Mosher, Cancura headline Benefit concert for Rational Animal March 12th

February 10, 2010 No comments »
March 12, 2010
8:00 pm

Rob Mosher’s 10 piece jazz/classical band Storytime and Petr Cancura’s ensemble Down Home will be featured at a benefit for New York City based charity Rational Animal on Friday, March 12th at 8pm in the Great Room at South Oxford Space, 138 South Oxford Street (Between Atlantic Avenue and Fulton Street) in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Each ticketholder will receive a Rational Animal T-shirt and other small gifts. Food, drink, and raffle tickets benefitting Rational Animal will be available in exchange for a small additional donation. Questions? Inquire here.

Storytime features original compositions by leader/horn player Rob Mosher. A lushly scored musical odyssey that contains echoes of Wayne Shorter, Gil Evans, Kurt Weill, Darius Milhaud, Debussy and Bach, Storytime reflects Mosher’s embrace of a wide range of influences which have coalesced to create his singularly independent compositional voice.  It’s all held together by Mosher’s multi-faceted orchestration and ingenious use of instrumentation (saxophones, oboe, English horn, clarinets, flute, trumpet, French horn, trombone, electric and acoustic guitar, plus bass and drums). A Canadian currently residing in New York City, award winning composer and performer Rob Mosher straddles both the jazz and classical worlds. Specializing on oboe, English horn and soprano sax, Rob is also the leader of Supervillains jazz quartet.

Down Home is a 5-6 piece ensemble led by Czech born, Candian raised, Brooklyn based muti-instrumentalist Petr Cancura. Down Home combines the rhythms of Africa and Brazil, the phrasing of old blues singers from Mississippi, the deep sound of the saxophone, the unmistakable sound of strings (banjo, mandolin, violin, guitar, bass), and a song or two with words. The songs of Down Home are inspired by black and white photographs – from the sounds of Americana and jazz to a hint of country and bluegrass – the photographs and music enhance each other, telling stories. Already a veteran in jazz, Cancura has recorded with Danilo Perez, Bob Moses and Joe Morris, and is known for crossing borders with the Rwandan Mighty Popo, Canadian Kathleen Edwards and Brooklyn-Brazilian Nation Beat. With Down Home, Petr has thrown himself in the journey of fusing his past musical experience with the stories and traditions of folk music of the deep south.

With offices in Chelsea, Manhattan, Rational Animal uses media and special events to increase public awareness about NYC’s at-risk animals. They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit working to improve the lives of homeless animals, working animals, and wildlife by using media to communicate the actions people can take to help animals and prevent harm to them.

Emilio Teubal at NYC’s Iridium, December 19th

December 7, 2009 No comments »

Emilio Teubal Portraits by Sergio R Reyes 1 g a‘….Emilio Teubal is making a name for himself among the growing roster of young modern pianists and musicians’ Raul Da Gama, Latin Jazz Network

‘Un Monton de Notas is one of the strongest Latin jazz albums of the year and one I highly recommend for listeners looking for something new.’ Brad Walseth, Chicago Jazznet

Emilio Teubal & La Balteuband have released two crittically aclaimed albums: ‘La Balteuband’ (2006), and the recently released ‘Un monton de notas’ (2009)

The band:
Emilio Teubal: piano
Franco Pinna: Drums
Marcelo Woloski: percussion
Moto Fukushima: electric bass
Sam Sadigursky: clarinet and sop. sax
Xavier Perez: tenor and sop sax, flute
Greg Heffernan: cello

Iridium is located at 1615 Broadway (at 51st) in New York. Tickets: 212-582-2121 » Read more: Emilio Teubal at NYC’s Iridium, December 19th

Screening of Uruguayan film features live performance by Sabrina Lastman

November 27, 2009 No comments »

197Multiple-award winning Uruguayan film “THE CIRCLE” – EL CIRCULO will be shown at the MUSEO DEL BARRIO – CICLO NUEVO CINE on Wednesday, December 2, 2009  at 6:30 pm. The museum is located at 1230 Fifth Avenue (at 104th Street) in New York. Admission is free

Wednesday is movie night in Latin America, and at El Museo. This session of Nuevo Cine focuses on former Tupamaro leader Dr. Engler, who was held hostage for thirteen years during the Uruguayan dictatorship. Today, a renowned Swedish citizen and scientist, he revisits the places of his painful past, painting an intimate and disturbing portrait of life in prison during a dictatorship. Directed by José Pedro Charlo and Aldo Garay, EL CIRCULO reflects the power of a person facing adversity. Co-Director of the film J. P. Charlo will be present at the screening to share some of his experiences making the movie.

This event is organized by the The Uruguayan Cultural Group of New York and El Museo del Barrio, with the support of the Ministry of Culture & Education in Uruguay.

PROGRAM
Introduction: Gonzalo Casals, Director of Public Programas at El Museo del Barrio
Performance: Sabrina Lastman – voice, Oscar Vallejo – guitar/voice
Screening
J. P Charlo talks with the audience
Reception

» Read more: Screening of Uruguayan film features live performance by Sabrina Lastman

25th Annual Chinese Fine Arts Society Winners Concert on Nov. 22

November 12, 2009 No comments »

confuciusAll first prize winners of the 25th Annual Music Festival in Honor of Confucius Competition are invited to perform at the Winners Concert, held on Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 3:00 pm at the historic Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington, Chicago. As always, this concert, presented by the Chinese Fine Arts Society is free and open to the public. Parents and family, as well as the public, get the chance to hear and enjoy various musical pieces, originating from both the East and West.

This year’s winners are: Garrett Chou, cello; Jonathan Cruz, piano; Amanda Fan, piano; Yoan Ganev, piano; Kevin Hu, violin; Thomas Huang, piano; Ryan Jannak-Huang, piano; Adele Lee, violin; Chloe Lee, violin; Claire Lee, cello; Tabitha Oh, violin; Frank Wu, piano; Josiah Yoo, cello: Joshua Zhu, piano

The Virginia G. Behrendt Scholarship this year goes to the “Eastern Sea Quartet” - Ari Barack Fisher, violin, James Gan Stinehart, cello, Mengsha Gong, viola, Mimi Liu, piano.

The concert also features a guest performance from the Chinese Instrument Category: Angelina Cheng, guzheng.

» Read more: 25th Annual Chinese Fine Arts Society Winners Concert on Nov. 22

An evening of music by Bach, Grovlez, Glazunov, and a world premiere by Debra Kaye

October 27, 2009 No comments »
Jean-Pierre Schmitt

Jean-Pierre Schmitt

Javier Oviedo

Javier Oviedo

debra

Debra Kaye



On Saturday November 7, 2009 at 7:30PM, classical saxophonist Javier Oviedo (soprano and alto saxophones) will appear as a guest artist with the New York Chamber Virtuosi under the baton of conductor Jean-Pierre Schmitt. The benefit concert will take place at the Teatro at the Italian Academy, Columbia University, 1161 Amsterdam Avenue (between 116th/118th Streets). TIckets will not be available at the door but may be purchased in advance for a donation of $35 and can be obtained by calling 917 539 5828. Proceeds will go towards the Classical Saxophone Project, supported by the New York Foundation for the Arts.

PROGRAM:

  • J.S. Bach:  Concerto for oboe and orchestra, transcribed for soprano sax by Javier Oviedo
  • A. Glazunov:   Concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra,
  • Gabriel Grovlez:  Suite for alto saxophone and orchestra,
  • Debra Kaye:  Changing Forms
  • Eugene Bozza:  Aria, (orchestration by Jean-Pierre Schmitt)
  • Louis Mayeur:  Variations Brillantes on the Carnival of Venise (orchestration by Schmitt)
  • Saint-Saens:  Le Deluge
  • Pierne:   Menuet du Roy and La Veillee de l’Ange Gardien » Read more: An evening of music by Bach, Grovlez, Glazunov, and a world premiere by Debra Kaye

New Music from Argentina at Galapagos Art Space (Brooklyn), October 25.

October 5, 2009 No comments »

Otero-R1-exterior jpgemilioArgentinean musicians Fernando Otero & Emilio Teubal will perform at Brooklyn’s Galapagos Art Space on Sunday, October 25 at 7pm. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased in advance at www.galapagosartspace.com. Galapagos is located at 16 Main Street in the DUMBO area of Brooklyn and can be reached at 718 222 8500.

Today in New York City, thousands of miles away from Buenos Aires, there’s a new wave of composers making Argentinean music from today. Their influences can also be traced from many different sources. » Read more: New Music from Argentina at Galapagos Art Space (Brooklyn), October 25.

Rob Mosher’s Storytime at Jazz Vespers – St. Peter’s Church on Oct. 4

September 20, 2009 No comments »

cd-storytime-tortoise-200x200Rob Mosher’s band Storytime – whose new album, The Tortoise, is a lushly scored musical odyssey that contains echoes of Wayne Shorter, Gil Evans, Kurt Weill, Darius Milhaud, Debussy and Bach – reflects Mosher’s embrace of a wide range of influences which have coalesced to create his singularly independent compositional voice. Storytime traverses many musical landscapes — all held together by Mosher’s multi-faceted orchestration and ingenious use of instrumentation (saxophones, oboe, English horn, clarinets, flute, trumpet, French horn, trombone, electric and acoustic guitar, plus bass and drums).jazzquartet-2

A Canadian currently residing in New York City, award winning composer and performer Rob Mosher plays oboe, English horn and soprano sax.

On October 4, from 5-7pm, Storytime will be the featured band at St. Peter’s Church Jazz Vespers. Read more about this unique church and their jazz ministry here.

St. Peter’s Church is at 619 Lexington Ave at 54th street in New York City. Admission is free.

Music for Farms

September 7, 2009 No comments »
J&E003janetmaya

John McDowell and Emmanuel Vukovich. Photo by Janet Maya.

OK here’s my disclaimer right off the bat – YES!, composer and musician John McDowell is my brother. But much more than that, he’s the composer of the original soundtrack to the Academy Award winning documentary Born into Brothels and in his various guises and bands, he’s been heard at Lincoln Center, the UN, the Montreal Jazz Festival, and at many music, dance and theater festivals throughout Europe and North America. He has performed and recorded with artists ranging from Sting, Carlos Santana, and Krishna Das to Rusted Root.

John has been an organic, biodynamic farmer in Rockland County, NY for many years. Now, he brings his interest in music and farming together, thanks to a duo project with Canadian violin virtuoso (and also farmer!) Emmanuel Vukovich, winner of Canada’s first Golden Violin award. Operating under the name Music for Farms, the group has a mission to revive and sustain local organic agriculture and farming communities through the arts.

The duo will weave an evening of music inspired by an exploration of connecting opposites – such as in their original work based on Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parcifal legend, the meeting of Eastern and Western classical music in their own transcription of Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Menuhin’s Swara Kakali, in their personal backgrounds of jazz and classical music, and finally in their own lives of practicing music and farming side by side.

Upcoming performances in New York and Canada include:

September 18 at the Heliconian Club in Toronto, Canada (As a tie-in to the Toronto International Film Festival’s premiere of documentary film Stolen)
September 20 at Novalis Hall, Angus, Ontario, Canada
October 1 at the Golden Key Society in New York City

The performers will also share some of their experience as farmers and present an excerpt from a film about music and farming entitled Bach in a Barn. Violinist Vukovich states “Originally, music, dance, and artistic culture in general were strongly inter-connected to, and a part of, our human civilization’s relationship to nature. This was expressed in traditional agrarian society through rituals in rhythm with the seasons – such as harvest festivals. As people have migrated more and more to large urban centres, artistic cultural life has tended to separate from agricultural life. We go to concerts in the city, and we get our food from farms in the country. This has often created a void and famine of culture and arts in rural farming communities, and a corresponding disconnect/abstraction in the arts.”  To this end, the proceeds from this event will go towards the creation of a foundation which works to connect world-class music-making and artistic culture with local sustainable agriculture and farming communities.

Brock Featured in Rashied Tribute

August 30, 2009 No comments »
Rashied Ali

Rashied Ali

Zach Brock

Zach Brock

Brooklyn based jazz violinist Zach Brock will be featured in A Memorial Tribute to Rashied Ali at Manhattan’s Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleeker Street on Saturday, September 5th at 7pm

The tribute will feature Collective Language – Gregg Bendian, drums and Brock, violin (The Mahavishnu Project) with Jon Irabagon, sax (2008 Thelonius Monk Award winner) and Peter Brendler, bass – interpreting the music of “Interstellar Space” and late-period Coltrane.

The late Rashied Ali, born Robert Patterson (July 1, 1935 – August 12, 2009) was an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz drummer best known for playing with John Coltrane in the last years of Coltrane’s life.

Here’s more about Zach — his official bio: » Read more: Brock Featured in Rashied Tribute

Songstresses from the Edge

August 23, 2009 No comments »

Songstresses1Songstresses from the Edge are singers, composers, & instrumentalists who are performing original art songs by themselves as well as premieres by leading New York composers. Spearheaded by cellist, composer and vocalist Jody Redhage, their next venture is this coming Saturday, Aug. 29 at 8:00 at the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn.

Jody will be playing a solo set of new compositions she’s commissioned for voice, cello & electronics, including:

  • Christian Carey- “Song” and “Otherwise” (words Jane Kenyon)
  • Lainie Fefferman- “Slash Plus” for voice, cello, & clarinet
  • Daniel Felsenfeld- “From Sleepless Nights” (words Elizabeth Hardwick)
  • Missy Mazzoli- “A Thousand Tongues” (words Stephen Crane)
  • Molly Thompson- “Rhapsody’ (words Cynthia Huntington)

Also on the program is a set of original duo compositions by Daisy Press & Jody (duos for voices, cello & electronics), sets by Molly Thompson and Kamala Sankaram, and a guest appearance by clarinetist Eileen Mack.

Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009
8:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn
124 Henry Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
www.fpcbrooklyn.org
2/3 to Clark St. is the closest train

$10

With performers Jody Redhage, Daisy Press, Molly Thompson, Kamala Sankaram & Eileen Mack

Music by Redhage, Press, Thompson, Sankaram, Christian Carey, Lainie Fefferman, Daniel Felsenfeld, & Missy Mazzoli.

Line-ups for Free September 11th Concerts announced!

August 17, 2009 1 comment »
La Strada

La Strada

headshotretouched2

Jody Redhage

For the third year in a row, I will be volunteer curator of a stage of music at Union Square in conjunction with the September Concert, a fantastic organization that produces and promotes musical events for peace all over NYC and the world on September 11th.

This year, in addition to the Union Square stage, I am also producing a more intimate evening concert at South Oxford Space in Brooklyn, thanks to my wonderful friends at American Opera Projects, one of the resident organizations at the space.

Both concerts are free. For the open air Union Square concert, just come on down. For the indoor South Oxford Space show, I recommend that you order your free tickets in advance. You can also just show up – more than likely there will be space! This concert is being held under the auspices of American Opera Projects’ Helping Hands program. Directions to the space are here.

samsadigursky1web

Saxophonist Sam Sadigursky

The evening show has the theme/title: “Home Grown: a Harvest of Fresh Music for Peace.” It includes performances of mostly original music by Brooklyn- and New York City area-based classical and jazz musicians and also features fresh organic produce from local farms.

LINE UP UNION SQUARE, South side of square on 14th street, Manhattan
12 noon Oran Etkin / Abdoulaye Diabate Duo
1pm Zach Brock Trio
2pm Sing-a-long of song “Give Us Hope.”
2:05pm The DAAD Quartet featuring Can Olgun – piano, Martin Schulte – guitar, Johannes Felscher – bass, and Peter Gall – drums.
3pm Rob Mosher’s Storytime
4pm Jody Redhage and Fire in July
5pm La Strada

LINE UP SOUTH OXFORD SPACE, 138 South Oxford Street, Fort Greene, Brooklyn
8pm Pianist John McDowell and violinist Emmanuel Vukovich
8:45pm The Words Project w/Sam Sadigursky, Christine Correa and Dan Tepfer
9:30pm DAAD Quartet featuring Can Olgun – piano, Martin Schulte – guitar, Johannes Felscher – bass, and Martin Kruemmling – drums.
10:15pm Frank Carlberg Trio w/Christine Correa and John O’Gallagher

Questions? Contact me!