Recorded in April 2005 at Acoustic Sound, Mr. Blue Eyes features eight of Sarel River’s original compositions, supported by an ensemble that includes Ron McClure (Bass), Bruce Hall (Drums), David Berkman (Piano), Dave Scott (Trumpet & Flugelhorn), Adam Kolker (Soprano, Alto & Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute), and Allen Ferber (Trombone.) Mr. Blue Eyes follows 1999’s 2 In One, characterized by the unique blend of Mr. Sarel’s guitar and Matan Klein’s flute.
   The subject of the transcendent Mr. Blue Eyes is Sarel and Daphne Sack River’s baby boy Ethan, who passed away from cancer in June of 2004, at the age of eight months. The idea for the title song came just two weeks before the baby’s sudden illness and death, as Sarel was looking into his son’s eyes one day, understanding for the first time in his life the meaning of “unconditional love.” In the grief and shock that followed the couple’s loss, Sarel was unable to touch his guitar for several months. When he finally did, the project was born as a dedication to his first child, with each title and composition having a reference to the baby’s innocent, joyful life. The recording is at once ebullient and brooding, complex and completely accessible. It reflects the skills of a maturing artist who has by necessity transformed tragedy into a stunning homage.

   SAREL RIVER is a versatile jazz composer and a spirited performer. Spanning the Jazz ouvre from Bebop to Latin, ballads to the avant garde, Mr. River has taken his cultural diversity, his education and his brilliant talent, and recorded '2 in One'.
   From his birthplace in Haifa, Israel to a degree in Music from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, to several years playing in clubs and concert halls in Budapest, Hungary, Sarel has a distinctive composition and performance style.
   Sarel has enjoyed the intensive collaboration, inspiration and support of influential Jazz musicians such as JERRY BERGONZI, GARY DAKL, LARRY BAIONE, MORDY FERBER, HAL CROOK, GARRISON FEWEL, GREG HOPKINS and DAVE CLARK.
   Now a proud NYC resident, Sarel composed and arranged 8 tunes and recorded them with his own quartet (Steve Hass drums, Mat Pennman bass, Matan Klein flute and Sarel River guitar). '2 in One' blends guitar and flute in a delightful, original manner.