"On Descarga for Monk, his ZOHO Music debut (and third recording as a leader overall), the gifted pianist-composer has his way with the high priest of bop in an adventurous all-Monk program that is teaming with the spirit of Spanish duende. Accompanied by jazz musicians of the highest caliber, Conde draws on his own personal experiences in the rich flamenco tradition to craft a stirring set of music that pays tribute to Monk while taking great liberties with the familiar themes and rhythms of such staples as Bemsha Swing, Evidence, Monk’s Dream and others.
“The Bay Area's role as a crucible for Latin jazz experimentation continues apace. Spanish-born pianist Alex Conde released one of the year's most memorable projects with "Descarga For Monk" (Zoho Music), a passionate re-imagining of classic Thelonious Monk compositions through the lens of flamenco.” Andrew Gilbert, KQED
Media Contact
Jim Eigo
Jazz Promo Services
272 State Route 94 South #1
Warwick, NY 10990-3363
Ph: 845-986-1677 / Fax: 845-986-1699
Cell / text: 917-755-8960
Skype: jazzpromo
jim@jazzpromoservices.com
www.jazzpromoservices.com
We play with the style, flair
and dynamic range of the great Count Basie bands, add our own special
feel for the music gained through twenty years of experience playing
together as a unit, and apply it all to a kaleidoscope of great tunes
ranging from classic big band jazz, to standards, to contemporary
fusion.
We
started life almost twenty years ago as a dance band where we learned to
play hard, have fun and keep our dancers happy and out on the dance
floor. We still play for dancers now and then, but over the years we’ve
morphed into something much more and have developed a touch all our
own.
Every tune asks for its own special treatment and we give
each tune what it asks for. The band plays with a range of feeling as
big and diverse as the tunes on this CD. Whether it’s the bluesy drive
of a tune like Switch in Time, the sweetness of Dreamsville, the
light-hearted fun of Cute, or the color and mystery of Madrid, this band
stays true to the heart of each tune and brings it to you. Listen to a
few of the sample tracks and you’ll see what we mean. (Ideally, we’d
like to share all of every tune with you, but thirty seconds is all the
site allows for covers.) We hope you like what you hear, are intrigued
by the music and would like to take us home with you so you can hear
more. Thanks for listening!
In 2013, I began making a greater attempt to play gigs and be on the music scene. Some of the musicians I have been working with over the past two years are Ben Torres (Pacific Mambo Orchestra), Cyril Guirard, Brian Ho, John Shifflet, Chris Shahin and The Cafe Stritch Jam Session.
I am aiming to play more gigs that are of the highest caliber of musicianship for audiences that know and respect jazz and improvisational music. I am interested in traveling in the summer especially for national and international music festivals.
Having refined my musicianship and organizational skills while band leading in public schools these past 9 years, I feel compelled to take on band leading in the professional world. I have reestablished musical associations with exceptionally talented colleagues and have made newer associations with colleagues of the highest caliber.
My most recently recorded project is my first solo album, titled “Pomponio”. It features the amazingly wonderful Warren Wolf on marimba and vibraphone, the remarkable Joel Behrman on trumpet, the sincerely feisty Howard Wiley on soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, the formidable Matthew Clark on piano, wise man John Shifflet on double bass, the groovin’ John Santos on percussion and myself on drum set and a plethora of cymbals.
About Jazz Advice This
project would not have been possible without the generous donations of
our kick-starter sponsors. THANK YOU! Special thanks to the Bright
Moments Quintet, the Burns, Light, and Harrigan families, and everyone
who encouraged us to follow this rainbow. About the songs…What is Jazz
asks a question that has no real answer. Its goal is simply to remind
the listener of the basic elements of Jazz and draw attention to some of
the many Jazz giants. Mighty Man Kirk is a tribute to the great Ohio
Jazz man Rahsaan Roland Kirk and the lessons we can learn from his
legacy. Because We C.A.R.E. is based on a character education program at
Cline Elementary in Centerville City Schools. C.A.R.E. is an anagram
for “Citizenship, Accountability, Respect, and Empathy”. This piece
includes the work of the lovely and talented Mrs. Carrie Burns, our
guest flutist. Stolen Minutes is an instrumental work dedicated to Mrs.
Carrie Burns and her beautiful etsy shop. To learn more, visit
www.StolenMinutes.etsy.com. Jazzy Ohio features guest narrators Isabel
and Clara Burns and hopes to bring some attention to a few of the many
Jazz musicians from the Buckeye state! Thank you to the Jazz Education
Connection of Ohio for inspiring this song. Visit http://www.jecohio.org
to learn more. The Cell Phone Song is a comedic attempt to raise
awareness for responsible cell phone use in the 21st century. It again
features guest narrators Isabel and Clara Burns. The Bird is the Word is
a tribute to the great saxophonist Charlie Parker and the musicians he
worked with to create the jazz style we call Bebop. The Walking Down the
Hall Song is based on a traditional children’s song “Over the Sea” and
simply offers some advice for children while transitioning from class to
class . Once Upon a Time is a tribute to Mr. John Burns and attempts to
offer a perspective of life before television, cell phones, and the
internet. Our Karaoke versions are designed as resources for karaoke
singers and music educators. We hope you enjoy using them! For music or
lyric sheets, contact Bill Burns at billburnsohio@gmail.com
The
stillness of the North Star—aka Polaris—fascinates me. It is the
brightest star directly above the North Pole, and the entire northern
sky moves around it. Early astronomers and ancient civilizations used it
as a guiding light to locate their place. North Star is the result of
the my explorations and experiences in the past few years. When I look
at the night sky I see the amazingl, spinning, chaos of life reflected
above; in its stillness, Polaris is a symbol of balance and constancy. I
would like to dedicate this album to the people who represent that
shining light in my life.
Rodolfo Zuniga Surfaces: Dave Fernandez-Tenor, Soprano and Alto Saxophone Derek Fairholm-Piano and Fender Rhodes Eric England-Contrabass Rodolfo Zuniga-Drums Special Guest: Karla Gutierrez on track 6
North Star is Rodolfo Zuniga's second album as a leader with his band Surfaces. For more information log in to:
www.rodolfozuniga.com
Over the last 25 years, Ayman Fanous has forged a singular synthesis
of classical and flamenco guitar technique with contemporary free
improvisation. By yoking the expansive techniques of these demanding
guitaristic approaches to a contemporary aesthetic, Fanous has developed
a unique voice, full of both fiery virtuosity and harmolodic openness
and complexity. It has been described as "a stylistic amalgam of Derek
Bailey and Paco de Lucia" (Signal to Noise). To this combustible mix,
Fanous adds a number of extended techniques to create a rich tapestry of
textures and colors.
While the guitar is Fanous’ primary instrument, he also reaches
back into his Egyptian ancestry in improvisations on the bouzouki, an
instrument which intimates the musical spirit of cultures from Central
and South Asia to the Middle East, Balkans, and North Africa. He has
led duos, trios, and quartets with such illustrious musician/composers
as Bern Nix, Tomas Ulrich, Jason Hwang, William Parker, Frances-Marie
Uitti, Ned Rothenberg, Mark Feldman, Ikue Mori, Andrea Parkins, Susan
Alcorn, Denman Maroney, Mat Maneri, Lori Freedman, Kinan Azmeh, Michael
Wimberly, Satoshi Takeishi, and Tatsuya Nakatani.
Over two nights at the Firehouse Space, Fanous will bring together
some of the most original and acclaimed improvising musicians in New
York to debut six different ensembles, including four premiers, in
multicultural explorations of free chamber improv.
From reviews of Ayman Fanous and Jason Hwang's CD Zilzal (Innova, 2013):
"The duo release—Zilzal—further defines the evolution of two master
musician/composers pursing the most imaginative alternatives to the
status quo." --Karl Ackerman, Allaboutjazz.com
"This is music with ambition... for new forms of sounds, new ways
to express things, full of emotional depth, with emotions that are too
complex to be canvassed in old forms, too elusive to be captured in
patterns, too deep to be expressed in shallow tunes." --Stef,
Freejazzblog.org "If [this music] is beautiful, it is the beauty of awe.
This is… music that is on the edge of the future. It is music that needs
to be heard and explored." --Jack Goodstein, Seattle
Post-Intelligencer
"To venture into the cultural extremes as exhibited within Zilzal
and and make the music accessible to a broad based audience is simply
amazing." --Brent Black, Criticaljazz.com
