Yoni Rechter

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Yonatan "Yoni" Rechter (יוני רכטר in Hebrew) is an Israeli musician, composer, pianist, arranger and singer. His music and composing style combines rock, pop, jazz and classical music influences.

Biography

Rechter was born and grew up in Tel Aviv, Israel, a son of the Israeli architect Ya'akov Rechter and the brother of Dafna Rechter. He became involved in music at a young age, and by the time he was sixteen years old he had composed the famous song Tears of an Angel (דמעות של מלאכים in Hebrew, "Dma'ot Shel Mal'achim") and set up a jazz trio.

During his compulsory military service Rechter was a member of the Israeli Artillery Corps, and after his release from the army he formed the Israeli band Kaveret, along with Gidi Gov, Danny Sanderson, Alon Ole'artchick and others. He stayed in the group throughout the life of the band, from 1972 to 1976, and has also played in reunification concerts in 1982, 1993, 1998 and 2003. He was known as "The quiet keyboard player" in Kaveret, but got many chances to express his own material outside of the band. In parallel to his work in Kaveret, he formed the progressive rock duo "14 Ocatavas" with Avner Kenner and started arranging and composing songs for singers. He had an outstanding collaboration with Arik Einstein and he composed and produced songs for several of his records. One of the songs he composed for Einstein was Your Forehead is Ornamente (עטור מצחך in Hebrew, "Atur Mitz'chech".) Its first version was arranged by Rechter and was sung by Arik Einstein with Korin Allal and Yehudith Ravitz - two of Israel's most noted singers.

Afterwards, he carried on producing albums for other singers, such as Gidi Gov, Ester Ofarim, Yossi Banay and Yehudith Ravitz. One of his performences with Yehudith Ravitz, which was titled In a Standard and One-Time Manner (באופן קבוע וחד פעמי in Hebrew, "Be'Ofen Kavu'ah Ve'Chad Pe'ami"), was also released as an album.

In 1978 Rechter was a partner in creating the classic Israeli album The Sixteenth Shee (הכבש השישה-עשר in Hebrew, "Ha'Keves Ha'Shishah Asar), which was a compilation of songs composed by the Israeli songwriter Yonatan Geffen. Some of these songs are so embedded in Israeli culture that the composition of the songs is sometimes incorrectly attributed as "Traditional".

His debut album Intendin (התכוונות in Hebrew, "Hitkavnut") was published in 1979 and includes quiet ballads, some of which were composed to the lyrics of Israeli popular songwriter Eli Mohar, with whom he was and is active in creating albums and performances.

In 1981 Rechter participated with other musicians such as Mati Caspi and Itzhak Clapter in the instrumental album Line (קווים in Hebrew, "Kavim"). In 1982 he produced another one of Gidi Gov's albums, entitled "40:06", and composed all of its melodies. In 1984 he produced Israeli singer Nurit Galron's album "One Soft Touch" (נגיעה אחת רכה in Hebrew, "Negi'aa Achat Rakah").

In 1986 he took part in shows alongside Israeli comedians and performers Gidi Gov, Monni Moshunov and Shlomo Baraba in the comedy show "A One-Time Evening" (ערב חד-פעמי in Hebrew, "Erev Chad Pe'ami"), and in the Gulf War in 1991 they did a follow-up show, titled "A Conventional One-Time Evening" (ערב חד פעמי קונבנציונאלי).

Rechter continued working in the eighties and nineties with Arik Einstein. On the 1988 album "From the Songs of Avraham Chalfi (משירי אברהם חלפי in Hebrew) he composed and arranged the music to accompany the lyrics of the Israeli poet Avraham Chalfi. In the album "I Used To Be a Child" (הייתי פעם ילד in Hebrew, "Hayiti Pa'am Yeled") he composed and arranged all songs, some of which became very popular in Israel. In the album "The Lion, The Dove and a Blue Hen" (האריה, היונה ותרנגולת כחולה in Hebrew, "Ha'Arie, Ha'Yonah Ve'Tarnegolet Kchulah") Rechter composed and arranged more children's songs.

In 1991 "Festival Israel" produced, in association with the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, an evening of the songs of Yoni Rechter titled "The Main Thing is The Romance" (העיקר זה הרומנטיקה in Hebrew, "Ha'Ikar Ze Ha'Romantika"), which aired on the Israeli television, and was released as an album. In the evening, which was produced by Recther himself, the Israeli singers Gidi Gov, Mezi Cohen, Chaim Tzinovich and Yehudith Ravits performed.

In 1995 Rechter and Eli Mohar released an album titled "Thoughts and Options" (מחשבות ואפשרויות in Hebrew, "Machshavot Ve'Efsharuiot"), which was not as big a success as his previous albums, possibly due to a lack of a clear hit song.

In 2002 Rechter released a solo album, titled "Another Story" (עוד סיפור). The album, which was divided into three sections, consisted of mostly intimate songs. The album was well received by music critics, but was not a commercial success.

Rechter also took part in composing and arranging music for many plays and shows.

Albums

• The Sixteenth Sheep (הכבש השישה-עשר, Ha'Keves Ha'Shisha-Asar)
• Intending (התכוונות, Hitkavnut)
• Love Has Many Faces (האהבה, פנים רבות לה Ha'Ahava, Panim Rabot La) With Arik Einstein
• In a One-Time and a Standard Manner (באופן קבוע וחד פעמי, Be'Ofen Kavuah Ve'Chad Pe'ami) With Yehudith Ravitz
• At Eye Level (בגובה העיניים, Be'Govah Ha'Einayim) With Eli Mohar
• Romance Is What Matters (העיקר זה הרומנטיקה, Ha'Ikar Ze Ha'Romantica)
• Lines (קווים, Kavim)
• Thoughts and Options (מחשבות ואפשרויות, Machshavot Ve'Efsharuiot) With Eli Mohar
• Another Story (עוד סיפור, Od Sipur)
• Right Now (ממש עכשיו, Mamash Achshav) A live recording
• The Lion, The Dove and a Blue Hen (האריה, היונה ותרנגולת כחולה, Ha'Arie, Ha'Yonah Ve'Tarnegolet Kchulah)
• 14 Octavas With Avner Kenner
• From The Songs of Avraham Chalfi (משירי אברהם חלפי, Mi'Shirei Avraham Chalfi)
• I Used to be a Child (הייתי פעם ילד, Hayiti Pa'am Yeled) With Arik Einstein
• A Legend in the Sands (אגדה בחולות, Agada Ba'Cholot)