Drummer Jeff Hamilton’s band with Tamir Hendelman and Christoph Luty takes its place in the trio pantheon with Live from San Pedro

Drummer Jeff Hamilton’s band with Tamir Hendelman and Christoph Luty takes its place in the trio pantheon with
Live from San Pedro

Mainstream perfection as delivered by three spirited virtuosos
 

Available February 16, 2018 on Capri Records 

 

“The joy is evident in the music itself.  Hamilton, Hendelman and Luty have a sublime rapport.” – Bobby Reed, DownBeat Magazine Editor’s Pick

 “Joy – unbounded, infectious, irresistible – that’s what Jeff Hamilton and his trio deliver.” – Geoffrey C. Ward, co-author of Jazz: A History of America’s Music

Little did anyone imagine that it would take a masterly drummer to pick up the mantle of the late, great Oscar Peterson as a leader of outstanding piano, bass and drum trios. Still, those with attuned ears will recognize that Jeff Hamilton has assembled one of the most meticulous and exciting small ensembles of present day jazz. With the virtuosic pianist Tamir Hendelman and the redoubtable bassist Christoph Luty working in swinging tandem alongside him, Hamilton–one of the most acclaimed drummers of the past five decades–reasserts his role as an invaluable bandleader. Live from San Pedro, available February 16, 2018 via Capri Records, is proof that the chemistry between these three equally gifted and assertive players remains unabated 17 years into the group’s existence. Nodding to the grand tradition that predates them, yet eager to put a fresh face on the musical proceedings, the Hamilton trio stakes its place as a classic ensemble within the hallowed history of piano trios.

Captured at a single night’s performance at the Alvas Showroom in San Pedro, California, the trio dives deep into an imaginative repertoire that includes bop standards (“In Walked Bud”), a beloved ballad (“I Have Dreamed”), reworked show tunes (“Gary, Indiana”), a classic from the Ahmad Jamal playbook (“Poinciana”) and a host of original tunes from group members and others including John Clayton and Joe LaBarbera. The set demonstrates the indivisible unity that the threesome has achieved, as well as the individual virtuosity of each distinguished trio member. While not overtly resembling the trios of Oscar Peterson, the Hamilton trio shares the same rigorous adherence to stop-on-a-dime arrangements, careful dynamics and perfectly framed improvisations. 

While asserting his leadership through his extraordinary rhythmic control, not to mention his exquisite taste, Hamilton is the opposite of a grandstanding percussionist. As Geoffrey C. Ward has written, “He’s a musician first and foremost, always eager to serve the music, not to make the music serve him.” One of the great practitioners of the art of brushwork, Hamilton gets to exhibit his mastery throughout the recording; his feature, “Brush This,” composed by the bassist John Clayton (Hamilton’s cohort in the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra) is a special treat. His equally renowned stick work is also abundantly on display. With Hamilton navigating the trio through its paces, and Hendelman and Luty locking in with communal exactness, the band becomes a well-oiled, yet creatively inspired, swing machine.  

One of the giants of mainstream jazz drumming, Jeff Hamilton has been heard with the big bands of Woody Herman and Count Basie, and as a member of the popular L.A. 4, as well as with such icons as Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Brown, Monty Alexander and Oscar Peterson. In addition to his work with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Hamilton has appeared with Diana Krall both in performance and on recordings.  Live from San Pedro is his third Capri Records album with the Jeff Hamilton trio.

The Israeli-born Tamir Hendelman has played with such luminaries as Tierney Sutton, Teddy Edwards and Harry Allen, and is the pianist for the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Christoph Luty is also a member of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and has worked with Diana Krall, John Pizzarelli and Milt Jackson, among others.

Syrinx Effect Releases First Full-Length LP: A Sky You Could Strike A Match On

Syrinx Effect Releases First Full-Length LP:
A Sky You Could Strike A Match On

Syrinx Effect’s Kate Olson and Naomi Siegel consider A Sky You Could Strike A Match On to be their “pop” album. Their first full-length vinyl release features a slight departure from their previous ambient, improvised, and experimentally constructed EPs. The tunes on A Sky You Could Strike A Match On are closer to jazz standards or folks songs, with recurring composed melodies separated by layered improvisations. Naomi’s composition Redwood Cry, for example, is marked by a haunting melody that transitions into a raucous trombone solo, back to the melody, and then on to a flowing and placid soprano saxophone improvisation. The track ends with a return to the melody, much the way a country tune would reprise the chorus one last time.

Both Kate Olsen (soprano saxophone) and Naomi Siegel (trombone) originally hail from the Midwest: Kate spent her formative years in Wyoming and Michigan, and Naomi was raised in Illinois and graduated college in Ohio. Their band Syrinx Effect, however, was born on the West Coast in Seattle. They met at the renowned Racer Sessions, a weekly, all-ages improv jam session. Their music has always been built from the combination of improvised and composed sections, and this latest release is no exception. Each performer demonstrates prowess, thoughtfulness and virtuosity whether taking a solo or playing a supporting role.

This is a uniquely personal record for Naomi and Kate. Both women were living and working in Seattle while writing the material for A Sky You Could Strike A Match On, but the album is a combination travelogue and scrapbook. From the skittering of a crab on the Hawaiian island of Molokai to the sounds of a water gun fight in the hot summer sun, each track recalls the travels or musings of its composer. Naomi’s Gretta Returns to Dream imagines the inner life of a happy chicken, and Kate’s Bottomfeeders is an homage to delicious denizens of the deep, like catfish and lobster. As the band started in Seattle, it will continue to grow and be influenced by Naomi’s new home in Missoula, MT. Syrinx Effect looks forward to bringing this new album to entirely new audiences, close to home and abroad.

Kate and Naomi often write music independently, bringing fully-formed tunes to rehearsal with each other, and they use the rehearsal studio as a creative space to refine and flesh out their ideas. On A Sky You Could Strike A Match On, their third self-released album, they also invited drummer/producer/recording engineer Eric Eagle into the mix. Eric was instrumental in the polishing of each track for its eventual release, and created the majority of the drum sounds in the studio himself. Kate’s composition The Bankrobber Song features Eric at the drumset, cuing tempo changes and breathing life into the New Orleans-style group improvisation at the end. The music was recorded in 2016 and 2017 primarily at Eric’s studio, Skoorsound.

Eric’s contributions in the studio also gave the duo new ideas for live performance. The sounds that Naomi, Kate, and Eric created in the studio, from hand claps and glass bottles clinking to bass drum and snare hits, can now be triggered during the performance of each song. The album opens with Naomi’s composition Cameronathon, which starts with an open groove that the band adapted to live performance with a combination of live tambourine and triggered studio sounds. It was this innovation that spurred the duo to seek a support grant from Seattle’s 4Culture. They were awarded a generous grant, which has given Syrinx Effect the freedom to finish the record and release it independent of any record label.

The music on A Sky You Could Strike A Match On often defies categorization. It’s jazz-ish, but it’s not jazz. The melodies sound like folk songs, but trombone and soprano saxophone are there to replace the trademark plaintive vocals and twangy guitars. Each track has an electronic element, but the sounds come from acoustic instruments. The inspiration for each composition is rooted in a synthesis of the beauty of the natural world and the dichotomies of city living. Syrinx Effect’s website calls the music “interstellar folk punk jazz.” This album delivers on all counts.

Syrinx Effect Press:

“Utilizing looping, distortion pedals, and a laptop, the two women create varied landscapes of sound—forests, skylines, desolate plains—populated with sympathetic voices, their instruments bending and slashing to achieve an expressiveness usually reserved for strings.....playful, unpredictable, and, most important, just plain interesting.” —Mark Baumgarten, Seattle Weekly

“... dreaming music... it just happens to occasionally chatter and fling about in its sleep.... lovely melodic lines, perpetually intertwining and unraveling, inspire more liveliness than an ambient hush can contain.” —Dave Sumner, www.birdistheworm.com

“... the two artists have created a sound and a world that is all their own, and have provided the listener with a musical journey that is not only aurally stimulating, but life affirming. Outstanding!” —Stefan Wood, www.freejazzblog.com

“The genius of the music lies not so much in the performance of it — which is captivating, anyway — as it does in its conception. Any musician can go get these toys, but Syrinx Effect knows how to use ’em.” —S. Victor Aaron, Something Else Reviews

For more information visit:  www.syrinxeffect.com

The Carl Michel Group “Music In Motian – The Compositons Of Paul Motian”

The Carl Michel Group
“Music In Motian – The Compositons Of Paul Motian”
Play On Records 1003-2 2018

The music of drummer/composer Paul Motian is revered in certain circles of jazz, while res4ng
in obscurity among others. The performing credits of Motian run deep and are extensive, but as
a author of highly original music, he lies in the under-documented category. This will not last
much longer as, in the years since his passing, his followers are carrying the torch, one such
notable being guitarist Carl Michel.

Michel (pronounced Michael) has recognized the contribu4ons of Paul Motian, and he has recreated
a complete repertoire of his music. Ann Arbor-based jazz guitarist and composer Michel
now has recorded a compendium of Mo4an's music played with expert musicians from
Southeastern Michigan, a one-of-a-kind tribute to Paul Mo4an's music, with adapta4ons and
extrapola4ons akin to the fer4le musical mind Michael is inspired by.

The late drummer Paul Motian was an icon not only among his fellow percussionists but as a
composer in his own right. In additon to performing with his own group, he performed with
the great pianist Bill Evans’ trio and the legendary Keith JarreO-led mid-70s small ensemble,
while working sidebar gigs with Charlie Haden and Bill Frisell and recording for the Nonesuch,
ECM and Winter & Winter labels, among others. Motian became important in many addi4onal
ways as a mentor and unique presence in modern jazz.

In his research on and recording of Mo4an’s music, Michel discovered a blog of Cindy McGuirl,
Paul Motian’s niece, who has self-publishing a book, “The Composi4ons of Paul Mo4an Volume
1 1973-1989.” Volume 2 of Motian’s composi4ons will be out early 2018. Her blog, 4tled “Uncle
Paul’s Jazz Closet,” has podcasts of radio shows that she curates featuring her uncle’s music.
As far as Michels’ connec4on to Paul Mo4an’s music, it goes back to his early interest in jazz. “I
got informa4on from record stores - the first record I had was a Wes Montgomery/Milt Jackson
album, then Ralph Towner and Gary Burton. I liked the ECM label and the sound. I fell into John
Abercrombie and Pat Metheny preOy hard, but I found a promo copy of Dance by Paul Mo4an
on ECM, and at first I didn’t get it, but I loved the spacious sound, and there was no other
drummer so unique. I got acquainted with Keith JarreO’s American Quartet and Quintet. But it
was Paul Mo4an's Live In Tokyo that really turned the light on, and I realized so much in his
music - elements of Thelonious Monk, Eastern European music and OrneOe Coleman coming
together in his wri4ng - and it hit a peak.”

“I tried to get in touch with him, wrote to the record label - his music is not in The Real Book -
and he graciously sent me 10-12 copies of his music. There’s a lot of depth, and you see how the
wri4ng is becoming stronger. By then, he was not touring, only playing in New York, and I went
to the Village Vanguard to hear him, Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano. It was religious and
mesmerizing. Aier he passed away in 2011, I was able to meet others through the internet who
were interested in his music and had copies and was able to exchange music with them. I wrote
his music administrator to see if I could get more, was able to, and did the recording project of
which I’m proud.”

Now, as a definitive statement, the music of Paul Motian is available to the world through the
keen lens of Carl Michel for all the world to hear, listen to, and deeply enjoy.

1 India 6:42
2 Mode VI 5:57
3 In The Year Of The Dragon 5:37
4 Abacus 5:23
5 Birdsong 1:14
6 Osmosis 3:55
7 From Time To Time 3:50
8 Arabesque 4:08
9 It Should Have Happened A Long Time Ago 4:52
10 Circle Dance 3:49

All Composi4ons By Paul Motian © Yazgol Music-BMI

Carl Michel - Guitar
Mick Dobday - Piano
Dan Kolton - Bass
Alex Trajano - Drums
Recorded in 2013 & 2014

Solid Sound, Eric Wojahn, Engineer
Additional Recording at Tempermill Studios, Tony Hamera, Engineer
Mixed & Mastered at Solid Sound, Eric Wojahn, Engineer
Produced By Carl Michel
Front Cover Photo by MaOhew Sussman
Back Cover Photo by Brent Bacher
Package Design by Stephaine Layton
©℗Play On Records 2018
Play On Records 1003-2

PIANIST/COMPOSER LESLIE PINTCHIK RELEASES SIXTH CD YOU EAT MY FOOD, YOU DRINK MY WINE, YOU STEAL MY GIRL!

PIANIST/COMPOSER LESLIE PINTCHIK RELEASES SIXTH CD

YOU EAT MY FOOD, YOU DRINK MY WINE, YOU STEAL MY GIRL!

WITH STELLAR BAND, FEBRUARY 23, 2018

 

Featuring Steve Wilson, Ron Horton, Shoko Nagai, Scott Hardy, Michael Sarin, and Satoshi Takeishi

 

 "...a composer of emotional depth and effortless lyricism." – DownBeat

 

"Getting lost in this music is simply a joy." – All About Jazz

 

"A crafty, lyrically minded improviser and a compelling composer..." – The New Yorker

 

"...achingly beautiful...a level of intimacy that is rare today in jazz." – JazzWax.com

 

CD Release concert at Jazz at Kitano on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018

 

Pianist and composer Leslie Pintchik found the title for her new album in one of those "only in New York" moments. While crossing Canal Street at West Broadway in the SoHo section of Manhattan, she heard a voice behind her yell, "You eat my food, you drink my wine, you steal my girl!" As it happened, she'd just completed writing a new composition, and at that very moment she knew she'd found its title. It was a perfect fit for the sharp-elbows vibe of the piece, with its samba-funk groove, understated humor and fender-bender of an ending. So with one gruff shout, serendipity handed her a bold, spunky title, for a bold, spunky tune.

 

With its implied but elusive narrative and personality to spare, the outburst also turned out to be a perfect title for Pintchik's new recording, which features six of her original tunes and two standards. As on her five previous albums, Pintchik has penned a collection of songs overflowing with warmth, humor, tenderness, depth and smarts - without forsaking her razor-sharp edge. Pintchik is unique in combining a brisk energy and drive with a gift for accessible, infectious melodies - like that overheard accusation, her music strikes a unique balance between the sharp-edged and the charming. You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl! will be released February 23, 2018 via Pintch Hard Records.

In his liner notes for the CD, Allen Morrison writes "As a composer, [Pintchik is] like a novelist, unspooling each song like a good story with twists and turns, and with a story-teller's patience and sense of form. And, like a good novel, her songs appeal to both the head and the heart; they are subtle, sometimes wry, sometimes somber. I think they're not-so-buried treasures, waiting to be discovered by other jazz artists." In addition, the wide range of grooves (samba-funk with a touch of partido alto, swing, bolero, traditional samba, straight-eighths, and ballads-all played with exceptional skill and pizzazz by Leslie and her top-notch band members) is a great added pleasure.

For this outing, Pintchik returns once again with the musicians with whom she has played and recorded for many years: Steve Wilson on alto sax, Ron Horton on trumpet and flugelhorn, Scott Hardy on bass and guitar, drummer Michael Sarin, and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi. On accordion, Shoko Nagai is the newcomer, and a wonderfully intriguing addition to the mix. Recalling the recording session, Pintchik said "I had the time of my life playing with these extraordinary musicians and people, all gems and superb players."

"You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl!" is not the only mouthful of a title on the album. It's topped by "Your call will be answered by our next available representative, in the order in which it was received. Please stay on the line; your call is important to us," which should instantly raise the blood pressure of anyone who's ever wasted hours of their life on hold to fix - or at least attempt to - a problem that's already wasted too much time. Fueled by that all-too-common experience, the tune swings hard with a fervor born of equal parts frustration and an antic comic spirit. Special kudos to the rhythm section for its drive amidst the unexpected stops and starts.

>From the playful to the poignant: Pintchik's ballad "Mortal" was written, she says, "to express a sense of life's fragility, beauty, and especially shortness." A highlight of the set, "Mortal" showcases a fearless use of space and silence, and gorgeous heart-on-the-sleeve solos from Pintchik, Wilson, Horton and Hardy. (Of particular note is Horton's flugelhorn solo, which is both beautiful and wrenching.) On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, "Happy Dog," as its name suggests, is a cheerful tune. Shoko Nagai plays the melody in unison with Pintchik, and the samba-based rhythm provides a simpatico backdrop for the wonderfully frisky solos of Pintchik, Hardy and Takeishi.

Like Pintchik's tunes, Edward Hopper's paintings are renowned for suggesting stories not quite told in full within the confines of their canvases. A tune with a straight eighths time feel that features Shoko Nagai on accordion, "Hopperesque" was inspired by the iconic artist's work, especially those paintings that depict people in the kind of threshold moments that provoke the viewer to wonder what happened before, and what might come after, the scene we're presented with. "I've tried," Pintchik says, "to capture that feeling of mystery."

One of the earliest tunes written for the album, "A Simpler Time" was inspired by the composer's trip to the Hancock Shaker Village in Massachusetts, where she was touched by the rare adult cradles that she saw, used to soothe the elderly and infirm. Pintchik characterizes the piece as "an adult lullaby." In his liner notes, Morrison writes "There's an emotional maturity to it that seems to acknowledge that life itself is not simple, that we are often overwhelmed with hard choices and mixed emotions, and we have a universal need for kindness. As with so many of Leslie's songs, the melody is memorable, but not simple."

Approaching the album's standards with the same unique perspective and wry insight that she brings to her own tunes, Pintchik plays the jazz and pop standard "I'm Glad There Is You" as a bolero, which affords the melody of this love song a lot of breathing room. In his liner notes to the CD, Allen Morrison writes "It's one of the most tender readings of this great song (by Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Madeira) that I've ever heard." The Jerome Kern/Otto Harbach chestnut "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" is played as a samba, with an added catchy rhythmic hook that bookends the melody. This version features a wonderfully relaxed rhythm section that, in the ending tag, builds up a strong head of caffeinated Brazilian steam, before the rhythmic hook returns, and it's over and out.

Leslie Pintchik Short Bio
Before embarking on a career in jazz, Leslie Pintchik was a teaching assistant in English literature at Columbia University, where she also received her Master of Philosophy degree in seventeenth-century English literature. She first surfaced on the Manhattan scene in a trio with legendary bassist Red Mitchell at Bradley's, and in the ensuing years Pintchik formed her own trio which performs regularly at New York City jazz venues. Pintchik's debut CD So Glad To Be Here was released in June 2004, followed by Quartets in 2007. About So Glad To Be Here, Ken Micallef wrote in DownBeat "Pintchik's music is fresh, full of light and instantly invigorating (4 stars)." In the fall of 2010, she released her third CD We're Here To Listen, as well as a DVD Leslie Pintchik Quartet Live In Concert.  Jim Wilke, creator of the nationally syndicated "Jazz After Hours" radio show included We're Here To Listen on his "Best CDs of 2010" list, and the jazz journalist and scholar W. Royal Stokes included both projects in his "Best of 2010" list. Pintchik's fourth CD In The Nature Of Things was released on March, 2014. Steve Futterman, in The New Yorker magazine, called it "...one of the more captivating recordings to come out so far this year...", and Gary Walker of WBGO jazz radio called it "...a gorgeous display of the trio." In his review of Pintchik's fifth CD True North-released in March, 2016-Dan Bilawsky in AllAboutJazz.com wrote "Leslie Pintchik's music has a magical draw to itŠ Getting lost in this music is simply a joy. If 2016 has a more pleasurable listen to offer than True North, this writer hasn't heard it yet. (4 1/2 stars)"

In addition to composing the music for her band, Leslie has also written the liner notes for some notable recent jazz CDs, including Duologue by saxophonist Steve Wilson and drummer Lewis Nash (on the MCG label), and Daybreak by pianist Bruce Barth (on the Savant label).

LA LEGENDARIA ORQUESTA CUBANA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB® LLEGA A PUERTO RICO EN SU ÚLTIMA GIRA MUNDIAL

LA LEGENDARIA ORQUESTA CUBANA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB^®

LLEGA A PUERTO RICO EN SU ÚLTIMA GIRA MUNDIAL

Presentando a Omara Portuondo, Elíades Ochoa, Manuel “Guajiro” Mirabal,

Barbarito Torres y Jesús "Aguaje" Ramos

Por Rosalía Ortiz Luquis

La legendaria agrupación cubana Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club^® se presentará por última vez en Puerto Rico el sábado 7 de noviembre en el Coliseo Roberto Clemente de San Juan.

Tras casi 20 años emocionando a públicos de todo el mundo, la Buena Vista Social Club^® inició su “Adiós Tour” en el verano del 2014, presentándose desde entonces en una serie de conciertos y eventos culturales que celebran el legendario viaje de la orquesta como principales embajadores de la música cubana. Esta gira es considerada hoy uno de los principales eventos musicales del mundo, con más de 80 conciertos programados —muchos de ellos con entradas agotadas— en Australia, Nueva Zelanda, Japón, Europa, América Latina y Estados Unidos.

"Queremos que nuestra música perdure en el tiempo y que sigamos encantando al mundo; y esto es lo que hemos conseguido con nuestros conciertos. (La Buena Vista Social Club^®) ha sido una parte increíble de mi vida y de mi carrera", expresó con entusiasmo la cantante Omara Portuondo, una de las principales exponentes del fílin en Cuba y América Latina.

La Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club^® surgió tras el muy recordado y aclamado proyecto de 1997, ganador de un Grammy, y al día de hoy su formación sigue incluyendo a varios de los artistas originales que figuran en la histórica grabación y en la película homónima del realizador alemán Wim Wenders. Esta fue nominada a un premio Oscar en 1999.

El #AdiósTour es una síntesis de más de mil conciertos que han involucrado a una cuarentena de músicos en los pasados 18 años. Durante este tiempo el grupo se ha convertido en una dinámica y multigeneracional big band, donde los veteranos y los más jóvenes se han unido para celebrar con gran elegancia la tradición musical cubana.

Bajo la dirección artística de Jesús “Aguaje” Ramos —líder de la banda y trombonista—, la formación el #AdiósTour cuenta con varios de los músicos originales de la orquesta,  que incluyen a Omara Portuondo (voz), Elíades Ochoa (guitarra), Manuel “Guajiro” Mirabal (trompeta) y Barbarito Torres (laúd).

Acompañándolos en el escenario estarán algunos de los músicos que a lo largo de los años se han unido al proyecto, como el veterano maestro del tres Papi Oviedo, el virtuoso pianista Rolando Luna, una excelente sección rítmica compuesta por Pedro Pablo (contrabajo), Andrés Coayo (congas), Filiberto Sánchez (timbales) y Alberto 'La Noche' (bongós), además de un conjunto de trompetas liderados por Luis Alemañy, el célebre sonero Carlos Calunga y la joven sensación del canto Idania Valdés.

Desde el son hasta las guajiras, danzones, boleros, cha cha chá y rumbas, la Buena Vista Social Club presentará sus temas más conocidos ya convertidos en clásicos, canciones inéditas y versiones propias de temas cubanos populares. El repertorio será un fiel reflejo del pasado y del presente de la orquesta, con homenajes a muchos de los grandes músicos que han contribuido de un modo muy singular en la historia de la banda y que han fallecido.

Los boletos para el concierto en Puerto Rico están disponibles en TicketPop, en la dirección www.ticketpop.com o en el 787-294-0001.

- - -

La autora es presidenta de Omío Music World LLC, empresa de representaciones artísticas y producción de eventos.

# # #

“Vibrante actuación. Una música que indiscutiblemente sigue vive y respira”

THE TIMES

“Llevan la atmósfera hasta dejarte sin aliento”

THE INDEPENDENT

“La gran sensación internacional”

THE NEW YORKER

Jazz and Bossa Artist of the Month (March 2015): Furito Ríos

Jazz and Bossa Artist of the Month (March 2015): Furito Ríos

Egresado de la Escuela Libre de Música, alternó sus estudios tocando música latina con grandes orquestas y reconocidos artistas. En 1986 ingresa a Berklee College of Music de Boston, allí estudió con Bill Pierce, Andy Mcgee además de tomar clases magistrales con Michael Brecker. Graduado de Composición del Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico se convirtió en el cuarto estudiante en la historia del conservatorio que lo logra. Posee una maestría en Educación Musical de Cambridge College y Estudios Post Graduados en Música de Boston University. Furito se ha destacado en la ejecución de varios instrumentos; saxofones alto, tenor, soprano, barítono, flauta, piccolo y clarinetes, además de ser compositor y arreglista de varios géneros musicales. Su versatilidad musical lo ha llevado a tocar con cientos de artistas tanto nacionales como internacionales como; Michel Camilo, Ray Barreto, Arturo Sandoval, Giovanni Hidalgo, Jerry González, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, David Sánchez, Eddie Palmieri, Ilan Chester, Franco de Vita, Isabel Pantojas, Paloma San Basilio, Raphael, José José, Roberto Carlos, Marco Antonio Solis, Bobby Valentín, y Gilberto Santa Rosa entre muchos otros. Ríos ha formado parte de más de 300 grabaciones incluyendo una con el compositor Luis Cobos y La Royal Philarmonic de Londres. Es miembro votante de La Academia Latina y la Americana.

Ha tocado en varios musicales; Latin Quarter en Las Vegas, Questionable Quest en el Beacon Theater de Broadway, Phantom of the Opera y Guys and Dolls. Ha sido el compositor de varias obras teatrales entre ellas; El Retablillo de Lorca, Carmen de Bisset, El Vapor Costanero y otras. Desde 1997 ha participado como clarinetista con La Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico algunos de los conciertos incluyen: Mahler, Bartòk, Ravel y el Concierto: 40 años de la Sinfónica entre otros. Desde 1994 tiene su propio grupo de Jazz que reúne a grandes músicos puertorriqueños, ha tocado a través de todo PR incluyendo un histórico concierto en el Ateneo de PR donde hacía más de 20 años no se presentaba éste género musical. Ha tocado en el “Michelob Jazz Fest” 1990 al 92, Heineken Jazz Fest 1991 al 2001. En 1995 la participación de su grupo en el festival fue una de las favoritas tanto para el público como para la crítica. Participó en el Curazao Jazz Festival donde compartió tarima con George Benson y Paquito D’ Rivera. Fue artista invitado junto a su cuarteto del V Festival de Jazz de La República Dominicana, donde compartió tarima con Arturo Sandoval entre otros. Crea una exitosa serie de conciertos llamada; Jazzeando en la Plaza que desde el 2001 reúne a grandes músicos del Jazz en Puerto Rico.

Ríos fue comisionado por El Maestro Kristoff Pendereski para componer una pieza para el Festival Casals del 2002, la pieza titulada Monte David fué tocada por el cuarteto, Racher de Alemania en Puerto Rico e Islas Vírgenes. THE TIME: 6:38 su primer disco como solista salió al mercado en marzo del 2001. Su segundo disco “Cuatro al Jazz” fue todo un éxito en la prensa local como internacional. Durante el mes de noviembre del 2004 fue comisionado para componer dos piezas para la orquesta Sinfónica del Bronx. Durante el 2011 fue comisionado para orquestar y interpretar sus composiciones en un histórico concierto de Jazz y Orquesta Sinfónica, llamado Go Pop. Furito con su compañía Taller S & R creó, produjo y dirigió El Festival de Jazz Boriquén 2001 al 2007. Durante los últimos años ha sido el productor musical, director y compositor de varios CD’s, DVD’s comisionados por diversas empresas Españolas. Tomado de FanPage Furito Ríos

“America the Beautiful” by Alan Broadbent and NDR Bigband has been nominated for Best Big Band Album of the Year for an ECHO JAZZ 2015 award.

“America the Beautiful” by Alan Broadbent and NDR Bigband has been nominated for Best Big Band Album of the Year for an ECHO JAZZ 2015 award. The ECHO AWARD is like the Grammy Award for Germany.

You can find all nominees here: http://www.echojazz.de/nominierte_2015/ (find the big band nominees all the way at the bottom)

The winning album will be announced in mid April 2015 and the awards gala takes place on May 28, 2015 during the ELBJAZZ Festival in Hamburg, Germany.

“America the Beautiful” peaked at #8 on the Jazz Week Radio Charts in the USA.

The biggest jazz station in the USA - WBGO: “Alan Broadbent is first rate - as a pianist, composer and arranger. His approach to his instrument grabs you right away. America The Beautiful, Broadbent’s new recording on Jan Matthies Records, joins his considerable skills with those of the NDR Big Band, the Hamburg Radio Jazz Orchestra, for a tour de force.”

EPK Video (please click on the cover to watch):

The ECHO is one of the world's most important and most prestigious music awards. The German Phono-Akademie, the cultural institute of the German Music Industry Association, honors the most successful and best performing national and international artists with the ECHO annually since 1992.

After a successful debut at the Centennial Hall Bochum and two glorious years at Volkswagen's “Gläsenen Manufaktur” in Dresden, the ECHO Jazz moved to Hamburg.

This year on the 28th of May 2015, the site of the Hamburg shipyard Blohm + Voss will act as venue for the ECHO Jazz award show.

In 2013 Alan Broadbent, jazz pianist, arranger, conductor and composer released his solo album “Heart to Heart” for which he received the rarely given best rating of 5-stars ***** by Downbeat magazine (USA) and Jazz Journal (UK).

On April 23, 2014 his new album together with the NDR Bigband “America the Beautiful” saw the light of day.

The Title “America the Beautiful” is Alan’s way of giving thanks to the country and its people that gave him a life in music: an homage to the American spirit.

During his career so far he has released 15 albums under his own name, 4 of them have received Grammy nominations In 2010 he was nominated in the company of such artists as Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins and Keith Jarrett, and in 2011 the Los Angeles Times named Alan “one of the best living jazz pianists”.

In the early 90s he was asked to be a part of Natalie Cole's famous "Unforgettable" cd, at which time he toured as her pianist and, a little while later, as her conductor. At this time he wrote an orchestral arrangement for her second video with her dad, "When I Fall In Love", which won him his first Grammy for "best orchestral arrangement accompanying a vocal". Shortly after, he became a member of Charlie Haden's Quartet West, touring the festivals of Europe, UK and the USA. It was while with this group that he won his second Grammy, an orchestral accompaniment written for Shirley Horn of Leonard Bernstein's "Lonely Town".

When he left Woody Herman’s band in 1972, he left big bands for good. Well, he thought he had. But a few years ago, he got a couple of commissions that had him rethinking his feelings about big band music and his approach to writing it. For one thing, he needed an outlet for some tunes he had written over the years that Alan thinks have stood the test of time (at least his time). They have strong melodic and harmonic qualities and adapt well to his concept of big band music, which is that the band should behave like a small combo. Soloists improvise on the chord changes, with ensembles constructed simply on the form of the piece so that what ebbs and flows is always recognizable. Another reason was to address the problem of a piano player on the one hand and lots of brass on the other. He wanted to even the odds, giving each element its due. But what brought everything together was a commission for a program with the famous NDR big band. The individual members of the band, to him personalities all, in the best Duke Ellington sense, gave of themselves and made the music come alive as Alan heard it in his mind. Only better!

The NDR Big Band is a jazz band whose members are world class musicians and soloists, independent of their illustrious guest artists. While such jazz stars as Chet Baker, Al Jarreau, Bobby McFerrin, Carla Bley and the legendary Quincy Jones have been welcomed in a variety of musical encounters, the band performs the traditional big band concert repertoire, retaining it’s own impressive style and unique sound. The NDR Big Band has rightly earned its reputation throughout the world as one of the leading professional big bands working today. Since 2008, under the artistic direction of Jörg Achim Keller, the band has continued its pursuit of excellence. In 2013 it won the prestigious ECHO JAZZ AWARD for a production with Stefano Bollani, after having already received the 2010 American “Independent Music Award” in the category “Best Jazz Album” for their album with Omar Sosa.

Alan Broadbent and NDR Bigband – America the Beautiful

Label: Jan Matthies Records, JMR201401, www.janmatthiesrecords.com

Distribution: CD Baby, Alliance Entertainment, Super D; PhonoNet

Retail: CD Baby, amazon, iTunes etc.

www.alanbroadbent.com, www.ndr.de/bigband