I always knew that I would end up in New York, ever since I performed my first solo piece at the age of three in my parent's living room. I knew, even then, that New York was where I needed to be. But after romanticizing my life in "the Big Apple" for years, the physical move to the city - with its high price tag, fast pace, and the huge amount of energy and optimism required - was a reality check smack in the face. And I was only relocating a mere three hours from home. For Israeli-born pianist and composer Shimrit Shoshan, this move not only required a plane ticket and a lot of goodbyes, but an international leap of faith.
“I moved to New York for jazz,” Shimrit says. And what better destination than New York, a place filled with jazz history and the target of numerous musicians gathering together to learn their craft and develop their artistry. For Shimrit, it was only a matter of time before events in her life and her passion for music would lead her overseas to this jazz history hotspot. Upon graduating from the prestigious high school of the arts, Thelma Yellin, Shimrit was drafted into the Israeli army as an “excellent musician”, a title given to only a select few each year. While in the army, she was sent to New York to represent Israel in a series of jazz workshops and, after spending two months in the city, vowed that she would one day return “and learn the language of jazz directly from the real legends.” One year later, despite the fears of her friends and family and their requests for her to stay in Israel, she hopped on a plane.
"Coming here by myself forced me to adjust to a new mentality and way of living and, of course, to make new friends - which in New York can be a difficult thing with the demanding, sometimes neurotic nature of this city." But because it was a priority for this newly established New Yorker, Shimrit made a conscious effort to surround herself with "good friends, home cooking and good music" and this trifecta of positivity has certainly paid off. In December, Shimrit released her debut album, "Keep it Movin", a reflection of the different aspects of Shimrit's life and her influences as a musician and a human being and proof that she has created a place for herself in the city she now calls home. Her audience will enjoy a number of original songs and will hear the efforts and support of her friends and "family", among them musicians like drummer Eric McPherson, reed man Abraham Burton, and bassists Luques Curtis and John Hebert.
The title Shimrit selected for her first album stands out to me as the musician's personal mantra, a reminder to continue striving forward and remaining dedicated to the music that led her to this city in the first place. Without the music, she could not have relocated so successfully because, as she admits, "music is part of my coping tool with the world. I really feel that it is the only thing I want to do on this planet." Indeed, her music helps to transport her to a place of comfort and familiarity: "I find a little feeling of home every time I play the piano. Even if I am traveling, the piano is like my Dorothy shoes that take me to the place I want to be at any given time."
While interviewing Shimrit, I realized that I am so lucky to have an invaluable asset to assist me in my journey - my family and friends only a MetroNorth ride away. I can’t fathom leaving that support system overseas and continuing on my own, and this only reaffirms the fact that Shimrit is not only driven but, when it comes to her music, fearless. It also helps that she has created a tightly knit community of like-minded artists for herself here in the city. She shares, “I feel blessed to have people around me who constantly push me to keep writing and playing music" - a case in point that no one can do it alone. With our art, however, we are never alone, and through creating we can click our heels and be transported to that place of warmth and familiarity, that idea of home. As Shimrit discovered, "home is anywhere I feel comfortable to be myself and create". And lucky for those of us who reside on this island, for musical Ms. Shoshan, that place is now - truly - New York.
________________________________________________________________________________
Shimrit is currently working on a second album, in addition to a number of different R&B and Neo Soul projects and videos, and is planning to go on the road with her trio this month. Her hard work can also be seen in the most recent edition of JazzTimes magazine.
