Sefi Zisling

Renowned jazz and funk trumpeter Sefi Zisling embarked on his musical journey at the tender age of ten, picking up the trumpet and honing his craft at the prestigious art school Thelma Yellin. Since his early teens, Sefi has been a member of numerous bands, frequently collaborating and recording sessions. His debut album, ‘Beyond The Thing I Know’, released on Raw Tapes, catapulted him onto the global stage.

Finding his artistic home on Tru Thoughts, Sefi’s sophomore record, ‘Expanse’, showcased his evolution from instrumentalist to composer, capturing the essence of classic jazz sessions. Influenced by his childhood icons such as John Coltrane, Grant Green, and Fred Wesley, ‘Expanse’ blends afro-jazz, psychedelic funk, and spiritual jazz, echoing the brilliance of Alice Coltrane, Fela Kuti, and Donald Byrd while carving out a distinctive path—all anchored by the trumpet.

Recently, Sefi has reworked labelmate and British soul singer Alice Russell’s track “Heartbreaker” for a bonus edition repress of ‘To Dust’ and collaborated with Turkish jazz pianist Çağrı Sertel on the compilation ‘Remotely Close’. His tour across Israel and Europe included a standout performance at the Zorlum PSM x EFG Jazz Festival in Istanbul.

In 2022, Sefi Zisling unveiled his ‘Welcome Sunset’ EP, drawing inspiration from 70s jazz-funk vibes. The release garnered acclaim from esteemed figures such as Don Letts, Huey Morgan, Marc Riley, and Tom Ravenscroft of BBC 6 Music, Jamie Cullum of BBC Radio 2, and Wax Poetics. Support for his work extended across Jazz FM and Worldwide FM, with Gilles Peterson offering upfront support.

Presenting his third album ‘The Librarian’, Sefi combines classic elements with psychedelic funk, soul, and spiritual jazz. ‘The Librarian’ is dedicated to all things close to Sefi’s heart. Recorded live with his quartet Noam Havkin, Tom Bollig, Omri Shani, and trombonist Yair Slutzki, ‘The Librarian’ epitomises Zisling’s evolution as a composer and performer, showcasing his most personal work yet.