the Ensemble's opening act for Avishai Cohen at Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival
"From the first notes, Yuval Amihai Ensemble absorbs the listener, propels it away from where he stood before ..."
- Joa Scetbon, Les Dernières nouvelles du Jazz
"A warm sound, almost acoustic, melodic solos which are incisive at the same time… All these characteristics make Amihai an alluring musician. Both flattering and inventive, Yuval Amihai Ensemble’s music has an undeniable charm."
- Bob Hatteau, Impro Jazz
"An excellent Jazz musician… You could almost imagine this wonderful tune (“Retour“) being played in a radio program which is dedicated to old Hebrew classics… Another virtue of the new album is the band’s collective sound…"
- Ben Shalev, Haaretz
"A full success ! This invitation to a journey will leave no listener indifferent and we can only invite you to dive into it completely !!!"
- L’ENA Magazine
- "An Ideal afternoon at La Défense Jazz Festival..."
- La Défense Jazz Festival
"A Sumptuous album full of communicative warmth... A remarkable instrumental quality" - Luc Monge, La Savoie