Results for "World Jazz"

Marc Crofts

Born: December 27, 1989

Curious and passionate, Marc Crofts has immersed himself in a wide variety of different traditions, playing with musicians around the world, from Istanbul to Seville, developing a rich and personal musical sensibility in the process. After completing jazz studies at the Lausanne conservatoire – strengthening his musical and narrative skills – Marc has continuously striven to expand his musical outlook, always adding a personal twist to tradition. Founder of the band Gilgul (Balkan music), for who he wrote many originals, he also composes and performs regularly with a number of ensembles: Yolanda Almodovar Flamenco Band (Swiss, Spanish and Danish tours in 2018-19), Swing High, Gypson 5ive, Hotegezugt, etc. In 2020 Marc is teaming up with violinist Yardani Torres Maiani for an exciting new flamenco violin duet... ​ Since 2018 he's been focusing mainly on his own trio project, with guitarist Railo Helmstetter and bassist Blaise Hommage

RR Pelletier - Almapercus

Born: February 23, 1957

Anthony Brown

Percussionist, composer, ethnomusicologist, educator and Smithsonian Associate Scholar Dr. Anthony Brown is a seminal figure in the contemporary California creative music scene, directing the Asian American Orchestra in addition to performing with some of the foremost musicians in jazz today. Since 1998, his Orchestra has received international critical acclaim for blending Asian musical instruments and sensibilities with the sonorities of the jazz orchestra. The Asian American Orchestra's recording of Duke Ellington-Billy Strayhorn's Far East Suite received a 2000 GRAMMY nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance. The late jazz saxophonist and MacArthur Fellow Steve Lacy joined as guest artist for the Orchestra's next recording, Monk's Moods

Vasileios Nalmpantis

Born: October 29, 1987

Vasilis has been performing the traditional music of Greece and the Balkans since he was 12 years old. Adding to that, he has played recorded and toured extensively with many groups and artists of many different genres, such as: Stafford James, Oghene Kologbo, Ionian Brass Ensemble, Orchestra Sonora, Mora sti Fotia(a historic Greek punk-rock band) Koza Mostra,(with whom they got the 6th place in 2013 Eurovision). In 2010 he graduated from the Jazz Dept. of the Ionian Uni and moved to Thessaloniki to pursue a musical career. In 2016, one year after he moved to Graz, Austria, he formed the Ellipsis Quintet playing concerts locally and internationally

Peter Janson

Born: January 1, 1970

Guitarist Peter Janson lives in Boston Massachusetts and has been forging his own path as an independent solo guitarist since 1999. Building what he considers a meaningful life, Peter’s music events are an important part of that - he performs concerts, tours regularly, founded his own Eastern Woods Music label, gives guitar workshops, and he directs jazz ensembles and private guitar lessons at the University of Massachusetts Boston. There aren’t many jazz guitarists today focusing exclusively on solo guitar, but for Janson playing solo jazz guitar is both his passion and love - he is inspired by the solo guitar works of players like Pat Metheny, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Wolfgang Muthspiel, as well as jazz legends such as Joe Pass, Earl Klugh, and Jim Hall. Now growing in international recognition, Peter signed worldwide sub-publishing deals with STOMP Music Korea and with UK based SUPREME SONGS Limited in October 2022.

Tamara Obrovac

Born: April 1

The composer singer and flutist Tamara Obrovac, is one of the most impressive artists on the Croatian music scene, she is one of those musicians to whom jazz means a path to understanding music as a whole. Moreover, it has ushered her towards an intensive investigation of her own regional music awareness, so she offers us a new musical journey through the Istrian and Mediterranean spaces and times. Istria is here homeland, beautiful Croatian region, a North Adriatic peninsula, particular for It's musical and dialectal tradition, which is the creative force of her works. She writes lyrics in a local dialect and sings in an ancient dialect which is not spoken any more - the Istriotic dialect. In addition to here international concert activities, (numerous festivals, clubs, venues, more then 500 concerts all over the world) and many collaborations, she composes music for theatre and film, and for here work she received many awards. Her international Transhistria Ensemble incorporates elements of Istrian and Mediterranean national music, jazz, and many elements of modern music, and her music, completely original and autochthonous, goes beyond time and geographical boundaries, thus becoming a universal artistic message, establishing Tamara Obrovac as an exceptional artist who managed to create her own unique musical expression. This creative musician has become known for her highly aesthetic performances, her interpretations are suffused with spontaneity, inventive improvisation, freedom, humour and the ability to communicate with the audience, an artist of a strong persona, a life and artistic force able to enchant any audience... As she said: "jazz is my freedom, and my roots are my inner truth..." She published 12 Author CDs: Triade, 1996; Ulika, 1998; Transhistria, 2001; Sve pasiva/Everything fades away, 2003; Daleko je/Is faraway, 2005; Neću više jazz kantati/I won’t sing jazz any more, 2009, featuring her new band “Transhistria electric” with a fresh fusion of Istrian ethno and funky and soul music; and "Madirosa", 2011, in collaboration with the Epoque String Quartet from Prague. CD “Ulika revival” with her quartet, that had successful showcase on Jazz-ahead Bremen 2013, (Unit records, Switzerland, June 2014) got very good international reviews including All About Jazz, Jazzthetik, Jazz Podium, Jazzthing, Kulturtipp, Jazz'nmore, Jazz convention, etc. CD “Canto amoroso” with her main band Transhistria ensemble, registered at Artesuno studio in Italy is published, in 2016 for Austrian label Alessa records. Live at ZKM is Tamara's first (double) live album recorded on the concert of her Transhistria ensemble in Zagreb Youth theatre at the and of 2016, and published for Cantus, Croatian composers society label in 2018. The CD TransAdriaticum was published in 2019 for Austrian Alessa records with the new formation of musicians, featuring Stefano Battaglia on piano, and Salvatore Maiore on double bass, and latest CD Villa Idola is published in 2020 for Croatian label Aquarius records, and is a collaboration of her Transhistria ensemble and Croatian Radio television Jazz orchestra, with new arrangements of selected Tamara's songs. Through her albums, Tamara profiles her own authorial approach and creates a unique artistic form which, inspired by the Istrian and broader Mediterranean tradition, establishes “the personal poetics of the author”. International recognition came also through the nomination for the BBC Radio 3 World music Awards 2004 (European Music and Audience Award). Here is what John L

Zhivko Vasilev

Born: April 26, 1991

Zhivko Vasilev is one of the most popular Bulgarian kaval players. He is well known for his experiments with the kaval and the constant seeking for unexplored paths in music. Thanks to his experimental spirit he is constantly driven to combine traditional kaval sound with different western styles such as jazz, funk, latin, latin jazz, pop, electronic music and many more. The result of this incredible symbiosis is an exotic and unique style that he constantly improves. He hails from the Southern city of Smolyan, Bulgaria in the heart of the Rhodopi mountains. He inherited his love of music from his father and began his early training on the kaval at the NUI Dobri Hristov music school in Varna, Bulgaria

Kenny Kirkwood

Kenny Kirkwood is a Juno award-winning Canadian musician who has toured internationally in a career spanning three decades. He has worked with Gord Downie, Kim Mitchell, Jacksoul, Kevin Breit, NOJO and Paul Reddick. Kenny has also opened for James Brown, Al Green and performed for Quincy Jones. Kenny spent his childhood in Zambia, experiencing traditional Bemba and Nyanja music, language and culture, and hearing local folk and pop groups and church choirs. These experiences deeply ingrained in him the value of the communal and spiritual aspects of music, song and dance in everyday life. Over the last decade Kenny has collaborated with Indigenous people on Turtle Island and worldwide in working towards reconciliation

Sonu Sangameswaran

Born: March 27, 1980

Sonu Sangameswaran has been playing electric bass for over a decade now focused on the global sounds of Latin, hip-hop, electronica and African music interwoven with an original sense of groove. Born in India, raised in the Middle East and currently residing in Australia, Sonu is a completely self taught musician. He also has considerable experience in the fields of instructional design, philosophy of mind and earned himself a Master of Arts in Philosophy of Language. He recently released his debut album ‘Maximum Sessions Reached’ featuring a global cast of musicians

Gwen Laster

Gwen Laster is a nationally acclaimed musician who has been the recipient of awards by the National Endowment for the Arts, Jubilation Foundation, Puffin Foundation, Arts Mid Hudson, Lila Wallace, and the Cognac Hennessey 1st place Jazz Search. She's a native Detroiter whose creative influences come from the Motor City's exciting urban and classical music culture. Gwen started improvising and composing because of her parents love of jazz, blues, soul and classical music and her inspiring music teachers from Detroit's public schools.

Laster relocated to NYC after earning two music degrees from the University of Michigan. She began collaborating, performing and recording with internationally-known creative and commercial artists that include Anthony Braxton, Nona Hendryx, Aretha Franklin, Wadada Leo Smith, William Parker, Danny Elfman, Sun Ra Arkestra, Tyler, the Creator, Gladys Knight, Emeline Michel, Andrea Bocelli, David Foster, Alicia Keys, Rhianna, Shaggy, Andrew Baba Lamb, Natalie Cole, Solange, Mark Anthony, J Lo and Shakira at President Obama’s Inaugural Neighborhood Ball. Playing local jazz clubs and subbing Broadway shows (Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Carousel, Wicked, Porgy and Bess, The King and I) were woven around Gwen's NYC performing and teaching rhythm.