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| NMMR: Velocity Duo Album Release/tour Kick-off Vocalist Lauren Lee and bassist Charley Sabatino, otherwise known as the Velocity Duo, will celebrate the release of their recording "Dichotomies" at Manhattan's Why Not Jazz Room, May 6. The event is a feature of the 'Why Not Experiment?' series which has illuminated this Greenwich Village haunt since 2013. The performance will demonstrate the pair's intimate, compelling free improv: equal parts hip jazz, avant adventure and…something completely different. Woven through tapestries of quiet and cacophony, the Velocity Duo is new music for a new generation. Following this event, Lee and Sabatino will embark on their maiden voyage to Europe, bringing this universal sound to still wider audiences. Specifics will be announced in coming weeks. While the expansive duet draws comparison to the voice/bass recordings of Sheila Jordan, the Velocity Duo is of the 'downtown' sound; this musical vision draws from a wealth of inspiration. Lauren Lee's voice holds a uniquely commanding tone; her style has been referred to as "vocal instrumentalism" due to the utter lack of lyrics in this setting. Also an artful pianist, Lee is guided as a singer by Nina Simone's example as well as that of Eric Dolphy. She has performed 12-tone concerts, cabaret and classical engagements, and leads her own Space Jazz Trio. Lee holds a master's in music from NYU where she studied voice, composition and improvisation. Charley Sabatino's background is also widespread, ranging from accompanying Ben Vereen, performing contemporary concert music, cabaret, popular styles, straight-ahead and free jazz. He is an endorsed artists from several musical instrument companies, and teaches a successful jazz workshop in Queens NY. Sabatino holds an MA in music from Long Island University/CW Post. Sabatino's approach to the upright bass reclaims the instrument's natural acoustics: a dark, woody sound threaded through his tone, producing an almost harp-like timber. Sabatino's bass is rhythmic, distinctly linear, swinging and with a yearning melodic response to Lee's call. The Velocity Duo, this ongoing conversation of new sounds, revitalizes the voice/bass partnership. EVENT: The Velocity Duo: album-release concert and tour kick-off WHEN: Wednesday May 6, 2015, 8 P.M. WHERE: Why Not Jazz Room 14 Christopher Street, New York, NY 10014 write your comments about the article :: © 2015 Jazz News :: home page |