Yossi Fine

Joseph Thomas Fine (; born December 7, 1964), known professionally as Yossi Fine , is an Israeli bassist and producer. Fine fronted the world music/reggae/funk band Ex-Centric Sound System.

Biography

Personal life Fine was born in Paris, France, to a West Indian vocalist mother and an Israeli guitarist father.

Early career At the age of 16, Fine began working as a session musician in Israel. He moved to New York City in 1985, performing with a variety of musicians around the city, working regularly with the Gil Evans Orchestra from 1985 to 1991. In 1991, he received a Grammy nomination for his composition "Always Knows," which appears on the Stanley Jordan record Cornucopia. Fine moved back to Israel in 1995.

Ex-Centric Sound System and solo work In 1997, Fine formed Ex-Centric Sound System with drummer Michael Avgil and three Ghanaian vocalists, Nana Dadzie, Adevo Savour and Benjamin Kouleho, who also contribute melodies on flute, kalimba and balafon. Their debut album, Electric Voodooland, was released in 2001.

In 2007, he released the solo album Live in Jerusalem, consisting of four tracks culled from his one-man bass tour. "Few people are brave, or crazy, enough to stand on stage with a few simple drum loops, an effects board and a bass, and go for it. Yet that's exactly what he does, amazingly well," wrote PopMatters. "The landscapes he paints are orchestral, lush and textured." An introduction to Fine on Israeli music television station Music 24 proclaimed, "Yossi Fine does to bass what Hendrix did for electric guitar."

Collaborations Fine has frequently worked with Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré. After remixing a track for 2008's Vieux Farka Touré Remixed: UFOs Over Bamako, he took a larger role in Touré's career, producing and playing bass on his 2009 album, Fondo, as well as remixing a track on the follow-up, Other Roads: Fondo Remixed, at Fine's studio in Novato, California. Fine plays bass in The Touré-Raichel Collective, a collaboration between Touré and Idan Raichel, which led to the 2012 album The Tel Aviv Sessions. Haaretz singled out his bass playing for being "flexible and dynamic."

Fine has performed, recorded with and produced music for musicians across the globe, including Naughty By Nature (recreating the bassline for their 1993 hit single "Hip Hop Hooray"),

Fine has called U2 guitarist The Edge a huge influence, stating that his "echo-laden sound" is "the most innovative without being too technical."

Selected discography

Yossi Fine & Ben Aylon Blue Desert (2018, Blue Desert Music)

Solo Live in Jerusalem (2007, EXS Music) "Peace Is the Answer" (single) – Skyler Jett & Yossi Fine (2012, First Kiss Records)

With Ex-Centric Sound System Electric Voodooland (2000, Relativity) West Nile Funk (2004, IndieLand/EXS) Afro Riddim Sessions, Vol. 1 (2006, In the Pocket Records) Live In San Francisco (2010, Avila Street Records) Premixes (2011, Avila Street Records) Re Spect (5-CD box set) (2011, Avila Street Records)

Featured on (playing bass) Rubén Blades – Nothing But the Truth (1988, Wounded Bird Records) Stanley Jordan – Cornucopia (1990, Blue Note Records) David Bowie – Outside (1995, Arista/BMG) Noa – Calling (1996, Geffen Records) Karsh Kale – Realize (2001, Six Degrees Records) Deepak Chopra – A Gift of Love, Vol. 2 (2002, Tommy Boy Records) Karsh Kale – Broken English (2006, Six Degrees Records) Cheb i Sabbah – Devotion (2008, Six Degrees Records) Vieux Farka Touré – Fondo (2009, Six Degrees Records) Vieux Farka Touré – Live (2010, Six Degrees Records) The Touré-Raichel Collective – The Tel Aviv Session (2012, Cumbancha)

Producer Shabak Samech - Shabak (1995, NMC) Shabak Samech - Be'atifa Shel Mamtak (1997, NMC) (trans: In A Candy Wrapper) Emil Zrihan – Ashkelon (1999, Piranha) Hamsa Lila – Gathering One (2003, BRG) Hadag Nahash – Lazuz (2003, Levantini) Hadag Nahash – Homer Mekomi (2004, Levantini) Eljuri - "En Paz" (2008, Manovill Records) Vieux Farka Touré – Fondo (2009, Six Degrees Records) Hadag Nahash – 6 (2010, HaTav HaShmini) Hassan Hackmooun- Unity 2014 Yossi Fine&Ben Aylon- Blue Desert 2017 Yossi Fine&Ben Aylon- Blue Desert Live 2020

TV and film appearances The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson – performing with Ofra Haza (1989) The Tonight Show with Jay Leno – with Stanley Jordan (1989) The Arsenio Hall Show – with Me’Shell Ndegeocello (1994) The Word (BBC) – with Me’Shell Ndegeocello (2004) Awake Zion (dir. Monica Haim) (2005) The Prophecy (2005) The Making of Fondo (2009)