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| 10 Free Jazz And American Roots Music Concerts Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State announced today the dates of 10 free concerts, each with two sets of music, in the United States featuring the American music ensembles selected to participate in the 2010 Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad program. Featured bands include: · Charlie Porter Quartet · Chen Lo and the Liberation Family · Johnny Rodgers Band · Little Joe McLerran Quartet · Mark Sherman-Tim Horner Quartet · Nasar Abadey and SUPERNOVA · Oscar Williams Jr. and Perfected Praise · Paul Beaudry & Pathways · The Student Loan · Turning Pointe Selected for their artistic integrity, musical ability, and educational skills, these ten ensembles will tour internationally with The Rhythm Road program to share their music with the world to promote cross-cultural understanding with special emphasis on countries not regularly visited by American musicians. International tour activities will include public concerts, master classes, lecture-demonstrations, workshops, jam sessions, collaborations with local musicians and media outreach. Over the past four seasons, 118 musicians from 31 ensembles have toured with the program, visiting 97 countries on five continents. When/Where: Free concerts at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, April 24 – December 11, 2010, in New York City: Broadway at 60th Street, 5th floor Biographies: Charlie Porter Quartet has a fiery and intelligent approach to jazz that is both forward-thinking and steeped in tradition. Formed in 2005, the quartet interprets standards and original music with boundless creativity and imagination. Its governing elements and influences include expressive music that communicates with audiences, in addition to various aesthetic concepts found in visual art and dance. The legacy of such original jazz ambassadors as Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie and their contributions to jazz music and cultural diplomacy are especially influential. Throughout their travels, they have gained experience in communicating their music to a wide variety of communities and fostering cultural exchange with local musicians and audiences. Chen Lo and the Liberation Family is a unique phenomenon in the world of music. The distinctive sound of this dynamic collective draws from historic and contemporary events, simple elements of life, and a myriad of musical influences such as hip hop, jazz, blues, kwaito, soul, rock & roll, R&B, afro-beat, and pop. Chen Lo and Ken White combined forces in 2007 to create a hip hop ensemble that maintains the genre's core ingredients, while incorporating the texture of live instrumentation. Engaging, soulful, and thought-provoking, Chen Lo and the Liberation Family form a musical entity designed to fit any bill and perform to the highest of standards. Chen Lo and the Liberation Family have performed with Last Poets and CL Smooth and were presented at Crash Mansion, CMJ Music Festival, and on MTV. Johnny Rodgers Band was formed in New York City in 2003 and its mission is to bring musical depth to new, original songs. They are masters of an array of styles ranging from pop to jazz to classic rock. Music from the Johnny Rodgers Band provides a guided tour of Americana pop, from the piano-driven energy of rock and roll, to the supreme sophistication of jazz. This ensemble cultivates connections with audiences through performances, discussions, demonstrations, and exchange. The Johnny Rodgers Band has performed and recorded with artists such as Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein, Randy Brecker, and Tom Harrell, among others. This ensemble has been featured on recordings that celebrate Maury Yeston and Jule Styne. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) selected The Johnny Rodgers Band to interpret and perform the music of Billy Joel in a command performance for the "Piano Man" himself in The Allen Room at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Little Joe McLerran Quartet is a collective of seasoned musicians drawn from the ranks of Tulsa's finest, who came together specifically for The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad. The ensemble brings blues to life through the study and performance of this unique American roots genre, and all players are deeply committed to keeping the blues alive and bringing the music to diverse audiences. Little Joe McLerran Quartet believes that blues explores music from many cultures and is filled with possibilities. In its unique approach, this ensemble presents blues and American roots as a "Soup Recipe, " which has been stirred, mixed, handed down, and revised by generations of people who brought their music from all over the world to America. Little Joe McLerran Quartet members describe their style as simple, supportive, inspired, and above all else, inventive. Mark Sherman-Tim Horner Quartet has performed internationally for the last five years, with numerous tours through Europe, the United States, and Canada. Its members, each with strong teaching credentials, bring a deeply-rooted post-bop jazz approach to original and standard compositions which carry on the art form with a high level of invigorating musicianship. Their music is relentless, energetic, and brimming with improvisation. John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, and Michael Brecker influence this ensemble, whose musicians strive to achieve the mastery of harmony and organized sound. Nasar Abadey and SUPERNOVA performs jazz in a multi-dimensional and multi-directional way – from crossing the borders of jazz and continuing beyond space and time. Nasar Abadey and SUPERNOVA perform and explore various jazz elements such as traditional African rhythms, bebop, fusion, Afro-Cuban, Afro Brazilian, and free form. Since the band was formed in 1979, it has sought opportunities for a wider, freer expression of music. The quartet's musical inspirations include John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, and Duke Ellington. Nasar Abadey and SUPERNOVA see touring as an opportunity to engage in dialogue about jazz music, the elements particular to the genre, its history, and the mixture of cultures that contributed to the creation of jazz as an art form. Oscar Williams Jr. and Perfected Praise is an award-winning gospel ensemble with a spiritually refreshing sound uplifting and intriguing audiences worldwide with gospel music. The group combines an array of talents and styles which converge into a cutting edge melodic sound. Oscar Williams Jr. and Perfected Praise has performed in the Vatican for the Pope, toured with international pop star Elisa, and performed with GRAMMY® winner Jason Mraz. Oscar Williams Jr. and Perfected Praise has also toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe including performances in Switzerland, Italy, and Germany, and most recently the Czech Republic. Paul Beaudry & Pathways is a New York City-based quartet deeply rooted in the jazz and blues traditions. Founded in 2008, Paul Beaudry & Pathways' repertoire balances original compositions and arrangements with selected standards from jazz's broad stylistic range. Their music is captivating and engaging, featuring exciting rhythms and swinging, soul-stirring melodies. Paul Beaudry & Pathways are influenced by each musician's distinctive background, personal experiences, as well as the inspiring musicianship of Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, and Sam Jones, among others. Rousing scat singing, fiery instrumental improvisations, and lively vocal exchanges are par for the course at the group's dynamic performances. Paul Beaudry & Pathways will release their debut album in 2010. The Student Loan brings a fresh voice to the world of American folk music. With a sound both familiar and innovative, this progressive bluegrass quartet incorporates jazz, rock, jam, and classical styles, reaching new musical heights through original songwriting and methods. Since their formation in 2005, The Student Loan has been testing audiences' perceptions of bluegrass and newgrass music, with a unique sound that defies genre distinctions. Better described as an acoustic jam band, The Student Loan delivers high energy performances leaving the audiences singing and dancing. Notable performances include Java Jazz Festival in 2009, Appalachian Uprising Bluegrass Festival in 2008 and Black Swamp Arts Festival in 2007. In 2009, the ensemble toured with The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad in Southeast Asia and with the State Department's Musical Overtures program in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Turning Pointe is a contemporary gospel quartet that unites four talented artists with soulful voices and a passion for music. Turning Pointe's eclectic sound bridges the divide between old and new, while preserving gospel's messages of love, faith, and hope. With a focus on collaboration and conversation, Turning Pointe provides international audiences the insight, experience, and spirituality of the gospel genre. Individually and collectively, Turning Pointe members have performed at numerous venues and churches in the greater Atlanta area, including The Dream Center Church, C-Room, and Apache Cafe. Together, the members of Turning Pointe endeavor to change the world one song at a time, and to encourage and uplift audiences worldwide. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Jazz News :: home page |