Gil Livni Tribute to Nat King Cole, Savyon, Israel, 2026.
A very rewarding evening from a beautiful band assembled by guitarist and vocalist Gil Livni, with Amikam Kimelman on saxophone, Yonatan Riklis on piano, Ram Erez on bass and drummer Yonatan Rosen, performing at the Savyon Cultural Center.
You can see more images from the evening here.
The phenomenal pianist and vocalist Nat King Cole could not have received a finer, more swinging, and more heartfelt tribute. Gil's leadership, playing and singing — as well as his arrangements — reminded me of just how influential Nat King Cole was on my earliest conceptions of good music.
The evening was part of Amikam's current Jazz Series at the Savyon Cultural Center, a pearl of a performance space with excellent seating and acoustics.