"Bassbass'n'voicethang" with Special Guest Andrea Wolper

WHAT:
Golda Solomon's Po' Jazz...
bassbass'n'voicethang

WHO:
Barbara Sfraga, vox
Christopher Dean Sullivan, bass
Ken Filiano, bass
and special guest poet/vocalist Andrea Wolper

WHERE:
Cornelia Street Cafe

WHEN:
Thursday, August 21st
6:00 pm & 7:00 pm sets

Another chapter in the exploration of the openness of sound, the bassdrums'n'voicethang (with voicist Barbara Sfraga, bass artisan Christopher Dean Sullivan and soundrhythium Michael T.A. Thompson) paved the way for this latest incarnation: bassbass'n'voicethang featuring Barbara with the extraordinary bass artistry of Christopher Dean Sullivan and Ken Filiano. Since I heard Chris & Ken in duo at The Stone awhile back, this idea has been simmering in my head. This is their first performance of this incarnation, which will also feature vocalist/poet Andrea Wolper. Some poetry by Barbara as well.

Barbara Sfraga is an artist who gathers no moss as she rolls through life, constantly evolving. Critics and fans alike look to her with the question: What's next?, expecting yet another in a long list of surprises. Described as consistently inventive (Billboard), a master of bold interpretation (Jazz Times), jazz singing at its cutting edge best (LA Times), she's been on a musical journey that evolved from church organist to 'voicist'. A classically trained vocalist, Barbara jumped ship to sing rock, pop, R&B and jazz. She throws all those influences into the pot to create and sing the music she feels with no boundaries, as evidenced in her recordings, “Oh, What a Thrill" (1999, Naxos Jazz), “Under the Moon" (2003, A440 Music Group) and the collective of which she is a part “Timelessness Frozen in Time" (2006, SyncTimiCity). She is also an accomplished visual artist and jewelry designer, and incorporates the visual aspect of her art into Timlessnessity, a project which seamlessly blends the music of The Timelessness Project (with Christopher Dean Sullivan, Michael T.A. Thompson, Mala Waldron and Allen Won) with her artwork interspersed with photos by Sfraga, Thompson & Waldron.

Bass Artisan Christopher Dean Sullivan is a highly versed bassist of many musical languages. He has shared the stage with Stanley Jordan, Joe McPhee, Sheila Jordan, Sonny Simmons, Pete Seeger, Charli Persip, Yusef Lateef, Grant Green, Horace Parlan, Judi Silvano, Cecil Payne, Archie Schepp, Joe Lovano, Roy Campbell Jr., to name a few, and led his own ensembles as well. Chris is heard on a multitude of recordings ranging from jazz and blues to acoustic folk, funk and gospel. He performs with the Cotton Club All Star Orchestra and has appeared in commercials and magazines, including Vanity Fair with Janet Jackson. His most recent recording, Timelessness Frozen in Time is The Timelessness Project's collective effort, featuring Chris with voicist Barbara Sfraga, soundrhythium Michael T.A. Thompson, keyboardist/vocalist Mala Waldron and multi- reedist Allen Won. Chris has hosted his own Warner Communication award winning television show The Tree of Arts Alive. His approach is heartfelt and is accessed first of all by intensive listening -- to himself, to the elemental structure of a tune, to the soul of his fellow musicians, and to his own quest for the purest, more direct expression of sound and feeling.

Bassist Ken Filiano performs throughout the world, playing and recording with leading artists in jazz, spontaneous improvisation, classical music, world/ethnic music, and interdisciplinary performance. Ken composes for his quartet with Michael Attias, Tony Malaby, and Michael T.A. Thompson. His extensive discography includes the solo bass CD, “subvenire," which received unanimous critical praise. For this and numerous other recordings and performances, critics have called Ken a “creative virtuoso," a “master of technique" . . . “a paradigm of that type of artist. . . who can play anything in any context and make it work, simply because he puts the music first and leaves peripheral considerations behind." He is on the faculty of Mansfield University (PA).

Vocalist/Poet Andrea Wolper appears with her trio and quintet in venues from California to Cape Town, Lisbon to Leipzig. New York credits include Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, JVC Jazz Festival, Sweet Rhythm, Iridium, and numerous other club and concert stages. She has appeared as a guest artist with Frank London, Golda Solomon, Dennis Mitcheltree, Judi Silvano and others; is a member of Art Lillard's Heavenly Band; and is part of TranceFormation, an improvising trio with Connie Crothers and Ken Filiano. Andrea is also an accomplished writer whose journalism and poetry have appeared in numerous publications and whose non-fiction books have received acclaim. One of her original songs is the 4th-most-downloaded of all time (out of more than 1000 available tracks) at AllAboutJazz.com.