DOCSLIB.ORG

Is This Jazz? Newport Jazz Festival '17: Where to Start

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Is This Jazz? Newport Jazz Festival '17: Where to Start Is This Jazz? Newport Jazz Festival ’17: Where To Start On Friday, August 5, the world’s best jazz artists will once again make their yearly pilgrimage to Fort Adams for another exciting Newport Jazz Festival. Over the past few years, the festival has been stepping up the line-ups and has done an amazing job of balancing the old guard with the young lions, simultaneously showing how this music has gotten to where it is and where it’s headed next. The diversity of groups and sounds is no less prevalent this year, with what has to be one of the more stacked bills in recent history. While we may not be able to hit on every “must see” act in this feature, here is a glimpse into who to watch out for and the sets you’ll probably be running to. For the past few years, Snarky Puppy has been a relentless force in the international jazz scene. Formed in 2003 by composer/bassist Micheal League, this powerhouse ensemble has performed thousands of shows across six continents, and has collaborated with Lalah Hathaway, Laura Mvula, Salif Keïta, David Crosby, N’Dambi, Becca Stevens and Jacob Collier. Their intricately arranged and flawlessly executed charts are as stunning as the whirlwind improvisations traded off throughout the group. I can’t say this enough: Cécile McLorin Salvant is the best jazz vocalist working today and absolutely one of the all-time heavies. Her melodic phrasing and command of the depths of her voice are truly unmatched. Beyond her once-in-a-generation talent, her band is loaded with chops, giving this ensemble an edge in crafting unique interpretations of old favorites and outstanding originals and letting Salvant’s voice stretch and dance above the music swirling around her. Before her unfortunate passing this year, the incomparable pianist Geri Allen was set to perform as part of a dynamic trio, alongside Esperanza Spalding and Terri Lyne Carrington. To honor her legacy and musical gifts, Spalding and Carrington will present “Flying Towards The Sound: for Geri, with Love,” featuring pianists Vijay Iyer, Jason Moran and Christian Sands. Gerrie Allen stands tall in the hearts of the jazz faithful, especially pianists who modeled their playing after hers, so this set is sure to be a passionate tribute to one of music’s most revered. Leslie Odom Jr. made his mark as Aaron Burr in the Broadway sensation Hamilton; however, his talent far exceeds that which could be held to a single stage. He comes to the fort for his Jazz Fest debut on the heels of his first self-titled release in which he dives into standards and classic tunes from around the American songbook, paying homage to a great body of work that precedes him while adding his own special twist. Called “perhaps the most important jazz composer of his generation” by The New York Times, Henry Threadgill is a master multi-instrumentalist and one of the most forward thinking minds in jazz. As an early member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), Threadgill helped pioneer an all new understanding of improvisation and composition that has remained as influential and relevant today as it ever was. Each piece takes his ensemble, Zooid, through epic journeys with unique arches, quirky angles and a whole world’s worth of sound and exploration. There is so much happening over the three days of the festival, so for more information, artist bios and links to music, head to newportjazzfest.org. Have fun at the Newport Jazz Festival, travel safely on your journey and be sure to let me know about your experience and your favorite sets. See you there! Happening Around Town: The John Allmark Jazz Orchestra; first Monday monthly @ The Met (Pawtucket) Is This Jazz?; first Friday, bimonthly @ AS220 (PVD) isthisjazz.tumblr.com Allary At Arias; Sundays @ Arias Lounge (PVD) Groove Merchants; Mondays @ Fifth Element (Newport) Jazz Jam; Tuesdays @ Ten Rocks (Pawtucket) Groove E Tuesday; Tuesdays @ Murphy’s Law (Pawtucket) Parlour Jazz Jam; third Sunday each month @ The Parlour (PVD) Jeff Platz Quartet’s Modern Sound Series; last Sunday each month @ Tea In Sahara (PVD) To add your listing please email [email protected]. Ben Shaw is a local composer and performer. Find him at ahueofshaw.tumblr.com or on Twitter @ahueofshaw..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Becca Stevens Singer / Songwriter / Performer Biography
    BECCA STEVENS SINGER / SONGWRITER / PERFORMER BIOGRAPHY North Carolina bred, Brooklyn based singer/multi- instrumentalist Becca Stevens is a composer, bandleader, and educator. In her playing, singing, and writing, Stevens has a voice that can only be accurately described as her own. Her original music is hailed worldwide for its its intricate harmonies and rhythms subtly rooted in jazz and Irish Folk and West African music. Boundless in the elements from which she draws her inspiration, Stevens is known for her unique ability to craft exquisite and authentic compositions both for her own band, and for GRAMMY award winning artists who run the gamut of genre from Jacob Collier, to Michael League (Snarky Puppy), and most notably with folk legend David Crosby. Stevens is a member of Crosby’s Lighthouse Band whose album ‘Here If You Listen’ (BMG ‘18), features the distinct songwriting of its four members— Stevens, Crosby, League, and Michelle Willis. Stevens has received copious praise from the likes of The New York Times, was Downbeat Magazine’s 2017 Rising Star Female Vocalist, and was featured on NPR Music’s “Songs We Love”. She has toured the world performing with her band, and collaborating with peers such as Brad Mehldau, Kneebody, Esperanza Spalding, Billy Childs, Ambrose Akinmusire, Vijay Iyer, Taylor Eigsti, José James, Eric Harland, Gerald Clayton, Travis Sullivan’s Björkestra and many others. In 2015, Perfect Animal, the highly anticipated follow up to Weightless (Sunnyside), produced by engineer Scott Solter, was released on Universal Music Classics. Becca’s music is featured on Snarky Puppy’s Family Dinner, Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Snarky Puppy's Eye-Popping New Animated Video Is a Surreal Visual
    Snarky Puppy’s Eye-Popping New Animated Video Is A Surreal Visual Adventure 68-date 2019 World Tour currently hits 19 countries, more shows to be added Watch the video for “Bad Kids to the Back” here New album Immigrance out March 15th on GroundUP Music February 22, 2019 – Inspired by films like Richard Linklater’s Waking Life, Ralph Bakshi’s American Pop and Disney’s 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the surreal video for Snarky Puppy’s “Bad Kids To The Back” utilizes rotoscoped visuals to turn an in-studio performance into one of the wildest animated videos you will see this year. Animator/co-director Michaël Alcaras drew frame-by-frame over live footage of the band recording the song in studio (shot by the video’s other co- director, Stella K), and turned it into an eye-popping four minutes and forty-five seconds. The Snarky horn section suddenly have animal heads; band members shoot lasers from their eyes and tall buildings dance along to the song’s hypnotic grooves. “Bad Kids to the Back,” a “crisp, strutting” (Rolling Stone) track written by Snarky Puppy member Justin Stanton, comes from the group’s upcoming album Immigrance, out March 15th on GroundUP Music. A global touring dynamo who have played to thousands of fans at shows on six continents, Snarky Puppy will embark on another ambitious world tour in 2019. This weekend, the band will be accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles before officially kicking off the 68-date world tour April 11th in Osaka, Japan.
    [Show full text]
  • Snarky-Puppy-Immigrance-Press-Release 732.48
    Snarky Puppy Releasing Moodier, Raw New Album Immigrance March 15th 2019 on GroundUP Music 2019 Tour Dates – UK Tour Announcement 25th Feb. Group performs with L.A. Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall Feb 23. World tour begins in April Multiple GRAMMY-winners host 3rd annual GroundUP Music Festival in Miami Beach February 8-10 Listen to new song ‘Xavi’ here Pre-order Immigrance here Snarky Puppy, the three-time GRAMMY-winning genre-defying collective, will release their new album Immigrance on March 15th via GroundUP Music. Like their last album, 2016’s GRAMMY-winning Culcha Vulcha, Immigrance is a studio project, and it features most of the same musicians. And though it shares that project’s ace musicianship and dynamic, kinetic spirit, it is also rawer and moodier than its predecessor. Several of the compositions put a new-found emphasis on delivering simpler, streamlined impact, and bassist, composer and bandleader Michael League, as producer on the album, left in the tiny flubs and unvarnished textures that accompany great organic performances. Immigrance is also all about movement. “The idea here is that everything is fluid, that everything is always moving and that we’re all in a constant state of immigration,” explains League, who founded Snarky Puppy in 2003 and has helmed it into one of the most popular, virtuosic and influential bands of the current jazz and instrumental-music renaissance. “Obviously the album’s title is not without political undertones.” But Immigrance doesn’t aim to scold or condescend; rather, its mission is one of uplift, a testament to what humanity can achieve when cultures are able to come together without fear.
    [Show full text]
  • Snarky Puppy Snarky Puppy Snarky Puppy
    SNARKY PUPPY GENRE: ELECTRIC JAZZ/FUNK/INSTRUMENTAL Displaying a rare and delicate mixture of sophisticated composition, harmony and improvisation, Fusion-influenced jam band Snarky Puppy make exploratory jazz, rock, and funk. Formed in Denton, Texas in 2004, Snarky Puppy feature a wide-ranging group of nearly 40 musicians known affectionately as “The Fam,” centered around bassist, composer and bandleader Michael League. Comparable Artists: Medeski, Martin & Wood, Brad Mehldau, Weather Report, Steely Dan AWARDS • 2014 Grammy winner for “Best R&B Performance” • Voted “Best Jazz Group” in Downbeat’s 2015 Reader’s Poll/Cover of February 2016 issue •“Best New Artist” and “Best Electric/Jazz-Rock/Contemporary Group/Artist” in Jazz Times 2014 Reader’s Poll PRESS • “Emotionally heroic compositions…At the heart of Snarky Puppy’s music lies an incredible humanity,…a soulful appeal for fans of all ages” – Electronic Musician • “This 12-piece collective stands out with furious commitment to defying musical categories. The music is no joke.” – LA Times • Featured in the New York Times, NPR, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Relix, SF Weekly, Modern Drummer, and more TOUR • Played over 300 performances over the last two years on four continents • Snarky Puppy are devoted to music education holding clinics and workshops with students in-between international tourdates PEAK PERFORMANCE • Their last album, Sylva, garnered a #1-chart debut simultaneously on both Billboard’s Jazz and Heatseekers Charts • Snarky Puppy streaming music fans are primarily paid/premium subscribers to services such as Spotify, Google Play and Apple Music and listen on desktop and mobile devices (49%/51% split) • All of Snarky Puppy’s albums are recorded 100% live often with in-studio audiences present DEMO Male (82%)/Female (18%) Age: 18-34 (73%) http://www.impulse-label.com/ LINKS OFFICIAL WEBSITE 222,852 fans 30.8K followers 62.8K followers 28K 91K (Snarky Puppy) (GroundUP Music).
    [Show full text]
  • The Bad Ass Pulse by Martin Longley
    December 2010 | No. 104 Your FREE Monthly Guide to the New York Jazz Scene aaj-ny.com The THE Bad Ass bad Pulse PLUS Mulgrew Miller • Microscopic Septet • Origin • Event Calendar Many people have spoken to us over the years about the methodology we use in putting someone on our cover. We at AllAboutJazz-New York consider that to be New York@Night prime real estate, if you excuse the expression, and use it for celebrating those 4 musicians who have that elusive combination of significance and longevity (our Interview: Mulgrew Miller Hall of Fame, if you will). We are proud of those who have graced our front page, lamented those legends who have since passed and occasionally even fêted 6 by Laurel Gross someone long deceased who deserved another moment in the spotlight. Artist Feature: Microscopic Septet But as our issue count grows and seminal players are fewer and fewer, we must expand our notion of significance. Part of that, not only in the jazz world, has by Ken Dryden 7 been controversy, those players or groups that make people question their strict On The Cover: The Bad Plus rules about what is or what is not whatever. Who better to foment that kind of 9 by Martin Longley discussion than this month’s On The Cover, The Bad Plus, only the third time in our history that we have featured a group. This tradition-upending trio is at Encore: Lest We Forget: Village Vanguard from the end of December into the first days of January. 10 Bill Smith Johnny Griffin Another band that has pushed the boundaries of jazz, first during the ‘80s but now with an acclaimed reunion, is the Microscopic Septet (Artist Feature).
    [Show full text]
  • Michael Mayo
    MICHAEL MAYO Whether Michael Mayo is performing with his band, as a guest, or alone with a looper pedal, the LA native’s commanding and other worldly vocalese is quickly gathering critical and commercial acclaim around the globe. Born to two successful musicians, Mayo grew up just a little more than 20 feet from the likes of Diana Ross, Luther Vandross, Earth Wind and Fire, and Stevie Wonder. This proximity helped Mayo create a musical path centered around elements of R&B, Soul and Jazz, forging his musical identity long before he hit the stage. Mayo attended the acclaimed Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, only the third vocalist to be accepted into the 20-year-old program, where he learned from the likes of Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. Now living in Brooklyn, and still in his 20s, Mayo is a veteran international performer whose highlights include singing at the White House, the Kennedy Center and Renée Fleming’s American Voices Festival, as well as the Panama Jazz Festival. Most recently he has recorded and performed with Herbie Hancock, Jacob Collier, Kneebody, Gretchen Parlato, Josh Groban, Ben Wendel, and Becca Stevens among many others. His own band performance was a standout at the 2019 Playboy Jazz Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, and Monterey Jazz Festival. Signed to Mack Avenue/Artistry Records, Mayo’s debut record BONES, produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Eli Wolf (Norah Jones, Al Green, The Roots) was released on June 4th, 2021. BONES Born and raised in L.A., but a diehard New Yorker for the past five years (drawn by “the music, art and energy, its motivating factor”), 28-year-old Michael Mayo finished work on his debut solo album Bones, on the Artistry Music/Mack Avenue Music Group, just before COVID hit.
    [Show full text]
  • Snarky Puppy
    Snarky Puppy Michael League / Bass and Band Leader Jason “JT” Thomas / Drums Nate Werth / Percussion Shaun Martin / Keyboards Justin Stanton / Keyboards and Trumpet Jay Jennings / Trumpet Chris Bullock / Tenor Saxophone and Flute Chris McQueen / Guitar Zach Brock / Violin with special guest Alina Engibaryan / Vocals and Piano Sunday Evening, September 8, 2019 at 7:00 Hill Auditorium Ann Arbor Opening Performance of the 141st Annual Season 26th Annual Jazz Series This evening’s performance is supported by Michigan Engineering, Elaine and Peter Schweitzer, and Imagine Fitness & Yoga. This evening’s performance is funded in part by JazzNet Endowment Fund. Media partnership provided by WEMU 89.1 FM, WDET 101.9 FM, and Ann Arbor’s 107one. Special thanks to Ellen Rowe and the U-M Department of Jazz & Contemporary Improvisation for their participation in events surrounding this evening’s performance. Snarky Puppy appears by arrangement with Royal Artist Group. In consideration of the artists and the audience, please refrain from the use of electronic devices during the performance. The photography, sound recording, or videotaping of this performance is prohibited. PROGRAM This evening’s program will be announced by the artists from the stage. There will be one intermission following Alina Engibaryan’s opening set. 3 ARTISTS The last four years have brought dramatic University of North Texas’ jazz studies changes for Snarky Puppy. After a decade program. Three years later, a serendipitous of relentless touring and recording in all intersection with the gospel and R&B but complete obscurity, the Texas-bred/ community in Dallas transformed the New York-based quasi-collective suddenly music into something funkier, more direct, found itself held up by the press and and more visceral.
    [Show full text]
  • Singer-Songwriters Follow Their Muses
    Beyond / BY ALLEN MORRISON Singer-Songwriters Follow Their Muses New releases this spring by three unusual singer-songwriters suggest how personal a muse can be, and a variety of approaches to tapping it. Two are from North Carolina natives with Appalachian musical roots who have gone on to write sophisticated songs that draw on Americana, rock, blues, gospel, folk, country and jazz. The third is a native of Yamanishi, Japan, who is in love with and Emmet Cohen deeply influenced by Brazilian jazz. Masters Legacy The first two, Becca Stevens and Sarah Series Volume 1 Siskind, also just happen to possess two CELLAR LIVE 031616 of the most thrilling female pop voices of HHH½ their generation. Like Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt and Trisha Yearwood, they are in- Emmet Cohen has plenty of experience per- stantly recognizable and have that combi- forming with top-tier musicians, including his nation of delicacy and emotive force that membership in Christian McBride’s Special can bring goosebumps to your skin. Trio and sideman credits with the likes of Kurt Becca Stevens’ Regina (GroundUP Elling and Herlin Riley. But when the twen- Music; 63:08 HHHHH) is the most spec- tacular of the albums. The long-awaited Becca Stevens ty-something pianist chanced upon playing follow-up to 2015’s Perfect Animal, it is a with the great drummer Jimmy Cobb, he expe- fully realized, rapturous meditation on series Nashville. On earlier albums, espe- rienced something special: a profundity he felt queens in history, myth, literature and her cially her 2013 masterpiece, Say it Louder, could only come from communing with an own fertile imagination; Regina is also Ste- she proved she is one of America’s great elder architect of modern jazz.
    [Show full text]
  • The Snarky Puppy Songbook
    Notes from Michael “Binky” written and arranged by Michael League transcribed by Chris McQueen recorded on groundUP, GroundUP Music / Ropeadope Records 2012 “Binky” was actually the first of the batch of new songs set to be recorded on groundUP. I think it came from the Afro-beat craze that had been dominating my current hometown of Brooklyn, New York (the working title was “Afropup”). Everyone that was cool had an Afro-beat band. I was not cool. I figured that the least I could do was write an Afro-beat song, and “Binky” was my attempt at it. As is normally the case with compositional intentions, I got distracted and the song drifted out of the desired direction into some strange other realm. We rehearsed it for the first time at Nate’s tiny apartment in Denton, Texas, during a tour in May of 2011. It was MUCH faster, and listening back to it now, feels a little more Afro-beatish that way. One of the most interesting things about the recording of this song on “groundUP” is Nate, Marcelo, and Keita’s very intricate and well-thought-out percussion parts. They interact with the bass line in an integral way… sliding them over even by an eighth or quarter note affects the groove massively. If you know Nate, you know how much he thinks about this stuff. Similar to the structure of the song “Flood” on Tell Your Friends, the hip-hop-ish outro to “Binky” is a metric permutation of previously stated musical material. I know that sounds really nerdy, but I can’t think of any other way to say it.
    [Show full text]
  • Snarky Puppy Release First in Series of Bonus Tracks from Immigrance Recording Sessions Today
    Snarky Puppy Release First In Series Of Bonus Tracks From Immigrance Recording Sessions Today Hear “Embossed” here Massive 98-date, 20-country 2019 world tour underway. UK headline dates in November + Love Supreme in July April 26, 2019 – Snarky Puppy, who have already kicked off their massive 98-date, 20-country world tour, have a special gift for fans – a series of bonus and extended tracks from the recording session for their latest album Immigrance. “Embossed,” written by Snarky Puppy member Bill Laurance, is out today, and the remaining five tracks will be released throughout the remainder of 2019. Immigrance is the follow-up to 2016’s GRAMMY-winning Culcha Vulcha. “During the Immigrance sessions, we recorded more songs than we could squeeze onto the album,” says band leader Michael League. “So, over the course of the year, we'll be releasing three brand new, full- length compositions by Bill Laurance, Marcelo Woloski, and Bob Reynolds, as well as extended versions of three of the album's tracks.” Laurance says of the track, "Embossed is a reaction to the social, political and environmental anxiety of the times. It's a musical call to arms, asking the listener to engage both as an individual and as a member of larger movements for change." Immigrance has garnered a wide swath of critical praise including: The Times ★★★★ “it’s a lot of fun” Mojo ★★★★ “Immigrance is a grown–up affair and Snarky Puppy’s best yet” Evening Standard “vintage Snarky Puppy” Classic Rock Presents Prog “hip and hopeful thrills” Record Collector ★★★★ Snarky
    [Show full text]
  • Groundup Music Festival Reveals 2020 Lineup With
    GROUNDUP MUSIC FESTIVAL REVEALS 2020 LINEUP WITH SNARKY PUPPY, BRIAN BLADE & THE FELLOWSHIP BAND, LETTUCE, CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT, LILA DOWNS, MICHAEL MCDONALD ACOUSTIC QUARTET, CHRIS POTTER, CHRISTIAN SCOTT AND MORE! February 14-16, 2020 at the North Beach Bandshell in Miami, FL Tickets on Sale Now! The fourth annual GroundUP Music Festival returns to the oceanside North Beach ​ ​ ​ Bandshell in Miami Beach, Florida, February 14-16, 2020. Hosted by three-time ​ ​ Grammy award-winning collective Snarky Puppy, GroundUP will feature a special set from ​ ​ the band each day along with performances from an eclectic list of international artists. Joining Snarky Puppy is iconic singer-songwriter/keyboardist Michael McDonald from The ​ ​ Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan performing with Chris Potter, Michael League and Jamison Ross for a special acoustic set, progressive future funk collective Lettuce, saxophone virtuoso ​ ​ Chris Potter as artist-at-large, Grammy Award-winning Mexican folk-fusion singer Lila ​ ​ ​ Downs, powerful jazz trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, jazz drummer and ​ ​ songwriter Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band, jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, ​ ​ ​ ​ and more. The Valentine’s Day weekend event also features global artists from Colombia, Portugal, Brazil, Chile, Switzerland, and Greece, making it a true exploration of world music. “My vision for the festival is for people to maybe not recognize many artists on the bill but end up with a list of new artists they've discovered,” said Snarky Puppy’s bandleader Michael ​ League. “That's the dream for me -- to have people come and experience everything blind, in a ​ very pure and open-minded way.” Hailed by the Miami New Times as “one of the 10 best music events” in Miami, GroundUP will ​ ​ take place once again at the North Beach Bandshell and sprawling adjacent Palm Grove Park and beachfront complex.
    [Show full text]
  • Snarky Puppy Torrent Download Tpb.Org Amkeni [FLAC Download] a Collaboration Between Snarky Puppy and the Young Burundian Refugee Bukuru Celestin
    snarky puppy torrent download tpb.org Amkeni [FLAC download] A collaboration between Snarky Puppy and the young Burundian refugee Bukuru Celestin. Made by possible by a grant from Chamber Music America, Amkeni fuses traditional central African music with the band's unique take on Bukuru's songs. It was recorded in February 2013 at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke, VA. Loss-less FLAC download. TRACK LISTING. Ndagukunda Shima Nyabugingo Amkeni Ntumbero Muzogezahe. Related Items. Snarky Puppy Website Online Store Home All Products Music Apparel Accessories Live Snarky Shipping & Return Policies Customer Service Privacy Policy Terms of Use Snarky Puppy @ Amazon.com. Sign up for our e-mail list! Store, images, and content © 2021 Snarky Puppy and GroundUP Music. All rights reserved. Latest News. After having cancelled numerous tour dates and over a year of uncertainty, we are ecstatic to finally share NEW tour dates! We’re coming home to the great nation of Texas this September, hitting Dallas , Austin , Houston , and one more city to be announced. Tickets are on sale now! Exclusive Bill Laurance Interview & Live Picks Playlist Available Now on Nugs.net. Nugs.net is now streaming live recordings of Snarky Puppy performances! This month, a set of Bill Laurance 's live picks, featuring songs from their shows at the O2 Brixton Academy in London with Jacob Collier , Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, Marathon Music Works in Nashville, and Olympia Theatre in Dublin. Accompanying this playlist is an exclusive interview with Bill Laurance, where he dives into the art of collaboration, working with Jacob Collier, and more. If you haven’t used Nugs.net before, snag a 30-day free trial here.
    [Show full text]