Israeli-born saxophonist, composer, and educator Asaf Harris continues to build quiet momentum with the release of “FCB (Live at The Guitar Loft)”, a vivid new live performance taken from his forthcoming album I Thought I Was Ready. The track offers a revealing snapshot of Harris at a creative peak — confident yet searching, rooted in jazz tradition while unafraid to stretch outward into new emotional and cultural territory.
Following his 2022 debut Walk of The Ducks, Harris has steadily refined a sound that feels both personal and expansive. I Thought I Was Ready, scheduled for release on January 30, 2026, is a seven-track collection of original compositions shaped by memory, life transitions, and the uneasy realization that preparedness is often something we only understand in hindsight. The album’s title itself hints at this tension — reflective rather than declarative, open-ended rather than resolved.
Recorded alongside longtime collaborators Guy Moskovich on piano, Omri Ever Hadani on bass, and David Sirkis on drums, the album benefits from the deep musical trust built between the players over years of collaboration. Their chemistry gives the music room to breathe: tempos flex naturally, melodies unfold without hurry, and improvisation feels conversational rather than competitive. Harris has described the process as intentionally unforced, allowing each piece to develop organically rather than adhering to rigid structures.
Inside “FCB (Live at The Guitar Loft)”
“FCB,” presented here in a live Loft performance, closes the album on an adventurous and resonant note. The piece features guest musician Onn Yosef Kadosh on oud, whose presence introduces a subtle yet powerful dialogue between jazz harmony and Middle Eastern timbre. Rather than feeling ornamental, the oud becomes an integral voice within the arrangement, weaving through Harris’s saxophone lines and adding a reflective, almost meditative quality to the performance.
The live setting enhances the emotional impact of the piece. You can hear the responsiveness of the room, the musicians listening intently to one another, allowing space, tension, and release to shape the narrative in real time. It’s a reminder that Harris’s music is as much about atmosphere and intention as it is about technical prowess.
An Album Built on Memory and Motion
Across I Thought I Was Ready, Harris draws inspiration from personal landmarks — childhood memories, places lived, and moments of quiet reckoning. There’s a cinematic quality to the writing, with themes that feel less like standalone songs and more like chapters in a larger story. His saxophone tone is warm and lyrical, occasionally tinged with phrasing that nods toward his cultural roots, adding depth without overshadowing the jazz core of the project.
Recent live performances in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where Harris and his ensemble have presented the album in full, have reinforced the record’s emotional clarity. Audiences have responded to the music’s openness — its ability to feel intimate without becoming insular, reflective without losing momentum. Each composition invites listeners to step inside a specific mood, whether nostalgic, restless, or quietly hopeful.
Looking Ahead
With I Thought I Was Ready, Asaf Harris continues to position himself as an artist unafraid of nuance. Rather than chasing grand statements, he focuses on honesty — allowing questions, uncertainty, and subtle shifts in feeling to drive the music forward. “FCB (Live at The Guitar Loft)” captures that philosophy perfectly: a performance rooted in the present moment, shaped by the past, and open to wherever the next note might lead.
As Harris moves further into this next chapter, the album feels less like a conclusion and more like an invitation — to listen closely, to sit with complexity, and to recognize that readiness, like music itself, is always evolving.