“Youth comes in many forms. Some people are young in age but old in spirit, and some are the opposite. Most musicians I know are kids forever. 17 years ago when I moved to Boston from my hometown of Tel Aviv I was very young, there’s no doubt about it. But I feel that in spirit I was older somehow. Already then I knew within my heart that I would eventually be back home, close to my friends and family, and that at the same time I would be making music with my favorite musicians around the world. I knew that the normal spatial boundaries of place and distance would not exist.” “Twelve is my first recording after moving back home, and I feel that it represents 2 significant elements in my life today: youth and age. Joining me on this recording are two very young musicians: Gadi Lehavi —piano (16 years old) and Ofri Nehemya— drums (18 years old), as well as my best friend the extraordinary Barak Mori on bass. But when you listen to Gadi and Ofri, can you really tell their age? When you watch Barak “mimicking” my mandolin can you tell that he is the “grownup” of the rhythm section?! At the same time Barak’s “established” beat glues the band together because of his experience and maturity, while Gadi’s and Ofri’s fresh angle on music makes both Barak and me take more risks and strive for something new.” “The dilemmas and decisions that I face today are mostly “grown up”, but no matter what, when I go on stage I immediately transport myself back into that silly kid I’ve always been: I tell silly jokes and I do stupid things without thinking about the consequences, I escape from reality into a fantasy world where one can find waterfalls full of harmony, thick forests pulsing with both loud and quiet notes and many unique animals full of rhythm. Music is like a fairytale: ageless, immortal. And we musicians are eternally “Peter Pan”, no matter if we are 16, 18, 35, or 80 years old.I hope that the music that we created together on this album will remain both young and old forever.” Eli Degibri, May 2013 Twelve Release Date - August 29, 2013 Eli Degibri : Saxophone Gadi Lehavi : Piano Barak Mori : Bass Ofri Nehemya : Drums Vocal on Liora Mi Amor - Shlomo Ydov