Results for "modern jazz"

Curtis Nowosad

Born: April 2, 1988

Curtis Nowosad is a JUNO-nominated, NYC-based jazz drummer, composer, bandleader and educator. Having made his home in Harlem for the last decade, the native of Winnipeg, MB, Canada has established himself as an integral part of the NYC and international jazz scene, both as a bandleader and a sideperson. 

Curtis has played in the bands of many top jazz artists of multiple generations, including Steve Nelson, Jazzmeia Horn, Philip Harper, Brianna Thomas, Craig Harris, Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Marc Cary, Jocelyn Gould, Frank Lacy, Jacques Schwarz-Bart, Bruce Barth, David Berkman, Andrew Renfroe and Braxton Cook, with whom he has toured extensively in Europe and North America. He has also played with four NEA Jazz Masters: Candido Camero, Dave Liebman, Jimmy Owens and Ron Carter, and recorded with a fifth, Kenny Barron. He has led bands at many notable clubs and festivals, including The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, Smalls, Dizzy’s and every major jazz festival in Canada and several in the US.

Varun Das

Premazzi / Nasser Quartet

Italian pianist Simona Premazzi and Boston native saxophonist Kyle Nasser met in New York and found themselves on gigs together over the last decade. Formalizing their musical partnership as a collaborative entity in 2021, they teamed with bassist Noah Garabedian and drummer Jay Sawyer to explore their own take on highly melodic modernist jazz blended with harmonies and techniques from classical music. From the major jazz venues in New York, to festivals around the US and South America, the Premazzi / Nasser Quartet further defined their sound, built on lustrous melodies, vivid compositions and a dynamic group aesthetic.

 

Johan Björklund

Born: August 17, 1975

Freelance musician (drums, percussion and electronics), composer, band leader, teacher and artistic coach. Born in Hedekas, Northern Bohuslän, Sweden. Based in Gothenburg, Sweden since 1997.
With ongoing extensive work as a bandleader and/or a driving force for several different bands since 1999
(Mess, Johan Björklund Dynamic Flavours, Thymeshift, Thymeshift United, Parallel Activity, Yoleeyo, MIRE III, Monochromatics) Johan is regarded as a strong and sought after profile on the Nordic jazz/impro/rock/whatever music scene.
Collaborations and work with among others:
Arve Henriksen (NO), Lisen Rylander Löve (SWE), Lina Nyberg (SWE), Hilmar Jensson (ICE), Sara Aldén (SWE), Klas-Henrik Hörngren (SWE), Maria Palmqvist (SWE)  Emil Bishara (ISR), Armand van Wijck (NL), Ulf "Rockis" Ivarsson (SWE), Thomas Gunillasson (SWE), Zara Tellander (SWE) , Johannes Lundberg (SWE), André Kassen (NO) John Lönnmyr (SWE), Joona Toivanen (SWE/FI), Anders Augustsson (SWE), Mejram (SWE), Celso Paco & Dynamo De Luxe (SWE/MOC), :nu (SWE) , Räfven (SWE) and many more.

Rouhangeze

Rouhangeze aka Ruh is a truly remarkable talent, hailing from the beautiful and vibrant island of Mauritius, now settled in London, UK.  Her music is a reflection of her rich cultural heritage and deep connection to her roots. 

She is a vocalist, songwriter, music producer, radio presenter, vocal therapist and cultural ambassador renowned for bridging musical diversity. Raised immersed in Mauritius’ rich rhythmic tapestry, she relocated to London in 2009 to pursue creative passions. There she rapidly rose, collaborating with luminaries across various genres, including Linley Marthe, Antonio Forcione, Jerry Léonide, Meddy Gerville, Tomasz Bura, Gérald Toto, Éric Appapoulay, Rachel Z, Omar Hakim, Harvey Mason, Bernard Maseli, Telemakus, George LePauw, Greg Spero amongst others. Having cultivated versatility across genres from jazz to soul, Rouhangeze “fuses the rhythms of her homeland with London’s kaleidoscopic energy,” melding cultural exchange with empowerment. Through lyrical gifts spanning musical boundaries, she brings the world closer in melody and message. 

Mitch Towne

Born: September 17

Ever since Jimmy Smith emerged on the national scene in 1956, performing exciting versions of blues, ballads and standards, the Hammond B-3 organ has been a major instrument in jazz. Scores of organists have emerged since then who play variations of the Jimmy Smith style.

Mitch Towne, while acknowledging his historic predecessors, sees the organ as much more than just being a soulful instrument used to play grease-filled blues. “I feel that the organ is somewhat marginalized in jazz and that there is so much more to the organ than being thought of as a bluesy r&b soul/jazz type of instrument. That is one of the reasons why I wanted to perform mostly originals on my new recording, Refuge. This record is in the jazz tradition rather than just the jazz organ tradition because, in addition to the great organ players, I’m also inspired by Kenny Garrett, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock.” On Refuge, his recording debut as a leader, Mitch Towne teams up with his regularly working trio (guitarist Tetsuya Nishiyama and drummer Jeffery Johnson) to perform six of his wide-ranging originals plus a Kenny Kirkland piece. Refuge introduces Towne’s creative talents to a wide audience and displays the great potential of the organ.