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| John Coltrane Tribute Band To Celebrate Late Jazz Master’s Birthday The life and legacy of the late, legendary virtuoso jazz saxophonist and composer, John Coltrane, will be celebrated two days prior to what would have been his 87th birthday by the celebrated John Coltrane Tribute Band in a special free evening concert at Cold Spring's incomparable Chapel Restoration on Saturday, September 21st beginning at 7:30 pm. The John Coltrane Tribute Band is comprised of: Roy Campbell, Jr. (last heard at Chapel Restoration with Other Dimensions in Music in 2011) on trumpet, flugelhorn and pocket trumpet; Louis Belogenis (who just completed curating at NYC's storied performance space The Stone) on tenor and soprano saxophones; Roberta Picket on piano; Hilliard Greene on bass and Michael Wimberly on drums. For this special celebration of Coltrane's birthday, there will be free admission though donations will be gratefully accepted. No advance tickets will be made available. Chapel Restoration is located at 45 Market Street in Cold Spring, NY and is directly across from the Cold Spring Metro-North Station, where free parking is available on weekends. "Roy Campbell growls like Ellingtonian Cootie Williams, erupts into long sprinting lines and funky blues inflections that would do Lee Morgan proud, and peppers his solos with free-jazz smears and abstract sounds." – Ed Hazell, Boston Phoenix "Roy Campbell, Jr. [is] an inventive trumpeter whose playing has a stream-of-consciousness logic and an unassumingly rich and confident sound." – Gary Giddins, Village Voice Roy Campbell, Jr. (trumpeter, flugelhorn player, pocket trumpeter, flutist, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator, writer, and actor) was born in Los Angeles in 1952 and grew up in New York. His musical journey began as a child with piano lessons, initially inspired by his father, whose trumpet was the first one he used. By the time he entered high school, young Roy was playing flute, recorder, and violin, and he began studying trumpet as a high~school senior. As a young fan, Roy met Lee Morgan at the Bronxwood Inn in the late '6O's, and in 1971 Roy began participating in Jazzmobile workshops, working with jazz masters Kenny Dorham, Howard McGhee, and Lee Morgan, as well as with Howard McGhee and Joe Newman in Jazz Interactions workshops. Later, as a trumpet major at Manhattan Community College, his professors were Leonard Goines and Dick Vance, and Roy studied music theory, arranging, and composition with Yusef Lateef, graduating in 1975 with an Associate's Degree in music. By 1972, Roy was leading his own band, Spectrum; he had just turned 2O. He was also in great demand as a side man and studio musician. During the time from 1974 to 1976, Roy co-led with Radha Reyes Botofasina a band called the Spirits of Rhythm, which included, at various times: Omar Hakim, Rodney Jones, Kenny Kirkland, J.T. Lewis, Zane Massey, Cecil McBee, Jr., Andy McCloud, Marcus Miller, Charles Neville (of the Neville Brothers), Ricardo Strobert, Rudy Walker, Kenny Washington, and Bobby Watson. In 1978, Roy met master bassist William Parker, who recommended him to Jemeel Moondoc, who in turnl invited Roy to join Ensemble Muntu, an association that led to many dates and tours abroad. Roy's travels and worldwide exposure allowed him to develop an international following in Europe, Japan, the Caribbean Islands, and the USA. He lived in the Netherlands from 199O to 1992, working as a freelance musician and lecturer and holding conservatory workshops. He was the leader of the Thelonius New World Orchestra in Rotterdam for two years; he played with the bands of Ruud Bergamin, Klaas Hekman, and Dennis Winter; he led a Thursday-night jam session in Rotterdam; and he also played as a side man in numerous ensembles. In this period, the Eindhoven and Groningen Festivals commissioned Roy to compose music for brass ensembles. Roy's television credits include appearances on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, UPN, and cable networks, participating in interviews, new programs, and profiles. He appears in Zakariah Sherzad's Vision Festival documentary "What's All That About?" as well as several other concert films; his composition "Malcolm, Martin, and Mandela" was played during a WBAI "Democracy Now" broadcast on Malcolm X's birthday, 'O3; and Amadou Diallo's mother played Roy's "Amadou" from "Ethnic Stew and Brew" on the air during an interview in California. In addition, Roy is an actor who has appeared in independent films and plays. He has performed with dancers including Leena Conquest, Aleta Hayes, K.J. Holmes, Maria Mitchell, Patricia Nicholson Parker, Nayo Takasaki, and others, as well as musical accompaniment for poets Umar bin Hassan (of the Last Poets), Steve Dalachinsky, Shirley LeFlore, Felipe Luciano (of the original Last Poets), David Nelson, Jilal Nazzarudin, and Eve Packer. As a bandleader, Roy Campbell, Jr. has long maintained several stellar working units. TAZZ (with Andrew Bemkey, Chris Sullivan, and Michael Thompson) is a reflection of various musical styles, languages, backgrounds, and sources, with a mission to break down cultural barriers through a sound that is at once eclectic, progressive, polished, and funky; in a word, TAZZ is hot! Roy Campbell also leads THE PYRAMID TRIO (with William Parker and Hamid Drake), which he began in 1983 and which includes music of many world cultures with a jazz overtone. In addition, he founded the collective group OTHER DIMENSIONS IN MUSIC (with Daniel Carter, William Parker, and Charles Downs, with whom Roy first performed at the Chapel Restoration in November 2011), which plays improvised music of all styles. In 1995 he formed SHADES AND COLORS OF TRANE (with Walden Wimberley, Hilliard Greene, and Warren Smith), a tribute band for master saxophonist John Coltrane. And in 1999 Roy added the group DOWNTOWN HORNS (with Daniel Carter and Sabir Mateen). Roy Campbell, Jr.'s composing, arranging, and playing embrace a wide range of roots and styles, including jazz, funk, rock, rhythm & blues, hip-hop, rap, classical, reggae, and more. Whether performing, writing, arranging, or producing, Roy Campbell's abilities burst forth in an electrifying stream of talent and originality. His virtuoso instrumental performances have been praised by fans, critics, and fellow musicians alike. All of the bands he leads have inspired and uplifted audiences to spiritual heights, and each band is unique and highly acclaimed by all. A few of the leading innovators among contemporary musicians Roy has worked with include: Rashied Ali, Billy Bang, Evelyn Blakey, Dave Douglas, Carlos Garnett, Henry Grimes, Eddie Harris, Makanda Ken McIntyre, Jemeel Moondoc, David Murray, Sunny Murray, William Parker, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, Sun Ra, Woody Shaw, Cecil Taylor, Charles Tyler, Wilbur Ware, Frank Wright, John Zorn, and a countless host of other bands and ensembles. Roy and his contemporary bands play virtually constantly in concerts, on tour, and in festivals all over the world. Roy Campbell's life experience reflects his belief that music is the voice of universal truth. His music has continued to grow well into the new millennium. His sound combines ancestral voices, modern artistry, and futuristic vision. He is a master trumpeter, musician, composer and arranger, and a universal force to be reckoned with. Tenor saxophonist Louis Belogenis has played with a host of innovative musicians, including Rashied Ali, John Zorn, Sunny Murray, Ikue Mori, Borah Bergman and Sylvie Courvoisier. Currently Belogenis is playing with Unbroken, a trio with bassist Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz and drummer Kenny Wolleson, which has just released its self-titled debut CD. Kurt Gottschalk of the NYC Jazz Record writes: “Louie Belogenis is the rare player who really deserves the ‘post-Trane’ epithet. Not Trane redux, but bringing the school of hard notes into contemporary contexts ….” Louie Belogenis has recorded extensively with drummer Rashied Ali including Prima Materia’s “Peace of Earth: The Music of John Coltrane” and the duet session “Rings of Saturn.” He is a member of experimental rock band God is My Co-Pilot. His discipleship to John Coltrane and Albert Ayler continues to prevail in performances, includingwith Sunny Murray, William Parker and Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn. Pianist and composer Roberta Piket stands among the elite minds of modern jazz.” – National Public Radio “The jazz pianist Roberta Piket isn’t a blusterer: each of her pieces seeks to solve a particular problem, and she’s quietly been working on form and conceptual matters in the spirit of devoted explorers like Chick Corea and Richie Beirach” – Ben Ratliff, New York Times “An extremely talented young pianist. I predict she’ll go far as a jazz pianist and composer.” – Marian McPartland Pianist/composer Roberta Piket is one of a handful of New York musicians who is respected for both her swinging and inventive straight-ahead jazz playing as well as her powerful and sensitive work in creative improvised music. For Roberta, there are no genre boundaries, only the opportunity to make exceptional music. Roberta has played professionally as a sidewoman with Dave Liebman, Rufus Reid, Michael Formanek, Lionel Hampton, Mickey Roker, Billy Mintz, Harvey Wainapel, Eliot Zigmund, Benny Golson and the BMI/NY Jazz Orchestra and has thrice been a featured guest on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, on National Public Radio. She has also performed with some of the most interesting musicians in European and American creative music, including drummers Klaus Kugel and Billy Mintz, saxophonists Petras Vysniauskas, Roby Glod and Louie Belogenis and guitarist Roland Heinz. A gifted composer as well, Roberta was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk BMI Composers’ Competition. Roberta is from Queens, NY. Her father, the composer Frederick Piket, gave her her first piano lessons when she was seven. Roberta began playing jazz write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Jazz News :: home page |