Brice Rosenbloom in association with The Knitting Factory
=proudly presents=
The 2006 NYC Winter Jazzfest
Arts Presenters Showcase
Sunday, January 22nd, 2006
~featuring~
ARNAUD METHIVIER'S 'NANO'
CHIARA CIVELLO
DAFNIS PRIETO ABSOLOUTE QUINTET
DAVE BURRELL TRIO [DB3]
DENIS COLIN TRIO
EDMAR CASTENEDA
GORAN IVANOVIC GROUP
JASON LINDNER 'THE JLECTRIK'
JOHN MEDESKI SOLO
MARC RIBOT'S SPIRITUAL UNITY
MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO 'THE SPIRIT MUSIC JAMIA'
PYENG THREADGILL
REZ ABBASI'S SNAKE CHARMER
ROBERT GLASPER TRIO
TERENCE BLANCHARD 'FLOW'
VIJAY IYER & MIKE LADD
WISE
New York , January 3, 2006 - Brice Rosenbloom in association with The Knitting Factory is proud to present the 2005 NYC WINTER JAZZFEST, to be held on Sunday, January 22nd, 2006 in New York City . The festival marks the second year of the annual festival, and The Knitting Factory's continued commitment to presenting top quality jazz and experimental music.
The 2006 NYC WINTER JAZZFEST is primarily an opportunity for artists to showcase in front of presenters, promoters, talent buyers, etc. from around the country and beyond. Over 3500 arts professionals will be in town for the annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) conference from January 19-23. As there will be hundreds of showcases scheduled throughout the weekend around the city both at the Hilton Hotel and in alternative venues, the Knitting Factory offers APAP conference attendees, and the general public, the opportunity to experience the best of today's new live jazz and experimental music performers in a club venue setting. NYC's Knitting Factory allows the ideal opportunity with three intimate performance spaces and a rich jazz and experimental music heritage.
The 2006 festival will include 18 of the most interesting jazz artists from New York , Chicago, Philadelphia, Italy, India, France, Cuba, Columbia and beyond.
Currently new jazz artists are under represented, yet they are culturally essential to the continued development and future of jazz and the cultivation of new audiences for jazz. Jazz artists need the support of and exposure to the significant institutional booking forum that Arts Presenters conference represents. The Knitting Factory is pleased to offer a forum for presenters to experience new jazz.
The Knitting Factory welcomes all Arts Presenter conference badge-holders to RSVP and reserve their Full-Club Pass to the 2006 NYC WINTER JAZZFEST on January 22nd, by emailing
rsvpjazzfest@knittingfactory.com. Only 2006 APAP Conference attendees are able to RSVP. Tickets / Full-Club Passes are available to the General Public for $25 at
www.knittingfactory.com.
THE 2006 NYC WINTER JAZZFEST PERFORMERS:
ARNAUD METHIVIER'S NANO
Arnaud Methivier, whose new album/persona Nano, is released on Label Bleu, is a fantastic accordionist and songwriter/performer who plays truly unique and powerful music with loops and cajon. It's fun, upbeat, serious music and goes well in almost any environment, from electronic music, jazz venues, to folk music. The audience is drawn into the intensity, the show, the sound from an instrument/s they generally only know from traditional styles. Arnaud has accompanied many famous French and international artists (including Renaud, I Muvrini, Gary Lucas, Suzanne Vega, Georges Moustaki, Francis Cabrel and Boy George), on accordion, but his own music creates fireworks. (That's figuratively speaking, though he did perform in conjunction with a huge fireworks show in France that was choreographed especially for his music.)
www.nanomusic.fr
CHIARA CIVELLO
Born in Rome, Italy, she began her musical career at an early age. While studying Jazz at a private school, Chiara was sought after by some of the most prominent Jazz artists from Italy. At the age of seventeen, Chiara had already performed extensively and recorded with the Mario Raja Big Bang She later was approached by Italy's most acclaimed Jazz drummer Roberto Gatto to join his band The Noisemakers, with whom she performed extensively in Italy and Europe, as well as recording the album titled "#7"in 1997. After attending a workshop given by Berklee College of Music in Umbria in 1993, Chiara was awarded a scholarship for Outstanding Musicianship, which allowed her to move to the US to study at Berklee. During her enrollment at Berklee, Chiara participated in numerous musical projects both within and outside the College. She received the Boston Jazz Society Award in 1996 and the Cleo Laine Award in 1997. Upon graduating in 1998, Chiara began to collaborate with internationally acclaimed musicians such as Phil Woods, George Garzone, Jerry Bergonzi, Mick Goodrick, Mike Stern,Harry Whittaker, Cidinho Teixeira, Bob Moses and many more. At the same time she started her own musical project involving some of the region's most acclaimed Jazz artists including Jamey Haddad, John Lockwood, and Alain Mallet. Civello recently celebrated the release of her Verve debut, Last Quarter Moon, which features her original songs, as well as a track co-written with the legendary Burt Bacharach. The CD features Civello¹s blend of pop sensibility and a reverence for her favorite Italian and Brazilian composers; the CD was produced by Russ Titelman, whose credits include Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood and Randy Newman, among others.
www.chiaracivello.com
DAFNIS PRIETO ABSOLOUTE QUINTET
A native of Santa Clara, Cuba, studied there as a youngster School of Fine Arts and later at the National School of Music in Havana, receiving a thorough classical education and ever broadening knowledge of Afrocuban music, Jazz and world music from no academic sources. Dafnis Prieto has behind him more than ten years of profesional work, going back to his first European tours with a succession of talented pianist including Carlos Maza, Ramon Valle and the "Columna B" Group. He has been performing with some of the world greates jazz artists such as: Jane Bunnett & Spirit of Havana, Steve Coleman & Five Elements, Henry Threadgill, Zooid and Make a Move, Eddie Palmieri Afro-Caribbean Jazz Orchestra, Chico O'Farril & The Afro-Cuban Big Band, Peter Apfelbaum & The New York Hieroglyphics, DD Jackson Trio & Octet, Michel Camilo Trio, Chucho Valdez Quartet, Andrew Hill, John Benitez, Jorge Sylvester, Claudia Acuna, Don Byron, Kip Hanrahan, Roy Hargroves Havana Crisol. World Economic Forum with Branford Marsalis, Herbie Hancock and Arturo Sandoval.
www.dafnisprieto.com
DAVE BURRELL TRIO [DB3]
"Burrell crams a century of jazz history into every chugging stride episode and churning dissonance. Encyclopedic as well as ecentric, he's a living treasure." -Francis Davis, Village Voice
Dave Burrell graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1965. He has contributed to nearly 150 recordings including pivotal works such as Archie Shepp's "Attica Blues," Pharoah Sanders' "Tauhid," Marion Brown's "Three for Shepp" and Grammy Award-winner David Murray's "Lovers" and "Ballads." A recipient of the Pew Fellowship in Jazz Composition, Dave Burrell's Master Classes include Conservatoire Municipal, New York University and the University of Pennsylvania. Recent releases include "Expansion" (High Two Recordings), with William Parker and Andrew Cyrille, which was nominated as the Village Voice's #2 Jazz album of 2004, as well as the reissue of 1970's "After Love" (Universal Records) featuring Roscoe Mitchell. His new trio, DB3, includes bassist Michael Formanek (Tim Berne's Bloodcount, Uri Caine, Elvis Costello) and drummer Guillermo E. Brown (David S. Ware Quartet, Vijay Iyer, DJ Spooky). Their debut studio recording featuring new compositions inspired by Body and Soul, Oscar Micheaux's 1925 silent film starring Paul Robeson, will be released Spring 2006.
www.daveburrell.com
DENIS COLIN TRIO
Denis Colin stands apart on the French scene. He chose a road that was different from those which gradually turned "French Jazz" into a commonplace, and he has succeeded in creating music that represents neither escape into the future nor the exhaustion of those other roads. Nor has he ever found the need to take refuge in a supposedly radical pose. His evolution, refined and sure, lies in his constant desire for a real exchange between himeslf and the public. His last recording, Etude de Terrain was chosen by the critics as Jazz Record of the Year in 2000 (a panel from "Le Monde", "Jazz Magazine", "Les Inrockuptibles"...). The clarinettist's compositions have been the setting for the wonderful, extremely singing animation movies of Florence Miailhe (winner of French cinema's "César" award in 2002 for Best Short-Form Film). Song has become unavoidable for Denis Colin's bass clarinet; it's only a short step from there to meeting other voices, and Denis Colin took that step when he undertook this new project. Until his album, Something in Common , he'd only recorded his own compositions. In his new album he expresses a simple, mature desire to finally try his hand at works by his main influences, now that he can take their full measure. With his trio, Denis Colin has come up with a "repertoire" album of titles by some of the great tenors who influenced him - Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, John Gilmore - and some of the great figures in black American popular music - Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Marlena Shaw, Wyclef Jean - with guest appearances by the beautiful soul, gospel, rap and rhythm'n'blues voices from Minneapolis known as The Steeles (a group of five singers, brothers and sisters - Jevetta, Jearlyn, JD, Fred and Billy Steele - who have worked with Prince, Chaka Khan, Mavis Staples and George Clinton, but also Daniel Barenboim). Jevetta Steele, incidentally, is the voice from the "Bagdad Cafe" movie main title.
www.emarcy.com/artists.asp?artist_id=66
EDMAR CASTENEDA
" A JAZZ HARPIST OF IMPOSING TALENT." -The New York Times
"As illustrated in a fascnatingly percussive performance by the harpist Edmar Castaneda" -The New York Times
" Producing cross-rhythms like a drummer , smashing chordal flourishes like a flamenco guitarist and collating bebop and Colombian music , he was almost a world unto him-self." -The New York Times
"He nearly becomes a one man band, plucking bass lines almost invisibly while picking out melodies." -Time Out
"as illustrated in a fascnatingly percussive performance by the harpist Edmar Castaneda." -New York Times .
Now in his mid-20s, Edmar Castaneda, band leader and composer , began playing the harp at 13 in Colombia. He came to the United States in 1994 and quickly drew applause for his incomparable sound. Combining traditional Colombian music with Latin jazz, Edmar has carved himself a place in the jazz world using the harp as a lead instrument. If you don't believe a musician can swing on a harp, then catch Castaneda as he leans into his instrument and shows you what it's all about. He has worked with Paquito D'Rivera, Trio De Paz, Pablo Zinger, Lila Downs, Govanni Idalgo and fronts his own groups around the world.
www.edmarcastaneda.com
GORAN IVANOVIC GROUP
Goran Ivanovic (Guitar), Doug Rosenberg (Saxophone), Matthew Ulery (Bass), Michael Caskey (Drums). The members of the group have a diverse and experienced background. Each musician brings a unique musical perspective to the band including jazz, classical, Balkan, Gypsy, and Klezmer sensibilities. Formed in 2003, the group's unorthodox instrumentation has forged a sound, which ignores borders that traditionally separate nations, cultures, and epochs. The group has created a musical idiom of its own imagining. They have all performed on stages around the world and have collaborated with countle! ss artists including Wynton Marsalis, Danilo Perez, Bob Moses, and Fareed Haque. In the Chicago area, members of the band regularly perform at prestigious venues such as the Chicago Symphony Center, The Metro, The Green Mill, Hothouse, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago Cultural Center, Martyr's, and The Double Door. The band just completed a tour of the Northeast and is looking forward to a fall tour of the Midwest and the Northeast. Goran Ivanovic is well known to guitar audiences throughout the US and Europe. As a soloist he has performed in major cities including San Francisco, Portland, Dallas, Cincinnati, Dayton, New York, Boston, and Detroit. In addition he has performed benefit concerts for various charity institutions. He has given numerous Master Classes around the country, and continues to broaden guitar repertoire by arranging and composing original material. Three records have been released under his name and he has collaborated on number of records as a special gue! st. His first album "Macedonian Blues" has sold over five thousand copies and has received great attention by renowned music critics. Ivanovic's latest album with Fareed Haque, "Seven Boats", recently won Album of the Year 2004 in Acoustic Guitar Magazine. The band has strong and consistent following in the Chicago area and is steadily gaining attention in other parts of the country. The music generally attracts a diverse and ethnic audience including Serbian and Balkan communities across the country. In addition, the band has found a niche in the world music genre as well as the exponentially expanding jam-band scene.
www.goranivanovic.net
JASON LINDNER - THE JLECTRIK
Jason Lindner's newest instrumental progressive-jazz group is the result of playing in late-night bars and lounges in New York City for the past 5 years for non-jazz-oriented listeners. Vibing on circular, polyrhythmic grooves and utilizing electronics and sub-bass give the flavor to the JLectrik. Pianist Jason Lindner has been a fixture in the New York jazz scene since the mid-90s when the venerated Greenwich Village club, Smalls, became the home for a new generation of forward-thinking jazz musicians. Lindner's large ensemble performances quickly became the focal point for critics who frequently wrote about the club, and record label representatives eagerly tried to capitalize on the buzz. Lindner regularly drew sold out crowds on Monday nights at Smalls, something more established musicians could only accomplish on weekends. Even though Smalls closed its doors in 2003 and the artists have been transplanted one block over to Fat Cat Billiards, Jason's performances still remain an event that should not be missed, even ten years after they began.
". . . one of the most impressive big bands to emerge in years . . . filled with declarative themes, recurring motifs and varying temperaments that range from elegant balladry to body-rocking grooves." - Jazz Times Magazine
A native of New York City, his dynamic live performances have led Jason to a well-received recording on Chick Corea's Stretch label entitled Premonition, and appearances in the studio and on stage with artists such as Roy Haynes, Dave Holland, James Moody, Paquito D'Rivera, Jon Hendricks, Roy Hargrove, Avishai Cohen, Dafnis Prieto, Christian McBride, Yosvany Terry, The Brother Jacques Project, Pharaoh's Daughter, Stephanie McKay, Amel Larrieux, Lauryn Hill, Maya Azucena, Graciella, Dana Leong's Criminal Justice and World Tribe, and the Lincoln Center/Arturo O'Farrill Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, who also commisioned an arrangement by Lindner.
www.jasonlindner.net
JOHN MEDESKI SOLO
At age 9, John Medeski was ready to give up the piano. He was involved in many other activities and thought the piano was kind of "girly." John's father convinced him to give it another year and he never turned back. Shortly after this decision, John had his first experience in the "zone" while performing a Mozart piano sonata. Feeling extremely relaxed, he watched his hands move without thinking. He felt as if he was leaving his body and was watching himself from the outside. The experience was enough to convince him to stick with the piano, and by the time he was 12 years old music had completely taken over his life. Anthony John Medeski was born in Louisville, Kentucky on June 28, 1965. After a short stay in the Chicago area the Medeski family relocated to Fort Lauderdale, FL, where John would spend the remainder of his childhood. By his teens, he was directing everything from chamber music ensembles to avant-garde dance companies, writing musicals, playing for old-folks on Friday nights, and jamming with a whole host of great musicians in South Florida (including Jaco Pastorius). Following High School, John traveled north to study at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, mainly for the ability to further his classical education while increasing his study of Jazz. In little time, John was giging almost every night of the week with everyone from Mr. Jelly Belly, The Either Orchestra, Hollyday Brothers, Dewey Redman, Bob Mitzner, and Billy Higgins. While living in Boston after graduating from the NEC, John met Chris Wood, playing with him on "some strange Boston gig," and the two began playing together in New York at the Village Gate with the great Reggie Workman. Inspired to take it one step further, John and Chris connected with Billy Martin to form Medeski Martin and Wood. John's career with Medeski Martin Wood has endured since 1991, taking him to every corner of the globe. MMW's unique style of rhythmic, groove-based jazz has allowed the trio to expand its fan base beyond the core audience of enthusiasts most often attributed to a jazz ensemble. MMW have shared the bill with groups such as The Roots, Beck, A Tribe Called Quest, Ray Charles, Hermento Pascoal, and Phish, frequently appearing in venues unavailable to most jazz artists. MMW entertains at high energy summer music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Montreux Jazz Festival, and Austin City Limits, as well as concert halls such as the Kimmel Center and The Chicago Symphony Center. MMW recently released their 10th studio album, End of the World Party (just in case), on Blue Note Records. A collaboration with producer John King, one half of the lauded Dust Brothers production team. Outside of his work with MMW, John has recorded, produced, and toured with musicians of all genres. Always visible in New York's "downtown" scene, he has performed in numerous configurations with artists such as John Zorn, Marc Ribot, John Lurie, and Steven Bernstein. Recently, John has appeared on stage with The Blind Boys of Alabama, Trey Anastasio, Warren Haynes, Sinead O'Connor, and Robert Randolph. John's recording credits include Iggy Pop, T Bone Burnett, Chocolate Genius, Dan The Automator, Matthew Shipp and Susana Baca. John produced The Dirty Dozen Brass Band's Buck Jump on Mammoth Records and most recently, pedal steel guitar group The Campbell Brothers' Can You Feel It for Ropeadope Records. He is currently working as producer for The Wood Brothers, an acoustic duo featuring MMW band mate Chris Wood and his brother Oliver. The Wood Brothers are currently recording their debut album for Blue Note Records due out in early 2006.
www.mmw.net
MARC RIBOT'S SPIRITUAL UNITY
- Collective quartet formed by guitarist Marc Ribot that reinterprets and expands upon the music of Albert Ayler.
- Features Henry Grimes, the bassist on many original Ayler recordings. Only Grimes' second release since his return to music after a 30+ year hiatus.
- Roy Campbell's passionate trumpet work and Chad Taylor's propulsive drumming round out this singular quartet.
What is Spiritual Unity? Spiritual Unity is a group formed by guitarist Marc Ribot dedicated to re-creating and re-imagining the music of the great saxophonist Albert Ayler, one of the pillars of modern jazz. Ribot (Lounge Lizards, Los Cubanos Postizos and countless other bands) is a longtime fan of Ayler's who has spent years listening to and internalizing the communicative group process integral to Ayler's music. Ribot describes playing Ayler's music as a "ritual process, through improvisation, of experiencing and presenting the rawest moment of musical creation." He knew that the time had come to realize his long-time dream of forming a collective band to play this music when the celebrated bassist Henry Grimes, who played on many of Ayler's seminal recordings from the 1960s, returned to the jazz scene in 2003. Grimes' amazing reemergence after 30 plus years away from music is now one of the great stories in the annals of jazz. Spiritual Unity is just the second release and the first studio recorded release to feature him since his return. This recording, for those who haven't had the good fortune to see Grimes play live, finds him playing as strong as ever. He is obviously the perfect bassist for this music. Ribot displays his obvious passion for this music. His playing ranges widely from delicate beauty to wails and shrieks and everything in between. Trumpeter Roy Campbell exhibits his incredible versatility. He sports his free jazz hat and delivers the combination of lyricism and whomp that he brings to every musical context. Drummer Chad Taylor (Chicago Underground Trio) plays with muscle and verve, propelling this difficult music forward. Spiritual Unity features one original by Ribot and four compositions by Ayler. Ribot's "Invocation" opens the album and immediately conjures Ayler's spirit. This is followed by "Spirits," one of Ayler's catchiest and instantly recognizable tunes. "Truth is Marching In," another of Ayler's signature tracks, featuring a long, mournful intro that suddenly breaks into a warped march. The spacious "Saints" bridges to the album closer "Bells," a 15 minute tour-de-force recorded live at Tonic the night before the studio session. Spiritual Unity could easily be overshadowed by comparisons to Ayler's original work, but the intentions far exceed a straightforward canonization of Ayler's music. Using Ayler's vocabulary as raw material, Ribot, Grimes, Taylor and Campbell combine their disparate influences to fashion their own distinct work of art. Pi is proud to present Spiritual Unity.
www.marcribot.com
MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO 'THE SPIRIT MUSIC JAMIA'
Meshell Ndegeocello, the innovative and groundbreaking singer, bassist and all around musical visionary has a new side project heavy on the grooves. Spirit Music Jamia is a freeform project incorporating funky, spiritual sounds into the rhythmic landscape. Inspired by icons like Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Fela Kuti, Prince and John Coltrane, Meshell is taking on the role of bandleader and incorporating moving sounds from many genres. Meshell says she has always dreamed about being in a group and for the first time in her 12-year career she gathered stunning musicians to work closely with her on a collaborative project.
This artistic melding of voices, ideas and original sounds has created the year's most extraordinary project and Meshell proves again that she is a musician of epic proportions.
PYENG THREADGILL
Threadgill's musical roots run deep. Daughter of jazz composer Henry Threadgill and choreographer Christina Jones, Pyeng received her BA in music from the prestigious Oberlin College and was awarded the Mellon fellowship to study music in Brazil. Pyeng continued her education at the Institute for Audio Research and is currently working on certification in the Alexander Technique, a teaching method designed to help change habitual tension patterns and increase movement awareness. Ultimately, Pyeng's sound defies categorization. Her voice, perhaps best described as "a cross between Jill Scott and Cassandra Wilson by way of Nina Simone" (San Diego Union Tribune, 2004) coincidentally invokes her wish to tie together the old with the new. At times, listening feels like a Billie Holiday record, and the next moment you are transported into a smoky New York City hipster joint. Says Threadgill: "The famous Jazz singers that we listen to...Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, etc. were singing the Pop music of their day. There is something inspiring about that to me. So I study and perform that repertoire while creating for all generations using the influences of my favorite singers and songwriters from Stevie Wonder to Bjork to Bob Marley". Of The Air (the meaning of 'Pyeng', as assigned by her mother) delivers the same risk-taking, soulful, transcendent qualities of "Sweet Home" . Introducing a new cast of collaborators- Shelley Doty on guitar, Lisa Mezzacapa on acoustic bass and Micha Patri on drums and percussion and featuring several musicians from her New York contingent - Dana Leong on cello, Dimitri Moderbacher on saxophone and clarinet, and Ryan Scott on guitar - this album promises to satisfy the already converted and win over the rest. Add to this a surprise appearance from esteemed Jazz pianist/composer Myra Melford and the result is once again a daring collage of musical exploration. Of The Air's uniqueness is largely due to the coupling of Threadgill's vision with the organic treatment by engineer/co-producer Myles Boisen. The entire album was recorded analog, in keeping with Pyeng's interest in maintaining a vintage approach to new material. "An artist with a point of view and the chops to bring it life" ( onefinalnote.com ), Pyeng Threadgill is a name that's hard to forget and an artist who produces music for the ages.
www.pyeng.com
REZ ABBASI'S SNAKE CHARMER
Making New York home for the past fifteen years, Rez Abbasi is considered to
be one of today's foremost modern jazz guitar players. Born on the Indian Sub-continent and removed at the age of four, Rez grew up in California. After studying classical and jazz music at U.S.C., he moved to New York and graduated from Manhattan School of Music with a scholarship. He furthered his studies in India under the tutorial of master percussionist, Ustad Alla Rakha. Abbasi is a vivid synthesis of these stated influences and has developed a unique sound both as a composer and an instrumentalist. Rez has toured the world extensively with his own groups as well as many others. His collaborations with musicians from various genres including Qawwali, South and North Indian classical, Ghazals, Bhangra and Celtic, have fortified his ever evolving vision. Abbasi's new CD "Snake Charmer" has been called, "A breakthrough record...one of 2005's more important releases." by AllAboutJazz. Renowned critic and author Bill Milkowski writes, "Snake Charmer is a fascinating and compelling hybrid.. as organic a meeting of East and West as John McLaughlin's Shakti."
www.reztone.com
ROBERT GLASPER TRIO
"There isn't a young musician with more buzz at the moment than Glasper... His trio deserves comparison with the best of the newer piano trios, those led by Jason Moran, Bill Charlap and Brad Mehldau... his group has its own crisp, skittering cooperation, with hip hop in its bounce." -THE NEW YORK TIMES
Having worked with everyone from Terence Blanchard & Roy Hargrove to Q-Tip & Mos Def, the 27-yearold pianist ROBERT GLASPER steps forward with his major label debut. CANVAS presents Glasper as a new voice to be reckoned with threefold: as a pianist, as a composer, and as one-third of a bright young trio with bassist Vicente Archer & drummer Damion Reid. Tenor saxophonistMark Turner and vocalist Bilal make guest appearances as well. As a pianist, Glasper owns a melodic sense that can mesmerize you and a technique that can scare you, but thankfully he also possesses the innate sense to know exactly which is needed at a given moment. He's absorbed all the usual influences (Tyner, Hancock, Corea, Jarrett) and yet he exhibits a sound that's undeniably Glasper, his delicate touch and harmonic sense as recognizable as any of the aforementioned masters.
www.robertglasper.com
TERENCE BLANCHARD 'FLOW'
Flow is trumpet player Terence Blanchard's second album for Blue Note. Over the years Blue Note's recorded some of the best trumpeters the world has ever known; from Miles Davis and Lee Morgan to Freddie Hubbard and Don Cherry. Terence Blanchard manages to successfully draw on the label's rich history, moving with ease from a ballad like "Over There" to the organic build and insistent propulsion of the album's longest track, "Harvesting Dance." He embraces melodic precision, but always in accord with a resonant emotional foundation. Producer Herbie Hancock is a perfect fit for this project, bridging the traditional realms of post-bop and modernist inclinations. Produced by the artist and four-time Grammy winner Herbie Hancock, Flow heralds nothing less than the brilliant second act of Blanchard's already extraordinary career. Flow is TB's rambunctiously heated answer to those unenlightened few who doubted that this chill master of the urbane film score (Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, Barbershop) could get down. Indeed, Flow not only showcases Blanchard's prodigious instrumental and composing skills; it reveals him to be both a shrewd judge of young talent and a bandleader of Milesian dimension and magnitude as well.
www.terenceblanchard.com
VIJAY IYER & MIKE LADD
With this project, Iyer and Ladd have inspired each other to reach far beyond what either has done previously. Taken together, their influences cover the entire spectrum of modern music, and it shows. The mesmerizing sonic miniatures range from the ominous funk of "Security" to the luminous jazz orchestration of "Taking Back the Airplane," from the rugged electronic programming of "TLC" to the noble cello-and-piano hymn of "Plastic Bag," from the swirling improvisational grooves of the "Color of my Circumference" cycle to the mournfully programmatic composition "Asylum." The project features the creative sonic techniques of versatile engineer/co-producer Scotty Hard (a.k.a. Scott Harding), who has imbued the album with a genre-bending variety and flair. Defying expectation throughout, the project nonetheless maintains a sense of larger purpose, as the poetry and music intertwine in rich dialogue. The poems of In What Language? comprise a series of darkly lyrical monologues by people of color negotiating the hyper-globalized setting of a 21st-century international airport. It takes its title from a pre-9/11 experience of Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who, transiting through JFK in spring 2001, was wrongly detained by INS officials. Panahi's description of this ordeal was widely circulated online. Sent back to Hong Kong, in handcuffs, he wanted to explain his story to fellow passengers. "I'm not a thief! I'm not a murderer! ... I am just an Iranian, a filmmaker. But how could I tell this, in what language?" "As a fellow brown-skinned traveler, I felt a need to amplify and address Panahi's question," says Iyer. "The need to assert one's humanity in the face of ignorance and oppression became the driving force behind this project." As a response, they chose to critique the deceptively neutral setting of the airport: "The airport serves as a contact zone for those who feel either empowered or subjugated by globalization," says Ladd. "It's a center of commerce and a crossroads of cultures. As a poet I chose to explore the myriad of ways an airport can be interpreted." Commissioned by the Asia Society, the two worked intensely on the material for over a year, and debuted their "song cycle" in May 2003.
www.vijay-iyer.com
WISE
Electro-Jazz or Nu JazZ? Wise go beyond genre barriers and could very quickly become the band to follow. In 2001, Julien Birot, composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist with a passion for jazz and electronic music started to think about a project in which electronic programming and improvised music could join together. The same year he meets Robin Notte, Jazz pianist and equally open for House and Drum'n Bass sounds . To complete their project, the two of them decide to search for a trumpet player sharing their new vision of jazz. It is when Guillaume Poncelet joins in, that the final form is given to what will become the band Wise. The music of WISE is envisioning the encounter of jazz and electronic music as a new alliance between the improviser and the universe of computer programming. The electronic environment is meant to be a support for the imagination, outlining the emotions and accentuating the ambiances. On stage, the formation grows to a quintet - trumpet, keyboards, bass, drums, programming - and it proposes an innovative fusion of the energy of jazz-rock and the exploration of electronic sounds. The musicians are re-appropriating the material they recorded themselves to create a universe, free and modern, based on electronic material. Even though the music is filtered, sampled, looped, it after all stays a music of improvisation. The album is finding a real prolongation in the concerts.
Linear Mode
