Amit Peled
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Oud | Music Director
Amit Peled has been recording, performing, producing, and touring worldwide for well over a decade. With a degree in Jazz performance, he can stage dive with more grace than a dolphin.
He’s been fortunate enough to play in almost every musical scenario imaginable. From Jazz gigs to Oriental music along with the Oud. From sludge-stoner rock to Hardcore Klezmer as well as a lot of hip-hop, electronic, Avant-garde, and Jewish music.
Loves making music; Either on the road, being stuck in a van for weeks, or locked in the studio doing sessions until the sun shines.
Sees his biggest strength as a musician in that he always tries to make the present project sound the best.
A dynamic musician also performing on bass and keyboards and is also a producer, regularly arranging, transcribing, and song-writing.
Judah Gavra
Lead Vocals
Judah is an Israeli singer-songwriter based in New York City. In March 2018 Judah was a finalist in the San Marino Eurovision Song Contest Pre-selection after competing with his song "Stay" and was a finalist in the Israeli Eurovision Song Contest Pre-selection competing with his song "We're Beautiful" finishing in 3rd place among the public vote. After a period in New York, teaching music, dancing and acting in a Jewish summer camp, Judah found himself in 2006 in Israel again, planning to study performing arts in Israel. But then he got an unexpected phone call: his ex-commander from the Army, where he had served as a singer in the Rabanuth Choir, asked him if he would like to be a cantor in a synagogue in Brooklyn during Yom Kippur. The new visit led him to reconsider schools in the city. Judah auditioned at The American Music and Dramatic Academy and was awarded a sizable scholarship. After graduating from AMDA in February 2009 following two years of study, Judah performed in concerts and live performances on one of the most prestigious stages in the world such as: Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, City Winery, Le Poisson Rouge, BB Kings in New York City. Performed all over United States in musicals: "The Full Monty", "Aida", "Legally Blonde", "The Best Little...in Texas", "Kingdom", "The Tenth Floor" (NYMF 2010), "All American" (Off-Broadway), "A Christmas Carol", "Fade Out- Fade In" (Off-Broadway) and more. In May 2018 Judah performed in Africa's biggest Art Festival- HIFA in Harare, Zimbabwe where he sang in the grand opening ceremony and on the global stage with his one-man full-length show and received raving reviews. Judah has released four singles "Stay" (Eurovision '18), "Falling", "Stay" and "We're Beautiful" (Eurovision '13) now available on iTunes, Spotify and stores.
Dan Pugach
Percussion, Drums
Dan Pugach is a Brooklyn-based drummer and composer. He is known for his nine-piece ensemble, Dan Pugach Nonet which tours regularly and has played at national venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, Blu Jazz, the Bop Stop, Williamsburg Music Center, among other international venues, such as Shablul Jazz. The Nonet has won two ASCAP Jazz Composer Awards and will release its debut album in 2017. Originally from Israel, Dan served his mandatory three-year military duty as the drummer of the Air-Force Orchestra. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music and his Master’s from the City College of New York, where he studied under Hal Crook, Joe Lovano, John Patitucci, Terri-Lyne Carrington and Ari Hoenig.
Described as “Rock-solid on drums” by Frank Alkyer in Downbeat magazine, Pugach works full-time as a drummer with Nicole Zuraitis Group, EVA featuring Tom Chapin and Livingston Taylor, Sam Blakeslee Quintet among artists that vary in genres. He has shared the stage and /or recorded with Ingrid Jensen, Rosa Passos, Airto Moreira, Gregoire Maret, Billy Drews, Jeremy Pelt and Dave Stryker, to name a few. His work has got him a reputation of one of the most versatile and sought-after drummers in New York City.
Tamir Shmerling
Bass Guitar, Contrabass
Tamir Shmerling is a double and electric bass player from Ashkelon, Israel. He served as the bassist in the Israeli Defense Forces Orchestra from 2005 to 2008. After his service, he performed with the Tel Aviv and Holon big bands and studied at Rimon School of Music.
In 2008 Shmerling was awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee. He has studied there with Hal Crook, Ralph Peterson, Jr., Terri Lyne Carrington, Greg Osby, Jamey Haddad, Alain Mallet, John Lockwood and Ed Tomassi.
Since his arrival to the US, he has also had the honor to perform with artists such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Kevin Eubanks, Jason Palmer, Adam Rogers, Nona Hendrix, Gretchen Parlato, Helen Sung, Ofer Ganor, Avishai Cohen, Ignacio Berroa, Jerome Sabbagh and many more. Tamir has been fortunate to perform at: Newport Jazz Festival; Martha’s Vineyard Jazz Festival; Toronto Jazz Festival; Montreal Jazz Festival; Small’s, Jazz Standard and the Fat Cat (NYC); Palau de les Art Reina Sofia (Valencia); Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.); Nuyorican (San Juan, Puerto Rico); the Beehive and Wally’s Jazz Cafe (Boston).
Eitan Gofman
Saxophone, Flute, Keyboards
Eitan Gofman is an Israeli saxophonist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and arranger who found his purpose in life at an early age with absolute certainty: changing and shaping people’s lives through music.
Eitan grew up in a supportive family and was exposed to music as a child. Later, as he reached a deeper understanding of various musical sounds, he found his voice in the tenor saxophone. Since then, remarkable sequences of events and people he has met along his musical journey have led him to the place he is today.
Eitan began his music education through the youth band in the Tel-Aviv Conservatory. At the age of 18, he served in the Israeli Official Army Orchestra as a leading saxophonist, arranger, and musical director. After completing three years of service, he spent a year at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music and studied with the best jazz teachers in Israel, including Eli Benacot, Guri Agmon, Avi Adrian, and Mamelo Gaitenopoulos. That same year, he was awarded a full-tuition scholarship from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
Eitan relocated to the College in September 2011 and began full-time studies toward a bachelor’s degree in jazz composition. He has received the College’s prestigious Andy McGhee Award for Outstanding Saxophonist, played with the College’s top-tier bands, and studied with teachers such as Hal Crook, Ed Tomassi, Greg Hopkins, Phil Wilson, George Garzone, Shannon LeClaire, Frank Tiberi, and Ralph Peterson.
Eitan has performed as a leader and sideman with renowned artists such as Randy Brecker, Terry Lyne Carrington, Eddie Gomez, Gerald Clayton, Brian Bromberg, Julian Lage, Dave Liebman, and Antonio Sanchez. Some of the venues at which Eitan has performed include the Red Sea Jazz Festival, the Tri-C Jazz Festival, and the Tel-Aviv Jazz Festival; Wally’s Jazz Club, Scullers Jazz Club, the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston; and many more throughout the US and Europe. He was also the winner of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation Jazz Scholarship for 2008-2009 and 2010-2011.
Eitan graduated from Berklee on August 2013 and then made his home in New York City.
Nachum Peterseil
Vocals, Guitar
Born in New York. Relocated to Israel with his family in 1986. One of nine children, Nachum was raised in Jerusalem with strong Jewish values.
Currently living in Los Angeles, Nachum sings, performs, and composes professional in both English and Hebrew.
In conjunction with The Shuk, he also leads the Alt-Rock band Automatic Toys and part of the LA-based hip-hop group PLVNK (pron. 'Plank').
Nachum has performed on stages across the world including Jerusalem, New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Montreal, Tel Aviv, Washington D.C., and many more; always hoping to promote peace and share music around the world.
Eran Fink
Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Born in Israel in 1986. Studied in Israel’s most renowned music schools; Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts and the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music.
Graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music, where he studied on a scholarship. Winner of the 1st place prize as the “Jazz Player of the Year' award at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in 2009.
Resides in Brooklyn, NY where he regularly performs with numerous artists such as the Anbessa Orchestra, The Eyal Vilner Big Band, and others.
