Israeli-born and based in New York, Yotam Silberstein ranks among the leading jazz guitarists of his era. His playing draws from bebop and blues while incorporating extensive study of traditions from South America, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Born in Tel Aviv in 1981, he began on guitar at age 10 and gained admission at 15 to the Alon High School for the Arts. Saxophonist James Moody encountered him during a workshop and remarked that he played "like an old man." Following graduation, Silberstein issued his debut leader date, 2003's The Arrival, on Fresh Sound in a trio completed by Gilad Abro and Doron Tirosh.
He relocated to New York City the next year and immersed himself in the local circuit. Connections formed through Moody opened doors to appearances alongside Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Hargrove, and Paquito D'Rivera. Additional sideman work followed on sessions by John Patitucci, Monty Alexander, David Sanborn & Marcus Miller, Nathan Davis, and numerous others. For a period he performed and recorded under the single name Yotam.
His first U.S.-issued recording arrived in 2009 with the quartet album Next Page. A focused exploration of Brazilian jazz appeared on 2011's Brasil; The Village followed in 2016, and 2019 brought Future Memories, which included Patitucci. Silberstein subsequently returned to Latin jazz, resulting in the 2020 duo album En el Jardín with Carlos Aguirre and Universos in 2022. The 2024 collection Standards reunited him with Patitucci plus Billy Hart and George Coleman.
