RED CAT PUBLICITY J A S O N B Y R N E 415 85th Street, #3R, Brooklyn, New York, 11209, Tel 718 921 1330, Email [email protected] ************************************************************************** Dave Douglas, Roy Campbell and Jon Nelson Present The 3rd Annual Festival Of New Trumpet Music – August 2-27
FONT Music 2005: *FONT Music: For Lester Bowie, August 2-7, The Jazz Standard* *3rd Festival of New Trumpet Music presents: Other Music, August 12-15, Tonic* *3rd Festival of New Trumpet Music presents: New Bands, August 16-20, Spark* *SEMINAR Week-A Week of Masterclasses and Concerts, August 22-27, The Yamaha Artist Services Center*
The third annual festival will feature artists such as Bill Dixon, Mark Gould, Ray Vega, Steven Bernstein, Randy Sandke, Roy Campbell, Avishai Cohen, Corey Wilkes and many, many others!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Co-curators Dave Douglas, Roy Campbell and Jon Nelson proudly announce the 2005 schedule of events for the Festival of New Trumpet Music - also known as FONT Music, taking place August 2-27! This year the Festival will once again showcase a plethora of styles of trumpet music performed by more than forty-five of the most accomplished and cutting-edge trumpeters in the world.
FONT Music kicks off its month long program with “FONT Music: For Lester Bowie” – August 2-7, featuring legendary trumpeter Bill Dixon opening up the Festival and this very special week at The Jazz Standard. From August 12-15, FONT Music presents “Other Music” at Tonic , featuring the Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, Roy Campbell, Jr., Shane Endsley and Kneebody, Dave Douglas and Keystone, Israeli trumpeter Avishai Cohen, Ray Vega and others. The third exciting week of FONT Music 2005 will take place at Spark with “New Bands,” featuring many of the most outstanding young trumpeters on the scene today, including Matt Lavell and Eye-Contact, Peck Allmond, Keyon Harrold, Diego Urcola, Nabate Isles, Jesse Neuman and the Bruce Lee Band, Jonathan Finlayson, Matt Shulman Trio, Greg Kelley, Nate Wooley and Peter Evans.
For the final week, FONT Music presents “Seminar Week” (August 22-27) at The Yamaha Artist Services Center (689 Fifth Avenue), featuring masterclasses and concerts from the likes of Lew Soloff, the Manhattan Brass Quintet, Dave Douglas, Mark Gould (former principal trumpeter for the Metropolitan Opera), Jeremy Pelt (premiering a new work by Max Siegel with an ensemble of brass and percussion) and The Meridian Arts Ensemble, featuring FONT Music co-curator Jon Nelson, performing commissioned works by Sanford, Sharp, Didkovsky, and Zappa – and announcing the release of their new album, “Brink.”
“Seminar Week,” and the third annual Festival of New Trumpet Music closes on August 27 with the legendary conductor and cornetist Butch Morris leading a legion of trumpeters through a uniquely enthralling piece, concluding FONT Music 2005 with an all-out celebration of the instrument, and a display of the myriad styles of playing that make FONT Music one of the most musically diverse and fascinating festivals in the world. The Festival of New Trumpet Music, Schedule of Events – August 2-27:
FONT Music: For Lester Bowie, at The Jazz Standard-August 2 - 7 116 East 27th street. For more information and reservations call 212 576 2232 or click on www.jazzstandard.net. August 2 7:30 PM Bill Dixon Trio – www.bill-dixon.com. The Festival of New Trumpet Music is proud to present Bill Dixon for the second year (Dixon closed the 2004 Festival with a riveting performance at The Baha'i Center). Dixon’s incredible bio includes being the organizer and producer of the October Revolution in Jazz in New York City in 1964, architect of the Jazz Composers' Guild (for the performance of contemporary American Black Music) in New York City in 1964, and founder of the Black Music Division of Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont in 1973. Mr. Dixon was Professor of Music at Bennington from 1968-96. This performance provides a rare opportunity to hear Bill Dixon in New York City! 9:30 PM Herb Robertson and Bromelain – www.herbrobertson.com. Herb Robertson-trumpet, cornet, trumpenet, flugelhorn, slide trumpet, toys, etc., Okkyung Lee-cello, Gerry Hemingway-drums, percussion. Herb Robertson has been one of the most active musicians on the scene for several years. Herb plays the horns in a lyrical and colorful way, often employing a range of mutes to make his sound more personal and unique. He met Gerry Hemingway 27 years ago. This lasting musical friendship leads to all kind of innovations incorporated into the music at least by those who love the eclectic approach. Okkyung Lee met Robertson just two years ago. Very quickly Herb was captivated by the theatrical way that she plays her cello combining the classical style with her own improvising. This trio refuses to play into stereotypes.
August 3 7:30 PM Graham Haynes Electric Church – Trumpeter/cornetist Graham Haynes, so of the legendary Roy Haynes, brings his band Electric Church to Festival of New Trumpet Music in celebration of Lester Bowie. 9:30 PM Cuong Vu Trio – www.cuongvu.com. Cuong Vu-trumpet, Stomu Takeishi-bass, Ted Poor-drums. Presenting music from Cuong's latest recording, “It's Mostly Residual," available only through ArtistShare at the trumpeter’s website. Cuong Vu is currently on tour with The Pat Metheny Group.
August 4 7:30 PM Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy – www.davedouglas.com. Dave Douglas-trumpet, Clark Gayton-trombone, Marcus Rojas-tuba, Gene Lake-drums, and special guests. Brass Ecstasy will be playing compositions by Dave Douglas, Otis Redding, Martha Wainwright, John Mayer, Missy Elliott, and old brass band tunes. 9:30 PM Corey Wilkes Abstrakt Pulse – www.coreywilkes.com. After studies at Berklee, Chicago trumpeter Corey Wilkes once lived in Louisiana in an effort to absorb the very essence of jazz. Since then, Corey has worked with the Jazz Institute of Chicago as an Artist in Residence for the Jazz Links Program. He has also traveled the world, sharing the stage with numerous jazz heavyweights including Roscoe Mitchell, Fred Anderson, Terence Blanchard, Clark Terry, Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Belgrave, Roy Hargrove, James Moody and Kurt Elling. Corey is currently traveling the world with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, filling in for the late, great Lester Bowie in this world-renowned group of jazz legends. His soulful, sophisticated sound can be found on Roscoe Mitchell’s recently released CD “Song for My Sister.”
August 5 7:30 PM Bobby Bradford’s Tete-a-Tete – featuring: Marty Ehrlich-reeds, Mark Dresser-bass and Ken Filiano-bass. One of the best trumpeters to emerge from the avant-garde, Bradford moved to Los Angeles in 1953 where he met and played with Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy. Bradford spent time in the military and in school before becoming Don Cherry's replacement with the Ornette Coleman Quartet in 1961-1963, a period when the group unfortunately rarely worked. In Los Angeles, Bradford began a longtime association with clarinetist John Carter. Since the clarinetist's death, Bradford frequently led a quintet (the Mo'tet) featuring Vinny Golia and occasionally Marty Ehrlich. In the '90s, he also performed with the David Murray Octet and Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra. 9:30 PM Dennis Gonzalez – Dallas trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez has spent twenty plus years at the forefront of the experimental jazz scene, playing with many of jazz’s luminaries, including Cecil Taylor, Roy Hargrove, Oliver Lake, Charles Brackeen, and many others. His group Yells at Eels is made up of Gonzalez and his sons, Aaron and Stefan, on drums. 11:30 PM Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber featuring Flip Barnes – http://burntsugarindex.com. Renen Akan, Thom Loubet-guitar, Jared Nickerson, Jason di Matteo-bass, Avrem Fefer-bass clarinet, Lewis “Flip” Barnes-trumpet, Matana Roberts-alto saxophone, Petra Radu-Scafaru-tenor saxophone, Jesse Dulman-tuba, Bruce Mack-keyboards, Qasim Naqvi, Trevor Holder-drums, Justice Dilla-x, Lisala Beatty, Mikel Banks, Jermiah Griffin-voices, Satch Hoyt-flute/percussion, Julia Kent-cello, Omega Moon, D-MAXX-lyricists, Greg Tate-conductor. Lester Bowie once said, 'the tradition is innovation'. Burnt Sugar aims to be the living embodiment of that idea at The Festival of New Trumpet Music.
August 6 7:30 PM Baikida Carroll Quartet – www.baikida.com. Baikida Carroll-trumpet, Tim Berne-alto saxophone, Michael Formanek-bass, Tom Rainey-drums. Baikida Carroll is a highly pivotal figure in the music world as both a composer and trumpeter. He has written scores that have distinguished theater, dance, television, film, and concerts for over three decades. His music has been heard at major forums throughout the world including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, the Walker Arts Center, The New York Shakespeare Festival, the McCarter Theatre, the Chicago Museum of Art, The Mark Taper Forum, Le Grande Palais (Paris), the Belgium Opera, the Berlin Opera, the Market Theater (Johannesburg, South Africa), as well as a multitude of jazz festivals including JVC, Heritage, Montreux, Kool and Newport. His latest recording is “Marionettes On A High Wire,” on Omnitone. 9:30 PM Roy Campbell & Tazz – www.roycampbelllmusic.com. Roy Campbell-trumpet, Andrew Bemkey, Chris Sullivan, and Michael Thompson Drummer Billy Higgins nicknamed Campbell “Tazz” and for good reason. Roy Campbell, Jr. has long maintained several stellar working units. Tazz is a reflection of various musical styles, languages, backgrounds, and sources, with a mission to break down cultural barriers through a sound that is at once eclectic, progressive, polished, and funky; in a word, Tazz is hot! 11:30 PM Steven Bernstein & Spanish Fly – www.stevenbernstein.net. A ubiquitous figure in New York's downtown jazz scene, Bernstein has been the musical director/leader for John Lurie's Lounge Lizards, the Kansas City Band (from Robert Altman's film Kansas City), Jim Thirwell's Steriod Maximus, and Hal Wilner's Leonard Cohen and Doc Pomus Projects. Bernstein also leads several other active bands, including Sex Mob, Diaspora Blues (with the Sam Rivers trio) and Diaspora Soul. He has performed with Roswell Rudd, Don Byron, and Medeski Martin & Wood, as well as artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Lou Reed, Linda Ronstadt, Sting and Courtney Love.
August 7 7:30 PM Randy Sandke and the Metatonal Band – www.randysandke.com. Randy Sandke-trumpet, Scott Robinson-saxes, Ted Rosenthal-piano, Steve LaSpina-bass, John Riley-drums. Sandke and company will be performing “The Mystic Trumpeter," which is a six-part suite from the album of the same name that was released this past May. 9:30 PM Mac Gollehon's Smokin Section, a tribute to Lester Bowie – Mac Gollehon-trumpet, trombone, double-bell euphonium, misc. brass, Adam Snyder-drums, Guillermo Edgehill-bass, Alex Kolpaki-woodwinds.
3rd Festival of New Trumpet Music presents: Other Music, at Tonic-August 12-15 107 Norfolk St., between Delancey & Rivington, www.tonicnyc.com, tel 212 358 7501 August 12 8:00 PM Ted Daniel and IBMC – In 1998, Daniel conceived the band to reflect the drum and bugle corp and brass bands he heard in his youth. The International Brass and Membrane Corporation features violinist Charles Burham, percussionist Newman Taylor Baker and tuba player Joe Daley, one of the finest tuba players on the scene, playing with all the major improvisers of the day. All of the band's material are original compositions written by Ted Daniel, ranging from field hollers/blues to contemporary music. The music will be performed as a medley with interludes inserted between compositions as the music moves from one experience to another. 9:30 PM Ahmed Abdullah – www.ahmedian.com. Ahmed Abdullah is a trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator, organizer and bandleader who has led his own ensembles since 1972. For the last thirty plus years, Ahmed has spent his time performing with the Sun Ra Arkestra (he's on twenty-five recordings with Sun Ra), Ed Blackwell, Arthur Blythe, Billy Bang, Ms. Dianne McIntyre, Sam Rivers, Hamiet Bluiett, Rashid Ali and his own groups. In the last year Abdullah's CD releases have included “NAM Live at the Vision Festival,” “AA's Dispersions of the Spirit of Ra,” “Traveling the Spaceways,” and “Ebonic Tones” and “Tara's Song,” all of which can be purchased from this website. 11:00 PM Roy Campbell, Jr. – www.roycampbellmusic.com. Roy Campbell appearing with the Pyramid Trio featuring Mike Thompson on drums and William Parker on bass.
August 13 8:00 PM Dave Douglas Keystone – www.davedouglas.com. Dave Douglas-trumpet, Jamie Saft-Wurlitzer, Gene Lake-drums, Marcus Strickland-saxophones, Brad Jones-bass, DJ Olive-turntables. On September 20, 2005 Greenleaf Music will release Douglas’ new studio recording, Keystone, the trumpeter’s musical encomium to the unjustly maligned silent film star, Roscoe Arbuckle. Douglas, a recent recipient of a 2005 Guggenheim Fellowship, and Keystone will launch an international multi-media tour on October 1, 2005 at The Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, NY. 9:30 PM Shane Endsley and Kneebody – www.greenleafmusic.com, Adam Benjamin-keyboards, Shane Endsley-trumpet, Kaveh Rastegar-bass, Ben Wendel-saxophone, Nate Wood-drums, with special guest Jonathan Finlayson. To see Kneebody play live is a unique experience, featuring a huge variety of sounds and textures. 11:00 PM Jonathan Finlayson – “Common Thread” featuring Jonathan Finlayson-trumpet, Shane Endsley-trumpet, Tim Albright-trombone, Tyshawn Sorey-drums, Thomas Morgan-bass.
August 14 8:00 PM Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band – Belle Birchfield-baritone truba, Morgan Clark-baritone truba, Marian Eines-alto saxophone, vocals, Sarah Ferholt-truba, Catherine Foster-clarinet, alto saxophone, truba, vocals, Michael Ginsburg-truba, Tamberlaine Harris-truba, Emerson Hawley-bass truba, Jerry Kisslinger-snare drum, tupan, Seido Salifoski-snare drum, tupan, Matthew Smith-baritone truba 9:30 PM Avishai Cohen – www.avishaimusic.com. Israeli trumpeter/composer Avishai Cohen is a member of the groundbreaking band Third World Love,, which also features bassist Omer Avital and drummer Daniel Freedman. Cohen’s first album, “The Trumpet Player” was featured by Ben Ratliff in The New York Times, Sunday edition Playlist. Cohen has racked up experience performing with James Moody, Dave Liebman, Jimmy Heath, George Garzone, Bobby Watson, Clark Terry, Donald Harrison, Roy Hargrove and many many others.
August 15 8:00 PM Ray Vega Latin Jazz Quintet – www.cyberjaz.com/vega, Ray Vega-trumpet, percussion, Chembo Corniel-Congas, Chris Haney-acoustic bass, Peter Retzlaff-drums, James Shipp-vibes. The RVJQ will be performing a set of new music including the New York Premiere of “Raices: 3 Movements for Latin Jazz Ensemble." This piece was commissioned by the City Folk Organization (Dayton, Ohio) as part of its Jazz Residency program. 9:30 PM Jacob Wick & THROE – Jacob Wick-trumpet, Rob Mosher-saxes, Todd Neufeld-guitar, Mike Lavall-electric bass, Andrew Greenwald-drums. Trumpeter Jacob Wick is beginning to make his presence known in the New York and Chicago jazz and creative music scenes. Wick has shared the stage with such luminaries as George Lewis and Mark Turner.
3rd Festival of New Trumpet Music presents: New Bands, at Spark-August 16-20 161 W. 22nd Street August 16 8:00 PM Matt Lavelle & Eye-Contact – Matt Lavell-trumpet, Ryan Sawyer-drums, Matt Heyner-bass 9:00 PM Jesse Selengut – www.jesseselengut.com. Selengut is a Brooklyn-based trumpeter, composer and multi-instrumentalist. He has had success as a bandleader, film scorer, producer and sideman on over a dozen albums, most noticeably, Huge Voodoo's Affordable Magic ('03). Recently, he has been splitting time between the Williamsburg Jazz Festival (which he founded) and Noir, a quartet blending electronica and jazz. 10:00 PM Peck Allmond – www.peckallmond.com. Trumpeter/saxophonist/flutist Peck Allmond is best known for his work with Me'Shell NdegeOcello, Oliver Lake, Peter Apfelbaum and Don Cherry. His new group Kalimba Kollective features the leader on trumpet and assorted other instruments, featuring his unique approach to the kalimba, aka thumb piano. The group also features drumming great Kenny Wollesen on vibes, drums and bass kalimba; innovator Dana Leong on cello and trombone; master Haitian Vodou drummers Bonga and Tiga Jean-Baptiste (father and son) on Haitian drums, percussion, kalimba and mbira; and keyboard virtuoso Gary Fisher. The group is currently celebrating the release of the new disc “Kalimba Collage."
August 17 8:00 PM Keyon Harrold 9:00 PM Diego Urcola Quartet – www.diegourcola.com. The Grammy nominated trumpeter will be performing music from his newest recording “Soundances.” 10:00 PM Nabate Isles – A mix of diverse musical styles with melodic clarity and rhythmic intensity.
August 19 8:00 PM Jesse Neuman and the Bruce Lee Band – www.bruceleeband.com. Jesse Neuman-acoustic and processed trumpet/laptop, Oscar Rodriguez-guitar/bass guitar/loops, Aaron Jennings-guitar/electronics/laptop, Liam Hurley-drums. Bruce Lee is an improvising quartet formed over four years ago between friends and enemies, dedicated to balancing the most fearsome and fragile sounds and rhythms. Their arrangements develop music by Rickie Lee Jones, Mos Def, Rachmanninoff, Jeff Buckley and Bjork. As improvisers, they use tones and technology to gradually sculpt silence and vibrations into complete musical statements. 9:00 PM Sarah Wilson – www.sarahwilsonmusic.com. Sarah Wilson’s music is an “improviser’s dream,” says internationally acclaimed composer/pianist Myra Melford. Her music is “rich with suggestion and possibility: ebullient and tender, poignant and humorous.” Wilson’s compositions reflect a deep understanding of the connection between images and motion. Grammy Award nominee Dave Douglas, composer/trumpet player, commends Wilson’s development of a “new music,” which evokes the theatrical. Her techniques of “orchestrating tightly wound counterpoint” with a “fresh, unexpected approach to rhythm” summon the imagination. 10:00 PM Matt Shulman Trio – www.mattshulman.com. Matt Shulman will be appearing in support of his new recording “So It Goes,” currently available at the trumpeter’s website. Hailed by The New York Times as “a new voice from jazz’s emerging generation,” by fans as “Miles Davis meets Radiohead . . . a Chet Baker for the new millennium . . .," and by Downbeat Magazine as “Zen-like‚" Shulman combines intimate vocals with virtuosic trumpet playing and sensual electronics to create his signature sound. August 20 8:00 PM Greg Kelley – www.geocities.com/greyelkgel. Greg Kelley has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Japan and Argentina at numerous festivals, in clubs, outdoors, in living rooms, in a bank, and at least once on a vibrating floor. He has collaborated with a number of musicians throughout the globe performing experimental music, free jazz and noise, releasing a number of recordings in the process. He constantly seeks to push the boundaries of the trumpet and of 'music'. 9:00 PM Nate Wooley – www.natewooley.com. Wooley grew up in a Finnish-American fishing village in Oregon. He has spent the rest of his life trying musically to find a way back to the peace and quiet of that time by whole-heartedly embracing the space between complete absorption in sound and relative absence of the same. He began playing trumpet professionally at age 13 with his father, and after studying he moved to Colorado where he studied more with Ron Miles, Art Lande, Fred Hess, and improvisation master Jack Wright. His tenure with Jack began to break Nate out of self-imposed molds and into the sound world that he has embraced as his own. 10:00 PM Peter Evans – An improviser who plays in a bold, extroverted manner. One of the new trumpeters expanding the music with his singular, highly unique playing.
FONT Music Presents SEMINAR Week-A Week of Masterclasses and Concerts, At The Yamaha Artist Services Center-August 22-27 Masterclasses begin at 1:00 PM; concerts begin at 8:00 PM. Single masterclass or concert - $10, masterclass & concert - $15 689 Fifth Avenue, New York City
Our mission to bring forth a varied and comprehensive educational opportunity is reflected by those who will teach and perform during the “Seminar Week' portion of the Festival of New Trumpet Music.
August 22 Masterclass: Lew Soloff – The Aesthetic of Music, “an improvised masterclass.” Concert: Manhattan Brass Quintet, The new MBQ with Lew Soloff, Wayne DuMaine, Ann Ellsworth, Mike Seltzer, and Dave Taylor play music by David Dzubay, Derek Bermel, Wynton Marsalis. Ivan Guck, Retro-futurist post-jazz with Peter Evans, Mary Halvorson, Moppa Elliott, Kevin Shea.
August 23 Masterclass: Dave Douglas – The New Trumpet in Context, “a look at various strategies for expanding the role and vocabulary of the trumpet in new music.” Concert: Dave Douglas, with his latest touring project Nomad, performing works from “Mountain Passages.” New York Trumpet Ensemble, Mark Gould (Director), Peter Evans, C.J. Camereri, David Taylor, Moppa Elliot
August 24 Masterclass: Kevin Cobb – Solo Repertoire Today, “preparation and performance of modern trumpet music” Concert: Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble with Mark Gould, Jeff Lang, and Jim Pugh, performing music by Pugh, Schnyder, Ashton, Edwards, Davies, Webern Jeremy Pelt, premiere of a new work by Max Siegel, with Jeremy Pelt, and an ensemble of brass and percussion
August 25 Masterclass: Kevin Cobb and Brian McWhorter, Integral Trumpet Seminar, “The Form of Practice” Concert: Eric Biondo, Small / Medium for electric trumpet / drums with Chris Vatalaro Pink Baby Monster, Mark Gould, Brian McWhorter, Kyle Sanna. Gould’s funk/ rap/ jazz/ opera/ rock/ political, genre-busting aggregation.
August 26 Concert: Bliggidy Blam, featuring Brian McWhorter and Nate Wooley, announcing the release of their new album “formal i.” Meridian Arts Ensemble, featuring Jon Nelson, performing commissioned works by Sanford, Sharp, Didkovsky, and Zappa – announcing the release of their new album “Brink.”
August 27 – final day of FONT Music 2005! Concert: Butch Morris – Conduction, jazz legend Butch Morris leads a legion of trumpets through a uniquely enthralling new piece in the concluding FONT event!
The Festival of New Trumpet Music was founded in 2003 by two of the most innovative and acclaimed trumpeter/composers active today: Roy Campbell, Jr. and Dave Douglas (2005 Guggenheim Fellowship recipient). Trumpeter, educator Jon Nelson joined in 2004 to curate post-classical and other related repertoire. The curators seek to promote the creation of avant-garde, adventurous, and experimental music, featuring an international lineup of trumpeters representing the worlds of jazz, new music, free form, hip-hop, rock, improvisational, classical, and more. This climate of autonomy and inclusion results in a number of extraordinary performances, often uniting different communities in a way that is all too rare in contemporary music.
Co-curator on co-founder Dave Douglas on FONT Music: The Festival of New Trumpet Music is, for me, a chance to hear many facets of contemporary trumpet music, regardless of style. This festival disproves the idea that there are only two kinds of trumpet players, inside and outside. In fact, this festival demonstrates the explosion of unique visions that currently coexist. FONT Music encourages each trumpeter to explore their own point of view and to be truly 'themselves.'
In this way we feel that this festival is a celebration of the many ways forward in music. From a week-long celebration of Lester Bowie at the Jazz Standard, to an indescribable series at Tonic, to a week of new and emerging trumpeter/bandleaders at Spark, to a week of seminars and concert music at Yamaha, culminating in a one-of-a-kind final concert with conductor and cornetist Butch Morris leading improvisations by an ensemble of many of today's most adventurous, engaging and controversial trumpeters.
For more information about FONT Music and its curators please visit www.fontmusic.org and the following websites: Dave Douglas-www.davedouglas.com Roy Campbell-www.roycampbellmusic.com Jon Nelson-www.bluebisonmusic.com
To schedule an interview with either of the curators, Dave Douglas, Roy Campbell and Jon Nelson, and to receive a press kit on FONT Music 2005, please contact Jason Byrne at Red Cat Publicity, tel 718 921 1330, email [email protected]
# # #
FONT Music 2005: *FONT Music: For Lester Bowie, August 2-7, The Jazz Standard* *3rd Festival of New Trumpet Music presents: Other Music, August 12-15, Tonic* *3rd Festival of New Trumpet Music presents: New Bands, August 16-20, Spark* *SEMINAR Week-A Week of Masterclasses and Concerts, August 22-27, The Yamaha Artist Services Center*
The third annual festival will feature artists such as Bill Dixon, Mark Gould, Ray Vega, Steven Bernstein, Randy Sandke, Roy Campbell, Avishai Cohen, Corey Wilkes and many, many others!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Co-curators Dave Douglas, Roy Campbell and Jon Nelson proudly announce the 2005 schedule of events for the Festival of New Trumpet Music - also known as FONT Music, taking place August 2-27! This year the Festival will once again showcase a plethora of styles of trumpet music performed by more than forty-five of the most accomplished and cutting-edge trumpeters in the world.
FONT Music kicks off its month long program with “FONT Music: For Lester Bowie” – August 2-7, featuring legendary trumpeter Bill Dixon opening up the Festival and this very special week at The Jazz Standard. From August 12-15, FONT Music presents “Other Music” at Tonic , featuring the Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, Roy Campbell, Jr., Shane Endsley and Kneebody, Dave Douglas and Keystone, Israeli trumpeter Avishai Cohen, Ray Vega and others. The third exciting week of FONT Music 2005 will take place at Spark with “New Bands,” featuring many of the most outstanding young trumpeters on the scene today, including Matt Lavell and Eye-Contact, Peck Allmond, Keyon Harrold, Diego Urcola, Nabate Isles, Jesse Neuman and the Bruce Lee Band, Jonathan Finlayson, Matt Shulman Trio, Greg Kelley, Nate Wooley and Peter Evans.
For the final week, FONT Music presents “Seminar Week” (August 22-27) at The Yamaha Artist Services Center (689 Fifth Avenue), featuring masterclasses and concerts from the likes of Lew Soloff, the Manhattan Brass Quintet, Dave Douglas, Mark Gould (former principal trumpeter for the Metropolitan Opera), Jeremy Pelt (premiering a new work by Max Siegel with an ensemble of brass and percussion) and The Meridian Arts Ensemble, featuring FONT Music co-curator Jon Nelson, performing commissioned works by Sanford, Sharp, Didkovsky, and Zappa – and announcing the release of their new album, “Brink.”
“Seminar Week,” and the third annual Festival of New Trumpet Music closes on August 27 with the legendary conductor and cornetist Butch Morris leading a legion of trumpeters through a uniquely enthralling piece, concluding FONT Music 2005 with an all-out celebration of the instrument, and a display of the myriad styles of playing that make FONT Music one of the most musically diverse and fascinating festivals in the world. The Festival of New Trumpet Music, Schedule of Events – August 2-27:
FONT Music: For Lester Bowie, at The Jazz Standard-August 2 - 7 116 East 27th street. For more information and reservations call 212 576 2232 or click on www.jazzstandard.net. August 2 7:30 PM Bill Dixon Trio – www.bill-dixon.com. The Festival of New Trumpet Music is proud to present Bill Dixon for the second year (Dixon closed the 2004 Festival with a riveting performance at The Baha'i Center). Dixon’s incredible bio includes being the organizer and producer of the October Revolution in Jazz in New York City in 1964, architect of the Jazz Composers' Guild (for the performance of contemporary American Black Music) in New York City in 1964, and founder of the Black Music Division of Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont in 1973. Mr. Dixon was Professor of Music at Bennington from 1968-96. This performance provides a rare opportunity to hear Bill Dixon in New York City! 9:30 PM Herb Robertson and Bromelain – www.herbrobertson.com. Herb Robertson-trumpet, cornet, trumpenet, flugelhorn, slide trumpet, toys, etc., Okkyung Lee-cello, Gerry Hemingway-drums, percussion. Herb Robertson has been one of the most active musicians on the scene for several years. Herb plays the horns in a lyrical and colorful way, often employing a range of mutes to make his sound more personal and unique. He met Gerry Hemingway 27 years ago. This lasting musical friendship leads to all kind of innovations incorporated into the music at least by those who love the eclectic approach. Okkyung Lee met Robertson just two years ago. Very quickly Herb was captivated by the theatrical way that she plays her cello combining the classical style with her own improvising. This trio refuses to play into stereotypes.
August 3 7:30 PM Graham Haynes Electric Church – Trumpeter/cornetist Graham Haynes, so of the legendary Roy Haynes, brings his band Electric Church to Festival of New Trumpet Music in celebration of Lester Bowie. 9:30 PM Cuong Vu Trio – www.cuongvu.com. Cuong Vu-trumpet, Stomu Takeishi-bass, Ted Poor-drums. Presenting music from Cuong's latest recording, “It's Mostly Residual," available only through ArtistShare at the trumpeter’s website. Cuong Vu is currently on tour with The Pat Metheny Group.
August 4 7:30 PM Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy – www.davedouglas.com. Dave Douglas-trumpet, Clark Gayton-trombone, Marcus Rojas-tuba, Gene Lake-drums, and special guests. Brass Ecstasy will be playing compositions by Dave Douglas, Otis Redding, Martha Wainwright, John Mayer, Missy Elliott, and old brass band tunes. 9:30 PM Corey Wilkes Abstrakt Pulse – www.coreywilkes.com. After studies at Berklee, Chicago trumpeter Corey Wilkes once lived in Louisiana in an effort to absorb the very essence of jazz. Since then, Corey has worked with the Jazz Institute of Chicago as an Artist in Residence for the Jazz Links Program. He has also traveled the world, sharing the stage with numerous jazz heavyweights including Roscoe Mitchell, Fred Anderson, Terence Blanchard, Clark Terry, Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Belgrave, Roy Hargrove, James Moody and Kurt Elling. Corey is currently traveling the world with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, filling in for the late, great Lester Bowie in this world-renowned group of jazz legends. His soulful, sophisticated sound can be found on Roscoe Mitchell’s recently released CD “Song for My Sister.”
August 5 7:30 PM Bobby Bradford’s Tete-a-Tete – featuring: Marty Ehrlich-reeds, Mark Dresser-bass and Ken Filiano-bass. One of the best trumpeters to emerge from the avant-garde, Bradford moved to Los Angeles in 1953 where he met and played with Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy. Bradford spent time in the military and in school before becoming Don Cherry's replacement with the Ornette Coleman Quartet in 1961-1963, a period when the group unfortunately rarely worked. In Los Angeles, Bradford began a longtime association with clarinetist John Carter. Since the clarinetist's death, Bradford frequently led a quintet (the Mo'tet) featuring Vinny Golia and occasionally Marty Ehrlich. In the '90s, he also performed with the David Murray Octet and Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra. 9:30 PM Dennis Gonzalez – Dallas trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez has spent twenty plus years at the forefront of the experimental jazz scene, playing with many of jazz’s luminaries, including Cecil Taylor, Roy Hargrove, Oliver Lake, Charles Brackeen, and many others. His group Yells at Eels is made up of Gonzalez and his sons, Aaron and Stefan, on drums. 11:30 PM Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber featuring Flip Barnes – http://burntsugarindex.com. Renen Akan, Thom Loubet-guitar, Jared Nickerson, Jason di Matteo-bass, Avrem Fefer-bass clarinet, Lewis “Flip” Barnes-trumpet, Matana Roberts-alto saxophone, Petra Radu-Scafaru-tenor saxophone, Jesse Dulman-tuba, Bruce Mack-keyboards, Qasim Naqvi, Trevor Holder-drums, Justice Dilla-x, Lisala Beatty, Mikel Banks, Jermiah Griffin-voices, Satch Hoyt-flute/percussion, Julia Kent-cello, Omega Moon, D-MAXX-lyricists, Greg Tate-conductor. Lester Bowie once said, 'the tradition is innovation'. Burnt Sugar aims to be the living embodiment of that idea at The Festival of New Trumpet Music.
August 6 7:30 PM Baikida Carroll Quartet – www.baikida.com. Baikida Carroll-trumpet, Tim Berne-alto saxophone, Michael Formanek-bass, Tom Rainey-drums. Baikida Carroll is a highly pivotal figure in the music world as both a composer and trumpeter. He has written scores that have distinguished theater, dance, television, film, and concerts for over three decades. His music has been heard at major forums throughout the world including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, the Walker Arts Center, The New York Shakespeare Festival, the McCarter Theatre, the Chicago Museum of Art, The Mark Taper Forum, Le Grande Palais (Paris), the Belgium Opera, the Berlin Opera, the Market Theater (Johannesburg, South Africa), as well as a multitude of jazz festivals including JVC, Heritage, Montreux, Kool and Newport. His latest recording is “Marionettes On A High Wire,” on Omnitone. 9:30 PM Roy Campbell & Tazz – www.roycampbelllmusic.com. Roy Campbell-trumpet, Andrew Bemkey, Chris Sullivan, and Michael Thompson Drummer Billy Higgins nicknamed Campbell “Tazz” and for good reason. Roy Campbell, Jr. has long maintained several stellar working units. Tazz is a reflection of various musical styles, languages, backgrounds, and sources, with a mission to break down cultural barriers through a sound that is at once eclectic, progressive, polished, and funky; in a word, Tazz is hot! 11:30 PM Steven Bernstein & Spanish Fly – www.stevenbernstein.net. A ubiquitous figure in New York's downtown jazz scene, Bernstein has been the musical director/leader for John Lurie's Lounge Lizards, the Kansas City Band (from Robert Altman's film Kansas City), Jim Thirwell's Steriod Maximus, and Hal Wilner's Leonard Cohen and Doc Pomus Projects. Bernstein also leads several other active bands, including Sex Mob, Diaspora Blues (with the Sam Rivers trio) and Diaspora Soul. He has performed with Roswell Rudd, Don Byron, and Medeski Martin & Wood, as well as artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Lou Reed, Linda Ronstadt, Sting and Courtney Love.
August 7 7:30 PM Randy Sandke and the Metatonal Band – www.randysandke.com. Randy Sandke-trumpet, Scott Robinson-saxes, Ted Rosenthal-piano, Steve LaSpina-bass, John Riley-drums. Sandke and company will be performing “The Mystic Trumpeter," which is a six-part suite from the album of the same name that was released this past May. 9:30 PM Mac Gollehon's Smokin Section, a tribute to Lester Bowie – Mac Gollehon-trumpet, trombone, double-bell euphonium, misc. brass, Adam Snyder-drums, Guillermo Edgehill-bass, Alex Kolpaki-woodwinds.
3rd Festival of New Trumpet Music presents: Other Music, at Tonic-August 12-15 107 Norfolk St., between Delancey & Rivington, www.tonicnyc.com, tel 212 358 7501 August 12 8:00 PM Ted Daniel and IBMC – In 1998, Daniel conceived the band to reflect the drum and bugle corp and brass bands he heard in his youth. The International Brass and Membrane Corporation features violinist Charles Burham, percussionist Newman Taylor Baker and tuba player Joe Daley, one of the finest tuba players on the scene, playing with all the major improvisers of the day. All of the band's material are original compositions written by Ted Daniel, ranging from field hollers/blues to contemporary music. The music will be performed as a medley with interludes inserted between compositions as the music moves from one experience to another. 9:30 PM Ahmed Abdullah – www.ahmedian.com. Ahmed Abdullah is a trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator, organizer and bandleader who has led his own ensembles since 1972. For the last thirty plus years, Ahmed has spent his time performing with the Sun Ra Arkestra (he's on twenty-five recordings with Sun Ra), Ed Blackwell, Arthur Blythe, Billy Bang, Ms. Dianne McIntyre, Sam Rivers, Hamiet Bluiett, Rashid Ali and his own groups. In the last year Abdullah's CD releases have included “NAM Live at the Vision Festival,” “AA's Dispersions of the Spirit of Ra,” “Traveling the Spaceways,” and “Ebonic Tones” and “Tara's Song,” all of which can be purchased from this website. 11:00 PM Roy Campbell, Jr. – www.roycampbellmusic.com. Roy Campbell appearing with the Pyramid Trio featuring Mike Thompson on drums and William Parker on bass.
August 13 8:00 PM Dave Douglas Keystone – www.davedouglas.com. Dave Douglas-trumpet, Jamie Saft-Wurlitzer, Gene Lake-drums, Marcus Strickland-saxophones, Brad Jones-bass, DJ Olive-turntables. On September 20, 2005 Greenleaf Music will release Douglas’ new studio recording, Keystone, the trumpeter’s musical encomium to the unjustly maligned silent film star, Roscoe Arbuckle. Douglas, a recent recipient of a 2005 Guggenheim Fellowship, and Keystone will launch an international multi-media tour on October 1, 2005 at The Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, NY. 9:30 PM Shane Endsley and Kneebody – www.greenleafmusic.com, Adam Benjamin-keyboards, Shane Endsley-trumpet, Kaveh Rastegar-bass, Ben Wendel-saxophone, Nate Wood-drums, with special guest Jonathan Finlayson. To see Kneebody play live is a unique experience, featuring a huge variety of sounds and textures. 11:00 PM Jonathan Finlayson – “Common Thread” featuring Jonathan Finlayson-trumpet, Shane Endsley-trumpet, Tim Albright-trombone, Tyshawn Sorey-drums, Thomas Morgan-bass.
August 14 8:00 PM Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band – Belle Birchfield-baritone truba, Morgan Clark-baritone truba, Marian Eines-alto saxophone, vocals, Sarah Ferholt-truba, Catherine Foster-clarinet, alto saxophone, truba, vocals, Michael Ginsburg-truba, Tamberlaine Harris-truba, Emerson Hawley-bass truba, Jerry Kisslinger-snare drum, tupan, Seido Salifoski-snare drum, tupan, Matthew Smith-baritone truba 9:30 PM Avishai Cohen – www.avishaimusic.com. Israeli trumpeter/composer Avishai Cohen is a member of the groundbreaking band Third World Love,, which also features bassist Omer Avital and drummer Daniel Freedman. Cohen’s first album, “The Trumpet Player” was featured by Ben Ratliff in The New York Times, Sunday edition Playlist. Cohen has racked up experience performing with James Moody, Dave Liebman, Jimmy Heath, George Garzone, Bobby Watson, Clark Terry, Donald Harrison, Roy Hargrove and many many others.
August 15 8:00 PM Ray Vega Latin Jazz Quintet – www.cyberjaz.com/vega, Ray Vega-trumpet, percussion, Chembo Corniel-Congas, Chris Haney-acoustic bass, Peter Retzlaff-drums, James Shipp-vibes. The RVJQ will be performing a set of new music including the New York Premiere of “Raices: 3 Movements for Latin Jazz Ensemble." This piece was commissioned by the City Folk Organization (Dayton, Ohio) as part of its Jazz Residency program. 9:30 PM Jacob Wick & THROE – Jacob Wick-trumpet, Rob Mosher-saxes, Todd Neufeld-guitar, Mike Lavall-electric bass, Andrew Greenwald-drums. Trumpeter Jacob Wick is beginning to make his presence known in the New York and Chicago jazz and creative music scenes. Wick has shared the stage with such luminaries as George Lewis and Mark Turner.
3rd Festival of New Trumpet Music presents: New Bands, at Spark-August 16-20 161 W. 22nd Street August 16 8:00 PM Matt Lavelle & Eye-Contact – Matt Lavell-trumpet, Ryan Sawyer-drums, Matt Heyner-bass 9:00 PM Jesse Selengut – www.jesseselengut.com. Selengut is a Brooklyn-based trumpeter, composer and multi-instrumentalist. He has had success as a bandleader, film scorer, producer and sideman on over a dozen albums, most noticeably, Huge Voodoo's Affordable Magic ('03). Recently, he has been splitting time between the Williamsburg Jazz Festival (which he founded) and Noir, a quartet blending electronica and jazz. 10:00 PM Peck Allmond – www.peckallmond.com. Trumpeter/saxophonist/flutist Peck Allmond is best known for his work with Me'Shell NdegeOcello, Oliver Lake, Peter Apfelbaum and Don Cherry. His new group Kalimba Kollective features the leader on trumpet and assorted other instruments, featuring his unique approach to the kalimba, aka thumb piano. The group also features drumming great Kenny Wollesen on vibes, drums and bass kalimba; innovator Dana Leong on cello and trombone; master Haitian Vodou drummers Bonga and Tiga Jean-Baptiste (father and son) on Haitian drums, percussion, kalimba and mbira; and keyboard virtuoso Gary Fisher. The group is currently celebrating the release of the new disc “Kalimba Collage."
August 17 8:00 PM Keyon Harrold 9:00 PM Diego Urcola Quartet – www.diegourcola.com. The Grammy nominated trumpeter will be performing music from his newest recording “Soundances.” 10:00 PM Nabate Isles – A mix of diverse musical styles with melodic clarity and rhythmic intensity.
August 19 8:00 PM Jesse Neuman and the Bruce Lee Band – www.bruceleeband.com. Jesse Neuman-acoustic and processed trumpet/laptop, Oscar Rodriguez-guitar/bass guitar/loops, Aaron Jennings-guitar/electronics/laptop, Liam Hurley-drums. Bruce Lee is an improvising quartet formed over four years ago between friends and enemies, dedicated to balancing the most fearsome and fragile sounds and rhythms. Their arrangements develop music by Rickie Lee Jones, Mos Def, Rachmanninoff, Jeff Buckley and Bjork. As improvisers, they use tones and technology to gradually sculpt silence and vibrations into complete musical statements. 9:00 PM Sarah Wilson – www.sarahwilsonmusic.com. Sarah Wilson’s music is an “improviser’s dream,” says internationally acclaimed composer/pianist Myra Melford. Her music is “rich with suggestion and possibility: ebullient and tender, poignant and humorous.” Wilson’s compositions reflect a deep understanding of the connection between images and motion. Grammy Award nominee Dave Douglas, composer/trumpet player, commends Wilson’s development of a “new music,” which evokes the theatrical. Her techniques of “orchestrating tightly wound counterpoint” with a “fresh, unexpected approach to rhythm” summon the imagination. 10:00 PM Matt Shulman Trio – www.mattshulman.com. Matt Shulman will be appearing in support of his new recording “So It Goes,” currently available at the trumpeter’s website. Hailed by The New York Times as “a new voice from jazz’s emerging generation,” by fans as “Miles Davis meets Radiohead . . . a Chet Baker for the new millennium . . .," and by Downbeat Magazine as “Zen-like‚" Shulman combines intimate vocals with virtuosic trumpet playing and sensual electronics to create his signature sound. August 20 8:00 PM Greg Kelley – www.geocities.com/greyelkgel. Greg Kelley has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Japan and Argentina at numerous festivals, in clubs, outdoors, in living rooms, in a bank, and at least once on a vibrating floor. He has collaborated with a number of musicians throughout the globe performing experimental music, free jazz and noise, releasing a number of recordings in the process. He constantly seeks to push the boundaries of the trumpet and of 'music'. 9:00 PM Nate Wooley – www.natewooley.com. Wooley grew up in a Finnish-American fishing village in Oregon. He has spent the rest of his life trying musically to find a way back to the peace and quiet of that time by whole-heartedly embracing the space between complete absorption in sound and relative absence of the same. He began playing trumpet professionally at age 13 with his father, and after studying he moved to Colorado where he studied more with Ron Miles, Art Lande, Fred Hess, and improvisation master Jack Wright. His tenure with Jack began to break Nate out of self-imposed molds and into the sound world that he has embraced as his own. 10:00 PM Peter Evans – An improviser who plays in a bold, extroverted manner. One of the new trumpeters expanding the music with his singular, highly unique playing.
FONT Music Presents SEMINAR Week-A Week of Masterclasses and Concerts, At The Yamaha Artist Services Center-August 22-27 Masterclasses begin at 1:00 PM; concerts begin at 8:00 PM. Single masterclass or concert - $10, masterclass & concert - $15 689 Fifth Avenue, New York City
Our mission to bring forth a varied and comprehensive educational opportunity is reflected by those who will teach and perform during the “Seminar Week' portion of the Festival of New Trumpet Music.
August 22 Masterclass: Lew Soloff – The Aesthetic of Music, “an improvised masterclass.” Concert: Manhattan Brass Quintet, The new MBQ with Lew Soloff, Wayne DuMaine, Ann Ellsworth, Mike Seltzer, and Dave Taylor play music by David Dzubay, Derek Bermel, Wynton Marsalis. Ivan Guck, Retro-futurist post-jazz with Peter Evans, Mary Halvorson, Moppa Elliott, Kevin Shea.
August 23 Masterclass: Dave Douglas – The New Trumpet in Context, “a look at various strategies for expanding the role and vocabulary of the trumpet in new music.” Concert: Dave Douglas, with his latest touring project Nomad, performing works from “Mountain Passages.” New York Trumpet Ensemble, Mark Gould (Director), Peter Evans, C.J. Camereri, David Taylor, Moppa Elliot
August 24 Masterclass: Kevin Cobb – Solo Repertoire Today, “preparation and performance of modern trumpet music” Concert: Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble with Mark Gould, Jeff Lang, and Jim Pugh, performing music by Pugh, Schnyder, Ashton, Edwards, Davies, Webern Jeremy Pelt, premiere of a new work by Max Siegel, with Jeremy Pelt, and an ensemble of brass and percussion
August 25 Masterclass: Kevin Cobb and Brian McWhorter, Integral Trumpet Seminar, “The Form of Practice” Concert: Eric Biondo, Small / Medium for electric trumpet / drums with Chris Vatalaro Pink Baby Monster, Mark Gould, Brian McWhorter, Kyle Sanna. Gould’s funk/ rap/ jazz/ opera/ rock/ political, genre-busting aggregation.
August 26 Concert: Bliggidy Blam, featuring Brian McWhorter and Nate Wooley, announcing the release of their new album “formal i.” Meridian Arts Ensemble, featuring Jon Nelson, performing commissioned works by Sanford, Sharp, Didkovsky, and Zappa – announcing the release of their new album “Brink.”
August 27 – final day of FONT Music 2005! Concert: Butch Morris – Conduction, jazz legend Butch Morris leads a legion of trumpets through a uniquely enthralling new piece in the concluding FONT event!
The Festival of New Trumpet Music was founded in 2003 by two of the most innovative and acclaimed trumpeter/composers active today: Roy Campbell, Jr. and Dave Douglas (2005 Guggenheim Fellowship recipient). Trumpeter, educator Jon Nelson joined in 2004 to curate post-classical and other related repertoire. The curators seek to promote the creation of avant-garde, adventurous, and experimental music, featuring an international lineup of trumpeters representing the worlds of jazz, new music, free form, hip-hop, rock, improvisational, classical, and more. This climate of autonomy and inclusion results in a number of extraordinary performances, often uniting different communities in a way that is all too rare in contemporary music.
Co-curator on co-founder Dave Douglas on FONT Music: The Festival of New Trumpet Music is, for me, a chance to hear many facets of contemporary trumpet music, regardless of style. This festival disproves the idea that there are only two kinds of trumpet players, inside and outside. In fact, this festival demonstrates the explosion of unique visions that currently coexist. FONT Music encourages each trumpeter to explore their own point of view and to be truly 'themselves.'
In this way we feel that this festival is a celebration of the many ways forward in music. From a week-long celebration of Lester Bowie at the Jazz Standard, to an indescribable series at Tonic, to a week of new and emerging trumpeter/bandleaders at Spark, to a week of seminars and concert music at Yamaha, culminating in a one-of-a-kind final concert with conductor and cornetist Butch Morris leading improvisations by an ensemble of many of today's most adventurous, engaging and controversial trumpeters.
For more information about FONT Music and its curators please visit www.fontmusic.org and the following websites: Dave Douglas-www.davedouglas.com Roy Campbell-www.roycampbellmusic.com Jon Nelson-www.bluebisonmusic.com
To schedule an interview with either of the curators, Dave Douglas, Roy Campbell and Jon Nelson, and to receive a press kit on FONT Music 2005, please contact Jason Byrne at Red Cat Publicity, tel 718 921 1330, email [email protected]
# # #
For more information contact All About Jazz.
