Yosef Gutman - Perfect Traveler (2026) [Hi-Res]

On Upside Down Mountain, Levitt’s first trio recording, he shares with the world what he has drawn out of his primary instrument, the acoustic bass guitar: a warm, singing, bell-like high-register sound of his own, with a focus on simple, direct, endlessly expressive melodies.

The title Upside Down Mountain, according to Levitt, refers to “a story of a love so great, it’s as if a mountain is being held over our heads that at any time could be dropped — a love that's compelling and leaves no room for even a shadow of a doubt.”

Partnering with Omri Mor (piano) and Ofri Nehemya (drums) on this set of original pieces, Levitt plays with a striking clarity and resolve as the trio’s frequent lead melodic voice. He plays what serves the music and the flowing, interactive rhythms of the trio. The result is a sound of joy and fulfilment, a clear and honest trio chemistry that reveals the essence of Levitt’s musical gift.

Mor, with his emotional intelligence and organic apprehension of style, offers hints of Moroccan-Andalusian vocabulary and at times even makes the piano sound like a kora. Nehemya, whose high-profile sideman credits include Shai Maestro, Avishai Cohen (bass), Omer Avital, Eli Degibri and more, brings a musical maturity and vital sense of minimalism to the project.

Levitt considers himself more an improviser than a composer. He conceived all the pieces for Upside Down Mountain in a single sitting, improvising “whatever flowed freely from my heart without thinking, editing or perfecting. I got my sound recorder ready and improvised for a few minutes, caught something, recorded it, named it. After a few hours I had material for an album and I sent it to my co-producer Gilad Ronen, who made sense of it.” When it came time to capture the finished product, magic began to flow. “I was flying the entire four days of recording,” Levitt recalls. “I was flying, my soul was alive.”

Yosef Gutman, acoustic bass guitar
Omri Mor, piano
Ofri Nehemya, drums