Yossi Fine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yossi Fine
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Fine at Havana Club in Tel Aviv, 2011
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joseph Thomas Fine |
| Born | December 7, 1964 Paris, France |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day |
| Genres | World, reggae, funk, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer |
| Instruments | Bass, guitar |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Avila Street Records |
| Associated acts | Yossi Fine&Ben Aylon, Ex-Centric Sound System Vieux Farka Touré Idan Raichel Hadag Nahash Stanley Jordan Me'shell Ndegeocello David Bowie |
Joseph Thomas Fine (born December 7, 1964), known as Yossi Fine, is an Israeli musician and producer. He is famous for playing the bass guitar. Yossi Fine was also the leader of a band called Ex-Centric Sound System. This band played a mix of world music, reggae, and funk.
About Yossi Fine
His Early Life
Yossi Fine was born in Paris, France. His mother was a singer from the West Indies. His father was a guitarist from Israel. Music was a big part of his family life.
Starting His Music Career
When Yossi was just 16 years old, he started working as a musician in Israel. He played for many different artists. In 1985, he moved to New York City in the United States. There, he played with many musicians. He often worked with the Gil Evans Orchestra from 1985 to 1991.
In 1991, Yossi was nominated for a Grammy Award. This was for a song he wrote called "Always Knows." It was on the album Cornucopia by Stanley Jordan. Yossi moved back to Israel in 1995.
Ex-Centric Sound System and Solo Music
In 1997, Yossi Fine started a band called Ex-Centric Sound System. He played with drummer Michael Avgil. They also had three singers from Ghana: Nana Dadzie, Adevo Savour, and Benjamin Kouleho. These singers also played instruments like the flute, kalimba, and balafon.
The band mixed African sounds with other styles like dub, techno, and hip-hop. Their first album, Electric Voodooland, came out in 2001.
In 2007, Yossi released his own album called Live in Jerusalem. This album had four songs from his special bass guitar tour. A music TV station in Israel, Music 24, said that Yossi Fine does amazing things with the bass. They compared him to Jimi Hendrix, who was famous for playing the electric guitar.
Working with Other Musicians
Yossi Fine has worked with many artists from all over the world. He often plays with Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré. Yossi helped produce and played bass on Touré's 2009 album, Fondo. He also played bass in The Touré-Raichel Collective. This group included Vieux Farka Touré and Idan Raichel. They released an album called The Tel Aviv Sessions in 2012.
Yossi has played, recorded, and produced music for many famous musicians. These include David Bowie, Brian Eno, Stanley Jordan, and Me'shell Ndegeocello. He even helped recreate the bassline for the hit song "Hip Hop Hooray" by Naughty By Nature.
Yossi Fine is known for changing how the bass guitar is played. He has produced over 25 albums. He has also played bass on more than 150 albums. In 2005, he won an award from ACUM for his music producing. ACUM is an organization in Israel that supports music and writing.
Yossi Fine & Ben Aylon
In 2016, Yossi Fine started playing the microtonal guitar. He formed a band with drummer Ben Aylon. Their band is called Yossi Fine & Ben Aylon. Their music style is called 'Blue Desert' or Afro Arab Trance. It is inspired by music from different regions.
In 2018, they released their first album, also called 'Blue Desert'. The band has toured in Europe, the USA, Canada, China, India, and Israel.
Yossi Fine's Music Style
Yossi Fine was one of the first musicians to use a technique called live looping. This lets him record and play back music loops in real-time. This way, he can perform as a one-man band. His solo music style is called "extreme bass groove." It mixes sounds from drum & bass, breakbeat, dubstep, and even heavy metal.
Yossi said that "extreme bass" means creating a powerful sound. It's about making a bass line that hits you hard and makes you say, "Wow!" He also said that The Edge, the guitarist from the band U2, has been a big influence on his music. He likes The Edge's unique "echo-laden sound."
Selected Music Albums
Yossi Fine & Ben Aylon
- Blue Desert (2018, Blue Desert Music)
Solo Albums
- Live in Jerusalem (2007, EXS Music)
- "Peace Is the Answer" (single) – Skyler Jett & Yossi Fine (2012, First Kiss Records)
With Ex-Centric Sound System
- Electric Voodooland (2000, Relativity)
- West Nile Funk (2004, IndieLand/EXS)
- Afro Riddim Sessions, Vol. 1 (2006, In the Pocket Records)
- Live In San Francisco (2010, Avila Street Records)
- Premixes (2011, Avila Street Records)
- Re Spect (5-CD box set) (2011, Avila Street Records)
Featured on Albums (playing bass)
- Rubén Blades – Nothing But the Truth (1988, Wounded Bird Records)
- Stanley Jordan – Cornucopia (1990, Blue Note Records)
- David Bowie – Outside (1995, Arista/BMG)
- Noa – Calling (1996, Geffen Records)
- Karsh Kale – Realize (2001, Six Degrees Records)
- Deepak Chopra – A Gift of Love, Vol. 2 (2002, Tommy Boy Records)
- Karsh Kale – Broken English (2006, Six Degrees Records)
- Cheb i Sabbah – Devotion (2008, Six Degrees Records)
- Vieux Farka Touré – Fondo (2009, Six Degrees Records)
- Vieux Farka Touré – Live (2010, Six Degrees Records)
- The Touré-Raichel Collective – The Tel Aviv Session (2012, Cumbancha)
Albums Produced by Yossi Fine
- Shabak Samech - Shabak (1995, NMC)
- Shabak Samech - Be'atifa Shel Mamtak (1997, NMC) (meaning: In A Candy Wrapper)
- Emil Zrihan – Ashkelon (1999, Piranha)
- Hamsa Lila – Gathering One (2003, BRG)
- Hadag Nahash – Lazuz (2003, Levantini)
- Hadag Nahash – Homer Mekomi (2004, Levantini)
- Eljuri - "En Paz" (2008, Manovill Records)
- Vieux Farka Touré – Fondo (2009, Six Degrees Records)
- Hadag Nahash – 6 (2010, HaTav HaShmini)
- Hassan Hackmooun- Unity 2014
- Yossi Fine&Ben Aylon- Blue Desert 2017
- Yossi Fine&Ben Aylon- Blue Desert Live 2020
TV and Film Appearances
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson – performing with Ofra Haza (1989)
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno – with Stanley Jordan (1989)
- The Arsenio Hall Show – with Me’Shell Ndegeocello (1994)
- The Word (BBC) – with Me’Shell Ndegeocello (2004)
- Awake Zion (directed by Monica Haim) (2005)
- The Prophecy (2005)
- The Making of Fondo (2009)
