Gilad Atzmon
| Gilad Atzmon גלעד עצמון |
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Atzmon in concert, February 2007
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| Born |
Gilad Atzmon 9 June 1963 Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Residence | London, England |
| Citizenship | British Formerly Israeli (renounced) |
| Education | Rubin Academy of Music, University of Essex |
| Occupation | Musician, novelist |
| Known for | Music, political activism |
| Website | gilad |
Gilad Atzmon (Hebrew: גלעד עצמון; born 9 June 1963) is a British jazz saxophonist, novelist, political activist and writer, originally from Israel.
Atzmon's album Exile was BBC jazz album of the year in 2003. Playing over 100 dates a year, he has been called "surely the hardest-gigging man in British jazz." His albums, of which he has recorded 15 as of 2016, often explore the music of the Middle East and political themes. He has described himself as a "devoted political artist."
His criticisms of Zionism, Jewish identity, and Judaism, as well as his controversial views on Holocaust denial and Jewish history, have led to allegations of antisemitism and racism from both Zionists and leading anti-Zionists.
Atzmon was born in a secular Jewish family in Tel Aviv, and trained at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem.
He first became interested in British jazz when he discovered some in a British record shop in Jerusalem in the 1970s. He initially was inspired by the work of Ronnie Scott and Tubby Hayes and regarded London as "the Mecca of Jazz." He also was influenced to become a jazz musician by the work of Charlie Parker, in particular Charlie Parker with Strings recorded in 1949. Atzmon said of the album that he "loved the way the music is both beautiful and subversive – the way he basks in the strings but also fights against them." He worked with top bands as a musical producer.
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