Gadi Stern piano · David Michaeli bass · Matan Assayag drums
SHALOSH is an instrumental piano trio belonging to a new generation of jazz groups that transcend genres, connecting with both jazz audiences and listeners from a wide range of musical backgrounds.
Over more than eleven years together, the three childhood friends who make up SHALOSH have refused to be confined by stylistic labels. Their music is raw, honest and constantly evolving, crossing musical boundaries and reinventing itself at every turn. They have performed hundreds of concerts on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, establishing themselves as one of the leading young piano trios on the international scene.
While maintaining the classic jazz trio format—piano, bass and drums—and drawing on deep roots in jazz and improvisation, SHALOSH has developed its own distinctive musical language, blending influences from rock, classical music, electronic music, and African and Middle Eastern traditions.
To date, the trio has released six albums: five studio recordings and one live album. Their most recent releases have appeared on the prestigious German label ACT, with which they have become one of Europe’s most active jazz trios. Their seventh album will also be released on ACT.
The band’s story began in Jerusalem, where childhood friends Matan Assayag (drums) and Gadi Stern (piano) formed the group Enoma Elish. After the band disbanded, they continued working together between Israel and New York, where Gadi Stern lived for nearly a decade, immersing himself in the city’s vibrant jazz scene. In 2014 they founded SHALOSH, and two years later bassist David Michaeli, then considered one of Israel’s most promising young jazz musicians, joined the group.
Since the release of their debut album, The Bell Garden (2014), SHALOSH has attracted widespread international attention, touring extensively throughout Europe, Japan, Korea and beyond. Their second album, Rules of Oppression (2017), received critical acclaim across Europe and was described as “a masterpiece” by leading Japanese jazz broadcasters.
Following a live recording with Bauer Studios, the trio signed with ACT and released Onwards and Upwards (2019). The album received glowing reviews from publications including The Times, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and DownBeat, while also amassing millions of streams on Spotify.
The following years saw the band continue to broaden its artistic horizons through projects such as SHALOSH plus One, featuring collaborations with pop, hip-hop and jazz artists, as well as albums including Broken Balance (2020) and Tales of Utopia (2023), a concept album inspired by ancient myths and legends.
Although the pandemic temporarily halted their international touring, the trio used that time to refine its sound and create new music. Since 2022, SHALOSH has returned to an intensive touring schedule, performing in renowned concert halls and alongside symphony orchestras.
Following the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023, SHALOSH publicly expressed its commitment to a humanistic, anti-war vision advocating peace and equality for both Israelis and Palestinians—a message the trio continues to share during its performances.
Their latest album, What We Are Made Of (ACT, 2026), is a deep exploration of the trio’s musical DNA. Combining original compositions with bold reinterpretations, the record moves effortlessly between groove, lyrical sensitivity and explosive energy. For SHALOSH, jazz is less a genre than an attitude: open, physical and constantly in motion.
The trio remains committed to creating music that is both sophisticated and accessible, reaching a broad audience without compromising artistic ambition. One of SHALOSH‘s defining characteristics is its collective approach: all creative decisions are shared equally among the three members, fostering an ego-free artistic evolution. Their music is born from emotion, mutual trust and a friendship that has remained as strong as ever after more than a decade together.
