***** Tickets are on sale NOW at all Vallitix locations, Boo Boo Records, and 1-888-825-5484. *****
Alfano Motorcars Presents, the 2nd Annual 2015 MERCEDES-BENZ SLO JAZZ FESTIVAL
OFFICIAL LINE-UP
On the MAIN STAGE (Main Stage):
JOSHUA REDMAN QUARTET
8:15pm - 10pm at the MISSION STAGE (MAIN STAGE) of the SLO JAZZ FESTIVAL MAY 16, 2015
The 2 time Grammy nominated and World-renowned saxophonist is presented by GoDaddy, a new sponsor to the 2015 SLO Jazz Festival. Joshua is joined by Reuben R. Rogers, Aaron Goldberg, and Lucas Gilmore.
Click here to watch Joshua Redman Video 1 Video 2 Video 3
Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the decade of the 1990s. Born in Berkeley, California, he is the son of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman and dancer Renee Shedroff. He was exposed at an early age to a variety of musics (jazz, classical, rock, soul, Indian, Indonesian, Middle-Eastern, African) and instruments (recorder, piano, guitar, gatham, gamelan), and began playing clarinet at age nine before switching to what became his primary instrument, the tenor saxophone, one year later. The early influences of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cannonball Adderley and his father, Dewey Redman, as well as The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince, The Police and Led Zeppelin drew Joshua more deeply into music. But although Joshua loved playing the saxophone and was a dedicated member of the award-winning Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and Combo from 1983-86, academics were always his first priority, and he never seriously considered becoming a professional musician.
In 1991 Redman graduated from Harvard College summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Social Studies. He had already been accepted by Yale Law School, but deferred entrance for what he believed was only going to be one year. Some of his friends (former students at the Berklee College of Music whom Joshua had met while in Boston) had recently relocated to Brooklyn, and they were looking for another housemate to help with the rent. Redman accepted their invitation to move in, and almost immediately he found himself immersed in the New York jazz scene. He began jamming and gigging regularly with some of the leading jazz musicians of his generation: Peter Bernstein, Larry Goldings, Kevin Hays, Roy Hargrove, Geoff Keezer, Leon Parker, Jorge Rossy and Mark Turner (to name just a few). In November of that year, five months after moving to New York, Redman was named the winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition. This was only one of the more visible highlights from a year that saw Redman beginning to tour and record with jazz masters such as his father, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Elvin Jones, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, Paul Motian, and Clark Terry. For Joshua, this was a period of tremendous growth, invaluable experience and endless inspiration.
Now fully committed to a life in music, Redman was quickly signed by Warner Bros. Records and issued his first, self-titled album in the spring of 1993, which subsequently earned Redman his first Grammy nomination. That fall saw the release of Wish, where Joshua was joined by the all-star cast of Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. He toured extensively with Metheny throughout the latter half of that year. His next recording, MoodSwing, was released in 1994, and it introduced his first permanent band, which included three other young musicians who have gone on to become some of the most important and influential artists in modern jazz: pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade. A later edition of this ensemble included guitarist Peter Bernstein, pianist Peter Martin, bassist Chris Thomas and Blade. Over a series of celebrated recordings including Spirit of the Moment/Live at the Village Vanguard, Freedom in the Groove and Timeless Tales (for Changing Times), Redman established himself as one of the music’s most consistent and successful bandleaders, and added soprano and alto saxophones to his instrumental arsenal. Joshua’s second acclaimed quartet, featuring pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, was formed in 1998 and made its recorded debut on the 2000 album Beyond. The dynamic interplay and uncommon rapport of this group inspired Redman to write and record his first long-form composition, Passage of Time, which was released in 2001.
A year later, Redman began to channel his jazz sensibilities through new instrumentation and formed The Elastic Band, a flexible, electrified, groove-based trio built on an ongoing collaboration with keyboardist Sam Yahel and drummer Brian Blade. The band debuted on the 2002 releases yaya3 and Elastic. Drummer Jeff Ballard began to play regularly with the Elastic Band later that year, and he (along with Blade and Yahel) played a central role in their next recording, the Grammy-nominated Momentum, which was released in 2005 to inaugurate Redman’s affiliation with Nonesuch Records, and featured a diverse and exciting lineup of special guests.
In 2000, Redman was named Artistic Director for the Spring Season of the non-profit jazz-presenting organization SFJAZZ. Redman and SFJAZZ Executive Director Randall Kline had an idea that The New York Times called a “eureka moment”; the creation of the SFJAZZ Collective, an ensemble distinguished both by the creativity of its members and a unique primary emphasis on composition. Inaugurated in 2004, the eight-piece band consists of a multi-generational cast of accomplished musicians. The Collective’s repertoire features both commissioned works and new arrangements of the work of great modern jazz composers. In March 2007, Redman announced that he was taking a hiatus from both the SFJAZZ Artistic Directorship and the SFJAZZ Collective in order to focus on new projects.
The following month, Nonesuch released Redman’s first ever piano-less trio record, Back East, featuring Joshua alongside three stellar bass and drum rhythm sections (Larry Grenadier & Ali Jackson, Christian McBride & Brian Blade, Reuben Rogers & Eric Harland) and three very special guest saxophonists (Chris Cheek, Joe Lovano and Dewey Redman). On Compass, released in January 2009 (Nonesuch), Joshua continues to explore the expansive trio format, and with a group of collaborators as intrepid as he is – bassists Larry Grenadier and Rueben Rogers, and drummers Brian Blade and Gregory Hutchinson – Redman literally and figuratively stretches the shape of the trio approach; on the most audacious of these tunes, he performs with the entire lineup in a double-trio setting.
Starting in late 2009, Joshua will be performing with a new collaborative band called James Farm featuring pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland. The band infuses traditional acoustic jazz quartet instrumentation with a progressive attitude and modern sound, creating music that is rhythmically and technically complex and at the same time harmonically rich, melodically satisfying, and emotionally compelling.
Joshua Redman Quartet is presented by GoDaddy - it's Go Time!
8:15pm - 10pm at the MISSION STAGE (MAIN STAGE) of the SLO JAZZ FESTIVAL MAY 16, 2015
The 2 time Grammy nominated and World-renowned saxophonist is presented by GoDaddy, a new sponsor to the 2015 SLO Jazz Festival. Joshua is joined by Reuben R. Rogers, Aaron Goldberg, and Lucas Gilmore.
Click here to watch Joshua Redman Video 1 Video 2 Video 3
Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the decade of the 1990s. Born in Berkeley, California, he is the son of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman and dancer Renee Shedroff. He was exposed at an early age to a variety of musics (jazz, classical, rock, soul, Indian, Indonesian, Middle-Eastern, African) and instruments (recorder, piano, guitar, gatham, gamelan), and began playing clarinet at age nine before switching to what became his primary instrument, the tenor saxophone, one year later. The early influences of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cannonball Adderley and his father, Dewey Redman, as well as The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince, The Police and Led Zeppelin drew Joshua more deeply into music. But although Joshua loved playing the saxophone and was a dedicated member of the award-winning Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and Combo from 1983-86, academics were always his first priority, and he never seriously considered becoming a professional musician.
In 1991 Redman graduated from Harvard College summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Social Studies. He had already been accepted by Yale Law School, but deferred entrance for what he believed was only going to be one year. Some of his friends (former students at the Berklee College of Music whom Joshua had met while in Boston) had recently relocated to Brooklyn, and they were looking for another housemate to help with the rent. Redman accepted their invitation to move in, and almost immediately he found himself immersed in the New York jazz scene. He began jamming and gigging regularly with some of the leading jazz musicians of his generation: Peter Bernstein, Larry Goldings, Kevin Hays, Roy Hargrove, Geoff Keezer, Leon Parker, Jorge Rossy and Mark Turner (to name just a few). In November of that year, five months after moving to New York, Redman was named the winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition. This was only one of the more visible highlights from a year that saw Redman beginning to tour and record with jazz masters such as his father, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Elvin Jones, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, Paul Motian, and Clark Terry. For Joshua, this was a period of tremendous growth, invaluable experience and endless inspiration.
Now fully committed to a life in music, Redman was quickly signed by Warner Bros. Records and issued his first, self-titled album in the spring of 1993, which subsequently earned Redman his first Grammy nomination. That fall saw the release of Wish, where Joshua was joined by the all-star cast of Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. He toured extensively with Metheny throughout the latter half of that year. His next recording, MoodSwing, was released in 1994, and it introduced his first permanent band, which included three other young musicians who have gone on to become some of the most important and influential artists in modern jazz: pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade. A later edition of this ensemble included guitarist Peter Bernstein, pianist Peter Martin, bassist Chris Thomas and Blade. Over a series of celebrated recordings including Spirit of the Moment/Live at the Village Vanguard, Freedom in the Groove and Timeless Tales (for Changing Times), Redman established himself as one of the music’s most consistent and successful bandleaders, and added soprano and alto saxophones to his instrumental arsenal. Joshua’s second acclaimed quartet, featuring pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, was formed in 1998 and made its recorded debut on the 2000 album Beyond. The dynamic interplay and uncommon rapport of this group inspired Redman to write and record his first long-form composition, Passage of Time, which was released in 2001.
A year later, Redman began to channel his jazz sensibilities through new instrumentation and formed The Elastic Band, a flexible, electrified, groove-based trio built on an ongoing collaboration with keyboardist Sam Yahel and drummer Brian Blade. The band debuted on the 2002 releases yaya3 and Elastic. Drummer Jeff Ballard began to play regularly with the Elastic Band later that year, and he (along with Blade and Yahel) played a central role in their next recording, the Grammy-nominated Momentum, which was released in 2005 to inaugurate Redman’s affiliation with Nonesuch Records, and featured a diverse and exciting lineup of special guests.
In 2000, Redman was named Artistic Director for the Spring Season of the non-profit jazz-presenting organization SFJAZZ. Redman and SFJAZZ Executive Director Randall Kline had an idea that The New York Times called a “eureka moment”; the creation of the SFJAZZ Collective, an ensemble distinguished both by the creativity of its members and a unique primary emphasis on composition. Inaugurated in 2004, the eight-piece band consists of a multi-generational cast of accomplished musicians. The Collective’s repertoire features both commissioned works and new arrangements of the work of great modern jazz composers. In March 2007, Redman announced that he was taking a hiatus from both the SFJAZZ Artistic Directorship and the SFJAZZ Collective in order to focus on new projects.
The following month, Nonesuch released Redman’s first ever piano-less trio record, Back East, featuring Joshua alongside three stellar bass and drum rhythm sections (Larry Grenadier & Ali Jackson, Christian McBride & Brian Blade, Reuben Rogers & Eric Harland) and three very special guest saxophonists (Chris Cheek, Joe Lovano and Dewey Redman). On Compass, released in January 2009 (Nonesuch), Joshua continues to explore the expansive trio format, and with a group of collaborators as intrepid as he is – bassists Larry Grenadier and Rueben Rogers, and drummers Brian Blade and Gregory Hutchinson – Redman literally and figuratively stretches the shape of the trio approach; on the most audacious of these tunes, he performs with the entire lineup in a double-trio setting.
Starting in late 2009, Joshua will be performing with a new collaborative band called James Farm featuring pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland. The band infuses traditional acoustic jazz quartet instrumentation with a progressive attitude and modern sound, creating music that is rhythmically and technically complex and at the same time harmonically rich, melodically satisfying, and emotionally compelling.
Joshua Redman Quartet is presented by GoDaddy - it's Go Time!
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About Reuben R. Rogers, bassist - Performing at the SLO Jazz Festival with Joshua Redman Quartet will be Reuben Rogers on bass. Reuben R. Rogers has a natural penchant for story telling. And Rogers, himself, will be the first to tell you his skills have coalesced under the influence of his impressive contemporaries.
Rogers' ability to transport the emotion of a piece into his accompaniment is akin to that of a fine woven tapestry, creating a blanket of rhythm and harmony that is welcomed by vocalists and instrumentalists alike. From a hard-hitting groove to a feather-like touch, with each interjection, Rogers echoes an affirmation of the soloist's statement, rendering a musical conversation in which the narrative is smoothly passed. His own musical narration, often shaded in a palette of blue, has reached a point in its development where a leading flight is inevitable. Here's a video with Reuben and Joshua for your enjoyment. Spread the word! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtMaZAK8NrY#t=219 |
About Aaron Goldberg, Pianist - Performing with Joshua Redman Quartet on piano will be Aaron Goldberg. Hailed by Down Beat magazine for his “quick-witted harmonic reflexes, fluid command of line and cut-to-the- chase sense of narrative logic,” Aaron Goldberg has made his name as one of jazz’s most compelling pianists, both as a bandleader and frequent collaborator with Joshua Redman, Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Guillermo Klein and many more.
http://www.aarongoldberg.com/video.html
Goldberg became a jazz devotee in Boston during high school. After spending a year in New York City at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, he enrolled at Harvard College and graduated magna cum laude in 1996 with a concentration in Mind, Brain and Behavior. A founding member of Betty Carter’s famed and indispensable Jazz Ahead program, he continued his ascent performing in bands led by Al Foster, Freddie Hubbard, Nicholas Payton, Stefon Harrisand Mark Turner among others. By the late 1990s, he was garnering wider attention, and an incessant touring schedule found him both inspired by music from around the world yet appreciative of the zen creativity that only jazz demands. Goldberg’s bread-and-butter jazz vocabulary, his mastery and sense of invention on blues and standards, is second to none.
http://www.aarongoldberg.com/video.html
Goldberg became a jazz devotee in Boston during high school. After spending a year in New York City at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, he enrolled at Harvard College and graduated magna cum laude in 1996 with a concentration in Mind, Brain and Behavior. A founding member of Betty Carter’s famed and indispensable Jazz Ahead program, he continued his ascent performing in bands led by Al Foster, Freddie Hubbard, Nicholas Payton, Stefon Harrisand Mark Turner among others. By the late 1990s, he was garnering wider attention, and an incessant touring schedule found him both inspired by music from around the world yet appreciative of the zen creativity that only jazz demands. Goldberg’s bread-and-butter jazz vocabulary, his mastery and sense of invention on blues and standards, is second to none.
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About Marcus Gilmore, drummer -- Mention the name ROY HAYNES and most avid jazz listeners will immediately perk up -- after all, he is probably among the world's greatest living drumming legends. Did you know that drummer Marcus Gilmore is Roy Haynes' Grandson? This "Top Rising Star Drummer" according to Downbeat is performing with the Joshua Redman Quartet at the 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLO Jazz Festival. At just 25 years' old, Marcus has performed with Chick Corea, Ray Barretto, Branford Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, Wycliffe Gordon, Roy Hargrove, Cassandra Wilson, Kenny Garrett, Christian Scott, and Ravi Coltrane, among many others. His inventive playing is already making a mark on the jazz scene. Come discover why.
Check him out: https://youtu.be/VR3yEOKcfsA |
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Back to Joshua... In addition to his own projects, Redman has recorded and performed with musicians such as Brian Blade, Ray Brown, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, The Dave Matthews Band, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Frisell, Aaron Goldberg, Larry Goldings, Charlie Haden, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Roy Haynes, Billie Higgins, Milt Jackson, Elvin Jones, Quincy Jones, Big Daddy Kane, Geoff Keezer, B.B. King, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, DJ Logic, Joe Lovano, Yo Yo Ma, Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride, John Medeski, Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, Paul Motian, MeShell Ndegeocello, Leon Parker, Nicholas Payton, John Psathas, Simon Rattle, Dewey Redman, Dianne Reeves, Melvin Rhyne, The Rolling Stones, The Roots, Kurt Rosenwinkel, John Scofield, Soulive, String Cheese Incident, Clark Terry, Toots Thielemans, The Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Mark Turner, McCoy Tyner, Umphrey’s McGee, US3, Bugge Wesseltoft, Cedar Walton, Stevie Wonder and Sam Yahel. Joshua Redman has been nominated for 2 Grammys and has garnered top honors in critics and readers polls of DownBeat, Jazz Times, The Village Voice and Rolling Stone. He wrote and performed the music for Louis Malle’s final film Vanya on 42nd Street, and is both seen and heard in the Robert Altman film Kansas City.
Having Joshua Redman perform at the jazz festival has been a dream of the Founder, Scott Andrews, since the festival's inception. We're excited to say that "dreams do come true." Come experience Joshua and share in the magic, May 16, 2015. http://www.joshuaredman.com |
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QUINCY JONES PRESENTS, GRAMMY NOMINEE
ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ, CUBAN PIANO TRIO
6:30pm - 7:40pm on the MISSION STAGE (MAIN STAGE) of the
SLO JAZZ FESTIVAL MAY 16, 2015
“One of the most prolific and gifted jazz pianists of the 21st century” – Quincy Jones
For those who know how to listen, time and distance offer a wealth of perspective.
Click here to watch Alfredo Rodriguez Video 2 Video 3 Video 4 Video 5
and for sure watch this one
“When you live in your own country, you are immersed in that reality and you’re not necessarily conscious of all the different elements that make it what it is,” says Cuban pianist and composer Alfredo Rodríguez, who moved to the United States in January 2009. “I breathed Cuban music. Being outside that reality gives me a different perspective. Creating and playing this music has been like finding out who I am, all over again.”
There are some moments in life when you hear a musician and immediately recognize someone incredibly talented and special.
"One of the most prolific and gifted jazz pianists of the 21st century." — Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones recognized this greatness, and presents this gifted pianist for your pleasure at the 2nd Annual 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLO Jazz Festival, presented by Alfano Motorcars.
“When you live in your own country, you are immersed in that reality and you’re not necessarily conscious of all the different elements that make it what it is,” says Cuban pianist and composer Alfredo Rodríguez, who moved to the United States in January 2009. “I breathed Cuban music. Being outside that reality gives me a different perspective. Creating and playing this music has been like finding out who I am, all over again.”
Quincy Jones has worked with and been instrumental in the careers of such legends as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jackson, as well as a duets featuring Stevie Wonder and multiple projects for film and television, has been nominated for 79 Grammy Awards and won 27 -- more than any other living artist. He produced the biggest selling album of all-time, Michael Jackson's Thriller, and was named by Time Magazine as "One of the six most influential jazz artists of the 20th Century."
"On his second recording since moving to the United States in 2009, pianist Alfredo Rodriguez dips his hands into as much (of Cuba's rich and varied musical culture) as he can -- the French and Haitian influence of Santiago de Cuba, the folkloric styles of the countryside and the relentless polyrhythms of Afro-Cuban music--and creates a highly personal pastiche." -- DownBeat - James Hale - 11/15/14
“I searched different styles, different rhythms of Cuban music,” explains Rodríguez. “I explored Conga Santiaguera [a rhythm from Santiago, in Eastern Cuba], Afro-Cuban music and also música guajira [country music]. I’m exploring the roots and searching for my own contribution to Cuban music.”
Born in Havana, Cuba as the son of a popular singer, television presenter and entertainer of the same name, Rodríguez began his formal music education at seven. Percussion, not piano, was his first choice. “But to choose what I wanted I had to wait until I was 10,” he explains. “So I picked piano. By the time I could actually switch to percussion, I knew the piano was my path.”
ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ, CUBAN PIANO TRIO
6:30pm - 7:40pm on the MISSION STAGE (MAIN STAGE) of the
SLO JAZZ FESTIVAL MAY 16, 2015
“One of the most prolific and gifted jazz pianists of the 21st century” – Quincy Jones
For those who know how to listen, time and distance offer a wealth of perspective.
Click here to watch Alfredo Rodriguez Video 2 Video 3 Video 4 Video 5
and for sure watch this one
“When you live in your own country, you are immersed in that reality and you’re not necessarily conscious of all the different elements that make it what it is,” says Cuban pianist and composer Alfredo Rodríguez, who moved to the United States in January 2009. “I breathed Cuban music. Being outside that reality gives me a different perspective. Creating and playing this music has been like finding out who I am, all over again.”
There are some moments in life when you hear a musician and immediately recognize someone incredibly talented and special.
"One of the most prolific and gifted jazz pianists of the 21st century." — Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones recognized this greatness, and presents this gifted pianist for your pleasure at the 2nd Annual 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLO Jazz Festival, presented by Alfano Motorcars.
“When you live in your own country, you are immersed in that reality and you’re not necessarily conscious of all the different elements that make it what it is,” says Cuban pianist and composer Alfredo Rodríguez, who moved to the United States in January 2009. “I breathed Cuban music. Being outside that reality gives me a different perspective. Creating and playing this music has been like finding out who I am, all over again.”
Quincy Jones has worked with and been instrumental in the careers of such legends as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jackson, as well as a duets featuring Stevie Wonder and multiple projects for film and television, has been nominated for 79 Grammy Awards and won 27 -- more than any other living artist. He produced the biggest selling album of all-time, Michael Jackson's Thriller, and was named by Time Magazine as "One of the six most influential jazz artists of the 20th Century."
"On his second recording since moving to the United States in 2009, pianist Alfredo Rodriguez dips his hands into as much (of Cuba's rich and varied musical culture) as he can -- the French and Haitian influence of Santiago de Cuba, the folkloric styles of the countryside and the relentless polyrhythms of Afro-Cuban music--and creates a highly personal pastiche." -- DownBeat - James Hale - 11/15/14
“I searched different styles, different rhythms of Cuban music,” explains Rodríguez. “I explored Conga Santiaguera [a rhythm from Santiago, in Eastern Cuba], Afro-Cuban music and also música guajira [country music]. I’m exploring the roots and searching for my own contribution to Cuban music.”
Born in Havana, Cuba as the son of a popular singer, television presenter and entertainer of the same name, Rodríguez began his formal music education at seven. Percussion, not piano, was his first choice. “But to choose what I wanted I had to wait until I was 10,” he explains. “So I picked piano. By the time I could actually switch to percussion, I knew the piano was my path.”
He graduated to the Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán, and then to the Instituto Superior de Arte. He had a strictly formal classical musical education, and learned popular styles on stage playing in his father’s orchestra from the age of 14. “I had a chance to perform every day, and write arrangements for all kinds of music: boleros, rock ‘n’ roll, dance music, you name it. That is where I learned the discipline of being a professional musician.”
He entered the world of jazz and improvisation at 15, when an uncle gave him Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert. “Until then it had been all Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. I didn’t know anything about improvisation. The Köln Concert changed my life.”
In 2006, Rodríguez was chosen to play at the Montreux Jazz Festival. While there, he was invited to a gathering at the house of the festival’s founder and director, Claude Nobs, who asked him if he would play for Quincy Jones.
“When I finished, Quincy said he liked it a lot and that he wanted to work with me. That someone I admire so much would be interested in doing something with me was incredible. But I’m a realist, and while it was a nice idea I thought it would be difficult. And it was.”
It took him three years. Finally in 2009, while in Mexico after playing some engagements with his father who lived there at the time, Rodríguez made his move with “nothing: a suitcase with a sweater, a pair of jeans and my music.”
He entered the world of jazz and improvisation at 15, when an uncle gave him Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert. “Until then it had been all Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. I didn’t know anything about improvisation. The Köln Concert changed my life.”
In 2006, Rodríguez was chosen to play at the Montreux Jazz Festival. While there, he was invited to a gathering at the house of the festival’s founder and director, Claude Nobs, who asked him if he would play for Quincy Jones.
“When I finished, Quincy said he liked it a lot and that he wanted to work with me. That someone I admire so much would be interested in doing something with me was incredible. But I’m a realist, and while it was a nice idea I thought it would be difficult. And it was.”
It took him three years. Finally in 2009, while in Mexico after playing some engagements with his father who lived there at the time, Rodríguez made his move with “nothing: a suitcase with a sweater, a pair of jeans and my music.”
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The title The Invasion Parade refers to an annual tradition, a carnival parade in Santiago de Cuba commemorating the invasion of the Liberation Army that marked the end of Cuba’s War of Independence. In this blocks-long parade “not only comparsas [drumming and dance groups] participate but also all the people of Santiago, they come out and join playing whatever they have-drums, pots, whatever, and singing improvised lyrics,” explains Rodríguez.The term “invasion” in the title, he’s quick to note, “refers to the invasion of the streets by people who come out to participate and celebrate. In my mind it also has to do with an invasion of culture. I wrote and arranged the music but not everybody in the group is Cuban. We have Cubans but also Americans [such as Esperanza Spalding], a Puerto Rican [Henry Cole], a Bulgarian [bassist Peter Slavov] and it’s a mix of cultures in which everybody contributes.”
Rodríguez also explores the music of the Yoruba-rooted, Afro-Cuban religion better known in the U.S. as Santería, from unexpected and often deeply personal angles. |
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“Sometimes there’s a gulf between the intellectual elements around music and the dancer’s needs. It happened in jazz and it was very damaging. In my music I don’t want to lose that connection to the dance floor, and that doesn’t happen with music that has a folk essence. You go ask a rumbero [rumba practitioner] in Cuba and for him there is no difference between the singer, the player and the dancer. It’s all one thing. And if you don’t know all the three aspects then for him, you know nothing about it.”
“The invasion of The Invasion Parade is a peaceful one, and an honest one,” he says. “It’s a celebration to which all are invited, exactly like in the conga Santiaguera. That’s the message we want to send out.”
http://www.alfredomusic.com/
***** Tickets are on sale NOW at all Vallitix locations, Boo Boo Records, and 1-888-825-5484. *****
“The invasion of The Invasion Parade is a peaceful one, and an honest one,” he says. “It’s a celebration to which all are invited, exactly like in the conga Santiaguera. That’s the message we want to send out.”
http://www.alfredomusic.com/
***** Tickets are on sale NOW at all Vallitix locations, Boo Boo Records, and 1-888-825-5484. *****
5-TIME GRAMMY NOMINATED PERCUSSIONIST
JOHN SANTOS LATIN JAZZ SEXTET
ON THE MAIN STAGE AT THE 2015 SLO JAZZ FESTIVAL
3:45PM - 5:30PM
Watch John Santos Video 1 Video 2 Video 3 and at the 2012 Monterey Jazz Festival
Five-time Grammy nominee and USA Fontanals Fellow, John Santos, and his stellar Sextet shed light on the historical and cultural significance of Latin Jazz, as well as its aesthetic characteristics pertaining to instrumentation, rhythm, interpretation and improvisation. Organized in 2003, they specialize in educational presentations from lecture/demonstrations to detailed clinics focusing on any number of relevant subjects such as composition, arrangement, rhythmic development, stylistic interpretation, studio performance, etc. Their repertoire consists of exciting arrangements from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the US, as well as original compositions. Their first CD, Papa Mambo, was released on John’s Machete Records label in the Summer of 2007. Their second CD, Perspectiva Fragmentada, was released in October, 2008. Equally at home with a dance or concert repertoire, The John Santos Sextet presents a wide range of styles and rhythms for audiences of all ages.
John Santos is one of the foremost exponents of Afro-Latin music in the world today. Born in San Francisco, California, November l, l955, he was raised in the Puerto Rican and Cape Verdean traditions of his family, surrounded by music. The fertile musical environment of the San Francisco Bay Area shaped his career in a unique way. His studies of Afro-Latin music have included several trips to New York, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Brazil and Colombia.He is known for his innovative use of traditional forms and instruments in combination with contemporary music, and has earned much respect and recognition as an educator, composer, and record and event producer. He’s been a prolific performer, composer, teacher, writer, radio programmer, and record/event producer whose career has spanned over 35 years. John has worked with acknowledged, multi-generational masters such as Cachao, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Bebo Valdés, Max Roach, Eddie Palmieri, Patato Valdés, Lázaro Ros, Bobby Hutcherson, Chucho Valdes, Chocolate Armenteros, John Handy, Billy Cobham, Zakir Hussain, George Cables, Rene Lopez, Generoso Jimenez, Joe Henderson, Francisco Aguabella, John Faddis, Ed Thigpen, Giovanni Hidalgo, Steve Turre, McCoy Tyner, Batacumbele, Poncho Sanchez, Omar Sosa, Mel Martin, Ignacio Berroa, Danilo Perez, Los Pleneros de la 21, Jose Luis “Changuito” Quintana, Armando Peraza, Pancho Quinto, Tootie Heath, Jacqueline Castellanos, Malonga Casquelord, CK Ladzekpo, Pancho Terry, Yosvany Terry, Dafnis Prieto, Oscar Castro Neves, Mark Murphy, Larry Coryell, Lázaro Galarraga, Regino Jimenez, Luis Daniel “Chichito” Cepeda, Pedrito Martinez, Jerry Medina, Orestes Vilató, Paquito D’Rivera, Larry Vukovich, Arturo Sandoval, Nestor Torres, Anthony Carrillo, Paoli Mejías, Raul Rekow, Andy Gonzalez, Jerry Gonzalez, Jovino Santos Neto, Lalo Schifrin, Pete Escovedo, Claudia Gómez, Maria Márquez, Jon Jang, Ray Vega, Chembo Corniel, Wayne Wallace, John Calloway, Mark Levine, Elio Villafranca, Bruce Forman, Linda Tillery, Charlie Hunter, Joyce Cooling, Bobby Matos, Mark Weinstein, Jackeline Rago, Roberto Borrell, Sandy Perez, Jesus Diaz, Roman Diaz, Pablo Menendez, Yma Sumac, and Carlos Santana.
John is widely respected as one of the top writers, teachers and historians in the field and was a member of the Latin Jazz Advisory Committee of the Smithsonian Institution. He is currently part of the faculty at the Jazz School Institute (Berkeley, CA) and the College of San Mateo (CA). He has conducted countless workshops, lectures and clinics in the US, Latin America and Europe since 1972 at institutions of all types including the Adventures in Music program of the San Francisco Symphony, the Berklee School of Music in Boston, UCLA, Yale, Stanford, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the University of Michigan, Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State East Bay, the University of Colorado, Yakima Valley Community College, the Afro-Cuban Drumming and Dance Program at Humboldt State University (CA), Cal State Sonoma, Cal State Sacramento, Cal State San Jose, Tulane University of Louisiana, Jazz Camp West, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Los Angeles Music Academy, the Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco), he Lafayette Summer Music Program (CA), Skidmore College (NY), and La Universidad Inter-Americana in San Germán Puerto Rico. He has contributed to the international magazines Percussive Notes, Modern Drummer, Modern Percussionist, and Latin Percussionist.
John was the director of the Orquesta Tipica Cienfuegos (l976-1980) and the award-winning Orquesta Batachanga (1981-1985). He was founder and director of the internationally renowned, Grammy-nominated Machete Ensemble (1985-2006), who released nine CDs with special guests from Puerto Rico, Cuba, NY, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, mostly on John’s Machete Records label. He currently directs the John Santos Sextet, Latin jazz ensemble. Their second CD, Perspectiva Fragmentada, released in October 2008, was nominated by the Jazz Journalists Association (NY), and by Cubadisco (Cuban Grammys) as one of the top Latin Jazz releases of the year, and selected as one of the five top Latin Jazz CDs of 2008 by New York’s All About Jazz magazine, among many honors. John’s Afro-Caribbean Folklóric Ensemble, El Coro Folklórico Kindembo, has produced three full length CDs since 1994, two of which were Grammy-nominated including the most recent, La Guerra No, in 2009.
John’s work has been recognized and supported by the California Arts Council, United States Artists, the Zellerbach Family Fund, the Fund for Folk Culture, the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the San Francisco Foundation, the East Bay Community Foundation, the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, the Creative Work Fund, and the City of Oakland.
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The San Francisco Bay Area community in which he still lives and works has presented him with numerous awards and honors for artistic excellence and social dedication. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation declaring November 12, 2006 John Santos Day. And on October 9th, 2012, in a ceremony at City Hall, he received the 2012 San Francisco Latino Heritage Arts Award from the Mayor’s office. It came with a Certificate of Honor signed by Mayor Edwin Lee, and Certificates of Recognition from the State Assembly signed by Speaker Pro Tempore Fiona Ma and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, a Certificate of Recognition from the State Senate signed by Senator Mark Leno, a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from the US House of Representatives signed by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, and a glass plaque from the City and County of San Francisco.
John is an endorsee of Latin Percussion instruments, Remo drumheads, Sabian cymbals, Engelhart Metal Percussion, and Fat Conga Cajones. http://www.johnsantos.com/ |
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LAVAY SMITH AND HER RED HOT SKILLET LICKERS
on the Main Stage at 2nd Annual 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLO Jazz Festival
Watch Lavay Video Big Fine Daddy Video Blue Skies Video Walk Right In
Sultry chanteuse Lavay Smith evokes a sensuous era of glamorous Jazz divas and sexy pinups adding a
modern, feminist twist. Whether singing her own compositions or drawing on a large repertoire of classics, Lavay and her all-star 8-piece band bake up an instant recipe for good times.
Lavay Smith’s 7-piece band features some of the finest musicians in the world and is comprised of four horns (trumpet, trombone, alto saxophone and tenor saxophone), piano, bass and drums. Truly an all-star ensemble, Lavay’s musicians have performed or recorded with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat “King” Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Quincy Jones, Tito Puente, Lionel Hampton, Jay McShann, Johnny Otis, Wytnon Marsalis, Big Joe Turner, Ray Charles, Big Mama Thornton, Erroll Garner, Charles Brown, Rosemary Clooney, Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, Rufus Thomas, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, Sy Oliver, Esther Phillips and many more.
The band first performed in 1989 and immediately began attracting crowds thanks to Lavay’s big, bluesy voice, exciting stage personality, and glamorous approach. According to Fox TV, the band has become “a San Francisco Institution”. In 1998, the reader’s of San Francisco’s two major newspapers, the Chronicle and the Examiner, voted Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers the “Best Band” in the annual reader’s poll.
Important publications have sung the praises of Lavay Smith and her band, including Jazz Times, Blues Revue, Jazziz, The New York Press, Living Blues, and the Alternative Press. Television and Radio appearances include “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer”, Fox TV’s “Fox Files”, and NPR’s “To the Best of Our Knowledge”. World famous celebrities have jumped on the Lavay Smith bandwagon as well. Johnny Otis says, “Lavay is wonderful! She and her band are a breath of fresh air.” Dan Aykroyd says of Lavay’s debut album “...this CD is guaranteed to make you feel better.” Even President Bill Clinton has seen the light, proclaiming, “I love this band – they’re great!
Lavay grew up in Southern California and the Philippines and has become an internationally recognized Diva of Jazz and Blues, with a singing style influenced by Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Bessie Smith, Little Esther Phillips and other legendary greats. Whether singing her own compositions or drawing on a large repertoire of classics, Lavay and her all-star 7-piece band bake up an instant recipe for dancing and good times.
on the Main Stage at 2nd Annual 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLO Jazz Festival
Watch Lavay Video Big Fine Daddy Video Blue Skies Video Walk Right In
Sultry chanteuse Lavay Smith evokes a sensuous era of glamorous Jazz divas and sexy pinups adding a
modern, feminist twist. Whether singing her own compositions or drawing on a large repertoire of classics, Lavay and her all-star 8-piece band bake up an instant recipe for good times.
Lavay Smith’s 7-piece band features some of the finest musicians in the world and is comprised of four horns (trumpet, trombone, alto saxophone and tenor saxophone), piano, bass and drums. Truly an all-star ensemble, Lavay’s musicians have performed or recorded with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat “King” Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Quincy Jones, Tito Puente, Lionel Hampton, Jay McShann, Johnny Otis, Wytnon Marsalis, Big Joe Turner, Ray Charles, Big Mama Thornton, Erroll Garner, Charles Brown, Rosemary Clooney, Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, Rufus Thomas, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, Sy Oliver, Esther Phillips and many more.
The band first performed in 1989 and immediately began attracting crowds thanks to Lavay’s big, bluesy voice, exciting stage personality, and glamorous approach. According to Fox TV, the band has become “a San Francisco Institution”. In 1998, the reader’s of San Francisco’s two major newspapers, the Chronicle and the Examiner, voted Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers the “Best Band” in the annual reader’s poll.
Important publications have sung the praises of Lavay Smith and her band, including Jazz Times, Blues Revue, Jazziz, The New York Press, Living Blues, and the Alternative Press. Television and Radio appearances include “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer”, Fox TV’s “Fox Files”, and NPR’s “To the Best of Our Knowledge”. World famous celebrities have jumped on the Lavay Smith bandwagon as well. Johnny Otis says, “Lavay is wonderful! She and her band are a breath of fresh air.” Dan Aykroyd says of Lavay’s debut album “...this CD is guaranteed to make you feel better.” Even President Bill Clinton has seen the light, proclaiming, “I love this band – they’re great!
Lavay grew up in Southern California and the Philippines and has become an internationally recognized Diva of Jazz and Blues, with a singing style influenced by Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Bessie Smith, Little Esther Phillips and other legendary greats. Whether singing her own compositions or drawing on a large repertoire of classics, Lavay and her all-star 7-piece band bake up an instant recipe for dancing and good times.
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This sultry chanteuse evokes a sensuous era of Jazz queens and sexy pinups and adds a modern, feminist twist. No wonder Los Angeles Magazine chose her as one of the sexiest people around! Lavay began attracting crowds right from the start thanks to her big, bluesy voice, exciting stage personality, and glamorous approach. According to Fox TV, the band has become “a San Francisco Landmark”, winning numerous awards including a “Wammie” and a “Bammie”. In 1998, the reader’s of San Francisco’s two major newspapers, the Chronicle and the Examiner, voted Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers the “Best Band” in the annual readers poll.
Lavay’s second CD, “Everybody’s Talkin’ ‘Bout Miss Thing” incorporated a variety of classic American musical styles, including swing, bebop, salsa, jump blues, and New Orleans R&B. Enlisting the arranging talents of David Berger, arranger for Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the album includes 6 outstanding original tunes, many classics and several obscure gems. Lavay’s latest CD, “Miss Smith To You!” contains 12 tunes, including three more original songs, and features Lavay’s lush vocals with gorgeous arrangements performed by an all-star big band. From the opening swinging horn riff on “Miss Brown To You” to the New Orleans second-line rhythm of “When The Saints Go Marching In”, Lavay and her band have produced another winner, with a variety of tempos and grooves that will have you tapping your feet and singing along. Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers maintain a busy schedule, including extensive touring throughout the United States, Europe, Canada and Japan. They have performed at many prestigious venues including Lincoln Center, the Monterey Jazz Festival, The Chicago Jazz Festival, The Montreal Jazz Festival, The Playboy Jazz Festival at The Hollywood Bowl, The San Francisco Blues Festival, The Toronto Jazz Festival, The Santa Barbara Jazz Festival, The Ottawa Jazz Fesitval, The Portland Waterfront Blues Festival, The San Francisco Jazz Festival, The Salt Lake City Jazz Festival, The Doheny Blues Festival and Jazz Aspen/Snowmass. When not on the road, Lavay and her band are showcased in the San Francisco Bay Area's premier nightclubs, including Yoshi’s, The Cafe du Nord, Biscuits & Blues, Enrico’s, Ashkenaz, Rancho Nicasio, Kuumbwa Jazz Center and Moe's Alley. Lavay Smith’s 7-piece band features some of the finest musicians in the world and is comprised of four horns (trumpet, trombone, alto saxophone and tenor saxophone), piano, bass and drums. Truly an all-star ensemble, Lavay’s musicians have performed or recorded with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat “King” Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Quincy Jones, Tito Puente, Lionel Hampton, Jay McShann, Johnny Otis, Wytnon Marsalis, Big Joe Turner, Ray Charles, Big Mama Thornton, Erroll Garner, Charles Brown, Rosemary Clooney, Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, Rufus Thomas, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, Sy Oliver, Esther Phillips and many more. |
Lavay approaches her material from the standpoint of an independent woman, combining world-class singing and musicianship with hilarious, provocative lyrics. Lavay’s musical stance is echoed in her real life role as owner of her own record label, Fat Note Records. Her debut CD, “One Hour Mama” received widespread critical acclaim and her second CD, "Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Miss Thing!" received a prestigious 4 & 1/2 Star review from Downbeat Magazine. Her red-hot stage presence and high musical standards ensure that this sexy diva will continue to light up stages all over the world.
http://www.lavaysmith.com/Lavay_Smith_%26_Her_Red_Hot_Skillet_Lickers.html 
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CHARGED PARTICLES, FEATURING PAUL MCCANDLESS, GRAMMY AWARD WINNING SAXOPHONIST
Opening the Main Stage at 2nd Annual 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLO Jazz Festival
Charged Particles w/Paul McCandless Videos
The most exciting and creative music being made today crosses stylistic boundaries and blends multiple traditions to create vital new sounds. Charged Particles features three of the country's virtuosos doing just that in the electric jazz arena. Murray Low is a keyboard wizard with dazzling Latin-jazz technique and imaginative improvisational skills. Aaron Germain is an inventive and sophisticated acoustic and electric bassist. Along with fiery drummer Jon Krosnick, these players are making some of the most electrifying jazz in the country today.
The trio's repertoire blends jazz styles with elements from Latin music, classical music, funk, and more. The group's original compositions are mixtures of elaborate orchestration and opportunities for creative improvised solos. And they bring a similar approach to playing arrangements of tunes by other jazz artists and traditional jazz standards, including favorites by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Richard Rogers, and other composers of America's most popular songs from decades ago, each played with a new twist.
All of the trio's music has a distinctly acoustic sensibility, despite the fact that the members play both electric and acoustic instruments. The group's small size allows for great sensitivity and spontaneity among the players, making each performance an enchanting improvisational exploration. The band's energy level is always high, even when they are cooking at a volume no louder than a whisper, or floating through the melody of a romantic ballad. Each piece they play brims with the fun the players have together and with the admiration they have for each other. Charged Particles are a treat to hear!
Charged Particles made its public debut on National Public Radio's live performance program, "Detroit Jazz Alive", originating in Detroit, Michigan. The group's one-hour live performance drew wide attention. Performances since then have been at festivals and clubs around the country. In addition to its own headline performances, the band has opened for national recording artists such as Stanley Jordan, Yanni, and Al DiMeola, and the group has had such international mega-star drummers as Peter Erskine and Dennis Chambers sit in with them.
In 1994, Charged Particles released its first compact disk, on Schoolkids Records. The CD received airplay on over 200 jazz radio stations nation-wide and was praised by national jazz critics in such outlets as Jazziz Magazine, Jazz Times Magazine, Jazz and Blues Report, Pulse! Magazine, and many more. A performance by the group was included on the compilation CD, The Columbus Collection, featuring outstanding jazz artists from Columbus, Ohio, and released in 1996. The group’s second CD, “Sparks”, was released in late 2002 on BOPO Records, received airplay on nearly 100 radio stations within two weeks of its release, and has gained attention from critics in many American publications and in magazines as far away as England, Denmark, and Japan. “Sparks” was named one of the eight “must-hear” jazz releases of 2002 by The Other Paper, and the opening track from “Sparks” was included on the “Jazziz on Disc” sampler CD mailed to 85,000 subscribers of Jazziz Magazine in March, 2003.
In 2001, Charged Particles added a fourth member to its performing ensemble: master percussionist Ron Hope. Ron brings a sparkle to the band's performances and has added strong elements of African and Latin musical roots to the group's performance repertoire. Ron consistently delights audiences with his charismatic on-stage personality and propulsive drumming.
When Caleb Hutslar moved to Sweden, Jim Maneri sat in the keyboard chair for a period, and then a new generation of Charged Particles was born, featuring the world-renowned Kim Pensyl on keyboards and the amazing Andy Woodson on bass. Twice named one of Billboard's Top-20 Contemporary Jazz Artists of the Year, Kim is a prolific composer and an amazing performer. Andy is also a great composer and band-leader who brings energy to the electric bass reminiscent of Jaco Pastorius. With this personnel, the band performed around Ohio and toured the country as well, including performances in North Carolina, Michigan, and Chicago.
In 2011, the third generation of Charged Particles was born in California. The west coast trio began with Murray Low firing up the keyboards and Jason Muscat on electric bass. When Jason joined the touring band "Tainted Love", Aaron Germain took over blazing on the acoustic and electric basses. Playing new original compositions, as well as the long-time original repertoire of the band and compositions by their favorite contemporary composers, Murray, Aaron, and Jon are busy gigging.
http://www.chargedparticles.com/watch-cp-with-paul-mccandless.html
Opening the Main Stage at 2nd Annual 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLO Jazz Festival
Charged Particles w/Paul McCandless Videos
The most exciting and creative music being made today crosses stylistic boundaries and blends multiple traditions to create vital new sounds. Charged Particles features three of the country's virtuosos doing just that in the electric jazz arena. Murray Low is a keyboard wizard with dazzling Latin-jazz technique and imaginative improvisational skills. Aaron Germain is an inventive and sophisticated acoustic and electric bassist. Along with fiery drummer Jon Krosnick, these players are making some of the most electrifying jazz in the country today.
The trio's repertoire blends jazz styles with elements from Latin music, classical music, funk, and more. The group's original compositions are mixtures of elaborate orchestration and opportunities for creative improvised solos. And they bring a similar approach to playing arrangements of tunes by other jazz artists and traditional jazz standards, including favorites by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Richard Rogers, and other composers of America's most popular songs from decades ago, each played with a new twist.
All of the trio's music has a distinctly acoustic sensibility, despite the fact that the members play both electric and acoustic instruments. The group's small size allows for great sensitivity and spontaneity among the players, making each performance an enchanting improvisational exploration. The band's energy level is always high, even when they are cooking at a volume no louder than a whisper, or floating through the melody of a romantic ballad. Each piece they play brims with the fun the players have together and with the admiration they have for each other. Charged Particles are a treat to hear!
Charged Particles made its public debut on National Public Radio's live performance program, "Detroit Jazz Alive", originating in Detroit, Michigan. The group's one-hour live performance drew wide attention. Performances since then have been at festivals and clubs around the country. In addition to its own headline performances, the band has opened for national recording artists such as Stanley Jordan, Yanni, and Al DiMeola, and the group has had such international mega-star drummers as Peter Erskine and Dennis Chambers sit in with them.
In 1994, Charged Particles released its first compact disk, on Schoolkids Records. The CD received airplay on over 200 jazz radio stations nation-wide and was praised by national jazz critics in such outlets as Jazziz Magazine, Jazz Times Magazine, Jazz and Blues Report, Pulse! Magazine, and many more. A performance by the group was included on the compilation CD, The Columbus Collection, featuring outstanding jazz artists from Columbus, Ohio, and released in 1996. The group’s second CD, “Sparks”, was released in late 2002 on BOPO Records, received airplay on nearly 100 radio stations within two weeks of its release, and has gained attention from critics in many American publications and in magazines as far away as England, Denmark, and Japan. “Sparks” was named one of the eight “must-hear” jazz releases of 2002 by The Other Paper, and the opening track from “Sparks” was included on the “Jazziz on Disc” sampler CD mailed to 85,000 subscribers of Jazziz Magazine in March, 2003.
In 2001, Charged Particles added a fourth member to its performing ensemble: master percussionist Ron Hope. Ron brings a sparkle to the band's performances and has added strong elements of African and Latin musical roots to the group's performance repertoire. Ron consistently delights audiences with his charismatic on-stage personality and propulsive drumming.
When Caleb Hutslar moved to Sweden, Jim Maneri sat in the keyboard chair for a period, and then a new generation of Charged Particles was born, featuring the world-renowned Kim Pensyl on keyboards and the amazing Andy Woodson on bass. Twice named one of Billboard's Top-20 Contemporary Jazz Artists of the Year, Kim is a prolific composer and an amazing performer. Andy is also a great composer and band-leader who brings energy to the electric bass reminiscent of Jaco Pastorius. With this personnel, the band performed around Ohio and toured the country as well, including performances in North Carolina, Michigan, and Chicago.
In 2011, the third generation of Charged Particles was born in California. The west coast trio began with Murray Low firing up the keyboards and Jason Muscat on electric bass. When Jason joined the touring band "Tainted Love", Aaron Germain took over blazing on the acoustic and electric basses. Playing new original compositions, as well as the long-time original repertoire of the band and compositions by their favorite contemporary composers, Murray, Aaron, and Jon are busy gigging.
http://www.chargedparticles.com/watch-cp-with-paul-mccandless.html
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ABOUT PAUL MCCANDLESS: A gifted multi-instrumentalist and composer, he specializes on the oboe, English horn, bass clarinet, soprano and sopranino saxophones and a collection of folk flutes reflecting his grounding in both classical and jazz disciplines. A student of Robert Bloom at the Manhattan School of Music, he was a finalist in the 1971 English horn auditions for the New York Philharmonic. As a collaborator and solo artist he is credited with more than 200 albums and performances with such musicians as Jaco Pastorius, Carla Bley, Wynton Marsalis, Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny, Mark Isham, Steve Reich, Al Jarreau, Bruce Hornsby, Art Lande, Tony Furtado, the String Cheese Incident, Nguyen Le, Proteus 7 and Fred Simon.
In 1996 he won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones with whom he was a guest artist. McCandless’ fine tuned compositional skills have been called upon for a number of film scores. Most notably he wrote music for the video Squanto and the First Thanksgiving, a Rabbit Ears Production with Graham Greene as narrator. Paul recorded three of his orchestral scores for a CD called “Oregon In Moscow” featuring OREGON and the Moscow Tchaikovsky Orchestra.“ Round Robin,” the opening track received two 2001 Grammy nominations for Best Instrumental Composition and Best Instrumental Arrangement. As an orchestral soloist he has performed with the Camerata chamber orchestra of Mexico City, St Paul chamber orchestra, and the Philadelphia, Buffalo, Los Angeles and Stuttgart symphony orchestras. http://www.paulmccandless.com/ |
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LIVE ON OUR BROAD STREET STAGE
BOOGIE STOMP
No holds-barred dueling boogie woogie piano duel!
As featured in San Luis Obispo International Film Festival in 2014, we brought them back LIVE and IN PERSON to headline our Broad Street Stage!
On the Museum Jazz Stage on Broad Street
http://boogiestomp.com/home/?page_id=20
Featuring Boogie Bob Baldori and Arthur Migliazza
Boogie Bob Baldori has been a mainstay of blues, boogie and rock in the midwest for over 40 years. He has performed hundreds of dates in venues from Detroit to Chicago, LA to New York to the White House for President Clinton. In addition to recording and performing his own material, Boogie Bob has produced and engineered over 200 albums. He also wrote and starred in ALMOST FAMOUS, a rock/musical that had five successful productions starting at the Boarshead Theater in Lansing, Michigan, moving to the Wharton Center at MSU, Les Idee in Grand Rapids, The Apollo Theater in Chicago and in 1998 at The Limelight Theater, Toronto.
Baldori started his career in the late sixties in Detroit with his group, The Woolies , and soon released a national hit, WHO DO YOU LOVE. In the following years, in addition to touring and performing extensively and recording on his own, he played alongside Chuck Berry, completing hundreds of performances and recording two albums. In addition to Berry, Boogie Bob has worked and recorded with many other blues and rock legends, playing piano and harmonica. They include Muddy Waters , John Lee Hooker, Luther Allison, Del Shannon , John Hammond, Hubert Sumlin and Bo Diddley. Along the way he developed a style of piano playing heavily influenced by boogie, jazz, and the relentless blues styles of Lafayette Leake, Otis Spann, James Booker and Johnny Johnson. If you like classic, no holds barred rocking piano boogie, this is for you!
Award winning Blues and Boogie Woogie pianist Arthur Migliazza began playing the piano professionally at the age of 13. It was through his love of Blues music and his dedication to the piano that he came under the wing of such mentors/teachers as Henry Butler, Ann Rabson and Mr. B. Aside from these direct influences, Arthur spent many years listening to and studying the recordings of piano players such as Otis Spann, Albert Ammons, Jimmy Yancey, Professor Longhair, James Booker, Jay McShann, Katie Webster, and many more.
Arthur has been inducted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame, was a finalist at the 2010 and 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, and in his 20+ years of performing has shared the stage with Albert Lee, John Mooney, Little Milton, Buckwheat Zydeco, Guitar Shorty, Saffire the Uppity Blues Women, Cephas and Wiggins, Robert Cray, Bob Margolin, Elvin Bishop, Tommy Castro, Bob Malone, Bruce Katz, Henry Butler and David Maxwell to name a few, in venues all over the US, Europe, Japan and Russia.
In addition to being a performer, Arthur began teaching piano lessons at age 15. During the last 17 years he has frequently been a part of the staff at the internationally famous Augusta Blues Week in Elkins, WV and Centrum Blues Week in Port Townsend, WA.
A common response to watching Arthur perform is “Wow, I didn’t know it was possible to play the piano like that!”
http://boogiestomp.com/home/?page_id=20
No holds-barred dueling boogie woogie piano duel!
As featured in San Luis Obispo International Film Festival in 2014, we brought them back LIVE and IN PERSON to headline our Broad Street Stage!
On the Museum Jazz Stage on Broad Street
http://boogiestomp.com/home/?page_id=20
Featuring Boogie Bob Baldori and Arthur Migliazza
Boogie Bob Baldori has been a mainstay of blues, boogie and rock in the midwest for over 40 years. He has performed hundreds of dates in venues from Detroit to Chicago, LA to New York to the White House for President Clinton. In addition to recording and performing his own material, Boogie Bob has produced and engineered over 200 albums. He also wrote and starred in ALMOST FAMOUS, a rock/musical that had five successful productions starting at the Boarshead Theater in Lansing, Michigan, moving to the Wharton Center at MSU, Les Idee in Grand Rapids, The Apollo Theater in Chicago and in 1998 at The Limelight Theater, Toronto.
Baldori started his career in the late sixties in Detroit with his group, The Woolies , and soon released a national hit, WHO DO YOU LOVE. In the following years, in addition to touring and performing extensively and recording on his own, he played alongside Chuck Berry, completing hundreds of performances and recording two albums. In addition to Berry, Boogie Bob has worked and recorded with many other blues and rock legends, playing piano and harmonica. They include Muddy Waters , John Lee Hooker, Luther Allison, Del Shannon , John Hammond, Hubert Sumlin and Bo Diddley. Along the way he developed a style of piano playing heavily influenced by boogie, jazz, and the relentless blues styles of Lafayette Leake, Otis Spann, James Booker and Johnny Johnson. If you like classic, no holds barred rocking piano boogie, this is for you!
Award winning Blues and Boogie Woogie pianist Arthur Migliazza began playing the piano professionally at the age of 13. It was through his love of Blues music and his dedication to the piano that he came under the wing of such mentors/teachers as Henry Butler, Ann Rabson and Mr. B. Aside from these direct influences, Arthur spent many years listening to and studying the recordings of piano players such as Otis Spann, Albert Ammons, Jimmy Yancey, Professor Longhair, James Booker, Jay McShann, Katie Webster, and many more.
Arthur has been inducted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame, was a finalist at the 2010 and 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, and in his 20+ years of performing has shared the stage with Albert Lee, John Mooney, Little Milton, Buckwheat Zydeco, Guitar Shorty, Saffire the Uppity Blues Women, Cephas and Wiggins, Robert Cray, Bob Margolin, Elvin Bishop, Tommy Castro, Bob Malone, Bruce Katz, Henry Butler and David Maxwell to name a few, in venues all over the US, Europe, Japan and Russia.
In addition to being a performer, Arthur began teaching piano lessons at age 15. During the last 17 years he has frequently been a part of the staff at the internationally famous Augusta Blues Week in Elkins, WV and Centrum Blues Week in Port Townsend, WA.
A common response to watching Arthur perform is “Wow, I didn’t know it was possible to play the piano like that!”
http://boogiestomp.com/home/?page_id=20
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Wally Schnalle QuartetWally Schnalle is a busy man. And he stays that way juggling rolls as a drummer, composer, educator, journalist and bandleader. With 5 CD’s as leader released over the past ten years.
His ensembles have performed at top shelf jazz venues such as Yoshis in the SF Bay Area as well as major Jazz Festivals like The Monterey Jazz Festival, The San Jose Jazz Festival, San Francisco's Jazz in the City as well as San Jose’s SoFA festival. Wally also stays busy as a sideman, recording and performing often with musicians all a in a myriad of styles. Schnalle also acts as music editor for both Traps and DRUM! Magazines. His drum transcriptions and educational columns have served to enlighten and educate readers internationally for years. Schnalle also teaches drums both privately and as a clinician. |
He has also been the recipient of an Artist-In-Residence Grant from the California Arts Council. Wally plays and endorses Pearl Drums and Zildjian Cymbals. And most importantly his name rhymes! Wally may be a new name to the Central Coast jazz scene - but not for long! You're going to love his odd-meter, fantastic drumming performance and jazz quartet that's on par with any in California.
www.itrhymes.com
www.itrhymes.com
Human Nation - SPECIAL RETURN PERFORMANCE!
On the Museum Stage Stage on Broad Street
human-nation.com
"What happens when you take some of the county’s best musicians, give them plenty of time to develop their sound and let their creativity flow, and finally let them take their time in the studio perfecting their music? You get Human Nation’s debut CD Migration, a world-class, world-music-inflected jazz collection that should put this talented group on the national map.
Founded in 2009 by guitarist-composer Adam Levine, the super group also features Danny Pelfrey on saxes, Brett Mitchell on piano, Bill Wingfield on bass, and Dean Giles on drums and percussion. Early on, before leaving for a teaching gig in Florida, the group also featured David Becker, who appears on the album." -- Glen Starkey - New Times
On the Museum Stage Stage on Broad Street
human-nation.com
"What happens when you take some of the county’s best musicians, give them plenty of time to develop their sound and let their creativity flow, and finally let them take their time in the studio perfecting their music? You get Human Nation’s debut CD Migration, a world-class, world-music-inflected jazz collection that should put this talented group on the national map.
Founded in 2009 by guitarist-composer Adam Levine, the super group also features Danny Pelfrey on saxes, Brett Mitchell on piano, Bill Wingfield on bass, and Dean Giles on drums and percussion. Early on, before leaving for a teaching gig in Florida, the group also featured David Becker, who appears on the album." -- Glen Starkey - New Times
CHORO DE OURO
On the Broad Street Stage by the Natural History Museum
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10150336946687059
Choro de Ouro is the premier Choro group on the Central Coast of California. Choro is a style from Brazil that stated in the later part of the nineteenth century in Rio de Janeiro. It quickly spread throughout Brazil and eventually become a unifying point of pride for the country. Composers like Pixinguinha and Jacob do Bandolim were famous and honored for their contribution to Brazilian culture. Today people are rediscovering this music as it has continued to evolve and grow with a wonderful history and life. It is a passionate music full of virtuosity and excitement as well as expression and the quality of something quaintly beautiful. The players:
Grant Chase – Bandolim, Cello
Shaun Fairfield - Violao 7 Cordas (7 string guitar)
Ron McCarley – Flutes, Soprano Sax
Graham Yates – Pandeiro, Percussion
We're pleased to share this exciting artist from the Central Coast with you here at the SLO Jazz Festival!
On the Broad Street Stage by the Natural History Museum
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10150336946687059
Choro de Ouro is the premier Choro group on the Central Coast of California. Choro is a style from Brazil that stated in the later part of the nineteenth century in Rio de Janeiro. It quickly spread throughout Brazil and eventually become a unifying point of pride for the country. Composers like Pixinguinha and Jacob do Bandolim were famous and honored for their contribution to Brazilian culture. Today people are rediscovering this music as it has continued to evolve and grow with a wonderful history and life. It is a passionate music full of virtuosity and excitement as well as expression and the quality of something quaintly beautiful. The players:
Grant Chase – Bandolim, Cello
Shaun Fairfield - Violao 7 Cordas (7 string guitar)
Ron McCarley – Flutes, Soprano Sax
Graham Yates – Pandeiro, Percussion
We're pleased to share this exciting artist from the Central Coast with you here at the SLO Jazz Festival!
Youth In Music Stage
Additional special clinics and artists performing at the YOUTH IN MUSIC STAGE in the MUSEUM OF ART - included with your Jazz Festival tickets!
11:30am - 12:30pm
Drum Clinic - Featuring Wally Schnalle, as seen in DRUM Magazine!
Drummers: don't miss this exciting special feature withWally Schnalle - one of the top drummers from San Jose, and Director of the San Jose Summer Jazz Camp, here for a first drum clinic at the SLO Jazz Festival!
WALLY SCHNALLE has been playing drums well over 40 years and is a long-time teacher, bandleader, recording artist, and renowned musician from San Jose area. He teaches in many genres, including Latin, funk, rock, blues, with the bulk of his work being in jazz and fusion styles.
Wally has worked with DRUM! Magazine as Music Editor and columnist for almost 20 years. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Jazz Performance at San Jose State University and is excited to spread the word to San Luis Obispo. Those in the know will make this a MUST SEE clinic to learn from a true master.
1:00pm - 2:15pm
Latin Percussion Clinic - Featuring the amazing percussionist, John Santos - you'll love John Santos, who is a featured percussionist in Latin Percussion (LP) videos, and considered percussion "royalty" from those in the know. Come learn from John, then watch him perform later in the day on the Mission Stage with his band! You won't be disappointed!
Latin Jazz is at the forefront of an international barrier-breaking process that is a tribute to its powerful spiritual roots. Unfortunately, and largely due to its humble “ethnic origins,” this vital form of expression has been relatively ignored in terms of historical recognition and documentation, despite its surprising role in American pop culture and its obvious recent successes. As with any art form that has been over-commercialized, much Latin Jazz does not reflect or recognize the profound history and relevance of the form.
John Santos’ passion for the music and ability to articulate its role historically, make him an effective and in-demand lecturer. He is also adept at conducting seminars, clinics, residencies and hands-on workshops in Afro-Latin and contemporary percussion focusing on polyrhythms from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Brazil, and on the art, technique, demands and disciplines of dozens of percussive instruments.
He has taught thousands of people in the U.S. (since 1973) and in Europe (since 1987), and has informed tens of thousands more through his writing. Mr.Santos has lectured and conducted clinics at Yale University, UCLA, The Berklee School of Music in Boston, Stanford, Duke, University of Michigan, San Francisco State University, Humboldt State University, San Jose State University, Long Beach State University, Cal State Hayward, Santa Clara University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Julia De Burgos Cultural Center (Bronx, NY) and the Community Music Center of San Francisco. He is currently on the faculty of the College of San Mateo CA (since 2006), Jazz Camp West of Rhythmic Concepts Inc. (since 1986), the Afro-Cuban Drum and Dance program of Humboldt (CA) State University (since 2003), and the Lafayette (CA) Summer Music Program (since 2004).
LIVE PERFORMANCES BY STUDENT BANDS at the YOUTH IN MUSIC STAGE:
2:45pm - 3:45pm
Invitational High School Jazz Band - Featuring some of the finest jazz performers from High Schools throughout San Luis Obispo County, this band will pack a punch and leave you wanting more. We're thrilled to feature some of our finest up-and-coming talent from among our schools, and appreciate all of the family and friends coming out to support this talented band.
4:15pm - 5:15pm
Summer Jazz Workshop Band - Did you know that Cuesta Jazz, Cuesta Community Programs and SLO Jazz Festival have been busy building a new education offering for students in the summer? We hosted this at Cuesta last year and are THRILLED to further showcase the development from these fine young musicians.
5:45pm - 7:00pm
Sperdak - Cuesta College is becoming a burgeoning breeding ground for new talent and combos, including Sperdak, another band recently formed at Cuesta College this past year who is receiving accolades everywhere they perform. We're pleased to feature this up-and-coming talented band at the first ever Youth in Music Stage.
11:30am - 12:30pm
Drum Clinic - Featuring Wally Schnalle, as seen in DRUM Magazine!
Drummers: don't miss this exciting special feature withWally Schnalle - one of the top drummers from San Jose, and Director of the San Jose Summer Jazz Camp, here for a first drum clinic at the SLO Jazz Festival!
WALLY SCHNALLE has been playing drums well over 40 years and is a long-time teacher, bandleader, recording artist, and renowned musician from San Jose area. He teaches in many genres, including Latin, funk, rock, blues, with the bulk of his work being in jazz and fusion styles.
Wally has worked with DRUM! Magazine as Music Editor and columnist for almost 20 years. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Jazz Performance at San Jose State University and is excited to spread the word to San Luis Obispo. Those in the know will make this a MUST SEE clinic to learn from a true master.
1:00pm - 2:15pm
Latin Percussion Clinic - Featuring the amazing percussionist, John Santos - you'll love John Santos, who is a featured percussionist in Latin Percussion (LP) videos, and considered percussion "royalty" from those in the know. Come learn from John, then watch him perform later in the day on the Mission Stage with his band! You won't be disappointed!
Latin Jazz is at the forefront of an international barrier-breaking process that is a tribute to its powerful spiritual roots. Unfortunately, and largely due to its humble “ethnic origins,” this vital form of expression has been relatively ignored in terms of historical recognition and documentation, despite its surprising role in American pop culture and its obvious recent successes. As with any art form that has been over-commercialized, much Latin Jazz does not reflect or recognize the profound history and relevance of the form.
John Santos’ passion for the music and ability to articulate its role historically, make him an effective and in-demand lecturer. He is also adept at conducting seminars, clinics, residencies and hands-on workshops in Afro-Latin and contemporary percussion focusing on polyrhythms from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Brazil, and on the art, technique, demands and disciplines of dozens of percussive instruments.
He has taught thousands of people in the U.S. (since 1973) and in Europe (since 1987), and has informed tens of thousands more through his writing. Mr.Santos has lectured and conducted clinics at Yale University, UCLA, The Berklee School of Music in Boston, Stanford, Duke, University of Michigan, San Francisco State University, Humboldt State University, San Jose State University, Long Beach State University, Cal State Hayward, Santa Clara University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Julia De Burgos Cultural Center (Bronx, NY) and the Community Music Center of San Francisco. He is currently on the faculty of the College of San Mateo CA (since 2006), Jazz Camp West of Rhythmic Concepts Inc. (since 1986), the Afro-Cuban Drum and Dance program of Humboldt (CA) State University (since 2003), and the Lafayette (CA) Summer Music Program (since 2004).
LIVE PERFORMANCES BY STUDENT BANDS at the YOUTH IN MUSIC STAGE:
2:45pm - 3:45pm
Invitational High School Jazz Band - Featuring some of the finest jazz performers from High Schools throughout San Luis Obispo County, this band will pack a punch and leave you wanting more. We're thrilled to feature some of our finest up-and-coming talent from among our schools, and appreciate all of the family and friends coming out to support this talented band.
4:15pm - 5:15pm
Summer Jazz Workshop Band - Did you know that Cuesta Jazz, Cuesta Community Programs and SLO Jazz Festival have been busy building a new education offering for students in the summer? We hosted this at Cuesta last year and are THRILLED to further showcase the development from these fine young musicians.
5:45pm - 7:00pm
Sperdak - Cuesta College is becoming a burgeoning breeding ground for new talent and combos, including Sperdak, another band recently formed at Cuesta College this past year who is receiving accolades everywhere they perform. We're pleased to feature this up-and-coming talented band at the first ever Youth in Music Stage.
Full Set Time for Program
MISSION STAGE (Main Stage in front of Mission Steps)
|
11:40am - 1:10pm
Charged Particles, featuring Paul McCandless (Grammy Winning Sax Man) |
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers |
4:00pm - 5:30pm
John Santos Latin Jazz Sextet (5x Grammy Nominee) |
6:30pm - 7:45pm
Quincy Jones Produced: Alfredo Rodriguez Cuban Piano Trio (Grammy Nominee 2015) |
8:15pm - 10:00pm
JOSHUA REDMAN QUARTET Grammy Nominated, World-Renowned Saxophonist |
BROAD STREET STAGE (Side Stage by SLO History Museum)
|
11:30am - 1:00pm
Choro de Ouro |
1:30pm - 3:00pm
Human Nation |
3:30pm - 5:00pm
Wally Schnalle Quartet |
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Boogie Stomp* (Note: starting time might vary due to piano set-up) |
YOUTH IN MUSIC STAGE
|
11:30am - 12:30pm
Drum Clinic - Featuring Wally Schnalle, as seen in DRUM Magazine! |
1:00pm - 2:15pm
Latin Percussion Clinic - Featuring the amazing John Santos - featured percussionist in Latin Percussion (LP) videos! |
2:45pm - 3:45pm
Invitational High School Jazz Band - The finest jazz performers from High Schools throughout San Luis Obispo County. |
4:15pm - 5:15pm
Summer Jazz Workshop Band - Students from the Summer Jazz Workshop |
5:45pm - 7:00pm
Cuesta Combo: Sperdak - Talented college band out of Cuesta College! |
