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| Aetherial Bass |
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| Aetherial Bace
with Eric McPherson, Nasheet Waits, Abraham Burton
Eric McPherson is at the vanguard of his generation's creative music drummers. His command of multiple percussion instruments is matched by the originality, electricity, versatility and sensitivity he adds to the continuum of the music. New York saxophonist Abraham Burton's music has been called exquisite jazz. His solos are powerful and creative. He began developing his natural skills by attending Hartford's Hartt School of Music where he learned well from talented artists like Michael Carvin and Jackie McLean. Burton graduated from the school with a B.A. in music and a new love for the work of jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong and Lester Young. Nasheet Waits is a musician who has an intuitive understanding of the complex rhythmic requirements of modern drumming. His interest in playing the drums was encouraged by his father, legendary percussionist Frederick Waits. Besides being a member of various bands led by Andrew Hill, Waits is a member of Fred Herch's trio, and Jason Moran's Bandwagon.
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| Amir El Saffar |
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| Amir ElSaffar's Two Rivers
with Rudresh Mahanthappa, Nasheet Waits, Carlo DeRosa, Tareq Abboushi, Zafer Tawil
Iraqi-American trumpeter Amir ElSaffar put his New York career on hold six years ago to immerse himself in the music of his ancestry, the Iraqi Maqam. Already an accomplished jazz and classical trumpeter, having performed with esteemed artists such as Cecil Taylor, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Vijay Iyer, and Daniel Barenboim, and having won the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet competition, ElSaffar traveled to Iraq, throughout the Middle East and to Europe, where he pursued masters who could impart to him this centuries-old oral tradition. He quickly became versed in Maqam, and learned to play the santoor (Iraqi hammered dulcimer) and to sing, and he now leads the only ensemble in the US performing Iraqi Maqam, Safaafir. He has also created new techniques for the trumpet that enable microtones and ornaments that are characteristic to Arabic music but are not typically heard on a trumpet. Now, ElSaffar has turned his attention back to Jazz, and is approaching it with an Iraqi/Arabic bent. His Two Rivers Suite, which was released in October by Pi recordings, is an emotionally-charged work that invokes ancient Iraqi musical traditions and frames them in a modern Jazz setting. Two Rivers was described by JazzTimes "fresh, deep, intensely performed music...an organic amalgam," and by All About Jazz as "a stirring example of the creative possibilities of international jazz in the 21st century," and by BBC World as "harrowing to absorb; full of as much beauty as pain." In addition, Two Rivers was selected by the Village Voice as a "Rookie of the Year" release, and it appeared on the Boston Globe's Top 10 list of 2007. Amir ElSaffar and his sextet, which includes Rudresh Mahanthappa (saxophone), Nasheet Waits (drums), Carlo DeRosa (bass), Tareq Abboushi (buzuq and percussion), and Zaafir Tawil (oud, violin and dumbek), meld styles and seamlessly cross-pollinate the languages of ancient and modern, East and West. Elsaffar's compositions are some of the first in the history of jazz to make extensive use of Arabic modality and its non-western tunings. ElSaffar's Two Rivers is a powerful emotional journey through Iraq's glorious and tragic past and present, and it cries Amir's personal struggle, his feelings as an Iraqi-American watching his father's homeland in turmoil and destruction.
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| Ben Allison & Man Size Safe |
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| Ben Allison & Man Size Safe
with Michael Blake, Ron Horton, Steve Cardenas, Ben Allison, Michael Sarin
Ben Allison is a - visionary composer, adventurous improviser, and strong organizational force on the New York City jazz scene, [and] has emerged as a rising star over the past decade - (JazzTimes). With his groups Peace Pipe, Ben Allison Quartet, Medicine Wheel, the Kush Trio, and the Herbie Nichols Project (which he co-leads with pianist Frank Kimbrough) Ben has toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and Brazil winning fans and building new audiences with an adventurous yet accessible sound and a flair for the unexpected. Hailed as "one of today's best young jazz musicians" by the Boston Globe, Ben has released seven albums of original music - Cowboy Justice (2006), Buzz (2004), Peace Pipe (2002), Riding the Nuclear Tiger (2001), Third Eye (1999), and Medicine Wheel (1998) on Palmetto Records, and his 1996 debut Seven Arrows on the Koch Jazz label - all of which showcase Ben's forward-thinking vision as a producer, composer, arranger, and bassist, and his hands-on approach to his craft. Cited in the "Bassist" category of the 2005 and 2006 Downbeat Readers' Poll, Ben's work has not gone unnoticed by the press. Since 2003 Ben has been routinely listed in the Downbeat Critics' Poll in an extremely wide variety of rising star categories including "Bassist of the Year (ranking #1 in 2005 and 2006)," "Album of the Year," "Composer of the Year," "Acoustic Group of the Year," "Arranger of the Year," and "Jazz Artist of the Year," all of which is a testament to his dedication as a musician.
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| Brad Shepik |
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| Brad Shepik
with Matt Penman, Anthony Pinciotti
Guitarist/Composer Brad Shepik was born in Walla Walla, Washington in 1966 and raised in Seattle. His first clear experience of being enthralled by music was hearing the Beatles' Abbey Road at the age of 5. At around 10 years old he began playing his father's guitar. He played guitar and saxophone in school bands and attended Cornish College of the Arts for two-and-a-half years, where he studied with Jerry Granelli, Julian Priester, Dave Peck, James Knapp, Dave Peterson and Ralph Towner. In 1990 Shepik moved to New York, diving head first into the music scene. He quickly met like-minded musicians and became involved in the creation of several groups to form the nucleus of a loose collective of improvising musicians who were into experimenting and playing each other's music, as well as different folk music, including Balkan and Eastern European music. Out of this environment was born numerous groups which Shepik continues to perform with today, including Dave Douglas' Tiny Bell Trio, Matt Darriau's Paradox Trio, Pachora, and Joey Baron's Killer Joey. In 1991, guitarist Bill Frisell recommended Shepik to veteran drummer Paul Motian for his Electric Be Bop Band, which Shepik toured and recorded with for five years. Shepik's own projects include the Brad Shepik Group (ex-Commuters) with two records on the Songlines label, and the Brad Shepik Trio with Scott Colley (bass) and Tom Rainey (drums), which has been recording on Knitting Factory records.
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| Chris Dave Trio |
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| Chris Dave Trio
with Derek Hodge, Shedrick Mitchell
THE CHRIS DAVE TRIO, also known as Audible Art, is a new venture comprised of Chris Dave on drums, Ivan Taylor on Bass, and Shedrick Mitchell on Organ/Piano. Having blessed the scene for over 10 years with his unique musical styling, Chris Dave's musicianship defies classification and places him among the drum-world's best. His articulated beats, intrinsic rhythms and innovative inflections have gained him recognition as one of the most influential and prototypical drummers in the industry today. The Houston native has been around the world and back playing for and recording with some of music's most established and iconic artists spanning across a wide range of genres: Mary J Blige, Toni Braxton, Maxwell, Erykah Badu, Me'shell N'degeocello, Mos Def, Q-Tip, Common, The Foundation, Kim Burrell, Karen Clark, Dolly Parton, Kenny Garrett, Wynton Marsalis, The Robert Glasper Trio, Nicholas Payton, Donald Brown, Roy Hargrove, Marcus Strickland, Lionel Liouke, Marcus Miller, Blackgold, State of Emergency, Reginald Veal, and many, many more. He is currently touring with Mint Condition and The Robert Glasper trio and looks to release his first Drum DVD in coming New Year. Ivan Taylor is a hugely talented, up-and-coming bassist who currently plays with Mulgrew Miller. Shedrick Mitchell is known for his work with Kenny Garrett and is currently a featured keys player in Jay-Z's exclusive American Gangster Tour band. Stay tuned in 2008 for more of Chris Dave and his Trio.
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| Dave Douglas Magic Circle |
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| Dave Douglas & Magic Circle
with Mark Feldman, Scott Colley
Dave Douglas is widely recognized as one of the most important and original American musicians to emerge from the jazz and improvised music scene of the last decades. His collaborations as a trumpeter read like a who's who of important contemporary artists: John Zorn, Joe Lovano, Bill Frisell, Don Byron, Steve Lacy, Fred Hersch, Anthony Braxton, Myra Melford, Andy Bey, Nick Didkovsky, Trisha Brown, Terry Winters, Jennifer Tipton, Louis Sclavis, Henry Grimes, Tim Berne, Tom Waits, Rabih Abou-Khalil, DJ Olive, Ikue Mori, Han Bennink, Misha Mengelberg, Chris Potter, Uri Caine, Mark Turner, Roswell Rudd, Andrew Cyrille, Marc Ribot, Karsh Kale, Mark Dresser, Mark Feldman, Marty Ehrlich, and many others.
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| David Murray Black Saint Quartet |
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| David Murray Black Saint Quartet
with Andrew Cyrille, Lafayette Gilchrist, Jaribu Shahid
David Murray (tenor saxophone and bass clarinet) is a Jazz artist who has recorded over 130 albums, including 2 recorded in 2006 (Gwotet and Pushkin) and a forthcoming album to be released in Summer 2007. He was born in Oakland, California in 1955 and grew up in Berkeley, where he studied with his mother Catherine Murray (organist), Bobby Bradford, Arthur Blythe, Stanley Crouch, Margaret Kohn and many others before he left Ponoma College (Los Angeles) for New York in 1975. In New York he met and played with Cecil Taylor, who along with Dewey Redman, gave the young musician the encouragement he needed. The city would again be a source of new encounters, with people and with music from all horizons : Sunny Murray, Tony Braxton, Oliver Lake, Don Cherry. In Ted Daniel's Energy Band he worked with Hamiet Bluiett, Lester Bowie and Frank Lowe. In 1976, after an European tour, David Murray set up the first of his mythic groups, the World Saxophone Quartet, with Oliver Lake, Hamiet Bluiett and Julius Hemphill. This marked the beginning of an intensely creative time, when one recording led to another, with an endless permutation of formations. From Jerry Garcia to Max Roach, from Randy Weston to Elvin Jones, David Murray worked as widely as possible until 1978, when he set up his own quartet, then octet and finally his quintet. From this time on his focus is more on his own formations, although he frequently works with other musicians, drawing in a whole range of different sounds, from strings (the 1982 concert at the Public Theatre in New York), to Ka drums from Guadeloupe (Créole in 1998 and Yonn Dé in 2002) and South African dancers and musicians (Mbizo, 1998), just some of the treasures he has discovered on his journey.
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| Donny McCaslin |
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| Donny McCaslin
with Ben Monder, Scott Colley
Donny McCaslin waited until his sixth album to use the title In Pursuit (released June 5 on Sunnyside). But the concept of “pursuit” – single-minded devotion to a distant goal, marked by inventive exploration – has characterized his music almost from the beginning. Born August 11, 1966, McCaslin grew up in in Santa Cruz, CA; inspired by his father, a pianist and vibraphonist, the youngster started playing tenor saxophone at 12, and quickly progressed, touring Europe and participating in the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival’s California All-Star band while in high school. After attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, he joined Berklee professor Gary Burton’s quintet, with whom he toured for four years. McCaslin moved to New York, in 1991, working with bassist Eddie Gomez and then joining the group Steps Ahead, with whom he made the 1995 disc Vibe (NYC Records). But he really began to turn heads with his solo work in larger ensembles – first Ken Schaphorst’s big band, and subsequently the acclaimed Maria Schneider Orchestra, where his performance on the album Concert In The Garden received a Grammy nomination for “Best Jazz Instrumental Solo” in 2004. So much for McCaslin’s “traditional” credentials, which provide the anchor for his much-admired work in more adventurous realms. Chief among these is the pianoless quartet Lan Xang (which evolved from an experimental partnership with fellow New York saxist David Binney) and the quintet led by the widely lionized trumpeter Dave Douglas, who added McCaslin to his band in 2005. Reviewing the Douglas Quintet in Jazz Times, Josef Woodard wrote of McCaslin: “He’s a versatile player who moves easily between inside and outside musical zones . . . . [T]here’s a fluidity and grace to his playing even when he’s pushing at envelopes.” Thanks to the high profile of the Dave Douglas Quintet, McCaslin in the last two years has achieved wider praise for the incisive twists and purposeful turns of his emotionally charged solos. But those qualities – along with his sometimes startling virtuosity, and his distinctive voice as a composer – had actually been on display for much of the previous decade, during which McCaslin proved himself a valued sideman on recordings by Danilo Perez, Luciana Souza, and performances with Tom Harrell, Brian Blade, John Pattitucci, The Mingus Band, and Pat Metheny. . Meanwhile, the previous albums under his own name have shown him subtly incorporating elements of Latin American music within adventurous jazz frameworks. In 2006, McCaslin received a Doris Duke grant for new jazz composition from Chamber Music America; In Pursuit comprises the results of that work.
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| Doug Wamble Quartet |
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| Doug Wamble Quartet
with Roy Dunlap, Jeff Hanley, Peter Miles
Catch the echoes of such diverse giants as Louis Armstrong, Hank Williams, Robert Johnson and Ornette Coleman in Doug Wamble’s music, and you begin to sense the uncommonly broad pool of inspiration from which the young guitarist, vocalist and composer draws. On his two Marsalis Music releases, Country Libations (2003), and Bluestate (2005) the Tennessee native offers a music that is true to his roots in blues and gospel, his love of jazz and popular song, and his commitment to both reflect his diverse sources and turn them in new directions. Wamble, who received his bachelor at North Florida University and an Masters Degree at Northwestern has recorded or played with a diverse array of artists including Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, Steven Berstein, Branford Marsalis, and Madeleine Peyroux.
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| Eldar |
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| Eldar
with Aaron McLendon and Harish Raghavan
Born in the Soviet Union only 20 years ago, jazz pianist Eldar Djangirov is captivating audiences worldwide with his remarkable talent at the piano. A former prodigy who's been playing since the age of 3, Eldar was discovered by jazz patron Charles McWhorter at a Siberian jazz festival 11 years ago. McWhorter secured money for Eldar to attend a prestigious music camp in Michigan, and Eldar and his family subsequently moved to the U.S. in 1998, settling in Kansas City because of its reputation as a haven for jazz. Continuing to develop quickly, Eldar became the youngest performer to play on NPR's Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland (at age 12), and his career hasn't lost any momentum. Having been schooled in piano improvisation at USC's Thorton School of Music, Eldar has released three albums on Sony Classical. Drawing from jazz legends such as Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and Chick Corea, Eldar's style is marked by his incredibly precise technique and the complexity of his improvisation. His latest release, Re-Imagination, focuses on his own compositions while still incorporating his re-interpretation of two jazz standards.
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| Hadouk Trio |
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| Hadouk Trio
with Didier Ehrlich, Loy Ehrlich, Steve Shehan
The duo of Didier and Loy Ehrlich (who plays Hajouj, a traditional instrument comparable to a bass, and keyboards) has been expanded to a trio with the addition of percussionist Steve Shehan. Hadouk is now a trio of adventure-seeking multi-instrumentalists who are adroit at freeing both your mind and your body. Exciting, exhilarating, and not to be missed. As a trio of multi-instrumentalists, the sonic possibilities are endless and exhilarating. There is an enchanting quality so pervasive you may feel like the fourth member of this trio, as Didier leads another magical musical tour into uncharted lands. Loy EHRLICH more than adds his own touch to the music : one of the pieces is his own composition, he is featured as a soloist on keyboards, and he also did the recording and the mix of the album. And American Steve SHEHAN who also plays with such luminaries as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, is the perfect counterpoint to his colleagues, performing on a vast array of percussion instruments (djembe, congas, sanza, derbouka, hadgini...), he co-wrote the last title 'Vegetal Groove' Seeing them perform live is a treat. "Shamanimal" is Didier's best album to date, along with "Fluvius".
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| Lukas Ligeti's Hypercolor |
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| Hypercolor
with Lukas Ligeti, Eyal Maoz, James Ilgenfritz
Eyal Maoz, James Ilgenfritz, and Lukas Ligeti make up Hypercolor, the NYC- based spastic jazz-inflicted art rock hybrid whose ridiculous artsong craftsmanship alternately revels in complexity or brazen simplicity, favoring entropy and near-disaster over order or tidiness. Like experimental grafting surgery gone horribly awry, Hypercolor bears limbs borrowed from 80s NYC No-Wave, 70's fusion, and orchestral rock textures.
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| Igmar Thomas & The Cypher |
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| Igmar Thomas & The Cypher
with James Casey, Basil Wajdowicz, Raydar Ellis, Luques Curtis, James Williams
Thomas graduated from Berklee College of Music where he studied music for 2 1/2 years on a full scholarship. He performed at jazz festivals and at the NBA All-Star Weekend. His main group is Igmar Thomas & "The Cypher", and he performs with the Ralph Peterson Sextet, Tha Fundamental featuring Brain "Raydar" Ellis, and J4DA (Jazz Fo' Dat Azz). From California, Thomas started playing at the age of 12 and taught himself to play jazz at the age of 17. Since then he went on to study and perform Jazz, to Classical, Latin, Afro, Brazilian, Funk, Old School, Reggae, R&B and Hip-Hop. THomas has opened for Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, Heiroglyphics, Collie Buddz, Ludacris, Nelly, Ciara, etc... Also have had the opportunities to perform next to some of the finest musicians in this universe such as Lionel Hampton, Al Grey, Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Roy Hargrove, Jon Faddis, Joe Lovano, Terri Lynn Carrinhgton, Ralph Peterson, Beres Hammond and many more.
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| Iva Bittova |
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| Iva Bittova, Don Byron, Lisa Moore
Iva Bittová – voice & violin
Don Byron – clarinet & bass clarinet
Lisa Moore – piano & voice
The January 12 performance at the Winter JazzFest 2008 will be the world premiere of this trio
of distinctively diverse musical personalities and nationalities (Czech, American, and Australian).
The ensemble had its genesis in the recordings of Iva Bittová’s “Elida” in 2005 and Don Byron’s “A Ballad for Many” (2006), both collaborations with the Bang On A Can All-Stars, of which Lisa Moore is a co-founder and the original pianist. All three have shared the concert stage since then in Bang On A Can concerts featuring Bittová’s and Byron’s music. Iva and Lisa developed a special kinship from the get-go, nurtured by their mutual interest in the music of Czech composer Leos Janacek. Byron’s own interest and expertise in music of Eastern European origin is documented by his klezmer recordings and performances of works by Igor Stravinsky.
Janacek’s music, including some of the Moravian folk songs he arranged and klezmer melodies will likely find their way into the trio’s concert repertoire, along with original new music written for the trio. Together, Iva Bittová, Don Byron, and Lisa Moore are sure to produce some of the most exciting and fresh music concert audiences will get to hear in 2008.
Selected press quotes:
“…a forward-thinking composer who sings and plays violin simultaneously… Her sound is invigorating, urgent, and also soothing; it is a fusion of Old World and new-music sensibilities, infused with the spirit and language of Czech, Slovak, and Moravian folk music.”
–New York Magazine
“Iva Bittová is an extraordinary artist. Raw and defined, passionate and contained, she has the soul of a gypsy, the voice of a troubadour, and the mind of a genius.”
–National Public Radio/All Things Considered
"Calling Don Byron a jazz musician is like calling the Pacific wet - it just doesn't begin to describe it... Byron has carpentered an extraordinary career precisely by obliterating the very idea of category.” –TIME Magazine
“Showing us new ways of thinking and feeling about familiar experiences is one of the tasks of the true artist and is something Byron revels in.” –The Times, London
"Lisa Moore gave a startlingly good performance: she was lustrous at the keyboard, and at once engaging and challenging." –New York Times
"Lisa Moore played... with loving care as the audience hushed under the impact of deeply communicated feeling… a phenomenal pianist" –Village Voice
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| Don Byron |
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| Lisa Moore |
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| JD Allen Trio |
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| JD Allen Trio
with Gregg August, Rudy Royston
Hailed by the New York Times as "a tenor saxophonist with an enigmatic, elegant and hard-driving style," JD Allen is one of the most thoughtful jazz saxophonists on the scene today. The Detroit natives’ apprenticeship has largely been in New York, where he has performed, recorded, and toured with legends Lester Bowie, George Cables, Betty Carter, Ron Carter, Louis Hayes, Frank Foster Big Band, Butch Morris, David Murray and contemporaries Cindy Blackman, Winard Harper, Wallace Roney, Jeremy Pelt, Meshell Ndegeocello, Dave Douglas and Nigel Kennedy, among others. JD's debut album, IN SEARCH OF... (Red Records, 1999), won him the Best New Artist award in Italy, and had reviewers praising him for his original compositions and bold playing. That same year JD began touring and recording with drummer Cindy Blackman's Quartet, where he remains a member. His second release, PHAROAH’S CHILDREN (Criss Cross, 2002), won him accolades for its thoughtfulness, maturity, and adventurousness. One of Jazziz Magazine's Critics Pics Top 10 Albums of the Year, the album was praised in the U.S. and Europe, along with leading musicians, such as Michael Brecker and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Since making a strong impression in his early years in New York at venues like Smalls, Village Gate, and Visiones, and serving an invaluable tenure with Betty Carter, JD has come a long way, now fully possessed of his own sound. JD has appeared on NPR's Jazz Perspectives, WNYC's Soundcheck and WKCR's Out to Lunch and Musician's Show. JD’s most recent recording as a leader, I AM – I AM (Hajile/Sunnyside Records) is expected for worldwide release in February 2008.
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| Jerome Sabbagh |
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| Jerome Sabbagh
with Ben Monder, Joe Martin, Ted Poor
Saxophonist and composer Jerome Sabbagh was born in Paris, France in 1973. He studied with Philippe Chagne, Eric Barret and Jean-Louis Chautemps before moving to the States at the age of 20. After attending Berklee College of Music in Boston on scholarship for two years and studying with, among others, George Garzone, Bill Pierce, Dave Liebman and the legendary Joe Viola, he moved to New York in 1995. There he formed the collective Flipside with guitarist Greg Tuohey, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Darren Beckett. They were together for five years, toured Europe and New Zealand and recorded an eponymous album for Naxos Jazz. Since then, Jerome Sabbagh has been writing music and leading his own bands. As a regular sideman, Jerome has been involved with pianist Laurent Coq's quartet along with bassist Brandon Owens and drummer Damion Reid, Guillermo Klein's Los Guachos and Pablo Ablanedo's octet. He has also played in bands led by Jean-Michel Pilc and Magali Souriau. Jerome has performed in many festivals including the JVC Jazz Festival (Paris), Jazz In Marciac (France), Belfast (Northern Ireland) and Medellin (Columbia), and at venues such as Blues Alley (Washington), the Jazz Standard, the Jazz Gallery, Smalls, Fat Cat, the 55 Bar, the Knitting Factory, Birdland (New York), Radio France, Sunside, Duc des Lombards, AJMI La Manutention, Cri du Port, Sceaux What (France). The Jerome Sabbagh Quartet plays modern, organic music that can appeal to listeners beyond the traditional jazz audience as well as regular jazz fans. In Ben Monder (guitar), Joe Martin (bass) and Ted Poor (drums), Jerome Sabbagh has found some of the most talented musicians of this generation and like-minded accomplices.
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| Magos Herrera |
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| Magos Herrera
with Robert Rodriguez, Rick Rodriguez, Alexandre Kautz, Jennifer and Ingrid Beaujean, & special guest Lionel Loueke
Magos Herrera was born in Mexico City in the seventies, considered as one of the most beautiful voices of the contemporary scene, became one of the most representative mexican jazz musicians. Vocalist and composer, with a very unique scat style, she is well known for her unique sound that elegantly blends jazz with brazilian and latin rythms. For over 10 years Magos has performed in venues such as Lincoln Center in New York, Teatro de la Ciudad de Mexico and Sala Galileo, Galilei in Madrid, has 4 cd recordings, 2 international compilations for Brazil and Japan, and has been part of in the Mexican Divas cd prodictions. Her carrer started in Italy in 1988 where she decided to get involved professionaly in music, then graduated from "Musicians Institute" en Los Angeles, Cal. to forward her studies in New York and Boston. Her love to music and active presence, took magos for the last 4 years to produce and host 2 tv shows that promoted music for cultural mexican TV,canal 22, having guest such as Ute lemper, Jerry Gonzalez, Diego el Cigala, among many others.
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| Matana Roberts Coin Coin |
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| Matana Roberts Coin Coin
with Jason Palmer, Shoko Nagai, Hill Greene, Tomas Fujiwara, John Garner III
New York based, Chicago bred A.A.C.M. saxophonist /composer Matana Roberts presents a new workshopping of Mississippi Moonchile, the 2nd chapter of her in progress blood narrative sound collage, COIN COIN which pays homage to her share cropping, traveling preacher Canton Mississippi roots. COIN COIN explores the defining moments of an extraordinary, yet classic African American history using the traditions of jazz, and improvisatory inspired music, original compositions and various ensemble and multi media configurations to tell the stories and myths of a people that weaved a legacy that grew a tremendous family tree, that despite knarled roots, still remains standing. COIN COIN—in essence a musical monument to the human experience.
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| Non-Static |
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| Non-Static
with Mitch Paone, John Ellis, Justin Brown, Matt Williams
Non-Static is a collective of musicians led by Keyboardist Mitch Paone. The name Non-Static in a way tells the story for this group's music both sonically and emotionally. With Mitch's passion for improvisation he has built a reputation of giving his sidemen limitless freedom with in their interpretation of his compositions which in-turn allows the music to flow to unexpected places giving the listener subtle tastes of the avant-garde. Especially in a live setting Non-Static seems to taps into a transcendent musical energy that can invoke an emotional response from the audience. The infectious combination of hook oriented melodies, sophisticated grooves fused with explosive improvised musical conversations makes Non-Static one of New York's most unique group thats defining the future of jazz fusion. Released in December 2007, the groups debut album Nuyorkleanians features a virtual who's who of musicians on both the NYC and New Orleans music scenes. Bandleader Mitch Paone on Electric Pianos and Hammond B3, John Ellis (Charlie Hunter Trio) on Tenor & Soprano Sax, Cocheme'a Gastelum (Budos Band, Dap Kings) on Alto Sax & Flute, Matty Williams (Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Coheed and Cambria) on bass, and drummers Eric Kalb (John Scofield, Greyboy All-Stars) and Simon Lott (Charlie Hunter Trio).
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| Omer Avital & The Near East Band |
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| Omer Avital & His Band of The East
with Omer Klein, Ziv Ravitz
Omer Avital is a poet of the bass, widely hailed by international musicians, critics and fans as one of the most innovative and exceptional musicians of his generation. His compositions range from small jazz groups to orchestral and world music. Avital’s new “Band of the East” features some of the most exiting new voices on the musical scene today who are, like Avital, interested in creating their sound by connecting the music and feeling of the middle east with contemporary Jazz aesthetics. Avital’s new music is melodic and soulful, and he makes full use of middle eastern and north African grooves. The members of the band are: Omer Klein; Piano, Ziv Ravitz ;Drums, Matan Chipnasky; Tenor Sax and Ben Roseth;Alto and Soprano Saxs. "Trained first as a classical guitarist, he plays chords all over the neck and uses guitar techniques for strumming; the result is a passing hint of flamenco or blues.,” writes Ben Ratliff for The New York Times. “He can be fleet and jazz-melodic in the style of Oscar Pettiford, then buzz around the tonic like a devotional singer; he grew up in Tel Aviv, in a Moroccan- Yemenite family, and the Arabic and Spanish comes together with the blues in his music. Proper technique isn't all; he punches and twangs the strings, knocking fresh slang out of the bass. Outside Charles Mingus and the free-jazz bassist William Parker, such dramatic violence on the instrument is hard to come by."
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| Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble |
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| Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble
with Meg Okura, Mamiko Kitaura, Jennifer Vincent, Jun Kubo, Willard Dyson, Sam Newsome
Led by Japanese composer and virtuoso violinist and erhu (Chinese violin) player Meg Okura, Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble explores areas of jazz, world music, and chamber music, while embracing traditional sounds from Japan and surrounding countries. Meg Okura has cultivated her unique style of composition and improvisation through her richly diverse experiences as a classical violinist and an improviser in jazz and world music. Originally from Tokyo, Okura has performed all over the world at numerous music festivals and concert halls including Carnegie Hall, Barbican Hall in London, Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center, Verizon Hall, and Lincoln Center, and won numerous competitions both as a violinist and composer. For the past decade, Okura has performed and recorded with diverse artists including, Mary J. Blige, David Bowie, Michael Brecker, Sarah Brightman, Circue du Soleil, Coheed and Cambria, Philip Glass, Quincy Jones, Ziggy Marley, Lee Konitz, Diane Reeves, Alexander Schneider, Steve Swallow, and Kanye West. She has also performed as the concertmaster for some of the top jazz artists, among them, Herbie Hancock, Shirley Horn, Diana Krall, and Terrence Blanchard. Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble is Meg Okuras latest project, featuring some of the most exciting up-and coming jazz musicians in New York City: Meg Okura herself on violin, Megumi Yonezawa on piano, Jennifer Vincenton cello, Yukari on flute, and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, playing his special kit of world percussion instruments including a Japanese Taiko drum. The group performs at various venues in New York City including recently at the Stone.
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| Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra |
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| Travis Sullivan's BJORKESTRA
The Music of Bjork Gudmundsottir for Large Jazz Ensemble
Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra is an 18 piece, genre-bending jazz orchestra that has successfully fused the pop music world with the stylistic and improvisatory concepts of modern jazz. Arranged and conducted by alto saxophonist Travis Sullivan, The Bjorkestra performs the music of visionary pop artist Bjork, spanning her entire catalogue as a solo artist, truly creating a big band sound for the 21st Century. Comprised of some of the best artists in the NYC downtown jazz and indie music scene, The Bjorkestra’s individual members have performed and/or recorded with the likes of The Arcade Fire, Dr. Dre, Charlie Hunter, The Spam All Stars, The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, and The Saturday Night Live Band. Special guests with The Bjorkestra have included Grammy nominated tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin, Verve recording artist Kurt Rosenwinkel, and guitar icon Ben Monder. Adding to this unique ensemble with a traditional big band horn and rhythm section is vocalist Becca Stevens, whose voice is evocative of Bjork yet has a personal quality all of it's own; and the electronic percussion and soundscapes of programmer Alex Fortuit. Since their debut in September 2004 at New York City's Knitting Factory, Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra has performed to packed venues across the country and received extraordinary praise from both fans and the press a like. Publications as diverse as The Wall Street Journal, Relix Magazine, and Jazz Times have featured articles about The Bjorkestra. Sullivan has also been featured in an interview on the BBC radio show The World. His adaptations of Bjork’s music are also gaining international recognition, with a sold out 2007 performance conducting his arrangements with The Sicilian Jazz Orchestra at The Teatro Golden in Palermo, Sicily.
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| Wayne Horwitz Sweeter Than The Day |
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| Wayne Horwitz Sweeter Than The Day
with Tim Young, Tim Luntzel, Ben Perowsky
Wayne Horvitz is a composer, pianist, and electronic musician who has performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. He is the leader of Sweeter Than the Day, Zony Mash, Pigpen, The Four plus One Ensemble and co-founder of the NY Composers Orchestra. He has performed and collaborated with Bill Frisell, Butch Morris, John Zorn (Naked City etc.), Robin Holcomb, Fred Frith, Julian Priester, Philip Wilson, Michael Shrieve, and Carla Bley among others. He has been commissioned by the NEA, Meet The Composer, Kronos String Quartet, Seattle Chamber Players, Mary Flagler, BAM and others. Collaborations with choreographers include work with Paul Taylor with the White Oak Dance Project, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, and Crispin Spaeth. Film work includes music and sound design for 3 PBS specials and Gus Van Sandts' "Psycho". He is the 2002 recipient of the Rockefeller Map Grant. Formed in 1999, Sweeter Than the Day began simply as the acoustic incarnation of Zony Mash. The band played weekly shows at Seattle's Baltic Room, and quickly became Wayne Horvitz’s first piano based ensemble in over 10 years. Despite the shared personnel, the ensemble is quite distinct from the electric ZM and the repertoire is almost entirely different. The band has toured throughout the US, Canada and Europe. It also presents frequent double bills with Robin Holcomb where it becomes 4/5ths of the Robin Holcomb band.
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| Zim Ngqawana Quartet |
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| Zimology Quartet
with Zim Ngqawana, Nduduzo Makhathini, Ayanda Sikade, Shane Cooper
Zim Ngqawana has been hailed by South Africa's leading daily paper, The Star, as "The most visible, hardest working younger man in jazz". He is one of the new generation of South African musicians who are taking a fresh look at South Africa's jazz and traditional music heritage. Zim made his mark at the historic inauguration of President Nelson Mandela in 1994, where he directed the 100 person "Drums for Peace Orchestra", led an elite group of 12 Presidential drummers and featured as a solo saxophonist. This recognition came after a late start and some tough struggles. Born in 1959 in Port Elizabeth ( in South Africa's Eastern Cape), Zim was the youngest of five children who started playing flute at the age of 21. Although Zim was forced to drop out of school before completing university entrance requirements, his prowess won him a place at Rhodes University. He later went on to study for a diploma in Jazz Studies at the University of Natal. Working with the University's ensemble, "The Jazzanians", he attended the International Association of Jazz Educators convention in the United States and was offered scholarships to the Max Roach / Wynton Marsalis jazz workshop and subsequently a Max Roach scholarship to the University of Massachusetts, where he studied with jazz legends Archie Shepp and Yusef Lateef. Since his return to South Africa in the 1990's he has worked in the bands of veteran greats like Abdullah Ibrahim and Hugh Masekela. He has also devoted much time and effort into building up a number of small and large combos from the conventional quartet / quintet including his 8 piece band "Ingoma" through to the "Drums for Peace Orchestra". Zim is committed to developing and creating an audience for new South African jazz, his music draws on influences ranging from South Africa's folk and rural traditions to Indian and western classical music, world music and the avant-garde. Grounded in his South African roots, the music is strongly percussive, improvisational and highly danceable. For this reason theater and dance companies have been drawn into his music. Zim directed a quintet and composed several new pieces for the Free Flight Dance Company during their world premiere. Subsequently he was invited to accompany the Moving Into Dance Company on their European tour as principal percussionist. He has made several festival appearances in South Africa and in 1993 he appeared as the guest artist with Paul Van Kemenade and his ensemble, at the Tilburg Festival in front of a large and enthusiastic Dutch audience. In 1995 he toured the United States with his band "Ingoma" and appeared at the historic Black History Week in Chicago. Zim has toured America, Africa and Europe and has played with greats including Max Roach, Keith Tippett, Dennis Mpale, Andile Yenana, Herbie Tsoaeli, Kevin Gibson, Valerie Naranjo, Bjorn Ole Solburg and his Norweigan San Ensemble.
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