Ori Kaplan

Ori Kaplan’s music is rooted in jazz but shaped by a lifetime of moving between musical worlds. Psychedelic jazz, Afrobeat, Ethio-jazz, Latin rhythms, hip-hop and the evocative sound of ’60s and ’70s European cinema all find their way into his work. Saxophones and flutes are at the heart of the music, moving between raw improvisation, hypnotic grooves and strong, cinematic melodies. Drawing on influences ranging from Yusef Lateef and Alice Coltrane to Morricone and Rota, Kaplan creates music that feels both familiar and elusive—psychedelic, soulful and deeply melodic, with one foot in jazz and another in the world of beats, film music and global groove Ori Kaplan is a saxophonist, producer, and founding member of Balkan Beat Box. A former member of Gogol Bordello, his horn hooks have powered Billboard hits like Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty” and Fifth Harmony’s “Worth It.” He’s also the founder of Shotnez, a cinematic NYC jazz quartet, where his jazz roots and global sound collide in bold, genre-defying ways.