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NeWt
The Music Of NeWt
The music of NeWt is truly unique. Each member composes from his own perspective and draws from his own wealth of musical and personal influences. The common languages are those of jazz and improvisation, however, elements of rock, ambient/electronic and folk/world music are also prevalent in the sound. The extraordinary instrumentation of guitar, trombone and drums is one of a kind. Making NeWt sound like no other group in either the jazz or rock field. Graeme Stephen uses ambient guitar effects and loops to create swirling soundscapes and drones while Chris Greive plays the trombone both acoustically and through effects units incuding octave pedals which make the horn sound like an otherwordly electric bass. Many ethnic percussion sounds are also used to great effect. NeWt also blend compositional approaches whereby complex written passages can unexpectedly give way to free improvisations where any outcome is possible. This gives the music a fresh quality when being performed in a live setting. Many moods are captured, sometimes with the swing rhythms more common in jazz, sometimes using less conventional rhythmic time signatures and other times drawing from the balkan and middle eastern folk traditions for exotic melody lines.
NeWt - A Brief History
NeWt began in June 2006, the three members sharing a desire to rehearse new ideas weekly. These sessions formed a sonic foundation. NeWt is Graeme Stephen: guitar/effects. Winner of the prestigious Promoter's Choice award from Jazz Services in 2008, he was also selected for the Take Five mentoring scheme that same year. Chris Greive: trombone/effects; lead trombonist in the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. Chris is very active in music education initiatives, making NeWt an effective group for giving workshops/masterclasses. Chris Wallace: drums/percussion. Chris was selected for the Air Time mentoring program in June of 2010. All members of the group contribute original compositions to the repertoire. NeWt was twice awarded funding from the Scottish Arts Council. In 2008, the New Works fund; the group travelled to Germany collaborating with Berlin saxophonist Silke Eberhard. The following year they were funded to record the album of material with Silke. This album has been released by the prestigious F-IRE Collective of London, raising the band's UK profile. The involvement of Silke Eberhard has also begun creating a European profile. NeWt has a strong reputation in Scotland, appearing at the Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen Jazz Festivals and the European Jazz Network conference in 2009 in Glasgow.
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Happy Note Records Sampler 2016 Compilation Album Feat. Vinnie Colaiuta, Sam Riney, Warren Gayle, Tony Newton & Others
Source:
Glass Onyon PR - William James
Charles Xavier, aka “The Xman,” is a visionary producer, composer, electronic musician and percussionist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a work ethic matched only by his creative madness, Xavier is releasing his sixth full-length album, Happy Note Records Sampler 2016, on October 14, 2016. This powerful new compilation spans 20 plus years of The Xman’s releases, featuring contributions from Satori, The Messengers, and genres including Jazz, Electronic, New Age and Ambient music. In the past 30 years, ...
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Evening Of Jazz For Newtown Benefit Concert on April 12th
Source:
Julius Tolentino
April 12, 2013 7:30pm-9:30pm Newark Academy Auditorium 91 South Orange Avenue Livingston, NJ 07039 The Evening of Jazz has been an annual concert at Newark Academy to showcase it’s numerous jazz ensembles. This year we are dedicating our concert to the families of Sandyhook and the Greene family. We will have three world class musicians joining our award winning jazz program—Marcus Printup, trumpeter of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Steve Turre, trombonist currently with the Saturday ...
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Ana Grace Marquez-Green, Daughter Of Jazzman Jimmy Greene Claimed In Newtown Tragedy
Source:
Greg Simmons
All About Jazz and the entire jazz family offers its condolences to tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene, his wife Nelba Marquez-Greene and their family at the loss of their daughter Ana Grace Marquez-Greene, who died during the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut last Friday. Ana Grace was six years old. The family had recently moved to Newtown from Winnipeg, Canada after Mr. Greene accepted a position at Western Connecticut State University where he is an Assistant Professor of Music and Assistant ...
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Highland Jazz Series in Newton Presents the Laszlo Gardony Quartet on Saturday, December 3
Source:
MassJazz: Jazz in Massachusetts
The Highland Jazz Series is presenting the Laszlo Gardony Quartet to perform Rhapsody in G on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. at Newton South High School in Newton. Tickets are $18 in advance ($17 for seniors) and $20 at the Door, and can be purchased online. Students pay $10. Laszlo, a noted jazz composer and pianist, is joined by Stan Strickland on sax, Yoron Israel on drums and Sean Farias on bass. For a full schedule of the ...
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Farnell Newton's "Class is Now in Session" on House of Love Records Now Available
Source:
Michael Ricci
Trumpeter Farnell Newton is one of the most versatile musicians and educators in the Northwest, playing straight ahead jazz, smooth jazz, Latin music, soul, and hip hop. When he is not teaching at Portland State University's Jazz Department or working with his youth jazz group, PDX Jazz Project, he is touring, recording, and performing with sax man Mike Phillips (who has performed with Stevie Wonder and Prince, among others), the DooDooFunk All- Stars, & the BET/CENTRIC Soul Train Award All-Star ...
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Jazz Loft Project by Sam Stephenson
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The Jazz Celebration Big Band with Special Guest Larry McKenna in Newtown, PA on April 29th
Source:
All About Jazz
Jazz Celebration Big Band with Claudia Perry at the Temperance House in Newtown (PA)
Source:
Michael Ricci
B.J. Jansen Interviewed Farnell Newton on the Jazz Life
Source:
JM Creative
B.J. Jansen interviewed trumpeter, Farnell Newton on The Jazz Life. Jansen created his show, “The Jazz Life," to bring audiences to the next generation of jazz artists who struggle to receive airplay in the United States. The programming format of “The Jazz Life" features brand new content from artists who actively perform and would appeal to younger listeners.
Rob Scheps + Joel Newton : Space Gallery, NYC Wed. Oct. 10th
Source:
All About Jazz
(Dave Foxall, Jazz Journal)
"One of the year's most interesting and distinctive releases."
(Ian Mann, The Jazz Mann)
“It could be the best and most fearless contemporary jazz unit to come out of Scotland since Trio AAB.”
(Selwyn Harris, Jazzwise)
“...structured episodes are interspersed with bouts of fiery free improv mayhem, powerful and inventive music of a high order.”
(Kenny Mathieson, The List)
“...a totally absorbing blend of experimentation and unashamed tunefulness.”
Primary Instrument
Band / ensemble / orchestra
Location
Edinburgh
Willing to teach
Advanced only
Clinic/Workshop Information
NeWt organise a w'shop session based around the difficulties of rehersing, communication & improvisation in a group setting. Each member has a distinctive voice in the group yet at times allow the music to be the only voice. Working on challenging material in this trio format requires that each voice has to be solid in its direction & also able to move seamlessly from one task to another ie. leading vs supporting NeWt accomplish this balancing act by being receptive to the other's voice but also having the space to give opinion & offer direction on other members compositions. Individual members discuss the unique technical challenges this music throws up at them. As well as performing particular sections of their repertoire NeWt play a short selection of tunes at the beginning & end of the w'shop.
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Music
Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson