Oz Noy

Where I used to discover new artists through friends and often by reading the credits in CD booklets, these days I mostly rely on algorithms. It might not sound as romantic, but it does lead to some fantastic discoveries. That’s how, sometime last year, Oz Noy came onto my radar. His name sounds like a character straight out of L. Frank Baum’s famous book. His playing is just as imaginative and adventurous as the journeys through the Land of Oz. At times, it squeaks and grates, but there are always surprises waiting. He was already performing on stage at a relatively young age and took the leap to move to New York in his early twenties. In our conversation, we delve deeply into his connection with that city and explore his collaborations with top-tier musicians. As rich and colorful as his playing is, Oz has a dry way of summarizing life in words: “I remember when I stopped going to school, I was a little freaked out. My parents were freaked out. But I started practicing all the time. Once you practice, you get into a routine, then everybody kind of chilled out.”