 |
| Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures |
|
|
Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures
Adam Rudolph, handrumset, kongos, djembe, tarija, zabumba, thumb pianos, sintir, multiphonic vocal, percussion / Graham Haynes, cornet, flugelhorn, percussion / Kenny Wessel, electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, percussion / Ralph Jones, flute, bass clarinet, alto flute, sop and tenor saxophones, bamboo flutes / Jerome Harris, acoustic bass guitar, slide guitar, vocal, percussion / Matt Kilmer, frame drums, kanjira, bata, percussion / James Hurt, cajon, sogo, kidi, bells, bata, percussion
For the past 3 decades composer and percussionist Adam Rudolph has performed extensively throughout North & South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. He has released 25 recordings under his own name, featuring his compositions and hand drum work. Rudolph composes for his Moving Pictures Octet and Go: Organic Orchestra, a 46 piece group for which he has developed an original music notation and conducting system. Rudolph has performed with Yusef Lateef, Don Cherry, Jon Hassell, Muhal Richard Abrams, Wadada Leo Smith, Pharaoh Sanders, L. Shankar, and Omar Sosa among others.
Known as one the early innovators of World Music, in 1978 he and Kora player Foday Musa Suso co-founded The Mandingo Griot Society, one of the first groups to combine African and American music. In 1988, he recorded the first fusion of American and Gnawa music with Hassan Hakmoun. His latest recording, Both/And was named 2011 Album of the Year by The New York City Jazz Record. In 2006, his rhythm repository and methodology book, Pure Rhythm was published by Advance Music, Germany.
BEST NEW RELEASES 2011 - ALBUM OF THE YEAR Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures with Organic Orchestra Strings - “Both/And” (Meta)
|
 |
| Allison Miller's BOOM TIC BOOM |
|
| Allison Miller's BOOM TIC BOOM
Myra Melford, piano / Jenny Scheinman, violin / Brad Jones, bass / Allison Miller, drums
Allison Miller’s BOOM TIC BOOM features Myra Melford on piano, Jenny Scheinman on violin, Brad Jones on bass, and Allison Miller on drums. They will be performing music from their debut album BOOM TIC BOOM (“Top 10 Jazz albums of 2010,” LA Times), as well as new music the band is currently developing for their follow up album.
Together, these four longtime collaborators will intertwine and fuse their unique musical personalities, creating an unforgettable night of music. They will be sure to take the audience right along with them, communicating and exploring through the language of music. Expect a plethora of spontaneous free improvisation and emotional expression, launched from compositions strongly rooted in the modern jazz tradition, yet branching out to the avant-‐garden, rhythm and blues, and Americana Roots music.
|
 |
| Amanda Monaco's Deathblow |
|
| Amanda Monaco's Deathblow Amanda Monaco, guitar / Michaël Attias, alto and baritone saxophones / Sean Conly, bass / Satoshi Takeishi, drums
Deathblow is a jazz and improvisational music quartet that sounds like what would have happened if Miles Davis were the musical director of Dr. Teeth's Electric Mayhem: a combination of free-bop sensibilities with through-composed pieces equal parts textural, adventurous, and whimsical. Deathblow performs a mix of Monaco's original compositions and modern twists on obscure chestnuts from the avant-garde jazz canon.
|
 |
| Andy Milne's Dapp Theory |
|
| Andy Milne's Dapp Theory Andy Milne, piano, keyboards & vocals / John Moon, poet / Aaron Kruziki, reeds & vocals / Chris Tordini, basses & vocals / Kenny Grohowski, drums & guitar
Dapp Theory is a quintet that blends “contemporary funk, groove and hip-hop into jazz with such seamless, casual precision it’s almost freaky.” (LA Weekly) Recipient of the prestigious Civitella Fellowship, Chamber Music America’s New Works commission and French-America Jazz Exchange award, leader, pianist/composer, Andy Milne is one of the most important and respected voices in jazz today. With Dapp Theory, Milne combines the talents of percussive poet John Moon, saxophonist Aaron Kruziki, bassist Chris Tordini and drummer Kenny Grohowski, collectively helping to re-draw and extend the boundaries of jazz. Jazz Times Magazine describes the band’s “remarkable chemistry . . . [as] . . . so impeccable, it’s practically a musical Unified Field Theory”.
Milne formed the band in 1998 as a vehicle to “tell passionate stories, promote peace and inspire collective responsibility towards uplifting the human spiritual condition.” Dapp Theory’s style is indefinable yet highly recognizable, blending influences ranging from Joni Mitchell and KRS One to Thelonious Monk and Van Halen. Their first major label CD, Y’all Just Don’t Know [Concord Records], released in 2003 included an ambitious
collaboration with folk-rock icon Bruce Cockburn. Their current release, Layers of Chance [ObliqSound/Contrology], released in 2008, features fresh compositions by Milne that blend various instrumental textures, infectious grooves, layered with lush harmonies and poignant lyrics.
|
 |
| Ayelet Rose Gottlieb |
|
| Ayelet Rose Gottlieb w/ Ethel and Satoshi Takeishi Ayelet Rose Gottlieb, composer & vocals / Cornelius Dufallo, violin / Dorothy Lawson, cello / Jennifer Choi, violin / Ralph Farris, viola / Satoshi Takeishi, percussion / Michelle Jaffe, blanket with 49 bells
In her new composition Shiv’a, Ayelet Rose Gottlieb contemplates the “voice of thin silence” that follows the death of a loved one. Reflecting on Jewish and Buddhist rituals of mourning, Shiv’a, is scored for string quartet, percussion, and a Blanket with 49 Bells (made by installation artist Michelle Jaffe). In “Shiv’a” Ayelet adventurously explores her Jazz, Jewish, and Middle-Eastern backgrounds, creating a unique language of sound. “Shiv’a” is performed by a stellar ensemble of improvising musicians - the string quartet known as ETHEL and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi. Primarily an instrumental composition, Ayelet joins the ensemble at the conclusion of “Shiv’a” to sing “Epilogue”, based on the poetry of Yehuda Amichai. With this spectacular line up, “Shiv’a” was recently recorded and is anticipated to be released in early 2013.
Ayelet, who is best known for her work as a vocalist and improviser, performs internationally with various projects, including “Mycale” (John Zorn’s acapella quartet), “Mayim Rabim” (Tzadik 2006, Ayelet’s acclaimed song cycle based on erotic biblical love poetry) and “Betzidei Drachim / On the Roadside” (Ayelet’s compositions to Israeli and Palestinian poetry, performed with a full band or in a duo setting with ECM recording artist, pianist Anat Fort).
Her composition for piano and trombone “Carry On-Check In” will be premiered at Carnegie Hall in March 2012.
|
 |
| Ben Allison with Strings |
|
| Ben Allison with Strings
Ben Allison, bass / Steve Cardenas, guitar / Jenny Scheinman, violin
Ben Allison is one of a few band leaders working in jazz today who has developed his own instantly identifiable sound. Known for his inspired arrangements, inventive grooves and hummable melodies, Ben draws from the jazz tradition and a range of influences from rock and folk to classical and world music, seamlessly blending them into a cinematic, cohesive whole.
With his groups The Ben Allison Band, Man Size Safe, Peace Pipe, and Medicine Wheel, Ben has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, and Brazil, winning fans and building new audiences with an adventurous yet accessible sound and a flair for the unexpected.
Ben has released ten CDs of original music. His latest, Action-Refraction (2011) reached #1 on the CMJ National Jazz radio charts and remained in the top 20 for over three months, making it one of the most-played CDs of 2011 and garnering him his 8th SESAC Performance Award.
Ben was a featured artist with the Jazz Sinfonica symphony orchestra of Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2005 and 2008.
|
 |
| Ben Williams & Sound Effect |
|
| Ben Williams and Sound Effect
Ben Williams, bass / Jaleel Shaw, sax / Matt Stevens, guitar / Gerald Clayton, piano / Etienne Charles, percussion / Justin Brown, drumsHailing from Washington DC and winner of the 2009 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, bassist/composer Ben Williams has emerged on the jazz scene breaking musical boundaries. With influences rooted in hip-hop, r&b, and a respect for tradition, he’s bringing a new level of excitement to the jazz performance arena.
His debut cd titled “State Of Art” on Concord Jazz exemplifies his great natural ability and is a mature statement stamped with his voice and determination to explore and expand musical boundaries. Ben’s warm, woody tone, flowing groove, melodic phrasing and storytelling approach has found favor among musicians but also a larger audience.
He has quickly become one of the most sought after bassists in the world, his resume a who's who of jazz wisdom: Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, Terrance Blanchard, Stefon Harris, George Benson, George Duke, Pat Metheny, Jacky Terrasson, Sadao Watanabe and the list goes on.
Named this year as the 2011 Breakthrough Jazz artist by iTunes is just one of the many accolades he’s received so far. Ben Williams and his band Sound Effect is an adventurous step in the Ben Williams' evolution
|
 |
| Bernie Worrell Orchestra |
|
| Bernie Worrell Orchestra
Kyle Cadena, guitar / Andrew Kimball, guitar / Scott Hogan, bass / Glen Fittin, percussion / Shlomi Cohen, alto sax / Ofer Assaf, tenor sax / Justin Mullens, trumpet / Karl Latham, drums / Evan Taylor, drums
Bernie Worrell: How many artists can say they were in on the ground floor of an honest-to-Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame supergroup, all while inventing a completely original and uncanny sound and, in the ensuing years, building a legendary reputation as one of the most versatile hired guns in the music business? True funkateers know the history. From the fat Minimoog bass lines of “Flash Light” and “One Nation Under A Groove” to the percussive piano runs of “Chocolate City” and “Give Up the Funk,” Bernie Worrell is synonymous with the legacy of Parliament-Funkadelic; in fact, he’s one of the originators of the psychedelic funk sound, having written and co-produced the lion’s share of the music going back to Funkadelic’s formative years, with an eclectic ear for everything from Chopin to the Chi-Lites.
These days the terms “living legend” or “funk icon” really don’t come close to doing him justice. “Funk iconoclast” is probably more apt, considering the breadth of Worrell’s contributions to seminal albums outside the P-Funk canon—including Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense and Public Image Ltd’s Album, to name two of the more monolithic examples. Keith Richards, Yoko Ono, Bootsy Collins, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Mos Def, Sly & Robbie, Deee-Lite, Bill Laswell and many more have recruited him in the studio and on tour—all for his versatility, vision and feverish creativity whenever he gets his hands on a keyboard.
June, 2011 saw the release of "Bernie Worrell: Standards" -- Bernie's take on jazz standards -- precipitating the decision by Worrell and co-producer, Evan Taylor to "take the show on the road". The Bernie Worrell Orchestra performs with a nine piece band consisting of two guitarists, two drummers, bass, percussion and a three piece horn section that performs songs from this album but also songs from Bernie's vast repertoire. The enthusiastic response from fellow musicians means you just don't know who will show up to join the BWO on stage!!!!
|
 |
| Big Sam's Funky Nation |
|
| Big Sam's Funky Nation
‘Big’ Sam Williams, trombone & vocals / Andrew Baham, trumpet & vocals / Andrew Block, guitar / Chocolate MILK, drums / Eric Vogel, bass
Hailing from New Orleans as the former trombone player of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Big Sam always entertains audiences with his exhilarating brand of high-voltage funk, rock, jazz, and hip-hop, termed “Noladelic Powerfunk.” The San Francisco Chronicle asserts “[Big Sam is] the top man on the slide trombone in the birthplace of jazz.”
Accompanying Big Sam are Andrew Baham on Trumpet/Vocals, Takeshi Shimmura on Guitar, Chocolate MILK on Drums and Eric Vogel on Bass. Together, BIG SAM’S FUNKY NATION engages and delights audiences across the country with their high energy performance and showmanship. Big Sam’s Funky Nation has wowed crowds at major festivals and events, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Gathering of the Vibes, SXSW, Jam Cruise and countless others. According to the Associated Press, “Big Sam’s Funky Nation, one of New Orleans’ most energetic brass bands, had a crowd of thousands on its feet at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.” BSFN has also been featured on "LIVE! with Regis & Kelly," and more recently, in HBO's original series, "Treme," where the band performs one of their songs for a Mardi Gras event, and Big Sam plays himself in multiple episodes, including scenes with Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint as they recorded the acclaimed Grammy-nominated album, River in Reverse.
Though the band is continuously on the road, playing major music festivals and venues nationwide and abroad, BIG SAM’S FUNKY NATION is also available for private engagements such as weddings, campus events, and corporate functions. A Big Sam show is one not to be missed, and one that your audience will talk about for ages to come.
|
 |
| Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber |
|
| Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber
Greg Tate, conduction, guitar, laptop / Mikel Banks, vocals, conduction, freak-a-phone / Meah Pace, vocals / Shelley Nicole, vocals / Mazz Swift, electric violin, vocals / Micah Gaugh, alto sax / V Jeffery Smith, tenor sax / "Moist" Paula Henderson, bari sax / Andre Lassalle, guitar / Bruce Mack, keyboards/vocals / Jared Michael Nickerson, electric bass / LaFrae Sci, drums
Founded by monster bassist Jared Michael Nickerson and Village Voice icon Greg "Ionman" Tate in 1999, Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber is a sprawling band of musicians whose prodigious personnel allows the "Sugar" to freely juggle a wide swath of the experimental soul-jazz-hip hop spectrum. This very accomplished crew has playing credits that range from Melvin Van Peebles, Toshi Reagon, Gordon Gano, DJ Logic, TV On The Radio, Tamar Kali, Phish, William Parker, The The, Liz Wright, Freedy Johnston, The Holmes Brothers, Wadada Leo Smith, Gary Lucas, David Murray, Charlie Musselwhite and Joseph Bowie.
Arkestra Conductor Greg Tate says, "Burnt Sugar got the nerve to claim Sly Stone, Morton Feldman, Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix and Jean Luc Ponty as progenitiors. Our player-ranks include known Irish fiddlers, AACM refugees, Afro-punk rejects, unrepentant beboppers, feminist rappers, jitterbugging doowoppers, frankly loud funk-a-teers and rodeo stars of the digital divide."
After two years spent performing the musics of Melvin Van Peebles, Miles Davis, David Bowie and James Brown in venues as disparate as Lincoln Center, The Apollo Theatre, Sons d'hiver Festival in Paris France and Rikers Island Prison, Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber returns to it's conducted improvisational form to celebrate the release of their new studio album 'ALL YA NEEDS THAT NEGROCITY' (AVANT GROIDD MUSICA ) available at internet and physical retailers now.
|
 |
| Chris Morrissey |
|
| Chris Morrissey w/ Aaron Parks, Mark Guiliana, Ben Wendel, Nir Felder Chris Morrissey, bass / Mark Guiliana, drums / Aaron Parks, piano / Ben Wendel, saxophone / Nir Felder, guitar
NPR's A Blog Supreme placed Chris Morrissey's debut release "The Morning World" (Sunnyside) #3 on a list of 5 records you should play for people who think they don't like jazz. The Minnesotan left his beloved home state and musical hotbed in 2008 for New York and has been climbing steadily in the big apple's music scene ever since, turning heads in the jazz press and enlisting the help of some of the community's brightest musicians. Here he makes his Winter Jazz Fest debut with Mark Guiliana on drums, Aaron Parks on piano, Ben Wendel on saxophone and Nir Felder on guitar. You can also hear Chris' music in his rock band Taurus.
|
 |
| Cindy Blackman-Santana's Another Lifetime |
|
| Cindy Blackman-Santana's Another Lifetime w/ Marc Cary, Felix Pastorius, Aurelien Budynek
Cindy Blackman-Santana, drums / Marc Cary, keyboards / Aurelien Budynek, electric guitar / Felix Pastorius, electric bass
Cindy Blackman-Santana is a virtuoso drummer whose artistry spans the realms of jazz and rock. As a bandleader and as a musician, Cindy is a sound innovator with a passion for pushing creative boundaries and exploring movement and change. She is as known for the nuances and colors she brings to her beats and fills as she is for the sheer power of her soulful playing. “Some drummers act, some react. Some keep time, others create it. Cindy Blackman-Santana is among the few who can,” writes Mike Zwerin for the International Herald Tribune.
Cindy has been creating magnificent musical time and space since the beginning of her career as a busking street performer in New York City in the ’80s through the present day, touring the globe and making albums at the top of her game—including her latest, the critically acclaimed Another Lifetime (2010). In addition to collaborating onstage and in-studio with her own group—also known as Another Lifetime—she has toured and recorded with artists including Pharoah Sanders, Cassandra Wilson, Bill Laswell, Joss Stone, Joe Henderson, Buckethead, Don Pullen, Hugh Masakela, and Angela Bofill. From 1993 to 2007, she was also the drummer in Lenny Kravitz’s band, through multiple world tours and hit albums.
Most recently, Cindy has been sitting in with Santana. While substituting for Dennis Chambers at a Santana show in early 2010, Cindy and Carlos sparked a relationship, on and off the stage, that led to their Marriage in 2010. In addition to her work with Another Lifetime, Cindy & Carlos plan to collaborate on projects that will no doubt reflect their shared passion for improvisation, and belief in the transcendent nature of music.
|
 |
| Curtis Hasselbring's New Mellow Edwards |
|
| Curtis Hasselbring's New Mellow Edwards
Curtis Hasselbring, trombone & guitar / Chris Speed, tenor saxophone & clarinet / Mary Halvorson, guitar / Matt Moran, vibraphone / Trevor Dunn, bass / Satoshi Takieshi, drums & percussion / Ches Smith, drums & percussion
The New Mellow Edwards is a quartet that defies traditional jazz conventions and favors primal garage rock-derived grooves, textural explorations and unusual song structures. The repertiore of the group can be humerous, dark, accessible and exciting, often simultaneously. Led by trombonist/composer Curtis Hasselbring, the band also features Chris Speed (clarinet and saxophone), Trevor Dunn (bass) and John Hollenbeck (drums).
The New Mellow Edwards' self-titled debut album made many top ten lists for 2006, included the #2 spot in the Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll for best debut and several critics' year end top 10 lists. In April of 2009 the band released their second recording, "Big Choantza" (Skirl 10), which features eight Hasselbring originals as well as a cover of the Sonic Youth classic, "Youth Against Fascism".
This evening's performance centers around a large version of the group featuring guests Mary Halvorson (guitar), Matt Moran (vibraphone) and Satoshi Takeishi (drums and percussion). Ches Smith will be playing drums instead of John Hollenbeck.
The group will be performing a piece titled "Number Stations" which is inspired by shortwave radio stations that broadcast random series of five digit numbers. "Number Stations" by Curtis Hasselbring and the New Mellow Edwards has been made possible with support from Chamber Music America's 2010 New Jazz Works: Commissioning and Ensemble Development program funded through the generosity of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
|
 |
| David Murray's Cuban Ensemble |
|
| David Murray's Cuban Ensemble David Murray, tenor sax / Antonio Zamora, alto sax / Jay Rodriguez, tenor sax / Dennis Yuri Hernandez, Trumpet / Shareef Clayton, Trumpet / Terry Greene II, trombone / Eddy Mauricio Herrera Tamayo, piano / Edgar Pantoja Aleman, drums / Jaribu Shahid, bass / Yusnier Sanchez Bustamante, percussions
Over the course of four decades, the saxophonist, composer and bandleader David Murray has created a body of work remarkable for its magnitude (over 150 albums), importance (a Grammy Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Bird Award, a Danish Jazz Bar Prize, etc.) and breadth (co-founding iconic bands such as the World Saxophone Quartet, and performing with everyone from the Grateful Dead to the Gwo Ka Masters of Guadeloupe to The Roots).
The album is based on two recordings that were as improbable 50 years ago as Murray’s excavation of them is today. Released in 1958 and 1962, respectively, Cole Español and More Cole en Español found Cole singing melodies from Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Argentina:Osvaldo Farrés’s “Quizás, quizás, quizás,” Richard Egues’s “El bodeguero,” and Bobby Capo’s “Piel canela,” to name a wide-ranging few. On his album, otherwise comprised of covers (of covers), Murray includes one original, which is also a Cole tribute, entitled “Black Nat.”
Murray’s approach to the material was similarly committed to authenticity. To play his new arrangements, Murray assembled some of the best Cuban musicians and formed the 10-piece David Murray Cuban Ensemble. After performing together for several months, the group recorded in Buenos Aires. To the big band, Murray added an equally sizable string section: 11 members of the Sinfonieta of Sines, which he recorded in Portugal. The tango singer Daniel Melingo, the tango revivalist and Pedro Almodóvar collaborator, contributes to four tracks, while the bandoneón player Juanjo Mosalini performs on one.
|
 |
| DJ Spinna |
|
| DJ Spinna
John Coltrane is best known for weaving together evolved spiritual consciousness with virtuosic jazz chops. Less well known is that he was also an incredible balladeer whose interpretations of romantic classics have survived the tests of time. Nina Simone is best known for combining uncompromising social critique with witty song writing and her distinctively strong yet sultry vocals. However, she was also a Julliard trained piano wizard. ... And so it is: some of our most talented shine so brightly in one aspect that we scarcely recognize the breadth of their gifts. DJ Spinna is one of those talents. DJ Spinna (www.djspinna.com) is a creative talent who globally and musically transcends genres and limitations. An extraordinary deejay, producer, remixer, and music historian, DJ Spinna possesses a remarkable mix of musical abilities. Spinna's only parameter is that his work must evoke a fresh take on the timeless sounds of soulful music. DJ Spinna made one of his first impressions on listeners as the producer of The Jigmastas and went on to become a cornerstone of hip hop's golden era providing the musical canvas for lyrical giants like Eminem, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Pharaohe Monch. He produced timeless classics with the likes of J-Live, Mr. Complex and The Polyrhythm Addicts and collaborated with hip-hop legends like Sadat X & Grand Puba of Brand Nubian, Masta Ace, Guru, and The Jungle Brothers. At the same time, Spinna built a reputation as a crucial remixer reworking major label hits for the likes of De La Soul, Das EFX, and MC Eiht.
Soon he was turning out remixes for A-List artists from a range of styles including a Mary J. Blige, George Michael duet and a hard-driving soulful remix of Michael Jackson’s "We're Almost There" commissioned by Motown Records. He went on to rework classic marvels by Donald Byrd, Eddie Kendricks, Betty Carter, Roy Ayers, Al Jarreau, and Stevie Wonder. He also remixed cutting edge acts like 4 Hero, the Brand New Heavies, the J Dilla bred Platinum Pied Pipers, Bay Area songstress Goapele, and the trans-Atlantic soul duo, Les Nubian. Spinna even left an indelible mark on the house music scene with his now world-famous remix of Shawn Escoffery's "Days Like This."
|
 |
| Dominick Farinacci |
|
| Dominick Faranacci Dominick Farinacci, trumpet / Donald Vega, piano / Yasushi Nakamura, bass / Lawrence Leathers, drums / Keita Ogawa, percussion
Quincy Jones said “this kid is 360 degrees” after Dominick performed for him in Bel Air, and upon releasing his first U.S. CD (Lovers, Tales & Dances) he was invited to perform at the 02 in London opening for British stars Jamie Cullum and Jeff Beck. In response to selections recorded with strings on his last release, he appeared at Severance Hall with the Cleveland Orchestra for their 2010 Gala. When he was just 17, Wynton Marsalis asked Dominick to perform with him on a PBS Special at Lincoln Center, and shortly after, he was selected as one of 18 musicians worldwide to be part of the inaugural class of the Jazz Studies Program at The Juilliard School.
While gaining recognition from luminaries spanning such a wide and diverse musical genre, Dominick has been newly appointed as the 2011-2012 Artist in Residence at the Creative Center for the Arts in Cleveland, a new state-of-the-art educational facility that houses the Tri-C Jazz Studies Program and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Archives. Here he will continue to develop and implement his new educational outreach program around the region and further establish partnerships with prestigious organizations such as the National Jazz Museum in Harlem
Dominick has headlined at many major festivals and clubs both nationally and internationally including Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Birdland, Yoshi’s, Scullers, the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Detroit International Jazz Festival, the Tri-C JazzFest and both the Toronto and Montreal Jazz Festivals in Canada. He has toured Japan regularly since 2003, and has performed in Korea, Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom. He has performed and/or recorded with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Barron, Mulgrew Miller, Lewis Nash, Ron Carter, Joe Lovano, Jimmy Heath and Benny Golson.
|
 |
| ERIMAJ |
|
| ERIMAJ Jamire Williams, woods & skins / Corey King, fender rhodes, synths, trombone / Chris Turner, vocals / Matthew Stevens, guitar / Vicente Archer, bass / Burniss Earl Travis, auxiliary bass
Jamire Williams is on fire. A thriving, pulsing, ball of energy channeled through creative genius and restless ambition. He is an innovator. A mad scientist. A world-renowned musician, producer and bandleader. ERIMAJ is the manifestation of all this. An outlet for the abstract mind of Jamire Williams - a vision, described by the New York Times as “music...properly new, part of something larger, and still unnamed.” With their first EP, “Memo To All,” completed and available, ERIMAJ has recorded a full-length album entitled "Conflict Of A Man" and released the title single now available on iTunes. Spearheaded by the collaborative writing style of Williams and Corey King, the band features talented vocalist Chris Turner, dynamic guitarist Matthew Stevens along with bassist Vicente Archer and Burniss Earl Travis. With a new sound and experimental attitude towards the art form ERIMAJ is focused on breaking down the genre walls while still capturing the hearts of the true listener.
Originally from Houston, Texas, Jamire displayed a God-given talent on the drums from a very early age. He is a graduate of Houston’s Grammy Award winning High School for the Performing & Visual Arts, which has also produced the likes of Beyonce Knowles and super-producer Brian-Michael Cox, among others. After moving to New York City, he received his B.F.A. in Jazz and Contemporary Music from The New School University and was a recipient of the Young Beacon of Music award. Recently, Jamire was selected by Downbeat Magazine 2010 Critic’s Poll as a Rising Star on the drums. Jamire has toured, performed and/or recorded with such notable artists as John Mayer, Solange Knowles, Christian Scott, Robert Glasper, Corrine Bailey Rae, Bilal, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Jason Moran, Renee Neufville, Kenny Garrett, Terence Blanchard, GURU, Cubic Zirconia, DJ Logic, Gretchen Parlato and others.
|
 |
| Fabian Almazan & Strings |
|
| Fabian Almazan & Strings Fabian Almazan, piano / Linda Oh, bass / Henry Cole, drums / Jenny Scheinman: Violin. I / Megan Gould, violin. II / Karen Waltuch, viola / Noah Hoffeld, cello
Pianist and composer Fabian Almazan, a native of Cuba now residing in New York City, found his musical roots as a child in his homeland of Havana where he first became involved in the classical piano tradition. When his parents could not afford to pay for private piano lessons, having fled Cuba in political exile to Miami, FL, pianist Conchita Betancourt was gracious enough to impart free lessons for over three years. Thanks to Mrs. Betancourt's exceeding generosity, Fabian was able to audition for the New World School of the Arts High School in Miami, FL where he studied from 1998 to 2002.
In 2002 Fabian was selected for the piano chair in the National 2002 Grammy High School Jazz Combo. The following year, Almazan won the piano chair for the newly up and running Brubeck Institute fellowship program based in northern California where he studied with Mark Levine and performed with Dave Brubeck and Christian McBride. In 2003, Fabian moved to New York City to study with Kenny Barron at the Manhattan School of Music. During the completion of his bachelor's degree, Almazan immersed himself in the realm of orchestral composition studying instrumentation and orchestration with Mr. Giampaolo Bracali. Under Mr. Bracali's tutelage, Almazan composed several pieces for orchestra and chamber ensembles. In the spring of 2009 Fabian Almazan received a master's degree from Manhattan School of Music, selected as a recipient of the Michael W. Greene Scholarship, studying privately with Jason Moran.
Fabian Almazan received the Cintas Foundation 2010/11 Brandon Fradd Award in Music Composition. The award has been granted to many Cuban artists who have gone on to play an influential role in the development of Cuban cultural heritage. Almazan was also selected as one of six composers to participate in the Sundance Composers’ Lab 2011 where he studied with such acclaimed film composers as Harry Gregson-Williams, Alan Silvestri, George S. Clinton, Christopher Young, Ed Shearmur and Peter Golub. Personalities, Fabian’s debut album, has was released October 2011 and it featured Linda Oh, Henry Cole, Meg Okura, Megan Gould, Karen Waltuch and Noah Hoffeld. The release was featured on Itunes during its first week receiving worldwide attention. For the past four years Fabian has been the pianist for the Terence Blanchard Group and has toured North and South America, Asia and Europe extensively. Almazan has had the opportunity to share the stage with such artists as Gretchen Parlato, Paquito D'Rivera, Christian Scott, Chris Dingman, David Sanchez, Stefon Harris, Kendrick Scott and Ambrose Akinmusire among others.
|
 |
| Gilad Hekselman |
|
| Gilad Hekselman 4tet w/ Mark Turner, Joe Martin, Marcus Gilmore Gilad Hekselman, guitar / Mark Turner, saxophone / Joe Martin, double bass / Marcus Gilmore, drums
Since his arrival to New York in 2004, Gilad Hekselman has been earning a reputation as one of the most promising guitarists in New York. In only four years this native Israeli has shared the stage with many top names from the New York jazz scene including Chris Potter, Mark Turner, John Scofield, Anat Cohen, Sam Yahel, Jeff Ballard, Gretchen Parlato, Avishai E. Cohen, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, Ari Hoenig, Tigran Hamasyan, Aaron Parks, Greg Hutchinson, Reuben Rogers, François Moutin and Eric McPhearson. He has played the Blue Note, The Jazz Gallery, Smalls, 55 Bar, Dizzy's Club, Minton's Playhouse, and toured in Switzerland, Japan, Scotland, Canada, Norway, Hungary, and Israel. He has also played in world famous Jazz festivals such as Montreux JF, Duke Ellington JF, San Francisco JF and Tel Aviv JF.
Gilad is the Winner of the 2005 Gibson Montreux International Guitar Competition. A string of performance dates followed that achievement in 2006, highlighted by the Gibson Les Paul guitar he received from Claude Nobs: he opened for guitar legend Paco De Lucia at the Montreux Jazz Festival, performed at the IAJE conference in New York, at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola - Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Gilad's debut album SplitLife released by Smalls Records in the summer of 2006 and featuring bassist Joe Martin and drummer Ari Hoenig, received rave reviews from the press. In June 2008, Gilad’s second album Words Unspoken was released by LateSet Records. The album, featuring bassist Joe Martin, drummer Marcus Gilmore and tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm, has already started getting attention by the press and by the jazz community. This year, Gilad will take part in a CD by Walt Disney Records called Disney Jazz. His music will be presented among pieces performed by artists such as Dave Brubeck, Joshua Redman, Diane Reeves, Roy Hargrove, and many other jazz legends.
|
 |
| Gregoire Maret Quartet |
|
| Gregoire Maret Quartet Gregoire Maret, harmonica / Frederico Gonzalez Pena, piano / Ben Williams, bass / Clarence Penn, drums
Gregoire Maret was born in 1975 in Geneva, Switzerland and began playing the harmonica at age 17. His childhood was filled with a diverse array of musical influences from his Harlem born, African- American mother and his Swiss father, a local jazz musician.
Upon graduating from the prestigious Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Genève, Gregoire made the critical decision to move to New York City to pursue Jazz studies at the New School University. Over time Maret honed his craft, becoming one of the most sought after harmonica players in the world. He has developed his own unique sound and his versatile style enables him to play effortlessly across different musical genres. He is often compared to legends Toots Thielemans and Stevie Wonder and has worked with an incredible list of musicians including Pat Metheny, Youssn’Dour, Me' Shell Ndegeocello, David Sanborn, George Benson, Cassandra Wilson, Herbie Hancock and Sting.
In 2005, Grégoire toured with the Pat Metheny Group, receiving a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. He also won the Jazz Journalists Association ‘Player of the Year Award’. After his Grammy win, Maret embarked on a two-year tour with the world-class bassist Marcus Miller and subsequently joined Herbie Hancock’s band.
After spending years on the road, Maret was asked by Suzuki Harmonica to assist in creating his own Gregoire Maret G-48 and G-48W Signature Chromatic Harmonica series. He provided critical advice on the materials used as well as other intricate aspects, consequently contributing to the production of high quality instruments of which all participants are proud of today. Maret continues to record and tour with notable musicians and co-leads the trio Gaïa, with pianist Federico Gonzales Peña and drummer Gene Lake. Grégoire is currently working on his first solo recording project, which will be released in 2012.
|
 |
| Herculeum |
|
| Herculaneum Dylan Ryan, drums / David McDonnell, alto saxophone / Nick Broste, trombone / Nate Lepine, tenor saxophone and flute / Patrick Newbery, trumpet / Greg Danek, bass
What began as drummer Dylan Ryan's side project between Icy Demons and Michael Columbia has, over four recordings, evolved into something of a Chicago mainstay. The Beefheartian angularity of the early records has given way to post-fusion Wayne Shorter style soloing over heavier Afro rhythms. The stripped down rhythm section of bass and drums allows plenty of space for the four-horn frontline to paint fluidly over the grooves.
Over the past three years, these gentlemen have been seen jamming with the likes of everyone from indie big dogs Wilco, TV On The Radio, Cursive and Broken Social Scene, to east coast free-form fire-breathers Daniel Carter and Paul Flaherty. Somehow, six of the busiest players in Chicago found the time to record their fourth record, Olives & Orchids.
|
 |
| Jason Ajemian's Highlife |
|
| Jason Ajemian's Highlife Peter Hanson, alto saxophone & vocals / Jaimie Branch, trumpet & vocals / Owen Stewart-Robertson, guitar & vocals / Nick Jenkins, drums & vocals / Jason Ajemian, bass & vocals
"Ajemian's poems serve as signposts; the scores, created in the architectural drafting program AutoCAD, guide the musicians through musical hallways to unexpected locales. His blueprints dictate the flow and direction of the set, opening the performers up to visual and descriptive influences, leading them through a unique musical landscape of American folk forms, Native American chants, Canadian sea shanties, jazz expressive motion and balladry. Contrary to defining boundaries, in Ajemian’s blueprints the line work links musical worlds. Constellations of sound change in an instant, like passing thoughts or a shooting star that burns out in the sky. Ajemian innovates while embracing multiple genres without prejudice, representing the digital mechanisms and the information super-highway that teleport us from all over the world in a blink. A fearless and thoughtful approach, with free improvisation he stitches a unique dreamlike logic."
|
 |
| JD Walter |
|
| JD Walter JD Walter, vocals / Jim Ridl, piano / Donald Edwards, drums / Luques Curtis, bass
JD Walter is a jazz singers singer – a purist and an innovator. His style has been compared to many vocal titans, but it is uniquely his own and he has become a singular phenomenon on the music scene. Respected and lauded by the great musicians of the contemporary circuit, JD has shared the stage with many legendary artists including: Dave Liebman, Tom Harrell, Bob Dorough, Billy Hart, Nicholas Payton, Jean-Michel Pilc, Bill Evans, Mark Murphy, Greg Hutchinson, Ari Hoenig, Randy Brecker, Tim Warfield, Jim Ridl, Orrin Evans, Seamus Blake and Craig Handy.
JD has currently recorded six CD's. "Sirens in the C-House" , "Clear Day", "Dedicated to You", "2Bass, a Face and a Little Skin", "Live in Portugal" and“Live at the 55Bar. His releases have helped expand his listening audience from the shores of America to Europe, Russia and the Far East. JD has been a guest artist on many CD's, is also a member of pianist Orrin Evans Luvpark band, with two releases on Imani Records (‘04, ‘07) as well as performing three songs on trumpeter Sean Jones release "Kaleidoscope" on Mack Avenue Records. JD has been a featured artist at countless American jazz festivals and clubs, performed at numerous festivals in Europe, the Middle East, Central America and toured Russia over 30 times, performing in over 100 cities. He has performed numerous clinics for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Music Educators National Conference, taught at the prestigious Sebelius Conservatory in Helsinki Finland, Jazz Palau De Valencia in Spain, Ionian University in Greece, The University of North Texas, New Orleans University, The Moscow Music Consort and the Kazan Music Conservatory in Russia. He is a regular on the music scene in New York, having headlined at such venues as Lincoln Center, The Jazz Standard, The Blue Note, The Jazz Gallery, Joe's Pub, The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Sweet Rhythm and Smoke, and the famed 55 Bar. He currently resides in New York City, teaches at The Aaron Copland School of Music, The New School, and The Prince Claus Conservatory in Groningen, Holland.
|
 |
| Jenny Scheinman's Mischief & Mayhem |
|
| Jenny Scheinman's Mischief & Mayhem
Jenny Scheinman, violin / Nels Cline, guitar / Trevor Dunn, bass / Jim Black, drums
The luminous aspects of the violinist’s songbook take a backseat when
she leads this wonderfully frenzied outfit. Nels Cline’s cyclone guitar work is
often up front, but the music’s architecture demands full participation from
all, so drummer Jim Black’s pummels and bassist Todd Sickafoose’s tub-thumping
are crucial. Neat trick: even Scheinman’s most menacing squalls have a bit of
romance to them. - Jim Macnie for the Village Voice
|
 |
| Jerseyband |
|
| Jerseyband Ted Poor, drums / Mike Chiavaro, bass / Alex Hamlin, baritone saxophone / Ed RosenBerg, tenor saxophone / Matt Blanchard, tenor saxophone / Brent Madsen, trumpet
Jerseyband, a collective of two tenor saxes, baritone sax, trumpet, bass, and drums play what they call, "lungcore" - A new genre that infuses a horn-driven band with heavy metal sensibilities. Originating in 1999, Jerseyband experiments with principles and textures unconventional to the standard jazz style such as avoiding the traditional "head solo head" song forms, the use of vocal screaming, slap tongue, and perverse orchestration i.e. imagine three saxophones each representing the bottom three strings of one distorted guitar playing power chords. Although they're serious in their dedication to the flawless execution of whirlwind passages consisting of odd rhythms and difficult runs, an air of humor always pervades throughout their set. Living by the motto,"don't take yourself too seriously", their performances include the use of costumes, impromptu stage choreography and the occasional interpretive dance.
Their 7th forthcoming independent release, titled "Forever Hammer" is due out early 2012 and features detuned guitars in addition to their regular six members. Learn more at their website: www.jerseyband.com
|
| Jesse Fischer & Soul Cycle featuring special guest Casey Benjamin Jerome Jennings, drums / David Linaburg, guitar / Shawn Banks, percussion / Josh David, bass
The keyboardist behind Atlantic recording artist Laura Izibor, Brooklyn-based Jesse Fischer is an important new voice in jazz and soul music. Appearing with Stevie Wonder on the eve of President Obama’s inauguration, he has also toured the world with Izibor, as well as performing with legendary R&B crooner Freddie Jackson, Afro-European soulster Celia Faussart (from Les Nubians), Stax recording artist N’Dambi, and hip-hop legends Black Moon. A triple threat as a musician, engineer, and producer, Fischer self-produced and independently released four critically-acclaimed albums with his group Soul Cycle. His television credits include Conan O’Brien, Craig Ferguson, the Mo’Nique Show, BET’s Rising Icons, Jools Holland, 90210, and One Tree Hill.
Fischer’s group Soul Cycle is crafting a fresh new hybrid sound, with eclectic influences ranging from 70’s-era fusion jazz, Memphis soul, singer-songwriter pop, and psychedelic rock. With a strong emphasis on catchy, infectious grooves and memorable melodies, Jesse’s compositions easily cross boundaries between jazz, soul, and pop music, and Soul Cycle has a strong band identity remiscient of fusion groups like the Headhunters, Weather Report, and Roy Ayers’ Ubiquity. Onaje Allan Gumbs calls the collective, “talented and eclectic musicians who know how to think outside of the box.”
Fischer’s eagerly awaited upcoming record with Soul Cycle, Homebrew, was released September 27, 2011, and features collaborations with Stefon Harris, Gretchen Parlato, Sean Jones, Rogiérs, and Jean Caze. The first single, a cover of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend” featuring Gretchen Parlato, is already getting airplay throughout the U.S. and Europe, and critics are gushing about its “updated, soulful polish” (John Book, thisisbooksmusic.com) and calling it a “charming remake” that’s “jazzy and soulful, with Parlato delivering a mesmerizing vocal performance” (Kim Hines, soulbounce.com).
|
 |
| Joel Harrison String Choir: The Music of Paul Motion |
|
| Joel Harrison String Choir: The Music of Paul Motian Joel Harrison, Liberty Ellman, guitars / Christian Howes, Sam Bardfeld, violins / Mat Maneri, viola / Dave Eggar, cello
Ten years in the making, String Choir finds Harrison intrepidly delivering a lushly orchestrated style of music that is a meld of improvisational jazz and classical chamber music. The wellspring: largely the compositions of iconic jazz drummer Paul Motian, who is not only a legendary bandleader but also served as time keeper for, most famously, Bill Evans, as well as Thelonious Monk (two tunes, one from each pianist’s songbook, are also included here).
Writing in the liner notes to String Choir, Harrison pays homage: “Paul Motian has written a remarkable number of highly original tunes, especially for his trio with Joe Lovano and Bill Frisell. His singular, underappreciated sound is at once quizzical, playful, melancholy and fierce, more suggestion than declaration. I arranged his pieces according to my own vision, yet trying to capture Paul’s elusive approach to drumming and writing.”
In doing so, Harrison notes that “the task was formidable.” He says, “This was a new challenge. The process was so different and so unusual from what I’d done before. The trick was in balancing the classical-oriented part and the improvisation. I’m stuck in between two styles, which actually makes the recording feel on the edge. Each tune suggested a different approach—some were more free, some were through-composed.”
Harrison also wanted to keep his own personality as an artist in the mix. “I spent a tremendous amount of time rewriting so that I could find a voice that was mine in Paul’s music,” he says. “I wanted to give the tunes a chamber music feel as well as my own sense of harmony while at the same time the flow that’s so present in Paul’s music. But it couldn’t be the free-flying feel that Paul has because I decided not to have bass and drum in the mix.”
Guitarist, composer, and vocalist Joel Harrison has developed a singular voice through immersion in jazz, modern classical, world traditions, and American roots music. His rejection of stylistic boundaries has led him to freely wander wherever inspiration is found, from inner city blues bars to the finest concert halls. Harrison has released twelve cds of his own compositions and arrangements since 1995, on labels such as ACT, Intuition, Highnote, and Sunnyside. Harrison is a 2010 Guggenheim Fellow.
|
 |
| John Medeski |
|
| John Medeski solo John Medeski, piano
As the keyboardist in the trailblazing instrumental trio Medeski Martin & Wood, solo performer, film composer, and producer, collaborator and sideman with countless other artists, John Medeski has channeled transformative forces with uncanny power and imagination. A skilled composer and whirling-dervish improviser, he consistently wrings sonic revelations from acoustic and electric piano, Hammond organ, Clavinet, Mellotron, assorted synthesizers and other instruments. Thanks to the intercession of his mentor and jazz luminary, Bob Moses, Medeski landed gigs with the likes of Dewey Redman and the Either/Orchestra; on one of the latter dates he met a bassist named
Chris Wood. It took Billy Martin, another Moses referral, to complete the picture. In 1991, Medeski Martin & Wood was born. In addition to a spate of adventurous releases, Medeski Martin & Wood have collaborated with jazz guitar firebrand John Scofield, backed up artists like R&B sax giant Maceo Parker and glam-punk icon Iggy Pop, built the ingenious, multi-disc compilation Radiolarians: The Evolutionary Set, made a movie (the 2009 band doc Fly in a Bottle) and even run a yearly camp for aspiring musicians.
|
 |
| Julian Lage Group |
|
| Julian Lage Group Julian Lage, guitar / Jorge Roeder, bass / Tupac Mantilla, percussion / Aristides Rivas, cello / Dan Blake, sax
Hailed by All About Jazz as "a giant in the making," Julian Lage grew up in California and was the subject of an Academy Award-nominated documentary, Jules at Eight. He gained pivotal early exposure as a protégé of legendary vibraphonist Gary Burton, recording and touring with Burton on three projects: Generations (2004), Next Generation (2005), and Common Ground (2010). Other recent high-profile sideman appearances include Lucky To Be Me and Let It Come To You by longtime friend and close collaborator, pianist Taylor Eigsti. Following his Grammy-nominated 2009 debut Sounding Point, Lage’s latest release is the evocative and finely wrought Gladwell - the second effort by his offbeat, eclectic group with cellist Aristides Rivas, percussionist Tupac Mantilla, bassist Jorge Roeder and saxophonist Dan Blake. In reviewing the new album Downbeat Magazine writes, "The Julian Lage Group is one of the best up-and-coming ensembles in improvised music today."
|
 |
| Justin Brown Group |
|
| Justin Brown Group Fabian Almazan, fender Rhodes & piano / Burness Travis, electric bass / Matthew Stevens, guitar / Special guest Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet / Justin Brown, drums
Born in Richmond,CA Justin Brown is dazzling audiences around the world with his unique diversified style and musical sensibility. Currently a resident of NYC, this 27 year old is determine to constantly develop spiritually, musically and matriculate to be suitable to articulate any musical genre authentically. Brown graduated from the Dave Brubeck Institute and received a full scholarship to Juilliard. Upon his arrival Brown found himself privileged to be a sideman for such notable artist like Kenny Garret, Christian Mcbride, Stefon Harris, and Yosvany Terry. Now as a regular member of the Gerald Clayton Trio, Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, and working with artist Gretchen Parlato, Esperanza Spalding, Terence Blanchard, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, " this powerful propulsive young drummer " (NY times) is constantly reevaluating himself to master his gift and talent for his ultimate goal is not express how music he knows but to utilize his technical eclectic competence to release into the atmosphere pure honest emotional expression.
|
 |
| Lakecia Benjamin and Soul Squad |
|
| Lakecia Benjamin and Soul Squad Lakecia Benjamin, saxophone, vocals, effects / Chris Rob, keys & vocals / Louis Cato, bass / Joe Blaxx, drums / Jamiel Corneilo, guitar / Maurice Brown, trumpet / Melanie Charles, vocals
Saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, born and raised in New York City is a multi-faceted artist on the scene. International Globe Hopper Lakecia Has Played in Europe, Asia, South America, Russia and many other festivals throughout the world. Exploring the musical styles of Jazz, R &B, and. Ms. Benjamin has performed with artists Clark Terry, Rashid Ali, Joanne Brackeen, Vanessa Rubin and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. As well as performing with contemporary recording artists JT Taylor and Kool and the Gang, Stevie Wonder, and Alicia Keys. Not only Is Lakecia Noted for her work with some of the world’s greatest Musician’s you can find her As the saxophonist with Comedian Craig Robinson who is featured on “The Office” and the Hit movie “Pineapple Express”. Giving back to the community Lakecia also performs workshops as well as concerts at public schools, Festivals, and community events with organizations Jazz At Lincoln center and Arts Connection.
|
 |
| Laurence Hobgood |
|
| Laurence Hobgood Laurence Hobgood, piano / Joel Frahm, tenor sax / Todd Bashore, alto sax / Brandon Lee, trumpet / Jared Schonig, drums / Matthew Rybicki, bass
Best known for his collaboration with vocalist Kurt Elling, multiple Grammy nominee and 2010 Grammy winner Laurence Hobgood has enjoyed a multifaceted and dynamic career. Musical Director for Elling since 1995, he’s played on, composed/arranged for and co-produced each of Elling’s CDs, all Grammy-nominated. He has performed both with Elling and with his solo projects at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, Sydney Opera House, and many other of the world’s great venues and festivals. Elling and Hobgood also performed at the 2009 State Dinner given at the White House where President Obama welcomed India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
His latest solo CD, “When The Heart Dances”, a duet recording with iconic bassist Charlie Haden, has received worldwide critical acclaim, garnering 4-star reviews from Down Beat and the UK’s Mojo magazine among others. And Elling’s current (2011) CD, “The Gate”, co-produced by Elling and Hobgood with music legend Don Was, has received a nomination for the 2012 Grammys.
Hobgood’s excited to appear in the Winter Jazzfest. The sextet will be performing dynamic, new original compositions.
|
 |
| Lionel Loueke |
|
| Lionel Loueke Lionel Loueke, guitar and vocals / Michael Olatuja, bass / Mark Guiliana, drums
Lionel Loueke's story begins in Benin, a small country in West Africa, where he was born to parents that he describes as "intellectual," adding that "music was part of everyday life, but not in the family." Fortunately an older brother played guitar and was part of a band that played Afro-Pop music in the style of Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade.
In 1994, Lionel Loueke left Africa and moved to Paris to pursue Jazz studies, enrolling at the American School of Modern Music, a small conservatory run by several alumni of the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduation, Loueke was awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee, and so he left Paris and moved to the United States. It was at Berklee that he first met Massimo Biolcati and Ferenc Nemeth, the musicians who would become his core band. Through jam sessions, the trio developed an immediate rapport, in part fueled by internationalism. Biolcati is of Italian decent, but grew up in Sweden, while Nemeth was born and raised in Hungary. Both had extensively studied African music and were drawn to Loueke who was just beginning to fuse a Jazz technique with his African roots.
After graduating from Berklee, Loueke was accepted to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles along with Biolcati and Nemeth. The Monk Institute is a selective program that allows students to study and perform with some of the finest Jazz musicians in the world, including three legends that would nurture Loueke's burgeoning talent and become his greatest mentors: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard. "I flipped," says Hancock, recalling the moment he first heard Loueke's audition tape. "I'd never heard any guitar player play anything close to what I was hearing from him. There was no territory that was forbidden, and he was fearless!"
|
 |
| Lucy Woodward |
|
| Lucy Woodward
Chris Bullock, saxophone / Nate Townsley, drums / Michael League, bass / Henry Hey, keys / Bob Lanzetti, guitar / Andy Hunter, trombone / Mike Maher, trumpet / Lucy Woodward, lead vocal
An exceptional talent born in London and raised in New York City’s beloved Bronx, Lucy Woodward is already a veteran of the music business. Lucy's Atlantic Records 2003 debut album allowed her to tour internationally, as well as garner her significant press exposure including a spot on "The Tonight Show.” An award-winning songwriter, Lucy has written and recorded songs for several film soundtracks including most recently the Golden Globe-winning “The Blind Side.” Lucy’s second album, Lucy Woodward Is...Hot & Bothered garnered high praise from critics (“A steamy, string-kissed slice of retro British pop by a versatile singer/songwriter” proclaimed USA Today, while Billboard described how “Lucy's a ball, equally appreciable for fans of melodic sing-along baubles and highbrow aficionados of finely honed musical composition. A sonic turnstile that flips through dreamy pop, jazz and bluesy bebop”). Last year, Lucy signed with the legendary jazz label Verve Records, and released her third album, titled Hooked!. Produced by the legendary Tony Visconti (David Bowie, U2) along with contributions from Justin Stanley (Nikka Costa, Eric Clapton), Itaal Shur and Tim K., Hooked! Is in stores now. The album effortlessly moves across multiple genres, including vintage jazz, swing, rhythm & blues and Latin music. Along with her self-penned compositions, the album showcases Lucy’s stunning covers of Peggy Lee’s “San Souci,” and Hoagy Carmichael’s classic, “Stardust.” Songwriter’s Monthly says Lucy brings a "sultry intensity and scorching sensuality" to her bluesy jazz/pop performances – “a jaw-dropping listening experience." Lucy was recently featured as an “International Artist to Watch” in the all-important September issue of Italian Vogue. Lucy has spent the better part of 2011 touring across the US, both has a solo artist and as the special guest vocalist for the superstar act, Pink Martini. The Salt Lake City Tribune raved of Lucy’s performance with the band, saying "If Woodward were the original voice of Pink Martini, she might be considered the perfect fit for the band." But Lucy most enjoys performing with her own group. The Ventura County Star calls Lucy “An effortlessly engaging, deeply expressive vocalist and an insightful, charismatic and disarmingly witty songwriter.” She will soon embark on a tour overseas sponsored by the Armed Forces Entertainment Network, performing for American military stationed in Spain, Italy and Turkey. For more information about Lucy Woodward, please visit her website at www.lucywoodward.com.
|
 |
| Malika Zarra |
|
| Malika Zarra Malika Zarra, lead vocals, Francis Jacob, guitar / Jean-Christophe Maillard, saz / Mamadou Ba, bass / Harvey Wirht, drumsMalika Zarra is an inspiring new international voice, both influenced by jazz and bringing her own culture and creativity to the melting pot of the New York jazz scene. Born in Morocco, raised in France, this gifted composer, producer and singer has invented a new Moroccan world-jazz by tastefully using traditional North African chaâbi, as well as Berber and Gnawa polyrhythms to underpin her distinctly contemporary urban compositions, all the while maintaining a sophisticated improvisational modern jazz approach. Already considered a rising star in Africa, Zarra and her multi-national band recently appeared at Dakar’s prestigious International Black Arts Festival, where heads of state mingled with major African musicians like Youssou N’Dour and Angelique Kidjo.
The New York-based artist's latest release Berber Taxi was an NPR World Jazz Pick and has garnered praise from musicians and critics alike. John Zorn says "Malika Zarra is a rare and special voice," and Jazz Times writes "Zarra's timing is sharp, her command irrefutable and her instincts the mark of a leader." Zarra will soon be featured in a 13-part PBS special on Arabs making a unique contribution to American culture.
|
 |
| Marc Cary's Cosmic Indigenous |
|
| Marc Cary's Cosmic Indigenous f. Awa Sangho, Daniel Moreno and Igmar Thomas
Marc Cary, piano / Awa Sangho, vocals / Daniel Moreno, vocals / Igmar Thomas, trumpetMarc Cary’s group Cosmic Indigenous captures the elements and energies of cultural sounds infused with the essence of Africa, India, Native America and beyond. Marc Cary was hailed by Down Beat as one of the most, “multi-dimensional keyboard players on the scene today,” whose music reveals those multi-dimensions in sensual living color. Marc Cary’s continual search for his musical identity has brought him to all corners of the earth, quenching his thirst to bring forth indigenous music in all of its forms. Cary was among the pioneers of Washington, D.C.’s infamous "GO-GO" rhythms that defined that musical scene and are continuously being referenced in hip-hop and jazz. He was exposed to all types of musical genres. Marc started his musical journey playing the cello, trumpet, drums and piano. Classical music was very much a part of his training, however, jazz became his passion. At 18, he was playing with the Dizzy Gillespie Youth Ensemble at Wolf Trap. He has earned four Grammy® nominations for his ensemble work, most recently in 2009 for "Best Contemporary Jazz Album" as a participant in Stefon Harris's Blackout. His production work on Q-Tip's The Renaissance helped earn that disc a nomination for "Best Rap Album" of 2009. Cary’s seminal masterwork, Rhodes Ahead Vol 1., released in 2000 and considered by many to be a classic, earned him the first Annual Billboard/BET "Best New Jazz Artist Award." His collaborations in all musical genres across the board include work with Meshell Ndegeocello, Dizzy Gillespie, Betty Carter, Arthur Taylor, Abbey Lincoln, Erykah Badu, Max Roach, Shirley Horn, Jackie McLean, Seku Sundiata, Ani DiFranco, Cindy Blackman Santana, Wynton Marsalis and Roy Hargrove, among others.
The Cosmic Indigenous musicians performing with Marc are: Daniel Moreno on percussion – A prolific musician, producer and improvisational composer, Daniel Moreno started his musical career playing with artists like George Benson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Jo Cano, Manu and Willie Kahaialihi in Hawaii. He then moved to Brazil where he recorded the classic album Es Tamos Juntos and with the Angolan superstar Waldermar Bastoes featuring Chico Buargue. Daniel Moreno has performed in jazz and sacred music festivals, venues and universities all over the world collaborating with everyone from Pharoah Sanders and Les Paul to Roy Haynes and his musical conduit Don Cherry.
|
 |
| Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog |
|
| Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog Marc Ribot, guitar / Shahzad Ismaily, bass & electronics / Ches Smith, drums
Marc Ribot, who the New York Times describes as “a deceptively articulate artist who uses inarticulateness as an expressive device,” has released 19 albums under his own name over a 25-year career, exploring everything from the pioneering jazz of Albert Ayler to the Cuban son of Arsenio Rodríguez. His latest solo release, Silent Movies (Pi Recording 2010) has been described as a "down-inmouth-near master piece" by the Village Voice and has landed on several Best of 2010 lists including the LA Times and critical praise across the board.
Rolling Stone points out that “Guitarist Marc Ribot helped Tom Waits refine a new, weird Americana on 1985's Rain Dogs, and since then he's become the go-to guitar guy for all kinds of roots-music adventurers: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Elvis Costello, John Mellencamp.” Additional recording credits include Elton John/Leon Russell’s latest The Union, Solomon Burke, John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards, Marianne Faithful, Joe Henry, Allen Toussaint, Medeski Martin & Wood, Caetono Veloso, Susana Baca, Allen Ginsburg, Madeline Peyroux, Nora Jones, Jolie Holland, Akiko Yano, The Black Keys, and many others. Marc works regularly with Grammy award winning producer T Bone Burnett and NY composer John Zorn. He has also performed on numerous film scores such as "Walk The Line”(Mangold), "The Kids Are All Right," and "The Departed" (Scorcese).
“…he can sit down with just his guitar and simultaneously confound you with technique, beauty, and surprise.” - John Garratt and Will Layman, PopMatters Picks: The Best Music of 2010 for the album “Silent Movies”
|
 |
| Marco Benevento solo |
|
| Marco Benevento solo Marco Benevento, piano & effects
For an exhilarating glimpse into the future of rock piano, look no further than Marco Benevento. A melodically inventive musical adventurer who artfully employs pedals, amplifiers, circuit-bent toys and sundry effects around his acoustic piano set-up, Benevento has forged a fascinating repertoire of songs, including both wildly original compositions and renditions of those by the likes of Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd and My Morning Jacket. Benevento first came to national attention with the experimental electric rock influenced Benevento-Russo Duo for which he partnered with drummer Joe Russo. Together they brought a bracing jolt of improvisation into settings like Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock and Bonnaroo. On his own Benevento has collaborated with the likes of Matt Chamberlain, Trey Anastasio and Mark Eitzel, while also holding down keys in the bands Garage A Trois and Surprise Me Mr. Davis. Benevento’s primary focus is his trio with which he's released three critically acclaimed solo albums that have led to a number of prestigious appearances, including Carnegie Hall, Montreal Jazz Festival and Celebrate Brooklyn. In 2009, he also partnered in Royal Potato Family, an internationally distributed record label that features a growing catalog of releases. Benevento is currently touring in support of his latest LP, 'Between The Needles & Nightfall,' while working on material for his fourth studio album due in 2012.
|
 |
| Marika Hughes & Bottom Heavy |
|
| Marika Hughes & Bottom Heavy Marika Hughes, cello, vocals / Jordan McLean, trumpet / Kyle Sanna, guitar / Fred Cash, bass / Tony Mason, drums
Marika Hughes, granddaughter of the great cellist Emanuel Feuermann, was born and raised in NYC. Marika [www.marikahughes.com] was a regular on Sesame Street long before receiving a Political Science degree from Barnard College. After training at The Juilliard School, she moved into a musical hybrid world, blurring and joining the lines between classical and jazz, experimental and pop music. A former member of acclaimed chamber groups, 2 Foot Yard and Charming Hostess, this year, Marika debuts as a band leader with her concurrent releases The Simplest Thing and Afterlife Music Radio - 11 New Pieces for Solo Cello. The latter features new compositions written for her by Carla Kihlstedt, Nasheet Waits, Jenny Scheinman, Eyvind Kang and others. Marika has played and recorded with Mr. Bungle, Xiu Xiu, Carla Bozulich, Vienna Teng,Santana, Tom Waits, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, David Byrne, Lou Reed, Ani DiFranco, Jolie Holland, and Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon.
|
 |
| Mark Guiliana |
|
| Mark Guiliana / Zach Danziger duo Zach Danziger, drums, electronics / Mark Guiliana, drums, electronics
The parallels between the careers of the New York City drummers Zach Danziger and Mark Guiliana are uncanny. Danziger quickly rose to prominence in the mid-'90s, when he was touted as the next big thing after blowing everybody away with his daring Weckl/Vinnie-inspired rhythmic inventions on two hugely influential albums with the modern fusion guitarist Wayne Krantz, Long To Be Loose and 2 Drink Minimum.
About a decade later, Guiliana burst onto the scene as the fresh face in Israeli bassist Avishai Cohen's new band, a drum chair previously owned by modern jazz great Jeff Ballard. Guiliana's recorded output with Cohen-2003's Lyla, 2005's At Home, 2006's Continuo, and 2008's Gently Disturbed-showcase not only the drummer's deft improvisational skills in acoustic jazz, but also the ever-expanding aesthetic that would ultimately lead Mark to part ways with Cohen in 2009 so he could pursue other interests that extended beyond the jazz idiom. These new endeavors included gigs with the genre-bending bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, a funky electro-groove recording with keyboardist Jason Lindner (Now Vs. Now), and dates with Guiliana's own improvisational groove project, Beat Music.
Danziger took a similar path back when he left Krantz's band and began exploring a new musical genre that was just taking hold in New York City nightclubs in the mid-'90s. "I was in a rut musically," Zach says. "But when my friend [and MD contributor] Ken Micallef gave me a compilation cassette of some drum 'n' bass stuff, I went nuts for it." The drummer eventually put together his own group, Boomish, which combined elements of jungle, drum 'n' bass, breakbeat, hip-hop, jazz, and funk with a cheeky sense of humor and a slightly absurd variety-show-style live presentation.
These days Danziger splits his time composing and playing drums for major motion picture soundtracks, like Alvin And The Chipmunks, Ocean's 13, and Sex And The City, while also leaving room for noncommercial, experimental projects such as the collaborative instrumental trio Bedrock with keyboardist Uri Caine and bassist Tim Lefebvre. On the group's latest release, Plastic Temptation, Zach pulls double duty: He lays down some inspired live performances on the kit, and he also handled much of the post-production, which involved dropping in layers of synthetic sounds, glitchy loops, and samples. Danziger is currently working on another trio project, Mister Barrington, which features Roots bassist Owen Biddle and keyboardist Oli Rockberger.
|
 |
| Matt Wilson Quartet +Strings |
|
| Matt Wilson Quartet +Strings Jeff Lederer, reeds / Kirk Knuffke, cornet / Chris Lightcap, bass / Matt Wilson, drums / Space Quadrant Strings - Skye Steele & Felicia Wilson, violins / Nicole Federici, viola / Alisa Horn, cello / Mary LaRose, vocals
The concept of “cats and dogs living together” is personified when the Matt Wilson Quartet aligns, collides and dances with the Space Quadrant Strings. NPR declared their dazzling set at the 2010 Newport Jazz Festival “The winner of the festival.” The NY Times said of this fun-loving collaboration, “Mr. Wilson and his band mates have a way of pushing through brambles with exuberance.”
Ruff, Ruff, Meow, Meow, come dig our scene as we ramble and scramble our way into sonic splendor!
|
 |
| Michael Blake's Hellbent |
|
| Michael Blake's Hellbent Michael Blake, tenor sax / Steven Bernstein, trumpet / Charlie Burnham, violin / Marcus Rojas, tuba / G Calvin Weston, drums
Saxophonist/composer Michael Blake has managed to embrace jazz history while challenging it head on. Though his presence as a jazz artist has earned him accolades in countless jazz publications -including jazz artist of the year in Downbeat's Rising Star category - he honed his skills in actor/artist/musician John Lurie's iconic downtown band the Lounge Lizards. His first album was produced by the legendary Teo Macero and hailed as a masterpiece. He has since produced another 10 CDs as a leader. Michael is based in Brooklyn but also keeps a foot in his hometown of Vancouver, Canada where he records for Songlines Records. He has written for TV and film and can be heard on the popular kids show theme 'The Backyardigans'. Michael's recent TV appearances include Saturday Night Live and Conan O'Brien with Ray Lamontagne. Currently Michael is actively performing with his trio, bassist Ben Allison and flautist Nicole Mitchell.
|
 |
| Miguel Zenon |
|
| Miguel Zenon Miguel Zenon, alto saxophone / Luis Perdomo, piano / Hans Glawischnig, bass / Henry Cole, drumsMultiple Grammy Nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón represents a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered as one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a composer and as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between Latin American Folkloric Music and Jazz. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has released six recordings as a leader including his latest Alma Adentro (2011), which is a tribute to the Puerto Rican Songbook. As a sideman he has worked with jazz luminaries such as Charlie Haden, David Sánchez, The Mingus Big Band, Bobby Hutcherson, Steve Coleman and The SFJAZZ Collective.
Zenón has been featured in articles on publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, as well as gracing the cover of Downbeat Magazine. He has also toped the Rising Star Alto Sax category of the Downbeat Critic's Poll on four different occasions. As a composer he has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, The New York State Council for the Arts, Chamber Music America, The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, and many of his peers. Zenón has given hundreds of lectures and master classes at institutions all over the world, and is a permanent faculty member at New England Conservatory of Music. In 2011 he founded Caravana Cultural, a program which presents free Jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico. In April 2008 Zenón received a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Later that year he was one of 25 distinguished individuals chosen to receive the coveted MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant”.
|
 |
| Mostly Other People Do The Killing |
|
| Mostly Other People Do The Killing Peter Evans, trumpet / Jon Irabagon, saxophone / Moppa Elliott, bass / Kevin Shea, drums
We're Mostly Other People Do the Killing. We're named Peter and Jon and Moppa and Kevin. We all went to music school for a while. We play jazz. We like to play all the jazz all the time all at once as fast as possible. Moppa writes the tunes. Except for the ones written by other people. They're funny. Jazz is funny. We'll have a new album out soon. Come see us play music. You'll like it.
|
 |
| Nels Cline Singers |
|
| Nels Cline Singers Nels Cline, guitar / Yuka C. Honda, keyboard / Scott Amendola, drums & electronics / Trevor Dunn, bass
The Nels Cline Singers is a group of avant-assassins led by guitarist Nels Cline. Formed in 2001, The Singers have released 4 albums on Cryptogramophone that combine wide-ranging compositions with group improvisations, and run the gamut between delicate lyricism, and skull-crunching flights of fancy. Since joining the critically acclaimed rock group Wilco in 2004, Nels Cline has emerged as one of the most respected and unclassifiable musicians active today - memorably described by Jazz Times as "the world's most dangerous guitarist". Ironically, Cline formed the Singers at the urging of versatile drummer Scott Amendola, a New Jersey-born Black Sabbath and Ornette Coleman acolyte who had gained prominence in San Francisco's' heady, dot-com era music scene of the early 90s though his collaborations with guitarist Charlie Hunter and saxophonist Philip Greenlief. It was Greenlief who introduced Cline to Amendola, who then brought in Colorado native Devin Hoff, a young contrabassist equally at ease with Norwegian Black Metal as he was with jazz standards and improvised music. What emerged was a impeccably pedigreed and potently eclectic band of three successive generations of vanguard virtuosos whose buzz has only grown with each subsequent release - Instrumentals (2002), The Giant Pin (2004), Draw Breath (2007) and their most recent double-CD Initiate (2010). Later that year, The Nels Cline Singers called on bassist Trevor Dunn to conjure the low end for the band, along with keyboardist Yuka C. Honda, well known for her work with the renegade electro-funk hardcore band Cibo Matto.
|
 |
| NY Gypsy All Stars |
|
| NY Gypsy All Stars Ismail Lumanovski, clarinet / Tamer Pinarbasi, kanun / Engin Gunaydin, drums / Panagiotis Andreou, bass / Jason Lindner, keys
The New York Gypsy All-Stars (NYGA), masters of contemporary Balkan Gypsy music, is a musical chemistry experiment with explosive staying power. It was born from the very first “loud and proud” New York Gypsy Festival, spotlighting Easter European and Balkan music, and the musical intuition of Serdar Ilhan, festival producer and NYGA manager (Village Voice).
Living up to their name in every way, the NYGA blend traditional Gypsy and Turkish melodies with a scorching jazz and funk backbone, creating a unique sound that satisfies the brain and soul. The band exemplifies New York in the most eclectic sense possible, hailing from Macedonia, Greece, Turkey and Brooklyn.
Equally at home in a concert hall or a downtown club, NYGA embraces opportunities to bring their music to new listeners in non-traditional spaces. The group continues on this path with their groundbreaking debut album “Romantek,” coming out in 2011. The album’s name is a play on the phrase “roman techno” and expresses a heartfelt love for Gypsy music and culture. However the name “Romantek” is no indicator of pace or sentiment as the album is marked by blasphemous “sizzling chops” and a marked disregard of any specific musical style limitations (Lucid Culture Blog). Heart wrenching melodies, lavish ornamentation and off-beat improvisation against complex drum rhythms—an East-meets-West fusion of the highest order.
|
 |
| Pete Robbins |
|
| Pete Robbins / Simon Jermyn / Oscar Noriega / John Hollenbeck / Ches Smith Pete Robbins and Oscar Noriega, alto saxophone / Simon Jermyn, bass guitar / Ches Smith and John Hollenbeck, drums Pete Robbins grew up in Andover, Massachusetts (outside of Boston). He started playing piano at age 6, clarinet at 9, guitar at 11, and alto sax at 12. He'd listen to Miles, Bird, and Dexter with his dad; he'd check out Yes, Living Colour, and Tower of Power with his friends. Robbins moved to Brooklyn in 2002 after attending Phillips Academy (Andover), Tufts University, and New England Conservatory, where he studied with Paul Bley, George Garzone, John McNeil, Allan Chase, George Russell, and others.
He has since performed or recorded with John Zorn, Mark Dresser, Craig Taborn, Ben Monder, Mario Pavone, Kenny Wollesen, Jim Black, Tyshawn Sorey, Thomas Morgan, Dan Weiss, Eivind Opsvik, John Hebert, George Garzone, Melvin Sparks, and countless others, and has performed at festivals and clubs in nine different countries.
John Hollenbeck is a composer of music uncategorizable beyond the fact of being always identifiably his. A conceptualist able to translate the traditions of jazz and new music into a fresh, eclectic, forward-looking language of his own invention, intellectually rewarding yet ever accessibly vibrant. A drummer and percussionist possessed of a playful versatility and a virtuosic wit. Most of all, a musical thinker – whether putting pen to paper or conjuring spontaneous sound – allergic to repetition, forever seeking to surprise himself and his audiences.
Oscar Noreiga plays alto sax and bass clarinet with lots of great bands including, Endangered Blood, Tim Berne's Snake Oil, the Clarinets and this band. He is great.
Ches Smith plays drums and percussion with many people and bands, including Tim Berne, Shazad Ismaily, Secret Chiefs 3, Mary Halvorson and this band. He is also great.
Simon Jermyn is an electric bassist ad guitarist from Dublin, Ireland living in NYC. He leads his own quartet with Mat Maneri, Ingrid Laubrock and Tom Rainey. Simon released his debut album Trot A Mouse on Fresh Sound New Talent in 2009 and a solo record entitled Hymni of which Downtown Music Gallery said "by far the best solo electric bass effort I’ve heard since Hugh Hopper’s classic solo album ‘1984’ from 1973”.
|
 |
| Ravi Coltrane |
|
| Ravi Coltrane
Ravi Coltrane, sax / Matt Garrison, bass / Nikki Glaspie, drums
Born in Long Island, New York in 1965, the second son of John and Alice Coltrane, Ravi was named after Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar. Shortly thereafter the family moved to the Los Angeles, where Ravi first began developing his own personal interest in the arts. As young man, he initially began playing clarinet and switched to saxophone in high school.
In 1991, his father's renowned drummer, Elvin Jones, saw in Ravi an emergent authentic performer, and hired Ravi to play with his band. After his tenure with Elvin, Ravi found himself working alongside a list of names that reads like the Who's Who of American Jazz and Pop, including: McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Michael Brecker, George Duke, Stanley Clarke Jeff "Tain" Watts, Branford Marsalis, Mark Turner, Jacky Terrasson, Jack DeJohnnette, Rashied Ali, Wallace Roney, Antoine Roney, Geri Allen, Kenny Barron, Cindy Blackman, Joe Lovano, Joanne Brackeen, Gerry Gibbs, Graham Haynes, and Steve Coleman for whom he appears on several albums. Indeed, Ravi's credits include recording on well over forty recordings as a sideman.
In 1997 Ravi recorded his first album as a leader, MOVING PICTURES (RCA Victor). In 2000, a year after marrying Kathleen Hennessy and having their first son, William, the saxophonist released the even more warmly received FROM THE ROUND BOX, which featured Alessi and Geri Allen and included covers of tunes by Thelonius Monk, Ornette Coleman and Wayne Shorter.
In 2000, a year after marrying Kathleen Hennessy and having their first son, William, the saxophonist released the even more warmly received FROM THE ROUND BOX, which featured Alessi and Geri Allen and included covers of tunes by Thelonius Monk, Ornette Coleman and Wayne Shorter.
Prior to the 2002 release of his third solo outing MAD 6, Coltrane produced LEGACY, a four-disc, thematic study of his father’s career for Verve, and co-produced and penned liner notes for the Deluxe Edition repackaging of the benchmark recording A LOVE SUPREME.
In 2004, produced his mother's return to recording after a 26-year hiatus. That album, TRANSLINEAR LIGHT (Impulse!), featured an all-star ensemble whose members included Alice, Ravi, his brother Oran, Charlie Haden, Jack Dejohnette, James Genus, and Jeff Watts.
February of 2005 saw the release of Ravi's fourth album, IN FLUX (Savoy), which was voted the #3 top albums in The New York Times' prestigious 2005 year-end list.
Today, Ravi continues to balance family life with a variety of musical projects. He is currently producing his first record for Blue Note Records. And he frequently tours the world with his Quartet and his unique musical world-view and talents allows him to contribute to a multitude of projects.
|
 |
| Rudresh Mahanthappa |
|
| Rudresh Mahanthappa's WJF Quartet Rudresh Mahanthappa, alto sax & laptop / Rez Abbasi, electric guitar / Rich Brown, electric bass / Rudy Royston, drums2011 Downbeat Critics Poll and Jazz Journalist Association Alto Saxophonist of the Year, Rudresh Mahanthappa continues to magically synthesize South Indian music concepts with a seemingly boundless range of unexpected influences characterizing him as one of the most important artists in the music today.
For this performance, Mahanthappa assembles a one-time special cast of musicians with whom he has played in myriad situations but never at once together: Rez Abbasi on guitar, a member of Rudresh’s Kinsmen and the Indo-Pak Coalition, electric bassist Rich Brown, a member of Mahanthappa’s Samdhi as well as co-leader of their duo Terrific Stuff, and drummer Rudy Royston, with whom Rudresh performed 20 years ago in a Denver-based collective ensemble called Jaq Nuvo. Join them for what will surely be a breathtaking show.
|
 |
| Shahzad Ismaily |
|
| Shahzad IsmailyShahzad Ismaily, bass / Ches Smith, drums / Mat Maneri, violin
|
 |
| Sharel Cassity |
|
| Sharel Cassity's "No Reservations"
Sharel Cassity, saxophones / Vincent Gardner, trombone / Xavier Davis, piano / Corcoran Holt, bass / Matt Wilson, drums
New York City saxophonist and Jazz Legacy Productions recording artist Sharel Cassity tours the world performing straight- ahead jazz and original music to the delight of fans and critics. Appearing in Downbeat Magazine's Critics' Poll category for "Rising Star, Alto Saxophone" during 2010 & 2011, this Oklahoma City native is quickly making waves on the New York jazz scene. As a leader, Cassity has enchanted Manhattan's notoriously discriminating audiences at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, Blue Note, NBC's Rainbow Room, and the West Village bop stop Smalls. She has also delighted crowds at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center Jazz Club, the Lake George Jazz Festival and The Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. Cassity's experience as a sideman ranges from the big bands of Jimmy Heath, Nicholas Payton, Roy Hargrove, Christian Mc Bride, Joe Chambers, Natalie Cole, , Lewis Nash, The Diva Jazz Orchestra, Trisha Yearwood and The Dizzy Gillespie All Stars to the small groups of Wycliffe Gordon, Harry Whitaker, Ingrid Jensen, Winard Harper, The Dizzy Gillespie All Star Sextet, Mark Whitfield and John Lee. Cassity was awarded a full scholarship to Juilliard in 2005 and graduated with her MA in Jazz Studies. Also a talented woodwind specialist, Cassity is often called to perform on flute, alto flute, piccolo , clarinet and bass clarinet as well as soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones when necessary. Her versatility has secured her concerts all over the world, including the Playboy Jazz Festival, Costa Rica Jazz Festival, Hanover Jazz Festival, Concord/Fujitsu Jazz Festival, Avery Fischer Hall, Merkin Concert Hall and Lincoln Center. Her recent release, "Relentless" (Jazz Legacy Productions) received a four star review in Downbeat Magazine, is available on itunes and distributed internationally by Allegro. Recently, Sharel has had the honor of being inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and is working on her second release with Jazz Legacy Productions.
|
 |
| Sifter |
|
| Sifter w/ Matt Wilson, Mary Halvorson, Kirk Knuffke Kirk Knuffke, cornet / Mary Halvorson, guitar / Matt Wilson, drums
Kirk called Matt and Mary and said, “Hey let’s form a nifty combo!” They were enthusiastic about the potential and agreed immediately. They got together at Kirk’s place and welcomed the sonic magic. It was fun. They also realized that they wore glasses and they were all born on a day that ends in a y.
Matt thought of the name Sifter, Kirk got them some gigs and Mary found cool photos of sifters to send out on gig announcements. They convened in Pennsylvania, where the official state kitchen utensil is the sifter, and recorded an album that will be coming out in 2012. Band Motto: We are Sifter; Deal with It! Band Saying: “You did?”
|
 |
| Sketchy Black Dog |
|
| Sketchy Black Dog Misha Piatigorsky, piano / Chris Wabich, drums / Danton Boller, bass / Liv Wagner, violin / Hilary Castle, violin / Colin Benn, viola / Agnes Nagy, cello
Experience the daring, explosive mix of classic rock and originals; sonic temptations that are both seductive and unpredictable. This piano trio with string quartet plays unique spins of Bowie, Zeppelin, Hendrix, and more. Sketchy Black Dog takes timeless rock songs and originals to places both irreverent and fragile. Sketchy Black Dog is the brainchild of pianist Misha Piatigorsky and drummer Chris Wabich – both internationally recognized musicians. The virtuosic and super-creative Jazz pianist, Misha Piatigorsky, is no stranger to Jazz audiences, but you’ve never seen – or heard – him quite like this! The Russian born Piatigorsky fled from behind the Cold War-era Iron Curtain and moved with his family to New York. It didn’t take long for this Classical pianist to morph into one of the most innovative Jazz artists on the international scene, taking first place in the Thelonious Monk Composers Competition, and playing everything from Brazilian music to straight-up Jazz with Mark Murphy, Joe Lovano and Jon Faddis. Sketchy Black Dog is his current obsession - cranking out his original arrangements of Classic Rock tunes alongside his own award-winning compositions. Piatigorsky’s fiery performances leave audiences screaming for more. Chris Wabich has collaborated with the leading authorities in Jazz, World, and Rock music, including the Zappa family, Leonard Cohen, Sting, Nenette Evans (pianist Bill Evans' widow) and Omar Faruk Tekbilek. This three-time Grammy nominated artist is known for his dynamic extremities, clarity, melodicism and power. Wabich’s understanding and cross-pollination of genres is evident in his original voice, sought after by the likes of Ludacris to Stanley Jordan. Aside from being the rudder for Sketchy, Chris frequents as music director/producer for LA based artists and full-scale theater productions. His soundtrack credits include "Malcolm in the Middle", "American Idol", and work with film legend Lalo Shifrin. Together Piatigorsky and Wabich have toured in Japan, Russia and throughout the USA, taking Sketchy Black Dog to Jazz and Rock clubs, Philharmonic halls, Opera houses, and even won over the crowd in one mistakenly booked lumberjack bar.
|
 |
| Sofia Rei |
|
| Sofia Rei Sofia Rei, vocals & charango / Eric Kurimski, guitar / Jean Christophe Maillard, guitar / Edward Perez, bass / Yayo Serka, drums / Samuel Torres, percussion
Argentine vocalist and composer Sofía Rei combines in her music stylistic codes drawn from multiple sources, ranging from South American folkloric styles to jazz, contemporary music and electronic sounds. She has been praised by All About Jazz as “one of the most versatile and in-demand singers on the New York music scene”. Sofia has collaborated with musicians and groups such as Maria Schneider, John Zorn, Bobby McFerrin, Guillermo Klein, Lionel Loueke, La Bomba de Tiempo, Avantango, Frank London,etc. She is also the vocalist of Geoffrey Keezer's Aurea, whose self-titled 2009 release received a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album. Sube Azul, her second album as a leader was released by the World Village (Harmonia Mundi) label, and has received an Independent Music Award in the World Beat category. Sofia has toured Europe, North and South America singing at renowned festivals and venues such as the Carnegie Hall (NYC), Kennedy Center (Washington DC) , Lincoln Center (NYC), the Village Vanguard (NYC) the Kennedy Center (DC), the Chicago World Music Festival (Chicago, IL), the Festival Internacional del Cajon (Peru), the Festival Iberoamericano de las Artes (Puerto Rico), Cite de la Musique (Paris, France), the Festival de Jazz de Barcelona and Festival Grec (Spain), Montreal Jazz Festival(Canada), Teatro Manzoni (Italy), Middelheim Jazz Fest (Belgium), the Lapataia Jazz and World Music festival (Uruguay), the Buenos Aires International Jazz Festival (Argentina) etc. For more information, please visit: www.sofiamusic.com
|
 |
| Stephan Crump's Rosetta Trio |
|
| Stephan Crump's Rosetta Trio Liberty Ellman, acoustic guitar / Jamie Fox, electric guitar / Stephan Crump, acoustic bass/compositions
Rosetta Trio, led by Grammy-nominated Memphis-bred Brooklynite bassist/composer Stephan Crump with guitarists Liberty Ellman and Jamie Fox, formed in 2005 to record an album of pieces written in the aftermath of 9/11. That album, Rosetta, was greeted with inclusion on multiple top ten lists and ecstatic reviews for its narrative depth and outstanding performances (“a string ensemble for the new century”, AAJ). With an ever-deepening rapport from years of touring and recording together in different contexts, in 2010 the trio released its second album, Reclamation (“a low-key marvel”, JazzTimes) on Sunnyside Records, including an extended work commissioned by 92nd St. Y and NY Guitar Festival. The freshness of the compositions is matched by the dynamic, intimate synergy of the ensemble which was hailed as “ingenious originals” by The New Yorker and featured in the New York Times weekend Arts section. Rosetta Trio, whose members have for years collaborated with many of the leading lights in the New York creative music scene, has developed into a formidable unit, sensitively and powerfully rendering Crumpʼs often profound, sometimes playful and always honest music. For WinterJazzFest the trio will include newer works in development for the next recording.
|
 |
| Steve Lehman Trio |
|
| Steve Lehman Trio Steve Lehman, alto saxophone / Matt Brewer, bass / Damion Reid, drums
Steve Lehman (b. New York City, 1978) is a composer, performer, educator, and scholar who works across a broad spectrum of experimental musical idioms. Lehman’s pieces for large orchestra and chamber ensembles have been performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), So Percussion, Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin, The Jack String Quartet, members of the Argento and Wet Ink Ensembles, and by the pianist Marilyn Nonken. An alto and sopranino saxophonist, Lehman has performed and recorded nationally and internationally with his own ensembles and with those led by Anthony Braxton, Dave Burrell, Mark Dresser, Vijay Iyer, Oliver Lake, Meshell Ndegeocello, David Wessel, and High Priest of Anti-Pop Consortium. His recent electro-acoustic music has focused on the development of computer-driven models for improvisation, based in the Max/MSP programming environment. Lehman’s work has been favorably reviewed in Artforum, Downbeat Magazine, The New York Times, Newsweek, and The Wire, and on National Public Radio and the BBC.
Lehman received his B.A. (2000) and M.A. in Composition (2002) from Wesleyan University where he studied under Anthony Braxton, Jay Hoggard, and Alvin Lucier, while concurrently working with Jackie McLean at the Hartt School of Music. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Music Composition at Columbia University, where he is a departmental fellow and studies under Tristan Murail and George Lewis.
His most recent recording, Travail, Transformation & Flow (Pi 2009), was chosen as the #1 Jazz/Pop Album of the year by The New York Times.
|
 |
| Steven Bernstein's MTO |
|
| Steven Bernstein's MTO plays Sly Steven Bernstein, trumpet / Peter Apfelbaum, tenor saxophone / Doug Wieselman, clarinet / Allan Won, baritone saxophone / Clark Gayton, trombone / Charlie Burnham, violin / Matt Munisteri, guitar / Ben Allison, bass / Ben Perowsky, drums + special guests John Medeski, organ / Sandra St. Victor, vocals / Dean Bowman, vocals
New York City’s favorite "little big band" Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra cracks open wide the monumental songbook of Sly & The Family Stone on its third album, MTO Plays SLY. On this freewheeling and jubilant 13-track tribute, MTO is propelled by a dynamic cast of special guests, including Antony Hegarty, Bernie Worrell, Bill Laswell, Dean Bowman, Martha Wainwright, Sandra St. Victor, Shilpa Ray and Vernon Reid, treating Sly & The Family Stone with the same (ir)reverence it would Duke Ellington or Count Basie. By illuminating the melodic and harmonic sophistication of the iconoclast’s body of work, MTO re-imagine Sly Stone through the filter of their own "downtown NYC" aesthetic, while still upholding the Day-Glo soul and psychedelic funk that is the backbone for classics like "M'Lady," "Everyday People" and "Family Affair." Both the CD and LP versions of the release include extensive liner notes by Steven Bernstein and music historian Greg Tate along with never before seen photos from the recording sessions.
|
 |
| Taylor Eigsti Trio |
|
| Taylor Eigsti Trio Taylor Eigsti, piano / Eric Harland, drums / Harish Raghavan, bass
New York-based pianist and composer Taylor Eigsti started playing the piano when he was 4 years old. He was quickly labeled a prodigy, and has since released 7 albums as a leader.
Eigsti has been recognized by critics internationally for his unique touch and rhythmic control, and his innovative improvisational storytelling. He received two GRAMMY nominations for Best Jazz Solo and Best Instrumental Composition. Eigsti has also been featured numerous times in various television specials, NPR appearances, and recently composed music for the motion picture "Detachment" (starring Adrien Brody, set to release in 2012)
The national spotlight has allowed many more listeners to become accustomed to Eigsti, which has led to the good fortune of performing or recording with such luminaries as Dave Brubeck, Joshua Redman, Nicholas Payton, Esperanza Spalding, Gretchen Parlato, Julian Lage, David Benoit, Hank Jones, Frederica Von Stade, among many others over the years.
Eigsti has also had the great opportunity to work with and write music for various symphony orchestras, and has written a growing repertoire of music for orchestra and jazz ensemble. Various soloist features include the San José Chamber Orchestra, Sacramento Philharmonic, Boston Youth Symphony, Tassajara Symphony, Reno Philharmonic and multiple collaborations with the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra.
|
 |
| Tyshawn Sorey Oblique |
|
| Tyshawn Sorey Oblique Tyshawn Sorey, drums / Loren Stillman, alto saxophone / Todd Neufeld, guitar / John Escreet, piano, keyboards / Chris Tordini, bass
Tyshawn Sorey is an active composer, performer, educator, and scholar who works across an extensive range of musical idioms. As a percussionist, trombonist, and pianist, Tyshawn has performed and/or recorded with his own ensembles and with those led by Muhal Richard Abrams, Steve Coleman, Johannes Lauer, Butch Morris, Michele Rosewoman, Werner Klausnitzer, Steve Lehman, J.D. Allen, Wadada Leo Smith, Vijay Iyer, Angelika Niescier, Dave Douglas, Samuel Blaser, Billy Bang, Peter Evans, and Ellery Eskelin, among many others. Sorey’s releases, That/Not (2007) and Koan (2009), received critical acclaim in recent years, landing on several year-end lists.
Sorey received his B.M. (2004) in Jazz Studies and Performance from William Paterson University where he studied under John Riley, James Williams, and Kevin Norton, while concurrently studying composition with Anton Vishio and John Link, in addition to working in various settings under Peter Jarvis, director of the New Jersey Percussion Ensemble. Tyshawn is currently a Master of Arts candidate in Composition (studying with composer-performers Anthony Braxton and Alvin Lucier) at Wesleyan University.
|
 |
| Vijay Iyer Trio |
|
| Vijay Iyer Trio Vijay Iyer, piano / Stephan Crump, bass / Marcus Gilmore, drums
Vijay Iyer's fifteen recordings have covered so much ground at such a high level of acclaim that it is easy to forget that they all belong to the same person. In August 2010 he released Solo, his most personal statement yet, a kaleidoscopic piano album on the German label ACT: “Bursting with both emotion and intelligence… a dispatch from the vibrant forefront of jazz.” (Utne Reader) In March 2011, Iyer followed Solo with Tirtha, a unique project created in collaboration with guitarist Prasanna and tabla player Nitin Mitta.
Perhaps Iyer’s most visible recording to date is Historicity, his first release on the ACT label, a piano-trio set of originals and surprising covers in his signature style, which “became one of the decade’s landmark jazz albums. Historicity was chosen as THE #1 JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR by the Downbeat International Critics Poll, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Detroit Metro Times, National Public Radio, PopMatters.com, and the Village Voice Jazz Critics Poll, and it reached #1 on the CMJ jazz radio charts. The Vijay Iyer Trio went on to win the 2010 Echo Jazz Award (the “German Grammy”) for best international ensemble and the 2010 Downbeat Critics Poll for rising star jazz group. “Presto! Here is the great new jazz piano trio.” (New York Times) “Truly astonishing... they make challenging music sound immediately enjoyable.” (National Public Radio) “A jewel... 9 out of 10” (PopMatters.com)
Across this diverse output, Iyer's artistic vision remains unmistakable. His powerful, cutting-edge music is firmly grounded in groove and pulse, but also rhythmically intricate and highly interactive; fluidly improvisational, yet uncannily orchestrated; emotionally compelling, as well as innovative in texture, style, and musical form. Its many points of reference include jazz piano titans such as Monk, Ellington, Tyner, Alice Coltrane, Andrew Hill, and Randy Weston; the classical sonorities of composers such as Reich, Ligeti, Messiaen, and Bartok; the low-end sonics of rock, soul, funk, hip-hop, dub, and electronica; the intricate polyphonies of African drumming; and the vital, hypnotic music of Iyer's Indian heritage.
|
 |
| Wallace Roney Band |
|
| Wallace Roney Band Wallace Roney, leader & trumpet / Antoine Roney, tenor & soprano saxophones / Rashaan Carter, acoustic bass / Kush Abadey, drums / Arnold Lee, alto & soprano saxophones / Onaje Allan Gumbs, acoustic piano & keyboards (Tentative)
Wallace Roney has earned the admiration and respect of his colleagues and his elders since the age of 16. He’s been an integral part of bands lead by Tony Williams, Ornette Coleman, Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Walter Davis Jr., Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell and Dizzy Gillespie, just to name a few. But his most important and meaningful relationship was with Miles Davis. Wallace was mentored by Miles Davis after Miles heard him in 1983 at his gala birthday performance at Carnegie Hall. Their association was highlighted when Miles chose Wallace to share the stage with him in 1991. After Miles passed, Wallace toured with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Wayne Shorter, and Tony Williams in a world tribute to Miles. Since then, Wallace has maintained an international career as a band leader, producer, arranger, composer, and recording artist.
Wallace has also kept alive the tradition of nurturing young and talented musicians, as key components in his working band. His current configuration has Rashaan Carter on Bass, Aruan Ortiz on Keyboards, and 21 year old Kush Abadey on drums. With Wallace, his brother Antoine on Tenor, Soprano Saxophones, & Bass Clarinet, and Arnold Lee on Alto and Soprano , the infusion of new blood has synergized into an incendiary unit, taking the eclectic Roney Quintet repertoire to fiery heights of intensity, and eloquent expressions of virtuosity. The young Abadey has created an almost spooky parallel with Roney, much the same way that Tony Williams added something unique to Miles Davis’s second great quintet of the 60’s. The fact that bassist Rashaan Carter’s last name is the same as Ron’s from that same group, is purely a coincidence. But Rashaan is establishing his own reputation and adding the funky, swinging bass lines that along with Barber, propels the band to musical bliss on any given night. Aruan Ortiz on Keyboards is not Herbie, but he has that same tasteful, elegant sense of when to play sparse, when to play intense, when to play acoustic and when to play electric, that accentuates what his rhythm mates are doing with the foundation, and what Wallace, Antoine and Arnold are doing with the horn lines out front. The end result is at times, sonic internal combustion and at other times, lyrical, hypnotic, musical tapestries, that can soothe the stress of everyday life in modern society.
|
 |
| Will Calhoun Ensemble w/ Donald Harrison |
|
| Will Calhoun Ensemble w/ Donald Harrison Will Calhoun, drums & indigenous percussion / Special Guest Donald Harrison, alto sax / Marc Cary, piano / Burniss Earl Travis, bass.
Not many artists have the vision and artistic energy to be Grammy winners and contribute to so many genres: jazz, rock, hip-hop, ambient, et al, while concurrently producing, touring, creating new projects, working on films, and continually pushing the envelope. Will Calhoun has this creative vision, and he is doing an extraordinary job keeping music a spiritual and motivating force in his life.
Will's unique blend of improvisational and hard rock drumming can be found on each of Living Colour's four Epic releases. As a member of Living Colour, Will received a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance by a group and another Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.
In addition to his work with Living Colour, Will has recorded and/or toured and performed with diverse artists including B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Jaco Pastorious, Harry Belafonte, Pharoah Sanders, Jack Dejohnette, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Marcus Miller, Dr. John, Carly Simon, Herb Alpert, Oumou Sangare, Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, Wayne Shorter (on the Grammy-winning CD, High Life), Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, The Allman Brothers. As a producer, player, and songwriter, Will has worked on Herb Alpert's Grammy-nominated CD, Colors, and Mos Def’s The New Danger CD.
After releasing several solo drum/electronic albums and (with Doug Wimbish and Vinx) forming the groundbreaking band JUNGLE FUNK in the late 90’s, Will released his first solo jazz CD, which was Grammy-nominated in 2000: The Will Calhoun Quintet: Live at the Blue Note.
Will's latest creation Native Lands is his follow-up release on Half Note Records. The album can be described as Jazz meets World, coupled with trance-inducing urban music. This dual disc (CD/DVD) combines Calhoun’s experiences as he marries his far reaching interests in a genre-bending collection that taps key expressionists from various backgrounds. Among those contributing are Pharaoh Sanders, Mos Def, Buster Williams, Stanley Jordan, Kevin Eubanks, Marcus Miller and Wallace Roney, as well as Nana Vasconcelos from Brazil and Cheick Tidiane Seck from Mali.
|
|
|
