Daniel Rotem: Yūgen With Anthony Wilson, Vardan Ovsepian, Michael Valerio & Clarence Penn at Sam First

Saxophonist and composer Daniel Rotem introduces a new musical project inspired by Yūgen the Japanese aesthetic concept of profound, subtle beauty that hints rather than reveals and evokes emotions too deep for words. Drawing on imagery described by Zeami Motokiyo sunlight sinking behind flower covered hills, geese vanishing into clouds Rotem and his ensemble explore this sense of hidden wonder through original compositions and inventive arrangements shaped by attentive, present moment listening. Growing up by the Mediterranean Sea, Rotem discovered expressive freedom in jazz as a teenager and went on to study at Berklee College of Music and the Thelonious Monk (now Herbie Hancock) Institute...

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Saxophonist and composer Daniel Rotem introduces a new musical project inspired by Yūgen the Japanese aesthetic concept of profound, subtle beauty that hints rather than reveals and evokes emotions too deep for words. Drawing on imagery described by Zeami Motokiyo sunlight sinking behind flower covered hills, geese vanishing into clouds Rotem and his ensemble explore this sense of hidden wonder through original compositions and inventive arrangements shaped by attentive, present moment listening. Growing up by the Mediterranean Sea, Rotem discovered expressive freedom in jazz as a teenager and went on to study at Berklee College of Music and the Thelonious Monk (now Herbie Hancock) Institute. His career has included performances and recordings with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Billy Childs, Stevie Wonder, Terri Lyne Carrington, Luciana Souza, Vince Mendoza, and many others, along with six albums as a leader and the original score for the film Mentally Al. An award winning composer and respected educator, Rotem continues to reflect on the vast spectrums of human experience creating music for the now, shaped by the rich intersections of perspective, place, and imagination.

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