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| Christian Howes at the Jazz Gallery Christian Howes will take the stage with his eclectic and energetic band, the Christian Howes Group, on Thursday, March 22, at New York City's Jazz Gallery. Showcasing the hot violinist as a leader, the performance will reveal why Howes' international fan base is growing so quickly. Over the past seven years, Howes has made his mark sharing stages with the likes of saxophonist Bill Evans, drummer Dafnis Prieto, and guitar legend Les Paul, to name a few. Savvy to New York's music scene at the age of 92, Paul regularly features Howes on his regular gig at New York's Iridium. He is also a big fan. Of Howes' wide musical vocabulary and innate jazz sensibilities, Paul said “it used to be you could hardly find a good jazz violinist. Nowadays there are four or five really good players, but there is nobody better than this guy.” These words reflect Howes' wide palette of expression across many genres. Howes draws from straight ahead jazz as well as classical crossover and rock-based conceptions. A night with Christian Howes always promises an imaginative and adventurous journey across a landscape of styles and textures. A classically-trained artist, Howes practices and teaches the art of improvisation. ”Great music is often spontaneous,” says Howes. “Being able to create on the spot is the key to real creativity, which can ignite and inspire an audience. This is a main focus my annual Creative Strings Workshop.” This year's Workshop is being held July 2-8 in Columbus, Ohio. Thursday's performance will feature Joel Newton (guitar), Dan Weiss (drums), and special guest Bobby Floyd (Hammond B-3 organ). Floyd, a mentor and musical partner to Howes, is a master of the B-3 organ and formerly played with Ray Charles' band. Says Howes, “Bobby Floyd embodies the soulfulness of a church musician who is able to reach into the most modern of musical territories while never abandoning the blues.” A native of Columbus, Ohio, Christian Howes was classically trained beginning at age five. After placing in national classical competitions while still in his teens, Howes set out to build upon a strong classical foundation and distinguish himself in jazz. His star has been ascending ever since. An extremely versatile and flexible artist, this prolific violinist/ composer maintains five distinct working ensembles, including: the Christian Howes Group (quintet or quartet), the Hot Swing Group, the European Acoustic Trio, the Special Electric Violin Project, and Duo Americana. Howes is also a sought-after clinician who teaches all over the world year-round. The prominent artists Howes has performed and/or recorded with include: Les Paul, Greg Osby, Bill Evans, D.D. Jackson, Dafnis Prieto, David Murray, Steve Turre, and Frank Vignola, to name a few. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |