{{Short description|Israeli bass guitarist and producer (born 1964)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Yossi Fine | image = Yossi Fine Havana.jpg | landscape = yes | caption = Fine at Havana Club in [[Tel Aviv]], 2011 | native_name = יוסי פיין | native_name_lang = he | birth_name = Joseph Thomas Fine | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|12|7}} | birth_place = Paris, France | death_date = {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} | instrument = Bass, guitar | genre = [[World music|World]], [[reggae]], [[funk]], [[jazz]] | occupation = Musician, producer | years_active = 1981–present | label = Avila Street Records | associated_acts = Yossi Fine&Ben Aylon, Ex-Centric Sound System <br /> [[Vieux Farka Touré]] <br /> [[Idan Raichel]] <br /> [[Hadag Nahash]] <br /> [[Stanley Jordan]] <br /> [[Me'shell Ndegeocello]] <br /> [[David Bowie]] | website = [http://www.yossifine.com yossifine.com] }} '''Joseph Thomas Fine''' ({{Langx|he|יוסף תומס פיין}}; born December 7, 1964), known professionally as '''Yossi Fine''' ({{Langx|he|יוסי פיין}}), 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.<ref>[http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/artist/content.artist/ex_centric_sound_system_18604/en_US "Ex-Centric Sound System,"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916115220/http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/artist/content.artist/ex_centric_sound_system_18604/en_US |date=September 16, 2011 }} ''[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]''. Accessed March 12, 2012.</ref>
===Early career=== At the age of 16, Fine began working as a session musician in Israel.{{cn|date=April 2023}} He moved to [[New York City]] in 1985, performing with a variety of musicians around the city,<ref name="margasak">Peter Margasak, [http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/ex-centric-sound-system/Content?oid=901657 "Ex-Centric Sound System,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304104410/http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/ex-centric-sound-system/Content?oid=901657 |date=2016-03-04 }} ''[[Chicago Reader]]'', March 9, 2000.</ref> working regularly with the [[Gil Evans Orchestra]] from 1985 to 1991.<ref>[http://guitarkadia.com/emon/electric/yossi-fine-interview-video-pt-3/ "Yossi Fine Q & A + Video – Pt. 3,"] Guitarkadia, October 20, 2008.</ref> In 1991, he received a [[Grammy Award|Grammy]] nomination for his composition "Always Knows," which appears on the [[Stanley Jordan]] record ''Cornucopia''.<ref name="avila">[http://www.avilastreetrecords.com/yossi.php AvilaStreetRecords.com.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130107071529/http://www.avilastreetrecords.com/yossi.php |date=January 7, 2013 }} Accessed March 12, 2012.</ref> 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 [[Ghana]]ian vocalists, Nana Dadzie, Adevo Savour and Benjamin Kouleho, who also contribute melodies on [[flute]], [[kalimba]] and [[balafon]].<ref name="margasak"/> ''[[NME]]'' described Ex-Centric Sound System as "a band that mixes authentic African sounds with dub, techno and hip-hop," adding that the band is "a triumph of the collective imagination."<ref>[https://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/vg9uGtv_cp8/search/ex-centric-sound-system "Yossi Fine & Ex-Centric Sound System video,"] ''NME''. Accessed March 12, 2012.</ref> 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."<ref name="beres">Derek Beres, [https://www.popmatters.com/pm/column/bass-makes-the-world-go-round1 "Bass Makes the World Go 'Round,"] PopMatters, January 24, 2008.</ref> An introduction to Fine on Israeli music television station [[Music 24]] proclaimed, "Yossi Fine does to bass what [[Jimi Hendrix|Hendrix]] did for electric guitar."<ref>"Yossi the Prophet," Music 24, December 27, 2006.</ref>
===Collaborations=== Fine has frequently worked with [[Mali]]an 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]].<ref name="gilbert">Andrew Gilbert, [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jul-05-ca-vieuxfarkatoure5-story.html "Ali Farka Toure [sic<nowiki>]</nowiki> brings Mali to the World,"] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', July 5, 2009.</ref> 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''.<ref>David Brinn, [https://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/Music/Article.aspx?id=259494 "Idan Raichel's double life,"] ''[[Jerusalem Post]]'', February 26, 2012.</ref> ''[[Haaretz]]'' singled out his bass playing for being "flexible and dynamic."<ref>Ben Shalev, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120310220951/http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/israeli-instrumental-albums-strike-multiple-chords-1.417508 "Israeli instrumental albums strike multiple chords,"] ''Haaretz'', March 9, 2012.</ref>
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]]"),<ref name="beres"/> 85-91[[Gil Evans Orchestra]], 85[[John Scofield]], 86-87[[Kenny Kirkland]], 87[[Lou Reed]], [[Rubén Blades]], 89-95[[Stanley Jordan]], 93-94[[Me'shell Ndegeocello]], [[David Bowie]], [[Brian Eno]], [[Anthony B]], [[Karsh Kale]], [[Cheb i Sabbah]], [[Antibalas]], [[Hassan Hakmoun]], [[Hadag Nahash]], [[Ofra Haza]], [[Noa (singer)|Noa]] and Hamsa Lila.<ref name="margasak"/><ref name="beres"/><ref name="gilbert"/>
Considered a pivotal force in the evolution of the bass,<ref name="beres"/> Fine has produced over 25 albums, and contributed bass to over 150.<ref name="avila"/> In 2005, he received the ACUM Award for music producing, for his work on [[Hadag Nahash]]'s 2004 LP, ''[[Homer Mekomi]]''.<ref name="avila"/> ACUM is Israel's music and literary rights association.
===Yossi Fine & Ben Aylon=== In 2016 Yossi moved from Bass to Microtonal guitar and together with drummer Ben Aylon formed a band [https://www.yossifinemusic.com Yossi Fine & Ben Aylon]. The style of music is defined as 'Blue Desert' or Afro Arab Trance, inspired by regional music styles. In 2018 the band released their debut album 'Blue Desert' and toured Europe, USA, Canada, China, India and Israel.
==Artistic style== An early adopter of [[live looping]] in order to perform as a one-man band, Fine's style in his solo work has been called "extreme bass groove," incorporating [[drum & bass]], [[breakbeat]], [[dubstep]] and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] influences. "When you cop such an attack on bass guitar, and make a line come at you with such power, that's extreme bass," he has said. "It's about creating a sound with tons of low end that pounds you in the chest and makes you go, Whoa!"<ref name="leslie">Jimmy Leslie, [http://www.bassplayer.com/article/ex-centric-sound-system-vieux-farka-tour%C3%A9-yossi-fine-extreme-looped-grooves/147725 "Ex-Centric Sound System, Vieux Farka Toure, Yossi Fine, Extreme Looped Grooves,"] ''[[Bass Player (magazine)|Bass Player]]'', November 2011.</ref>
Fine has called U2 guitarist [[The Edge]] a huge influence, stating that his "echo-laden sound" is "the most innovative without being too technical."<ref name="leslie"/>
==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 Records|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 (David Bowie album)|Outside]]'' (1995, [[Arista Records|Arista]]/[[Bertelsmann Music Group|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 (Hadag Nachash album)|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]] – [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n18WeJ2ouAg 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 (TV series)|The Word]] (BBC) – [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8so3qdNlICE with Me’Shell Ndegeocello] (2004) * ''[[Awake Zion]]'' (dir. Monica Haim) (2005) * ''The Prophecy'' (2005) * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZOm9lnjnqk ''The Making of Fondo''] (2009)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.yossifine.com Official website] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130107071529/http://www.avilastreetrecords.com/yossi.php Label website] * [http://excentricsoundsystem.com/ Ex-Centric Sound System website]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fine, Yossi}} [[Category:Israeli musicians]] [[Category:1964 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Musicians from Paris]] [[Category:Members Only (band) members]]