He was still very green when Shai Maestro was asked by bassist Avishai Cohen to join his trio. But Maestro quickly developed into a mature pianist and last year he released his fifth solo album. He was born in Israel and started playing jazz as a teenager, while training as a classical pianist. Since day one, Oscar Peterson has been his example. At the Berklee College of Music in Boston he came into contact with other talented jazz musicians. In Cohen’s band, Maestro learned how to improvise and this eventually led to his first album in 2012. Last year saw the release of his acclaimed fifth album, The Dream Thief. All the while, he has continued to play on the albums of Avishai Cohen, Theo Bleckmann, and Marc Guiliana. At 32, Maestro is still young but his unparalleled playing is mature and well balanced.
