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| Joe Chambers and the Outlaw Band at The New School for Jazz Drum and percussion veteran Joe Chambers opens February 28 the Spring 2006 Jazz Presents Series, an ongoing showcase of faculty from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music alongside the rising stars of jazz Joe Chambers and the Outlaw Band (Misha Tsyganoff - piano, Dwayne Burno - bass, Javon Jackson - tenor saxophone, Logan Richardson - alto saxophone, Woody Shaw III- drums) will be performing music from his new Savant CD The Outlaw. I'm not interested in playing drums behind anybody now, says Joe Chambers, asked if playing the drumkit exclusively would fulfill his musical desires. On this album, I'm trying to reestablish myself as a mallet player. On The Outlaw, his first Savant recording, the 63-year- old percussionist places his vibraphone skills at the forefront of an entire recital for the first time in his distinguished career. Addressing familiar, oft-played repertoire, Chambers recontextualizes it within the framework of, in his words, a fat rhythm section sound with a lot of membrane sounds--drum sounds--in it--a contemporary sound. He clarifies. In its aesthetic definition, 'contemporary' in any idiom to me means electronics and percussion used together. I've played drums all these years, but I was never limited to being a drummer, Chambers continues. Not to denigrate drumming, but to be called a percussionist is something very distinct. You have to be able to move around hundreds of instruments-- the mallet instruments, drumset, tympani, hand drums, congas, all the idiophones, the shakers and the rattles. Each one has a technique. I want to be out front on the vibes whenever I can. Aesthetically, I feel like doing that. I need to do that. You have the whole world of music open to you, so why not utilize all the avenues that you have and are able to use and present? write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |