Abraham Inc. Bonist and Arranger Fred Wesley, Celebrated Renowned Partnership with the Kronos Quartet for His Work with James Brown and George on Mr
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
CAL PERFORMANCES PRESENTS ABOUT THE ARTISTS Sunday, November 13, 2011, 7pm n unprecedented collaboration Throughout his career, Mr. Krakauer has Zellerbach Hall Abetween three cultural visionaries—David enjoyed major ongoing artistic collaborations Krakauer, champion of klezmer music and with a diverse group of the world’s foremost per- world-class clarinetist; legendary funk trom- formers and composers. Highlights include his Abraham Inc. bonist and arranger Fred Wesley, celebrated renowned partnership with the Kronos Quartet for his work with James Brown and George on Mr. Golijov’s The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac David Krakauer, Fred Wesley Socalled Clinton; and hip-hop renegade and beat archi- the Blind, touring with the Emerson String with & tect Socalled—Abraham Inc. heralds a time Quartet; performing during the inaugural sea- when boundaries are eroding, mutual respect son of Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall with re- is presumed, and musical traditions can hit nowned jazz pianist Uri Caine; an eight-year with full force without concession or appropria- tenure with the Naumburg Award-winning tion. Backed by a three-piece horn section led Aspen Wind Quintet; tours with Music from by Mr. Wesley plus musicians who collaborate Marlboro; composing the music for Offering, frequently with Mr. Krakauer and Socalled, the an homage to the victims of September 11 by result is an all-out klezmer-funk dance party. modern dance duo Eiko and Koma; numerous Abraham Inc.’s debut release Tweet Tweet performances of David Del Tredici’s Magyar peaked at No. 1 in funk and No. 1 in Jewish Madness, commissioned by Music Accord for and Yiddish music and No. 35 in music sales on Mr. Krakauer and the Orion String Quartet; Amazon. It reached No. 7 in jazz on Billboard and performing in the International Emmy and was featured at No. 40 on the Billboard Award-winning BBC documentary Holocaust, A “Heatseekers” chart for fast sellers. Music Memorial from Auschwitz with music by Abraham Inc. is exclusively represented by Mr. Golijov. Bernstein Artists, Inc., www.bernsarts.com. Mr. Krakauer and his band Klezmer Madness! have performed around the world Clarinetist David Krakauer, praised interna- since 1996, forging alliances between his branch tionally for his astounding ability to play in a of world music and a multitude of musical myriad of music genres with “prodigious chops” genres including jazz, funk and, most recently, Wasserman (The New Yorker) and “soulfulness and electrify- electro. Touring internationally to major ven- ing showiness” (The New York Times), occupies ues and festivals including Carnegie Hall, the David Krakauer clarinet the unique position of being both one of the Library of Congress, Stanford Lively Arts, San Fred Wesley trombone world’s leading exponents of Eastern European Francisco Performances, Hancher Auditorium, Socalled sampler, accordion, keyboard Jewish klezmer music, plus a major voice in clas- the Krannert Center, the Venice Biennale, Sheryl Bailey guitar sical music and avant-garde improvisation. Krakow Jewish Culture Festival, BBC Proms, C-Rayz Walz vocals In recent years, Mr. Krakauer has emerged Saalfelden Jazz Festival, La Cigale, the Marciac Jerome Harris bass as a compelling soloist, introducing his dis- festival, WOMEX, the New Morning in Paris Freddie Hendrix trumpet tinctive sound to symphonic audiences in the and many others has enabled Klezmer Madness! Michael Sarin drums United States and Europe. He has performed to leave a lasting impression on diverse music Allen Watsky guitar with the Dresdner Philharmonie, the Pacific scenes around the world. Brandon Wright saxophone Symphony, the Weimar Staatskapelle, Detroit In 2006, Mr. Krakauer co-founded the Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Colorado Music multi-genre super group Abraham Inc. with Festival Orchestra, Quebec Symphony, Seattle legendary funk trombonist and arranger Fred PROGRAM Symphony, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, New World Wesley and Jewish hip-hop renegade and beat Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Komische architect Socalled. Recent and upcoming Tonight’s performance will be announced from the stage. Oper Orchestra and the Orchestre Lamoureux. highlights include performances at the Apollo He has premiered and championed concertos by Theater and Symphony Space in New York, Cal Osvaldo Golijov, Paul Moravec, Jean-Philippe Performances, the Krannert Center in Illinois, Calvin, Ofer Ben Amots, George Tsontakis, Hancher Auditorium in Iowa, the Miller Cal Performances’ 2011–2012 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo. Mohammed Fairouz and Wlad Marhulets. Outdoor Theater in Houston, the Strathmore 28 CAL PERFORMANCES CAL PERFORMANCES 29 ABOUT THE ARTISTS ABOUT THE ARTISTS in Maryland, the Heineken Open’r Festival in Turner. He later was music director, arranger, hip-hop. When Socalled first heard klezmer mu- itself. This Bronx-bred emcee is a lyrical maniac Poland, the Cracow Jewish Culture Festival, the trombonist and a primary composer for James sic on an old Yiddish record, he was fascinated on stage, off the tip of his tongue, in the studio, Transmusicales de Rennes and Jazz à la Villette Brown from 1968–1975, then arranged for and by the cool sounds he could sample to make hip on MTV and everywhere you turn these days. in Paris. played with Parliament-Funkadelic and Bootsy’s hop beats. Then he realized that integrating this As one of the original members of the infamous In addition to Abraham Inc.’s Tweet Tweet, Rubber Band. Jewish music from the 1930s into his songs was rap crew Stronghold, C-Rayz Walz has been a Mr. Krakauer’s discography contains some of With Mr. Brown and as leader of his back- a way of representing himself and his cultural fixture in the New York hip-hop scene for years. the most important clarinet recordings of re- ing band The JBs, Mr. Wesley “was the world’s heritage. It enabled him bring something of his He hosts tons of hip-hop shows and events, has cent decades. His first release on the French jazz most famous sideman, orchestrating the sinu- own to funk and hip-hop, giving him what he dropped over 34 singles that consistently make label Label Bleu A New Hot One! was critically ous grooves and contributing the bold, surgi- calls “a real reason to make music.” noise on the Billboard charts, has had a video acclaimed. The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the cally precise solos that defined the language of Known for his genre-bending approach in rotation on BET and started his own label, Blind received the Diapason D’Or in France. The funk.” In teaming with George Clinton and and his collaborations with musical giants of SunCycle Entertainment. Twelve Tribes was designated album of the year Bootsy Collins, he played a key role in taking funk, klezmer, hip-hop, lounge and classi- C-Rayz Walz has performed over 500 live in the jazz category for the Preis der Deutschen funk to the next level. Mr. Wesley is featured in cal music, Socalled has performed all over the shows since 2003. Blazing Stages in Europe, Schallplattenkritik. Klezmer, NY, on John the documentary film Soul Power, as well as the world. He has released three CDs: Socalled South America (Africa and Japan coming soon), Zorn’s Tzadik label, features Mr. Krakauer’s Oscar-winning When We Were Kings and count- Seder, HipHopKhasene and, most recently, shared the stage with the likes of Raekwon, visionary suite, A Klezmer Tribute to Sidney less other documentaries about James Brown Ghettoblaster, recorded with Yiddish singer dead prez, Mos Def, Aesop Rock, The Pharcyde, Bechet. Klezmer Madness (Tzadik) was one of and funk music. Theodore Bikel, lounge pianist Irving Fields, People Under the Stairs, Deep Rooted, the label’s best selling discs. Bubbemeises: Lies Seminal hits he helped create include Mr. musician and producer Gonzalez, master clari- Atmosphere, Mr Cheeks, De La Soul, Slick Rick, My Gramma Told Me (Label Bleu) features a Brown and the JBs’ “Big Payback” and “Pass netist David Krakauer, country singer Katie Doug E Fresh, Pete Rock, Insane Clown Posse, collaboration with Socalled. Other CDs in- the Peas.” Others include Parliament’s “P-Funk” Moore, rapper C-Rayz Walz and funk trombone R.A. The Rugged Man, Mickey Avalon, Killer clude the groundbreaking Rhythm and Jews and Bootsy’s “Stretching Out.” Author of the legend Fred Wesley, among others. All of these Priest, GhostFace Killa, Inspecta Deck, GZA, (Piranha/Flying Fish) and Jews with Horns acclaimed memoir, Hit Me, Fred: Recollections wonderful lunatics, and so many more, appear SoundTribe Sector Nine, Sage Francis, Digable (Piranha/Green Linnet) with the Klezmatics, of a Side Man (Duke University Press, 2002), in the Reframe Films/NFB The Socalled Movie, Planets, X-Clan, GrandMaster Caz, Mellie Mel, plus In the Fiddler’s House with violinist Itzhak Mr. Wesley is one of the world’s most-sampled available for exclusive download on YouTube. Cold Crush, Busy Bee, DJ JS-1 & Rahzel, Kool Perlman and the Klezmatics (Angel) and Ayre musicians. Artists who have sampled his work Keith, Self Scientific, Brother Ali, Spank Rock, with Dawn Upshaw and Mr. Golijov (Deutsche include Janet Jackson (“That’s the Way Love There is no description more apt for Sheryl The Juggaknots, DJ Muggz, Pigeon John, Reef Gramophon). His unique sound can be heard Goes”) and Nas (“Nastradamus”). Bailey than “a sizzling guitar goddess,” coined The Lost Cauze, Large Professor and The New in Danny Elfman’s score for the Ang Lee film A veteran of the Count Basie Orchestra, by Elliot Simon of All About Jazz. She attended Positive Reggae Vibe Light of Matisyahu. Taking Woodstock and throughout Sally Potter’s Mr. Wesley also has worked with a who’s who Berklee College of Music. Her years of dedication This prolific artist is more than a musician, The Tango Lesson. of other artists, including Ray Charles, Pancho and focus won her third place in the Thelonious poet and stage-wrecker—he has written two Mr.