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Heather Bambrick interviews Ori Dagan on Jazz.FM91 - El Mocambo & JazzInToronto present Jane Bunnett

Jazz singer-songwriter Ori Dagan has attracted a dedicated and growing audience, both in his native Toronto and internationally. He brings a wry and agile sense of swing to everything he does, whether interpreting a standard, spinning a pop tune on its head or introducing his own original music and lyrics. His rich bass-baritone is unmistakable; his irreverent songcraft speaks to the lineage of Nat Cole novelty numbers and the impeccably swinging humor of the late Bob Dorough and Dave Frishberg. His scat singing has the natural, fluid, bop-inflected feel of the best in that idiom, inspired by heroines and heroes Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Anita O’Day and Sheila Jordan (with whom Dagan recorded a duet in 2017). 

Ori’s 2022 release Click Right Here, a witty sendup of life in the digital age, features a top-tier octet with musical direction and arrangements by ace guitarist Nathan Hiltz. Funded by FACTOR (Foundation for Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings), the album was praised by John Devenish of JAZZ.FM91 as “fun, provocative, fancy-free and spirited,” and by journalist and author Jeanne Beker as “the perfect balance between modernity and nostalgia.” Ori’s previous recordings, S’Cat Got My Tongue (2009) and Less Than Three <3 (2012), solidified his forward-thinking artistic voice. In 2017, with the support of over 200 crowdfunding contributors, he created the visual album Nathaniel: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, a first of its kind in the jazz genre — a collection of 12 music videos that garnered him invitations to headline around the world, won critical acclaim and recognition at film festivals worldwide, as well as an official showcase at SXSW. 

During the pandemic, Ori’s weekly livestreamed concert Jazz It Up garnered over one million views collectively, with episodes devoted to Nat Cole, The Rat Pack, Peggy Lee and Louis Armstrong as well as songs of Disney, the ’80s and ’90s and more. With the show plus his growing catalog of acclaimed recordings, Ori continues to connect with fans around the world. “Click Right Here” will be touring in 2022 and beyond, follow @oridaganjazz to stay connected!

Heather Bambrick interviews Ori Dagan on Jazz.FM91 - El Mocambo & JazzInToronto present Jane Bunnett

Ori Dagan's Music