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Entries from September 2011

Fabian Almazan: Personalities

Fabian Almazan began creating some buzz with his sparkling piano chops in trumpeter m: Terence Blanchard ‘s group on Choices (Concord Music Group, 2009). Originally from Havana, Cuba, Almazan is not only one of the young rising stars in New York, but is also classically trained and has received a number of awards as a composer in film, chamber and orchestral projects…

Date: Sep 29th, 2011 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz CD Reviews

Wooden Shjips: West

Derived from America’s western mythology and romanticism, the San Francisco-based Wooden Shjips incorporates vintage psychedelics, propelled by punchy back-beats amid Sonic Youth-style crunch chords and doses of German space-rock. However, the musicians do seed familiar turf into an identifiable group-focused line of operations. Perhaps a throwback to the ’70s, due to Farfisa organ sounds and dreamy electronics and guitars treatments, the band mixes it up with a great deal of improvisation, shaded with ethereal ambience and a haze of semi-controlled gunfire…

Date: Sep 29th, 2011 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz CD Reviews

George Benson – Guitar Man

In a career that spans five decades, more than 30 recordings as a leader and ten Grammy Awards, the legendary George Benson has used his jazz roots as the foundation for an engaging mix of pop, R&B and other shades that add up to a style that appeals to a broad mainstream audience. Along the [continue reading…]

Date: Sep 28th, 2011 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz News

SONiC – Sounds of a New Century A Festival of 21st Century Music by Composers Age 40 and Under

LAUNCHES at Carnegie Hall on Friday, October 14, 2011 with American Composers Orchestra’s Season Opening Concert featuring Five World Premieres TWO FREE SONiC SMARTPHONE APPS NOW AVAILABLE: Thicket: SONiC (iPhone/iPad) & UrbanRemix (iPhone/Droid) PLUS RE:SOUND – a partnership with WQXR’s Q2 Music www.SONiCfestival.org New York, NY (September 28, 2011) — SONiC – Sounds of a [continue reading…]

Date: Sep 28th, 2011 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz News

Miguel Zenón, “Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook”

By Bill Donaldson Little did listeners know when in 2002 Miguel Zenón recorded Looking Forward, his album of Puerto Rican religious songs, that he would building, album by album, a series of recordings dedicated to, and elaborating upon, the music he heard when he grew up in the Residencial Luis Llorens Torres housing projects in [continue reading…]

Date: Sep 28th, 2011 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz News

Stix Hooper Back in the Groove

Internationally renowned drummer/composer/producer/entrepreneur, Stix Hooper, returns to the stage in a rare appearance, acknowledging and sharing his music —as well as his myriad of unique experiences gained over his eclectic musical career. Hooper is a multiple Grammy nominee and a recipient of many national and international awards and citations.

Date: Sep 28th, 2011 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz News

Rob Brown: Unknown Skies

Each year alto saxophonist Rob Brown brings a project to NYC’s annual Vision Festival. Among the most raw and compelling was this stellar trio, featuring pianist m: Craig Taborn and drummer m: Nasheet Waits , which graced the 2009 gathering but had gone unrecorded, until now. Fortunately the voguish Paris-based Rogue Art imprint has issued a fine live recording from the 2010 Sons d’hiver festival in that city, which regularly presents highlights from the New York jamboree…

Date: Sep 28th, 2011 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz CD Reviews