Brooklyn 30 Lafayette Avenue Press Department Academy Brooklyn NY 11217-1486 Elena Park of Telephone: 718.636.4111 Susan Yung

Music Fax: 718.85 7 .2021 Amy Hughes 718.636.4129 [email protected] News Release

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Announces the BAMcaf e Live Winter Season Featuring Jazz, Pop, , Spoken Word and More at BAMcafe

Highlights include Chocolate Genius, The Jones Twins, SYOTOS Orchestra and New Voices From Israel, a series of concerts by Israel-based artists

No cover! $10 food/drink minimum

BROOKLYN, December 17, 1999- Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) announces the winter 2000 line-up of BAMcafe Live, the live performance series at BAMcafe (30 Lafayette Avenue). BAMcafe Live presents jazz , pop, funk, world/folk, cabaret, spoken word and more with a special emphasis on showcasing Brooklyn-based musicians and ensembles. Performances begin Thursday , January 6 and have no cover charge ($10 food/drink minimum) . Limor Tomer is the series ' curator. For information and updates, call 718.636.4139 or visit www.bam.org. (For press reservations, call 718.636.4129.)

The BAMcafe Live series presents up-and-coming artists who reinvent the art of live performance on Thursda y, Friday and Saturda y nights. BAMcafe Live features a diverse roster of musicians , who explore traditional musical forms and create new ones ; spoken word artists , whose styles range from traditional storytelling to experimental performance ; and, every Saturday night, dance bands that perform everything from salsa to swing to tango. BAMcafe Live events often complement BAM mainstage performances and film festivals at BAM Rose Cinemas .

Highlights in January , February and March include a special perfom1ance by Chocolate Genius , featuring funk artist Marc Anthony Thompson (January 20) ; an appearance by The Jones Twins , an eccentric twin-sister duo that combines music , comedy and spoken word (January 13); two evenings with Chris Washbume 's SYOTOS Orchestra , the inventive mambo ensemble (February 5 and March 18); and New Voices from Israe l, a series featuring emerging Isra eli musicians as part of BAM 's Kurt Weill Centennial Celebration (March 8-12) .

The complete winter 2000 schedule follows. more ... Brooklyn Academy of Music BAAfcafe Live Winter 2000 Line-up 2 January

Thursday , January 6 at 9pm Mark Dresser, bass BAMcafe Live premieres the latest project of pioneering bassist Mark Dresser, accompanied by Jane Ira Bloom on soprano saxophone , Denman Maroney on piano and Kevin Norton on vibes.

Friday, January 7 at 9pm Slowpoke Slowpoke, a jazz quartet founded by saxophonist and composer Michael Blake ( of the Lounge Lizards) , reinvents traditional jazz melodies and rhythms while staying faithful to the tunes audiences know and love. Slowpoke- whose members were deemed "four of downtown 's finest" by Time Out New York- also features guitarist David Tronzo (named one of Musician magazine 's " 100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time"), bassist (also of the Lounge Lizards) and percussionist Kenny Wolleson (who has collaborated with Tom Waits, , Sean Lellllon and others) .

Saturday, January 8 at 9pm Dem Brooklyn Bums Described as " shamelessly nostalgic " by the Associated Press, the colorful big band Dem Brooklyn Bums- featuring "Broccoli" Rob Cittadino (bass), Timmy "Pimmento" Clemente (guitar), Rich "Dusty Chop Meat" Zukor (dnnns) , Dave " Canarsie Kid" Levitt (trombone), Paul "Pirogues" Brandenburg (trumpet) and Bernard " Gtmther" Ullrich (saxophones) -presents an evening of swing music at BAMcafo.

Thursday , January 13 at 9pm The Jones Twins The Jones Twins, featuring writer/performer/musician twin sisters Stephanie Jones and Suzanne Y. Jones, combine theater, musical arrangements, spoken word and comedy to create their own unique and entertaining performances. According to the Milwaukee Journal, "Brilliant craft and penetrating insight inform their work. .. The Jones Twins can really sing, they can really move, their comic timing is uncanny and they are extraordinarily sexy ... The ultimate sister act."

Friday, January 14 at 9pm Next Legacy Orchestra BAMcafe Live presents its resident big band, the Next Legacy Orchestra, for another evening of musical energy and attitude . Under the direction of Benny Russell and Jorge Sylvester, the nineteen-piece Next Legacy Orchestra utilizes a driving, deep groove while integrating musical influences extending from New Orleans to Havana , from Washington , DC to New York's Lower East Side. (Also Febrnary 18.)

Sahirday, January 15 at 9pm Quimbomb6 Quimbomb6 ("okra" in Spanish) blends Afro-Cuban rhytluns such as mambo, s6n, rumba and chachacha with jazz , blues and other sounds from the Americas, creating a unique sound that inspires even the most timid to venture onto the dance floor. Quimbomb6 is led by composer/percussionist Nick Herman, who has collaborated with artists such as Bobby Watson, Slide Hampton and Candido.

Thursday, January 20 at 9pm Chocolate Genius BAMcafo hosts a special performance by the eccentrically creative Chocolate Genius, feahiring composer /musician (and Fort Greene resident) Marc Anthony Thompson . Thompson 's recordings include two albums for Warner Brothers Records (a self-titled debut and Watts and Paris) and the recently-released Marc Anthony's Chocolate Genius with and Chris Wood for V2 Records. He has collaborated with jazz dnunmer Tony Williams, guitarist and Ricki Lee Jones, and created music scores for the film Spark. Thompson recently made his BAM debut in Party at the End of Time: 1999 Live at the BAM Opera House (December 11 and 12), BAM 's 1999 Next Wave Festival sold-out tribute to The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, in which he rendered a hon1..;1-tonk version of The Artist 's "Irresistible Bitch."

more .. BAMcafeLive Winter 2000 Line-up 3 Friday,January 21 at 9pm Dennis Mitcheltree Quartet with Howard Johnson This Brooklyn-based quartet , which balances written compositions with spontaneous ones, freely improvises within the structure of tunes by saxophonist Dennis Mitcheltree . According to Dave McElfresh in Jazz Now, "Mitcheltree 's quartet is definitely hard-core NYC: tough sounding, aggressive, and complex . They swing hard, even at mid-tempo , as though all of them were percussionists , which infectiously pulls the listener into their comple x conversations ." At BAMcafe , the quartet will be joined by Howard Johnson, who-along with Mitcheltree - will play a multitud e of instruments , creating music of diverse hues and colors.

Saturday, January 22 at 9pm Todd Lonclagin'sBand Todd Londagin , co-founder of the swing ensemble Flying Neutrinos , brings his own band to BAMcafe , presenting toe-tapping swing music for audiences of all ages. (Also February 19.)

Thursday, January 27 at 9pm To be announced .

Friday, January 28 at 9pm SYOTOS Orchestra Trombonist Chris Washburne - a member of the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra whose credits include work with Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Marc Anthon y- leads the SYOTOS Orchestra , an innovative mambo ensemble that also draws inspiration from the jazz genre. As Ken Franckling of UPI described, "Washbume and his SYOTOS band are taking his concept of Latin jazz into bold, new territory that draws from both the Latin dance and jazz improvisational spheres." (Also February 12.)

Saturday, January 29 at 9pm Tanguardia BAMcafe Live's resident tango ensemble , led by pianist Bob Telson, returns to BAMcafe for an evening of passionate music. Tanguardia also features Tito Castro on bandoneon and Francisco Poncho Navarro on guitar. (Also Febmary 26.)

Febmaiy

Thursday, February 3 To be announced .

Friday, Febmary 4 at 9pm Lenore Zenzalai Helm Jazz singer Lenore Zenzalai Helm-whose voice was described as "astonishing" by Geoffrey Himes in The Washington Post- makes her BAMcafe debut. Helm's debut recording on J Curve Records , Spirit Child, feahues collaborations with jazz artists Branford Marsalis , Ron Carter, David Liebman and others.

Sahuda y, February 5 at 9pm Widespread Depression Orchestra Widespread Depression Orchestra , the infamous ensemble that has performed swing music for more than 20 years, comes to BAMcafe to share its energetic sound. (Also March 18.)

Thursday, Febmary 10 BAMcafe closed .

more ... BAlvfcafeLive Winter 2000 Line-up 4

Friday, February 11 at 9pm Sam Bardfeld's Cabal Fatale BAMcafe Live presents the unique playing style and musical compositions of up-and-coming jazz violinist Sam Bardfeld , who has worked with Bruce Springsteen , Johnny Pacheco , the String Trio of New York and , among others. He will be joined by Ken Wessel , guitar ; Drew Gress, bass; and Mike Sarin, drums . "The thrilling surprise here is violinist Sam Bardfeld ... . he has a w1ique and provocative voice in his own right. Bardfeld really bums it up."-Cadence Magazine.

Saturday, Febmary 12 at 9pm SYOTOSOrchestra Chris Washburne and the SYOTOS Orchestra return to BAMcafe for another evening of inventive mambo music . (See January 28.)

Thursda y, February 17 at 9pm Wolfgang Muthspiel, violin and guitar Wolfgang Muthspiel , who has established himself as one of the most important composers and performers in both jazz and classical circles , will premiere his song cycle '·Daily Mirrors, " featuring poetry by Bernd Hagg .

Friday, February 18 at 9pm Next Legacy Orchestra BAMcaf e' s resident big band will pay tribute to Black History Month with a musical program inspired by poet Langston Hughes . (See January 14.)

Saturday, Febmary 19 at 9pm Todd Londagin's Band Todd Londagin ' s Band returns to BAMcafe for an evening of swing. (See January 22.)

Thursday , Febmary 24 at 9pm Ken Butler, multi-instrumentalist Ken Butler , whose last visit to BAMcafe was an impromptu performance with Wildlife 3000, rehtrns for an evening of original music inspired by the sounds of the Balkan region . Joined by Matt Darriau (reeds), Seido Salifoski (dumbek and percussion ) and Peter Herbert (bass), Butler will play instruments of his own invention , mining the musical potential of ordinary items such as hammers, hockey sticks, tennis rackets , brooms and golf clubs .

Friday, Febmar y 25 at 9pm Ballin' the Jack Ballin ' the Jack, led by clarinetist Matt Darriau , creatively recasts jaz z, classic swing and stomp tunes from the 1920s and 30s in its inimitable style. The energetic band of young eccentrics includes Frank London (tnunpet) , Andy Laster (baritone sax) , Cttrtis Hasslebring (trombone), George Schuller (drums) , Ben Sher (guitar) and Joe Fitzgerald (bass).

Satmda y, Febmary 26 at 9pm Tanguardia BAMcafe ' s resident tango band rehtrns for an evening of classic tango tw1es. (See January 29.)

March

Thursda y, March 2 To be announced.

Friday, March 3 BAMcafe open for dinner ; no live performance .

Sahtrday, March 4 BAMcafe open for dinner ; no live performance .

more .. BAAfcaje Live Winter 2000 Line-up 5

March 8-12: New Voicesfrom Israel (BAM Kurt Weill Centennial Celebration)

In February and March 2000 , BAM celebrates the Kurt Weill centenary (1900-1950) with an extraordinary offering of performance , film and humanities events sponsored by Deutsche Bank, paying tribute to the achievements of this brilliant composer. New Voices from Israel at BAMcafe explores some of the astounding cultural and social changes the Jewish people have experienced in the 60 years since the creation of Kurt Weill 's monumental opera The Eternal Road (Der Weg der Verheissung),which will be presented at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House February 28 & 29, March 1, 3 & 4. For five consecutive evenings from March 8- 12, BAMcaf e Live will feature Israeli musicians who represent the extraordinaril y diverse voices that have emerged from the convergence of multiple cultures in the Jewish state.

Wednesday, March 8 at 9pm Ilana Eliya and Ensemble Jabalio Born in Israel to a Kurdistani family , Eliya explores a rare repertoire of traditional Kurdish songs and chants as well as contemporary protest songs in the Karamanji dialect. "Ask Eliya 's voice to pick the stars for you and she' ll fetch you the moon as a bonus."- Ha 'Ir

Thursda y, March 9 at 9pm Harold Rubin Trio Radical and uncompromising , clarinetist Harold Rubin and his fiercel y original music have had a significant impact on the Israeli jaz z scene.

Friday, March 10 at 9pm The Revenge of the Stuttering Child: Ronny Someck (poet) and Elliott Sharp (multi-instrumentalist) A collaboration between Iraqi-born Israeli poet Ronny Someck and American composer Elliott Sharp, The Revenge of the Stuttering Child is a magnificently tangled work of words and music, building and feeding on each other. Each piece draws , aims and fires in a different direction, hitting the familiar , the strange , the wry, the dark and the furious.

Sahtrday, March 11 at 9pm Yossi Fine's Ex-centric Sound System The Ex-centrics ' funky beats are blended with dubbed bass, African instruments and Israeli chutzpa. According to Haaretz , "They have an impressive rhythmic power and a unique original musical language , one that successfull y combines authentic African folklore with a feel of contemporary jazz. " Band-leader Yossi Fine ' s collaborations include projects with , Ruben Blades , Stanley Jordan, Me ' Shell NdgeOcello, and .

Sunday, March 12 at 7pm Victoria Hanna's PURE AND RED (Tzach ve-adom), Or "The Order of the Creation of the Embryo" PURE AND RED (Tzachve -adom) is Victoria Hamia 's musical exploration of life, death and beyond using esoteric and ancient texts, chants and prayers. PURE AND RED toes the line between the sacred and the profane , the spirit and the flesh, the pure and the red. Haima is joined by Frank London (tnunpet and horns) and Tamir Muskat (percussion and samples).

Thursda y, March 16 at 9pm Church of Betty Church of Betty incorporates the best elements of rock with psychedelic , rhythm-driven Indian classical music . Band-leader Chris Rael (vocals , guitar and sitar) "pulls off the raga-rock gambit better than any western guitar guy, ever," according to the Village Voice. Clntrch of Betty also features Jon Feinberg (drums) , Joe Quigley (bass) and Deep Singh (tabla) .

more ... BAMcaje Live Winter 2000 Line-up 6

Friday, March 17 at 9pm Matt Darriau's Celtoid Innovative reed man Matt Darriau , whose credits include Paradox Trio and the Klezmatics , celebrates St. Patrick ' s Day with an unusual musical exploration of the dark side of Ireland.

Saturday , March 18 at 9pm Wid£Jpread Depression Orchestra Michael Hashim leads the Widespread Depression Orchestra in an evening of authentic swing music at BAMcafe . (See February 5.)

Thursday , March 23 To be announced.

Friday, March 24 at 9pm Andy Biskin, clarinet Clarinetist Andy Biskin deconstructs Stephen Foster's iconic nostalgia, recasting his familiar melodies as funky , jazzy chamber gems. He is joined by Pete McCann (guitar and banjo) , Chris Washburne (tuba and trombone) and John Hollenbeck (percussion and beaten objects). As Gary Giddins described in the Village Voice. "An excellent clarinetist , Biskin writes charming tunes that bring cool jazz into a more contemporary dimension. "

Saturday , March 25 at 9pm Cana Y Azucar As part of BAMcafe Live ' s Saturday night dance series, salsa ensemble Cafia Y Azucar will appear for a night of red-hot music .

Thursday, March 30 at 9pm Carl Hancock Rux Carl Hancock Rux-who made his BAM debut in December 1999 in Party at the End of Time: 1999 Live, BAM 's Next Wave Festival tribute to The Artist Formerly Known as Prince - melds poetry and music into what the New York Post describes as a "dizzying oral artistry ... a torrent of paperbag poetry and post-modern Hip-Bop music ... " Rux has collaborated with a variety of artists including Vernon Reid , Mark Batson, Toshi Reagon and Nona Hendryx. He has performed on world stages with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater , the Urban Bush Women and Movin ' Spirits Dance Theater. On Rux Revue, his debut CD , Rux uses his potent pen and lyrical baritone voice to cajole , challenge and seduce his listeners , while his eight-piece band (including three vocalists) explores a hybrid of post-modern soul, trance, rock, hip-hop, experimental jazz and folk-blues.

Friday, March 31 at 9pm David Pilgrim's Primal Roots With Primal Roots, Barbados -born David Pilgrim brings his special , fresh and relevant brand of "island soul "-as well as uncompromising lyrics -to BAMcafe.

General information

BAM cafe Li ve events are made possible by the generous support of the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust. Baldwin is the official piano of the BAMcafe. For information and updates, call 718.636.4139 or visit www.bam.org.

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, BAM Rose Cinemas, BAMcafe and Shakespeare & Co . BAMshop are located in the main building at 30 Lafayette Avenue (Lafayette and Ashland) in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn. BAM Harvey Theater (formerly the Majestic Theater) is located at 651 Fulton Street in Fort Greene , Brooklyn. BAM Rose Cinemas is Brooklyn ' s only movie house dedicated to first-run independent and foreign film and repertory programming . Food and beverages are available at BAMcafe, with happy hour Tuesday-Sunday 4pm-6pm; dinner service Tuesday-Saturday 5pm-1 0pm; Sunday brunch noon-4pm; and a concession menu, consisting of lighter fare (sandwiches , soups , salads) , from 4pm-10pm Tuesday - Friday , noon-1 lpm Saturday , and noon-9pm Sunday . A pack age including dinner in BAMcafe and a movie ticket to BAM Rose Cinemas is available for only $25 (at the box office only ).

### Brooklyn 30 LafayetteAvenue Academy Brooklyn NY 11217-1486 of Fax: 718.857.2021 Music Email:press@bam .org www.bam.org

PressDepartment Telephone:718 .636.4129 AudienceDevelopment and Public Relations Telephone:718.636.4122 Limor Tomer

Born in Israel, Limor Tomer came to New York to study at The Juilliard School , where she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees in piano. While Torner performed solo concerts and orchestral engagements as a professional pianist in her native Israel, and all over the U.S. , she pursued doctoral studies in philosophy at NYU and taught both at NYU and Juilliard. In 1993, she joined the staff of Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM ), where she worked closely with then­ President and Executive Producer Harvey Lichtenstein on a variety of projects including the transformation of the old Carey Playhouse into the BAM Rose Cinemas and the creation of BAMcafe, an informal, intimate performance space. In March 1999, she launched BAMcafe Live , the live music and spoken word series at BAMcafe featuring up-and-coming artists who reinvent the art of live performance. After seven highly-successful months of performances on Friday and Saturday nights, the series expanded to include Thur sdays as well; during the 2000-01 season, Torner will program almost 150 BAMcafe Live performances.

As curator of BAMcafe Live, Tomer has presented artists such as clarinetist Don Byron , singer Duncan Sheik, poets Nikki Giovanni and Tracie Morris , avant­ accordionist Guy Klucevsek, trumpeter Dave Douglas, eclectic band Chocolate Genius with front man Marc Anthony Thompson , cornet master Graham Haynes and many others. Tomer also curates performance series that explore a particular trend, culture or theme, some of which complement BAM 's mainstage programming . Such projects include New Voices from Israel (part of BAM 's Kurt Weill centenary celebration, March 2000), a series of performances by Israeli musicians representing the diverse musical creativity emerging in the state of Israel , featuring Khurdish singer Ilana Eli ya, jazz clarinetist Harold Rubin , Iraqi-born performance poet Ronn y Sorneck, Jerusalem-born vocalist Victoria Hanna, and Yossi Fine 's Ex-Centric Sound System , a deep -funk band that combines African rhythms and instrument s with dubbed bass and Israeli chutzpa.

Beyond BAM , Tamer 's curatorial projects include Opera Goes Public , an innovative series at Joe's Pub mixing performance and conversation, featuring renowned opera singers such as Jerry Hadley, Amy Burton and Rodney Gilfry; and programs at The Den at Two Boots, an intimate venue in downtown Manhattan. At The Den , Tomer has curated File Under, a series of conversations with musicians and writers (including Vernon Reid , Toshi Reagon , Carl Hancock Rux and Darryl DMC McDaniels); BALKAN CABARET, a weekly series of music from and inspired by the Balkans; and Praise Days, a series honoring established and emerging poets , hosted by Bob Holman.

M arch 2000

BAM Next Wave Festival and Spring Seasonare sponsoredby Philip Morris CompaniesInc.