20. FAQ.

B3-F. "Jazz en live, en collaboration avec Jazz-Passion" :

Présentation de musiciens

Fabulous Thunderbirds

Groupe

Formé a Austin par Kim Wilson en compagnie du fabuleux guitariste Jimmie Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds est actuellement une des formations de blues les plus excitantes du moment.
Kim Wilson, show man exceptionnel, chanteur, harmoniciste influencé par des musiciens comme Slim Harpo, Pee Wee Crayton entre autres a été nommé dans deux catégories aux prestigieux Blues Music Awards 2007!

The Fabulous Thunderbirds Biography:
With their fusion of blues, rock & roll, and R&B, the Fabulous Thunderbirds helped popularize roadhouse Texas blues with a mass audience in the '80s and, in the process, they helped kick-start a blues revival during the mid-'80s. During their heyday in the early '80s, they were the most popular attraction on the blues bar circuit, which eventually led to a breakthrough to the pop audience in 1986 with their fifth album, Tuff Enuff. The mass success didn't last too long, and founding member Jimmie Vaughan left in 1990, but the Fabulous Thunderbirds remained one of the most popular blues concert acts in America during the '90s.

Guitarist Jimmie Vaughan formed the Fabulous Thunderbirds with vocalist/harpist Kim Wilson in 1974; in addition to Vaughan and Wilson, the band's original lineup included bassist Keith Ferguson and drummer Mike Buck. Initially, the group also featured vocalist Lou Ann Barton, but she left the band shortly after its formation. Within a few years, the Thunderbirds became the house band for the Austin club Antone's, where they would play regular sets and support touring blues musicians. By the end of the decade, they had built a strong fan base, which led to a record contract with the local Takoma Records.

In 1979, the Fabulous Thunderbirds released their eponymous debut on Takoma. The record was successful enough to attract the attention of major labels and Chrysalis signed the band the following year. What's the Word, the group's second album, was released in 1980 and it was followed in 1981 by Butt Rockin'. By the time the Thunderbirds recorded their 1982 album T-Bird Rhythm, drummer Mike Buck was replaced by Fran Christina, a former member of Roomful of Blues.

Although the Fabulous Thunderbirds had become favorites of fellow musicians -- they opened shows for the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton -- and had been critically well-received, their records didn't sell particularly well. Chrysalis dropped the band following the release of T-Bird Rhythm, leaving the band without a record contract for four years. While they were in limbo, they continued to play concerts across the country. During this time, bassist Keith Ferguson left the band and was replaced by Preston Hubbard, another former member of Roomful of Blues. In 1985, they finally landed another record contract, signing with Epic/Associated.

After the deal with Epic/Associated was complete, the T-Birds entered a London studio and recorded their fifth album with producer Dave Edmunds. The resulting album, Tuff Enuff, was released in the spring of 1986 and, unexpectedly, became a major crossover success. The title track was released as a single and its accompanying video received heavy play on MTV, which helped the song reach the American Top Ten. The success of the single sent the album to number 13 on the charts; Tuff Enuff would eventually receive a platinum record. "Wrap It Up," a cover of an old Sam & Dave song, was the album's second single and it became a Top Ten album rock track. Later in 1986, the T-Birds won the W.C. Handy Award for best blues band.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds' follow-up to Tuff Enuff, Hot Number, arrived in the summer of 1987. Initially, the album did fairly well -- peaking at number 49 on the charts and spawning the Top Ten album rock hit "Stand Back" -- but it quickly fell off the charts. Furthermore, its slick, radio-ready sound alienated their hardcore following of blues fans. "Powerful Stuff," a single from the soundtrack of the Tom Cruise film Cocktail, became a number-three-album rock hit in the summer of 1988. It was included on the following year's Powerful Stuff album, which proved to be a major commercial disappointment -- it only spent seven weeks on the charts.

After the two poorly received follow-ups to Tuff Enuff, Jimmie Vaughan left the band to play in a duo with his brother, Stevie Ray Vaughan; following Stevie Ray's death in the summer of 1990, Jimmie pursued a full-time solo career. The Fabulous Thunderbirds replaced Vaughan with two guitarists, Duke Robillard and Kid Bangham. The first album from the new lineup, Walk That Walk, Talk That Talk, appeared in 1991. Following the release of Walk That Walk, Talk That Talk, Epic/Associated dropped the Fabulous Thunderbirds from their roster.

During the early '90s, the Fabulous Thunderbirds were in limbo, as Kim Wilson recorded a pair of solo albums -- Tigerman (1993) and That's Life (1994). Wilson re-assembled the band in late 1994 and the band recorded their ninth album, Roll of the Dice, which was released on Private Music in 1995. High Water followed in 1997 with a live album after that in 2001.

In 2004, Wilson reassembled the band yet again adding retro blues sensation guitarist Nick Curran and equally talented West Coast guitarist Kirk Eli Fletcher. The newly annointed group released Painted On on Tone Cool records in 2005. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide.

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, juin 2007.

FANM PEYI

Claudine PENNONT, Béatrice POULOT,
KENEDY, K-ROLYN'

FANM PEYI : Quatre chanteuses, aux voix et aux charmes aussi troublants qu'éblouissants, se retrouvent sur un projet s'affirmant comme un véritable métissage musical entre tradition et modernité à travers les influences de la Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane, Réunion, Haïti, Brésil, Cap Vert.

Claudine Pennont

A l’image des divas créoles d’antan, Claudine est la voix « roots » des « Fanm Péyi ». Son large registre, puissant et subtil, a impressionné chacun des artistes qu’elle a accompagné sur scène ou en studio (Kassav’, Mario Canonge, Carimi, Wallen, Yannick Noah et tant d’autres). En 2005, son très bel album «Fout Sa Bon » a été récompensé par plusieurs nominations au prix Sacem Martinique. Reconnaissance amplement méritée pour une des plus grandes voix de la Caraïbe.

Béatrice Poulot

Perle réunionnaise, son timbre de voix unique et sa présence scénique lui valent d’être demandée par des artistes tels que Kassav, Laurent Voulzy, Yannick Noah etc... A l’image de son île métisse et subtile, son public d’admirateurs de plus en plus nombreux est tombé sous son charme à la première note, et ce pour toujours.

Kenedy

Le style Zouk R’n’b de cette jeune guadeloupéenne révèle un groove unique et un sens imparable de la mélodie. Outre ses qualités d’interprètes et de compositeur, elle bénéficie d’une expérience auprès des artistes clés de la scène antillaise (JM Rotin, Kaysha, Organiz…). Avec un premier album enregistré quand elle n’avait que 16 ans, son parcours est celui d’une future grande.

K-Rolyn’

La plus jeune des « Fanm Péyi » étonne par sa maturité vocale, et son univers Soul-Gospel. Choriste pour les Nubians, Dédé St Prix, Mario Canonge, Slaï, Perle Lama,…, K-Rolyn’ s’impose progressivement comme une des voix incontournables de la scène afro-caribéenne. Voix de caractère aux subtilités changeantes, elle est l’incarnation musicale de ce qui fait la femme créole.

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, novembre 2007.

Thierry Farasse

Batterie

C'est après avoir vu un concert des WHO en 1973 (avec le regretté Keith Moon) que Thierry, alors âgé de 11 ans, allait prendre conscience de sa fascination pour la scène. Quelques années plus tard et des milliers d'heures passées à vampiriser les "Dinosaures Seventies", il se tourne naturellement vers les fûts et forme à 18 ans ses premiers groupes avec les influences majeures de l'époque : AEROSMITH, LED ZEP et AC/DC.

Le groupe BLACKWHITE, fer de lance du Hard Rock français dans le début des années 90, lui offre un siège de 1989 à 1993, le temps d'un album "Slave To Life" et de nombreux concerts dans l'hexagone.

Après deux ans de travail et d'école de musique, il fonde le groupe REVIVAL en 1995 avec Xavier (ami d'enfance et avec lequel il a démarré la musique). De sa culture musicale Pop Rock, Thierry en garde les piliers : simplicité, efficacité et tempos béton, sans oublier l'humour et la folie qui font que, sans batteur, la musique est trop sage ...

 

© Copyright Jazz en Artois, 2006.
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Rolando Faria

Chant

Né à Rio de Janeiro, Rolando Faria débute sa carrière solo au Brésil et participe à de nombreux festivals internationaux et universitaires. C’est à cette occasion qu’il fonde le Mouvement Artistique Universitaire (MAU) et se produit en compagnie des plus grands chanteurs/compositeurs brésiliens (Ivan Lins, Gonzaguinha, Aldir Blanc...).

Remarqué par Eddy Barclay à Rio, Rolando débarque en Europe avec le groupe Central do Brasil. Il enregistre un single en Espagne et un album pour Barclay (aujourd'hui devenu culte) et poursuive par une tournée dans les grandes capitales européennes.

Avec le duo mythique Les Etoiles, qu’il fonde à Barcelone avec Luiz Antonio, Rolando va véhiculer sur les scènes du monde entier le renouveau incessant de la musique brésilienne et faire découvrir aux européens les compositeurs les plus prestigieux de le musique populaire de son pays (Milton Nascimiento, Djavan, Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque…). Plusieurs albums seront réalisés : Meu Coraçao é um Pandeiro, qui sera suivi de Piratas do Sentimento puis de Les Etoiles Live.

Souhaitant toujours véhiculer une image moderne du Brésil, il a même collaboré avec des DJ comme Bob Sinclar sur un featuring sur le titre « Meu carnaval ».

DISCOGRAPHIE

• U.S. of Piauí/Sistema solar (1971) Forma/PolyGram Compacto simples
• Central do Brasil (1972) Barclay/França LP
• Madalena/Tristeza [S/D] Movieplay/Espanha Compacto simples
• Aldir Blanc. 50 anos (1996) Almar CD
• Trip to Brasil (1997) Sony/França/Japão CD
• The bouz from Brazil (2000) Ya basta!/França CD
• Trip to Brazil 2 (2001) Sony/França/Japão CD

Site internet : www.myspace.com/rolandofaria

 

© Copyright Le Satellit Café, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, octobre 2007.

Pierre Favre

Batterie, Percussions

Pierre Favre Ensemble "Fleuve"
(ECM/Universal)

Dans son Ensemble, Pierre Favre, batteur, percussionniste et compositeur suisse, côtoie un ensemble de six instrumentistes (basse contrebasse, guitare, harpe et les cuivres de Frank Kroll et Michel Godard). Si l’on peut comprendre "ensemble" comme une manière de jouer avec cohésion, il faut bien constater que ces compositions mouvantes dérivent avec bonheur le long d’un fleuve imaginaire. Le cinéaste suisse Pio Corradi a récemment fini de tourner un portrait filmé du compositeur, intitulé "Poésie en mouvement ". On ne pouvait trouver meilleure description pour ces musiques que leur compositeur prend un malin plaisir à laisser divaguer : comme si les percussions les poussaient un peu plus loin, les invitaient à errer comme du vif-argent, à envahir tout l’espace plutôt que de rester – ce serait dommage – cantonnées aux mesures d’une partition. Le fleuve a ses caprices (harmoniques) : il est parfois impétueux, il veut déborder de son lit. Pierre Favre construit ses mélodies en terrain inondable, et ce n’est pas lui qui construira une digue entre ce fleuve et nos oreilles. Aux frontières du jazz et du contemporain, Pierre Favre se joue des conventions, et sa musique se pare parfois d’accents baroques. C’est que le Suisse ne s’est jamais limité à un seul genre musical ; participant par exemple au sein d’ECM aux enregistrements de Dino Saluzzi, Arvo Pärt ou John Surman. Voici une douce définition du terme "transports en commun".
M LA MUSIC

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, mai 2007.

FAYA DUB

Thierry NEGRO, Christian MOORE, Eric RICO GAULYIER, Laurent PENA-VIEIRA,
Serjio NOBAL, Kenny SAINT-AMAND, Alex LEFRAND, Thomas HENING

Faya Dub est de retour ! Avec une galette toute chaude, leur nouvel album World Wide Reggae, troisième opus après les remarqués Sings and plays et Irie Feeling. Le gang des Huit de Paname est dans la place avec une formule originale car résolument instrumentale.
Pour la plupart pionniers de longue date de la scène reggae parisienne, les membres de la tribu du Dub de feu s’imposent aujourd’hui comme le groupe majeur du reggae français. Après une pause qui les a vu multiplier les expériences musicales diverses, ils se sont à nouveau réunis pour donner le meilleur d’eux-mêmes. Avec World Wide Reggae, ils plantent le baobab d’un reggae instrumental, mixture rare de reggae et de jazz...
Sur des bases « old school » maîtrisées et assumées (les titres « Tchimb’l » ou « Gros morne blues »), le band délivre l’universelle Harmonie, recueillie juste avant l’aurore à l’heure où le jazz brille de ses plus beaux éclats. Thierry Negro étire les lignes de basse aussi noueuses que les racines du big african tree. Ses partenaires de groove, Laurent Pena-Vieira (batterie) et Serjio Nobal (percussions), font vibrer la soul contre l’écorce de l’arbre roi : boum-tchac-boum, boum-tchac-boum ! Écoutez aussi les alizés jazzy d’Éric « Rico » Gaultier qui soufflent dans les branches : ses flûtes et ses sax teintent de bleu nuit les voiles red, gold & green du voilier majestueux. Surgi de l’horizon, le trombone généreux de Thomas Hening sonne le long rappel vers Kenny Saint-Amand et Alex Legrand, les deux archers aux six cordes électriques qui déchirent parfois le ciel à en faire tomber la pluie de cristal. Et puis, Christian Moore caresse du bout des doigts l'ivoire et l'ébène d'un piano solitaire ou d'un orgue qui nappe la fusion fraternelle, celle d'un reggae qui jazze sereinement vers la Terre promise.
Ce feeling jazzy qui colore plusieurs plages de l’album, c’est par exemple le thème céleste du lumineux « Loves » qui mêle mélancolie, espoir et consolation en ravivant le souvenir des oiseaux de nuits flamboyants (Bechet, Armstrong, Mingus ou Coltrane). Il y aussi du ska-dansé (« Regg’n’Roll »), un peu de dub de sagesse en passant par le swing-swing rythm & blues ou la pulsation afro-beat (« Dolly »). La marmite bouillonne sur le « faya » et il y en aura pour tout le monde ! Faya Dub, c’est l’offrande et le partage. Partage des expériences fortes tissées tout au long de leurs expériences marquantes tels ces voyages en Guyane, ou bien en Bosnie où le band se produisit lors du festival Tuzla Wave en août 2000 (le poignant « Bosnia »). Enrichies de l’or slave (les méditatifs « Ishan » ou « Hombre »), les mélodies prennent parfois des accents orientaux qui vous emmènent loin, et les flûtes d’oiseaux s’envolent haut, très haut sur le beat steady.
Faya Dub, c’est le partage encore et toujours. Le vrai, celui qui vous accroche des ailes d’artiste dans le dos. Leur musique, c’est la BO purement instrumentale d’un grand film où chaque morceau est une tranche de vie à monter en kit. Vous voilà acteur de scénarios écrits pour vous par les huit compères.
Écoutez… Laissez-vous aller… Imprégnez- vous de cette vibe… Elle vous fera découvrir un trésor trop longtemps enfoui : votre imagination. 

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2006.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, décembre 2006.

Babacar Faye

Voix

BLACK PYRAMID : Un cocktail pimenté des rythmes d'Afrique de l'ouest, mélangé aux mélodies ethniques et européennes, parfumé de gingembre ... LE COUP DE PILON !!!! (nouvel album)

Babacar FAYE est un artiste sénégalais vivant à Paris. Attiré très tôt par la danse africaine, classique et surtout contemporaine, il rejoint au début des années 80 "Mudra Afrique", école initié par le fameux Maurice BEJART sous la direction de Germaine Acogny. Il crée sa première compagnie de danse afro moderne jazz "spectrum" et réalise plusieurs spectacles dans divers endroits, notamment au théâtre national Daniel Sorano à Dakar.

Ayant soif d'ouverture culturelle, il décide d'aller en France à Paris pour se perfectionner et faire découvrir sa culture au reste du monde. C'est à Issy les Moulineaux qu'il crée ARTS METIS, une association qui à pour but de réunir les peuples à travers les arts (danse, théâtre, musique, peinture...).

Babacar FAYE ne veut pas s'arrêter à la danse ; il entreprend, veut communiquer, dialoguer avec l'autre. En 1989 il crée son premier groupe 'africans poet' composé de musiciens BAYE FALL,

A travers ce groupe, ils font sonner balafons, flûtes et percussions dans plusieurs festivals et férias (Béziers, Avignon, Bourges... etc.), leur message étant : Paix, Tolérance, Partage, Solidarité..

L'envie d'explorer de nouveaux horizons musicaux ne quitte pas le curieux Babacar  il fonde en 1993 le groupe Black Pyramid composé de musiciens sénégalais, européens, américains et de choristes avec un nouveau son Afro-groove qui donna un coup de pilon à toute la scène parisienne (divan du monde, cithéa, new morning...), ce cocktail pimenté des rythmes traditionnels africains aux mélodies européennes, musique du monde.

En 2005 le groupe participe au festival de jazz de Montreux avec Santana et Idrissa Diop (dance on the beat).

En 1999, il met en place un centre socio culturel africain dénommé " YAK' ART" qui est un lieu d'expressions artistiques, d'échanges, d'écoutes et de rencontres. Citoyen du monde Babacar FAYE appel à la rencontre des peuples au moment où les comunitarismes s'exacerbent.

A son actif, Babacar FAYE :
CD de percussions sous le label Music du monde
Compilation Universal avec Amadou et Myriam
Ainsi que 3 CD autoproduit : Mission (afro groove) - Touba train (afro tek) et nouvel album Coup de pilon (afro mix)

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, décembre 2007.

Pura Fé Crescioni

Guitare, Chant

PURA FE’ Nouvel album « HOLD THE RAIN »
SORTIE le 31 MAI prochain ( Dixiefrog / Harmonia mundi)

« Entre sa voix céleste et son sens du rythme, voici une chanteuse qui transcende les siècles en portant le message de nos ancêtres, qui ont planté cette graine magnifique, et dont le fruit est une musique puissante. » TAJ MAHAL
Il émane de ce nouvel album, comme du précédent, un parfum de simplicité, d’authenticité et de dignité, presque de spiritualité. L’âme indienne est présente partout dans cet album et elle l’illumine.
Pura Fe’ est indienne Tuscarora par sa mère et revendique l’influence de la musique amérindienne dans le blues. Sa musique est un mariage heureux entre Blues, Musique Traditionnelle Indienne de Caroline du Nord et Folk Song.
Le premier album de Pura Fé a été unanimement accueilli par la critique en France. « Tuscarora Nation Blues » a surpris par sa totale originalité et sa magie dans un domaine musical qui a tendance à se copier à l’infini.
Dans ce premier album Pura Fe’ racontait comment l’histoire unit dans l’esclavage les noirs et les indiens du sud (beaucoup d’artistes de Blues et de Jazz revendiquent cette double appartenance) et nous transmettait le message ancestral du Monde Indigène.
S’il est vrai que « Hold The Rain » débute et s’achève par un hymne amérindien que Pura Fe’ a écrit et enregistré il y a 12 années en Caroline du Nord pour contribuer à fédérer les tribus de cette région, ce nouvel album est très différent du précédent.
L’engagement politique de Pura Fe’ pour sa communauté laisse ici la place à des émotions et des histoires plus intimes et personnelles. Elle vit maintenant à Seattle, et « Hold the rain » est le fruit de sa rencontre et de sa collaboration avec Danny Godinez, guitariste et arrangeur, qui a su mettre son talent au service des ses compositions et de sa sensibilité.

LES TITRES :
* Le premier titre de l’album (« If I Was your Guitar ») est écrit en hommage à Kelly Joe Phelps qui a donné à Pure Fe’ l’envie de jouer du lap steel (guitare slide posée à plat sur les genoux).
* « Summertime » est la chanson que chantait sa mère quand elle était enfant, en la berçant, ou bien dans l’orchestre de Duke Ellington.
* « Hold the rain » et sa fin hispanisante, est écrite en mémoire de son père d’origine américaine du Sud et corse à la fois.
* « Home » est dédieé à Chris Whitley qui nous a quitté récemment.
* « Quiet moments » est un titre écrit par son ami Joe Ravens qui passe ses nuits à composer dans sa cave depuis la mort de sa femme. Pura Fe’ s’est contenté de poser sa voix sur le piano de Joe.
• Enfin, Eric Bibb, l’une de ses artistes favoris lui a écrit une chanson qu’il interprète en duo avec elle (« People You Love »). Profondeur, émotion et magie…

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, octobre 2007.

Michael Felberbaum

Guitare

Depuis 1990, date à laquelle il s'installe à Paris, Michael Felberbaum multiplie les rencontres décisives et participe en tant que guitariste et compositeur à de nombreux projets, les plus récents étant un duo avec le tromboniste Daniel Casimir, " Ilium " aux côtés du pianiste Pierre De Bethmann, l'Absolute Orkestra de Toufic Farroukh, Manu Dibango, Steve Lehman, Stéphane Persiani, Steve Potts, Sylvain Beuf, François Theberge, ou encore en trio avec Emmanuel Bex et Aldo Romano.

Aujourd'hui Michael FELBERBAUM réunit le saxophoniste Matthieu Donarier, " protégé " de Daniel Humair et membre actif de la scène jazz actuelle, le contrebassiste Diego Imbert, connu pour son travail avec le guitariste Bireli Lagrene et membre du trio de Sylvain Beuf, et le batteur Karl Jannuska, qui a enregistré et tourné avec, entre autres, Lee Konitz, Seamus Blake, et Sjeila Jordon, autour de ses compositions. L'album SHARP WATER, sorti en avril 2004 sur Nocturne, est salué par une critique élogieuse

La musique sur SHARP WATER révèle des compositions aux structures complexes et mélodiques, où l'équilibre entre intellect et émotion, structure et improvisation, est tenu par un quartet parfaitement accordé.
En leader, Michael FELBERBAUM fait preuve d'une grande intelligence, jouant avec précision, densité et lyrisme. De ses traits de guitare merveilleusement ciselés résultent cette élégance du phrasé, cette limpidité et cette beauté auxquelles Sylvain Luc fait référence lorsqu'il parle de l'interprétation du guitariste.
Avec SHARP WATER, Michael Felberbaum s'impose une fois de plus comme un formidable compositeur.

Après une prestation au studio Charles Trénet de la Maison de Radio France à l'automne dernier, et deux concerts au Duc des Lombards les 3 et 4 juin 2004, Michael FELBERBAUM se prépare à prolonger l'expérience de la scène et enrichir la musique de SHARP WATER en public.

GUITARE

Guitariste, compositeur et arrangeur, Michael fait ses premiers concerts à l'âge de quinze ans dans les clubs de jazz romains.

Il s'installe aux États Unis en 1985 où il travaille avec Frank Lacey, Antonio Hart, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Mark Turner, le poète Allen Ginsburg, les " Marvelettes ", Maria Muldaur. Il s'investit également dans différents projets personnels au sein desquels il affine son talent de compositeur. Parallèlement, il suit des cours de composition et d'arrangement à la Berklee School of Music de laquelle il sort diplômé Bachelor of Music avec mention spéciale " Magna Cum Laude ".

De retour en Europe, il s'installe à Paris en 1991 où il joue et enregistre avec entre autres Johnny Griffin, Alain Jean-Marie, Stefano Di Battista, Stéphane Belmondo, George Brown, Sunny Murray, François et Louis Moutin, Hal Singer, Zool Fleischer, Brice Wassy, Adel Shams El Din et St. Germain.

Il fait également partie du Steve Potts Quartet depuis 1995 où ses talents de compositeur sont fort appréciés. En 1998, il participe aux Djangos d'Or avec le François Théberge Quartet.

Depuis, Michael se consacre à divers projets en tant que guitariste et compositeur : le trio " 3 Éléments " avec le violoncelliste Dimos Goudaroulis et le batteur John Betsch, Le Duo avec le tromboniste Daniel Casimir, le quintet de Pierre De Bethmann " Ilium 5 ", le Stéphane Persiani Quintet " Complexion ", L'Orchestre de la Lune, Toufic Farroukh, et le trio avec Emmanuel Bex & Aldo Romano.

Musicien confirmé, Michael avait depuis longtemps en tête de réunir plusieurs musiciens sous son nom afin de faire vivre ses propres compositions. C'est à présent chose faite puisque le MICHAEL FELBERBAUM SHARP WATER, récemment constitué, fait désormais partie de ses priorités... 

Discographie sélective

• Michael Felberbaum " SHARP WATER " - Nocturne, 2004
• Daniel Casimir " Eros et Thanatos " - Yolk, 2004
• Pierre De Bethmann " ILIUM " Quintet &endash; Effendi/Naïve, 2003
• Emmanuel Bex " Electric Jaz(z)z " - Naive, 2002
• Michael Felberbaum & Daniel Casimir " Diffuse Useful Overtones ", Greenjay, 2001
• Stéphane Persiani " Complexion " - Shai/Sony Music, 2001
• Meta " Secret History " &endash; Greenjay, 2001
• Valentine Zoo - Mosaic Music, 2001
• Steve Potts " Wet Spot " - wetspot@stevepotts.net, 2001
• Morena Fattorini " Prima dell' alba ", 1996
• Chris Cody Coalition - Quoi De Neuf Docteur/Night and Day, 1996
• Igal Foni/Michael Felberbaum " For Elevators " - JAZZIS, 1995

© Copyright Michael FELBERBAUM, 2005.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier for Jazz-Passion, janvier 2005.
mise à jour en février 2005.

Hélène Felix

Électronique

Née à Valence en 1972, Hélène pratique la musique dès son plus jeune âge. Elle forme différents groupes par lesquels elle acquière une large expérience de studio et de scène. Elle s'installe à Paris en 1989 où au fil des rencontres elle se perfectionne en tant qu'auteur, compositeur et interprète. En 1996, elle co-fonde le duo EGGO avec Luc Barrera et sort un premier single "Sweet nest" sous le label Pulp Flavor. En 2001, elle crée son propre label Equal musik (édition-production), dans lequel elle produit, entre autre, le premier album d'EGGO "Panoplie".

En 2004, elle se lance dans le projet d'un premier album solo. Au fil des compositions, l'histoire se dessine sous les couleurs fondamentales de la Soul Funk avec des nuances afro-jazz. L'état d'esprit de cet album est basé sur l'échange, le partage et l'humour, réunissant ses aventures musicales. D'où un retour à l'acoustique avec l'intervention d'instruments comme le saxophone et la flûte, ainsi que la participation de voix telles que celle de Cécile Ndebi, Solale, Rico, Nora Sandal et Wendy. Chaque mélodie instrumentale et harmonie vocale, danse autour de la rythmique et la basse qui sont le moteur principal des morceaux. Un album solo dans lequel Hélène a su s'entourer en créant ce mélange des genres qui personnalise très bien l'univers hf. Actuellement, hf prépare le live de "Keep the face" en réadaptant les titres dans une énergie encore plus groove et en laissant place à la spontanéité et l'improvisation des musiciens. Parallèlement, Hélène travaille sur son deuxième album et sur celui de Cécile Ndebi (afro, jazz, soul).

L'album Keep the face sera dans les bacs le 23 avril 2007 (distribution : Anticraft).

HF a remixé pour :
Thomas Toussaint - Neutral mix (LP - Chamber remixes) 2005
EGGO - Fairy mix (Maxi - La papaye mobile) 2002
EGGO - It belongs to mix (Maxi - La papaye mobile) 2002

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, mars 2007.

Hadrien Feraud

Basse

Il vient d’avoir 12 ans quand son père lui offre un disque de Jaco Pastorius, « The Birthday Concert », en lui glissant à l’oreille que ce bassiste est le plus grand. Hadrien, subjugué, découvre un son de basse inouï, inconnu auparavant, qu’il se repasse en boucle sans pouvoir s’arrêter. Sa décision est prise : il faut absolument qu’il joue comme ça ! Une révélation brutale mais fondamentale, qui fera de lui, 10 ans plus tard, l’un des plus jeunes virtuoses de la basse électrique de l’Hexagone.

On peut se demander d’où vient cette passion d’Hadrien pour Jaco Pastorius ? Pourquoi est-elle instantanément si dévorante ? Quel déclic secret a bien pu le pousser à s’enfermer des jours entiers dans sa chambre pour retrouver, en autodidacte surdoué, l’intégralité des traits de génie qui ont terrassé tant de bassistes chevronnés ?

Toujours est-il qu’en 1997, imiter « le plus grand bassiste du monde » – titre autoproclamé de Jaco – devient l’unique credo d’Hadrien Féraud. À force d’acharnement, de mois passés à le copier parfaitement, à retrouver ses inflexions les plus charnelles, son phrasé le plus intime, cette pulsation magique qu’il savait insuffler à sa basse, Hadrien parvient, en 4 ans, à devenir le double de Pastorius. Il réussit à se glisser dans sa peau, à être son jumeau.

Dès ses premiers concerts, Hadrien se fait remarquer et adopter par Biréli Lagrène, qui détecte en lui un superbe potentiel. La suite démontrera que l’instinct de Biréli ne l’avait pas trompé. Pour preuve, à 22 ans, Hadrien a déjà réussi à poser les solides fondations d’un immense avenir musical. En l’écoutant sur son premier disque, où son éblouissante virtuosité bondit à chaque morceau, on devine qu’il ne va pas s’arrêter là. Qu’il garde en réserve l’envie de nous surprendre. D’ailleurs, il s’est déjà affranchi de l’influence de son maître, pour donner à son instrument sa propre voix, seul moyen de trouver sa voie propre. Celle-ci prend sérieusement forme, au fil de ses rencontres avec des musiciens prestigieux : Sylvain Luc le conseille et apprécie sa musicalité ; Jean-Marie Ecay le coache et l’encourage ; Dominique Di Piazza, son frère de basse, le stimule et le respecte.

En ce début d’année, tout semble s’accélérer pour le jeune prodige : il vient d’enregistrer avec John McLaughlin deux magnifiques morceaux, « Senor C.S. » et, logiquement, « For Jaco », avec le saxophoniste Bill Evans, le batteur Mark Mondesir et le claviériste-batteur Gary Husband. McLaughlin, ravi qu’il ait participé à son album, lui a demandé de le rejoindre pour sa prochaine tournée américaine. Et l’on murmure que Chick Corea apprécierait beaucoup les envolées lyriques et la sonorité fluide d’Hadrien Féraud. Sans aucun doute, la basse électrique vient de se trouver un nouveau héros, et même un nouveau héraut, qui annonce le futur radieux de cet instrument désormais reconnu à sa juste valeur.

Olivier Bride

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, décembre 2007.

Alex Ferrand

Chant, Guitare

« Ce que je recherche c’est un jazz spontané. Pas de la musique pour musiciens ! » clame Alex Ferrand, co-fondateur du trio BMF avec Stéphane Maurage. Tous deux unissent leur talent dans un duo guitare/chant - piano où ils reprennent les standards du swing.

Alex Ferrand débute sa carrière musicale par le saxophone. Passionné de jazz-rock, il monte un premier groupe : L’autre côté de la rue (1983-1985).

En 1983, il enregistre avec Magma le disque Merci et suit Christian Vander (le batteur) et son groupe dans une tournée internationale.

Il se produit avec Christian Vander et Offering jusqu’en 1995.

De 1995 à 2004, il réalise des musiques de films institutionnels et de publicités.

En 2000, il est médaille d’or de chant jazz de l’E.N.M. (Ecole Nationale de Musique) de Cachan et sort vainqueur avec son big band du festival de jazz d’Armentières.

C’est en 2003 qu’il fonde avec Stephane Maurage un duo orgue Hammond/chant dans l’esprit de Nat King Cole et de Franck Sinatra.

Stephane Maurage est à la fois contrebassiste, bassiste et pianiste. Depuis 25 ans, il alterne enregistrements studios, concerts (Printemps de Bourges, Festival de Blues de Grenoble) et enseignement musical.

Pianiste au club de jazz, Les Trois Maillets, il travaille beaucoup avec le pianiste et compositeur Patrick Villanueva et réalise un projet sur Horace Silver.

En 2004, Charles Benaroch, intègre la formation qui devient le trio BMF. Il apporte une couleur latino-swing des années 50/60.

Un jazz dansant où la voix prend sa pleine envergure tant dans les parties mélodiques que dans l’improvisation : ce jazz dynamique et communicatif c’est aussi celui que vous retrouverez dans « la version duo » programmée cette année au Festival « les couleurs du jazz » de Corbeil-Essonnes.

Crédit photo : D.R.

 

© Copyright Les Couleurs du Jazz, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, mai 2007.

Russel Ferrante

Contrebasse

Depuis leur premier album éponyme en 1980, les Yellowjackets ont conjuré un certain nombre de mauvais tours, évoluant continuellement au cours de leur carrière.
Les Yellowjackets ont commencé comme groupe de "rythm and jazz" avec Ferrante, Haslip et le guitariste Robben Ford. Leur projet a ensuite évolué pour se transformer en groupe. Puis Ford quitta les Yellowjackets en 1983 pour poursuivre sa carrière solo, le saxophoniste alto Marc Russo le remplaça et le groupe commença à explorer des sons beaucoup plus orientés vers le jazz. Avec l'arrivée de Kennedy en 1986, les Yellowjackets s'aventurent dans des sonorités nettement plus influencées par les rythmes africains, brésiliens et ceux de la world musique en général. Quand Mintzer prit la place de Russo en 1990, les Yellowjackets mirent la barre plus haut avec son swing et ses contributions aux big band.

Certains producteurs et artistes ont aussi eu des rôles majeurs dans l'évolution du son bien distinct des Yellowjackets. Sur leur album sorti en 1989, The Spin ,le producteur norvégien Jan Erik Kongshaug (ECM Records) a apporté une touche clairsemée et contemplative. Sur leur album suivant, Greenhouse, on retrouve Kongshaug ainsi que le percussionniste Alex Acuna et les arrangements de Vince Mendoza. Le célèbre arrangeur a aussi collaboré avec les Jackets, le German WDR Big Band ainsi qu'avec le Dutch Metropole Orchestra. On trouve aussi le chanteur Bobby Mc Ferrin sur leur dernier album, Dreamland.
En plus de ces succès commerciaux, les Yellowjackets ont gagné un Grammy Award en 1986 (Meilleur enregistrement instrumental R&B pour "And You Know That" de l'album Shades) et en 1988 (Meilleure Performance Jazz Fusion pour l'album Politics). L'année dernière, le groupe a reçu sa neuvième nomination aux Grammy pour Dreamland, sa première sortie chez Warner Bros, label chez qui ils sont depuis retournés après neuf ans d'absence.
Les Yellowjackets continuent de parcourir le monde, découvrant de nouveaux marchés, recevant les applaudissements des publics du monde entier et séduisant de nouveaux fans.
avec les Jackets, le German WDR Big Band ainsi qu'avec le Dutch Metropole Orchestra. On trouve aussi le chanteur Bobby Mc Ferrin sur leur album, Dreamland.
En plus de ces succès commerciaux, les Yellowjackets ont gagné un Grammy Award en 1986 (Meilleur enregistrement instrumental R&B pour "And You Know That" de l'album Shades) et en 1988 (Meilleure Performance Jazz Fusion pour l'album Politics). Le groupe a reçu sa neuvième nomination aux Grammy pour Dreamland, sa première sortie chez Warner Bros.
Les Yellowjackets continuent de parcourir le monde, découvrant de nouveaux marchés, recevant les applaudissements des publics du monde entier et séduisant de nouveaux fans.

In 1977, Robben Ford assembled a group of veteran session musicians to record his album The Inside Story. The trio of musicians, which included keyboardist Russell Ferrante, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Ricky Lawson, soon discovered a certain "chemistry" and musical affinity that led to their formation of Yellowjackets. The Inside Story being mainly instrumental, Robben Ford's record label wanted him to record another album that was more pop and vocal oriented. The group, known as the Robben Ford Group, preferred to pursue the instrumental route, and a "band within a band" was formed. This same group with Robben Ford on guitar recorded digital demos that were eventually accepted by Warner Brothers, and Yellowjackets was born. While Robben's contributions would diminish over the years to being a guest artist, the group known as Yellowjackets would flourish.
Their debut album Yellowjackets made serious waves in jazz radio, garnering public and critical acclaim. Mirage A Trois followed in its footsteps. While they went on a brief hiatus to pursue other projects, they reassembled in time for the 1984 Playboy Jazz Festival, adding percussionist Paulinho Da Costa and their new lead voice, sax man Marc Russo. This landmark concert paved the way for their eventual success both on the Billboard Jazz charts and concert venues around the world, and resulted in the third spicy Yellowjackets album Samurai Samba. 1986 saw the group moving over to MCA Records to record Shades, the title track being written by Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan fame) as a tribute to the many "shades" he heard in the group's music.

With their album Four Corners, Ricky Lawson departed to join Lionel Richie's touring band and was replaced by the versatile William Kennedy. This rock-solid lineup took the Yellowjackets into new territory, exploring world beats and densely-populated soundscapes that reflected a growing maturity in their music. Politics, the follow-up to Four Corners, mellows out, and the group sheds some of the electronic elements and starts exploring acoustic sounds. Marc Russo's final recording with Yellowjackets, The Spin, was recorded in Oslo, Norway by noted engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug (well known for his work on the ECM label), and the Jackets proved that they could belt out acoustic jazz with the best!
Greenhouse ushered in a new era. With Marc gone, the Yellowjackets trio would record one of their most adventurous albums to date, featuring ace big band arranger and saxophonist Bob Mintzer on many of the tracks, and string accompaniments on a handful of others. Shortly thereafter, Bob Mintzer became a bona fide member of Yellowjackets. The Jackets also recorded on one of Bob Mintzer's dmp Records projects, One Music. Live Wires captures the group in concert with Mintzer at the helm. The two albums that followed, Like A River and Run For Your Life, reflected a growing interest in straight-ahead acoustic jazz.
With 1995's Dreamland, Yellowjackets returned to their first record label, Warner Brothers, producing their most relaxed, and relaxing, recording to date. Blue Hats is more spontaneous than its predecessors, musically rich and particularly revealing in showing how Yellowjackets have evolved since that landmark first album. Club Nocturne, their latest studio recording, achieves great crossover appeal with the guest vocalists Kurt Elling, Jonathan Butler and Brenda Russell. And while the Yellowjackets of today sound little like the original Yellowjackets from fifteen-plus years ago at first listen, the unmistakable talents of the individuals involved still have the unique signatures that shine through regardless of their musical setting, whether it be blistering-hot fusion or full-blown acoustic jazz. In other words, their music has evolved and matured considerably, but there's no mistaking that it is Yellowjackets you are hearing.
At the beginning of 1999, William Kennedy departed Yellowjackets to pursue other interests, and Peter Erskine joined the group for the balance of the year. Peter had played with Bob Mintzer on some of his big-band and small group recordings, so it was a natural that he would become one of the Yellowjackets. Unfortunately, Erskine's busy schedule would conflict with the band's, and he would depart by year's end without ever having recorded an album with the group.
At the open of the year 2000, the Yellowjackets are once again a trio, with Russell, Jimmy and Bob using different drummers as they continue touring throughout the year. Two of the fine drummers they've hooked up with are Marcus Baylor and Terri Lynn Carrington. For 2000, the band also saw a change in management, and are currently negotiating a deal with a new record label. Jimmy's long-awaited (and long-delayed) solo recording, Red Heat, is promised for release later in the summer. And once the Jackets have signed with a new label, expect to see a new recording featuring a lot of new material they've been working on!
If you're expecting something cute or meaningful in the naming of the group, you may be disappointed. Russell Ferrante relates the following on how the group's name was chosen: "I wish there was a clever rationale, but there really isn't. At the time we were making our demo in hopes of landing a recording contract, we were still the "Robben Ford Band". We had recorded one record with Robben, (primarily instrumental) but his record company was "encouraging" him do do something more pop and vocal oriented. As we also wanted to continue playing instrumental music, we all decided to form a "band within a band" so to speak. At the demo session Jimmy brought in a sheet full of possible names, most just awful. The one that popped out was Yellowjackets as it seemed to connotate something lively, energetic, and something with a "sting". That's really about as deep as it went. Once you choose a name, you're stuck with it so here we are, 16 years later, grown men playing in a band named 'Yellowjackets.'"

Russell Ferrante
Russ’s first exposure to music came from his church, where his father was the choir director as well as being a frequent vocal soloist and having a vocal gospel quartet. His father’s whole family were music lovers and several of his brothers and sisters had marvelous voices, something Russ admits never got passed on to him. "I began piano lessons at 9 with the expectation that I'd one day be the chuch pianist. My musical interests took me elsewhere but my sister who is 2 years younger actually went on to fullfill my parent's dreams and is now directing the music department for a church in Watsonville, CA," Russ says.
Beside his early interest in the piano, Russ also tried other instruments, making the most headway on drums, even going as far as playing drums on a couple of gigs and recording sessions. His experience with the drums has benefited his piano and keyboard playing and composing as a result.
As for musical education, Russ relates the following: "I took piano lessons from a wonderful piano teacher in San Jose, CA named Ann Penner, from age 9-16 or so, nothing fancy, just the basics. I got interested in jazz and pop around the age of 15 and studied that from whatever sources were available, notably scattered lessons with local jazz musicians, jazz theory books that I found or were recommended to me, and listening to my favorite recordings and transcribing songs and solos. Regrettably I never really studied music in school."
"The first recording I heard that really got me excited about being a musician was "Swiss Movement" by Les McCann and Eddie Harris. I loved the way the musicians combined jazz, R&B, and gospel music. This marriage of jazz and R&B was something I heard a lot around San Jose where I grew up. There was one musician in particular, Clifford Coulter, who greatly inspired me.
"At around the same time, I was introduced to John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" and various recordings by Miles Davis. I didn't understand that music at all but nonetheless, I immediately loved it! Along with these recordings, I was listening to and drawing inspiration from The Beatles, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band" and Joni Mitchell's first album "Clouds"."

Jimmy Haslip
Jimmy’s bass is an integral part of the Yellowjackets sound. In addition to building the foundation upon which their songs are crafted, his thoughtful and often fiery solos are a high water mark of many Yellowjackets tracks.
Jimmy Haslip grew up in a rich musical environment. As a youth, he listened to Latin and salsa music around the house, including such Latin music icons as Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Machito, Ray Barretto, Celia Cruz and Eddie Palmieri, to name a few. In addition to learing various Latin dances from his parents, Jimmy learned how to play a lot of basic Latin rhythms on the different percussion instruments that they had around the house. He learned to play authentically on the claves, maracas, cowbell, bongos and the guido, which gave him that keen sense of time and rhythm that surfaces in his bass playing today.
His older brother Gabriel also played Jimmy some jazz and classical music, so he had exposure to John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Eric Dolphy, Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck on one hand, and the music of Debussy, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Mozart and Mahler on the other. Jimmy says, "This was an eye opening time for me and even though most of this music was over my head, it definitely ignited my musical curiosity. I also was listening to a lot of Pop music, like the Beatles, the Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Wilson Pickett, James Brown and lots of great Pop music on the radio. I can remember that it was a very exciting time for music!"
Jimmy began studying music in elementary school, playing the trumpet and other assorted brass instruments (including the bugle, baritone horn and tuba) from age seven to fourteen. Jimmy picked up a bass at the age of fifteen and taught himself how to play it. "Actually the very first time I saw an electric bass, was at a junior high Valentine's day dance. There was a live band playing and the bass player had an reddish/orange Hagstrom bass and a small Standel bass amp. It was then that I knew I wanted to play the electric bass! What a feeling! I'll never forget it as long as I live. It was my very first real spark of creative passion!"
While being mostly self taught on the bass, Jimmy studied with a private bass/tuba player from New York named Ron Smith. He was also very fortunate to have studied with one of jazz music’s greatest talents. "…I did manage to study with Jaco Pastorius for a few weeks in the mid seventies, when he had just joined Weather Report. That was a giant leap for me as a serious musician and it filled me with a much higher level of inspiration. I think he was a major inspiration to all bass players at that time!"
To sum it up, Jimmy offers this inspirational piece of advice that is applicable to any musician, whether new or experienced: "I've basically learned so much from just about every musician I've performed with in the past and I will continue to learn from my experiences in the future. The learning process is never ending. The key is to always strive and search for knowledge. In learning new things everyday, there will be inspiration. That inspiration will thirst for knowledge and so the endless cycle goes. They will feed each other infinitely and theoretically the ‘creative well’ will never run dry."
So, what musical influences does Jimmy claim? "Well definitely for me the Beatles, especially Paul McCartney, inspired the melodic concept and James Brown inspired the groove. There was Tito Puente and Mongo Santamaria who inspired rhythm. Béla Bartók, Mozart, Prokofiev, Samuel Barber, Chick Corea, early Genesis, Gentle Giant, Olivier Messiaen, Dmitri Shostakovich,Krzysztof Penderecki, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Villalobos, Brahms, Wayne Shorter, Zawinul, Jaco Pastorius, Alban Berg, Mingus, Miles,Nicolas Slominski, Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Joni Mitchell, Basie, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, The Motown Sound and Aaron Copeland, just to name a few that inspired writing, arranging and composition.
"Van Gogh, Dali, Henri Rousseau, Georgia O'keeffe, Leonardo DaVinci, Galileo, Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Plato, Walt Whitman, Marc Chagall, Henry Moore, Edward Hopper, Rembrandt, Picasso, Botero, Matisse, Escher, Canaletti, Gaudi, Gauguin, Federico Fellini, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Speilberg, Frank Capra,Orson Welles, Lina Wertmuller, Ingmar Bergman, François Truffaut to name a few who inspired my imagination."
And last but not least, perhaps the most influential person in Jimmy’s career: "Jimi Hendrix was the sole inspiration for me playing music as a profession. Seeing him perform live was awsome and it lit a fire within me, which eventually gave me the drive to pursue music as a career."

Bob Mintzer
It seemed odd at first that a big band saxophonist and arranger should join a small jazz group like Yellowjackets. But as time goes on, more and more fans realize that Bob Mintzer is a versatile and thoughtful musician and songwriter, bringing many years of experience and musical talent to the group. In addition to his Yellowjackets gigs, he is also bandleader, writer and arranger for his Bob Mintzer Big Band, which records for dmp Records, as well as teaching music and conducting workshops and performing with the New York Philharmonic.
A native of New Rochelle, NY, Bob recalls listening to a lot of records and visiting jazz clubs in his youth, which led to playing music by ear and taking lessons, first on clarinet and later on saxophone. As a senior in high school, he attended the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and there was no looking back. The long hours of practice and dedication paid off. "And from there I just carried on," Bob recalls. I went to music school, practiced four, five, six hours a day, listened, soaked up all the music I could. I started composing, doing a little bit of arranging and playing jobs, jamming, writing songs, gathering people together to make little demo tapes and doing all the things that are involved in the learning process."
His early gigs with Eumir Deodato, Tito Puente and the Thad Jones and Mel Lewis Big Band were beneficial. The routine of playing and performing on a daily basis was important "because it gets you in the habit of coming up with a high level of musicianship on the spot." Some of his earliest arranging jobs were for Buddy Rich’s band. Buddy encouraged Bob to write a chart for his big band. Bob’s chart was entitled "No Jive", a very contemporary, fusion-oriented piece. "It was a first stab, not a great chart, not finely crafted by any means, but it was sort of unusual, I wrote some stuff that probably had not been written quite that way before, because I didn’t know what I was doing," relates Bob. "The band played the shit out of it. I got so excited that I ran back to the piano and wrote another one." To say Buddy was hungry for more was an understatement! "Buddy basically threatened me into writing a big band arrangement. I very blindly and innocently took a stab at it."
One of his most influential stints was with the Thad Jones and Mel Lewis Big Band. At first, he played every Monday night at the Village Vanguard, playing for about six months until Thad left and stayed on with Mel. "Mel Lewis’s drumming, in many ways, was the greatest big band drumming I’ve ever experienced at first hand. He really listened and supported and accompanied." He continues, "The band just swings like crazy. It felt very comfortable to play with that band. It was a determining factor on the way I run my own band, the way I like to play and the way I write eten. Thad had a big impact on my writing."
His own big band recordings for dmp records reflect a lot of his earlier work, as well as a lot of the music he listened to and admired. On his big band recordings, you hear not only traditional big band elements, but some rock, Latin and fusion elements as well. "I liked the music from listening to records," Bob states. "Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Lester Young, Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea...all of these guys playing on the edge--very spontaneous and vibrant music which appealed to me."
Mintzer’s music is by no means mainstream big band jazz. "I don’t know how accessible it is. Based on the number of CDs I sell, I wouldn’t call it terribly accessible." As a result, the Bob Mintzer Big Band does not often perform at live concerts, mainly due to the expense of taking a full-time big band on the road. "Without having a Harry Connick Jr. in front of the band, it becomes quite difficult to take a band on the road. My big band plays in clubs around New York a few times a year. We’ll do a concert periodically. We do a record once a year. It doesn’t take up all of my life."
And that is a good thing. Now that Bob is a member of Yellowjackets, his schedule is even more busy, recording with the ‘Jackets and flying off to one corner of the globe or another performing with the group. But it is enjoyable working in a small group atmosphere with musicians that have very different backgrounds in music. "One of the things that attracts me to the Yellowjackets is this concept of not having racial barriers come into play in art. There’s four very distinctly different individuals in that band, from very different backgrounds and that way of thinking is reflected in the music."

Bob offers this advice for aspiring musicians: "Education is the way to go, in terms of keeping the music healthy, keeping people interested in music." He also says that the commercial music scene is very trend oriented, which is not necessarily the type of music with a lot of substance or thought behind it. While his music wouldn’t be as prominently displayed as the latest trendy artist, you’re more likely to find scores of colleges and universities playing Bob Mintzer charts. "That’s why I feel that the educational scene is a much more fertile and interesting arena for music."

Marcus Baylor
Marcus Baylor, a native of St. Louis, began playing the drums at two years old. Watching his cousin play every Sunday morning fascinated him so much so that after each service, he'd jump on the set and mimmick what he heard first hand. At home, he played on everything from pots and pans, to his mother's living room furniture. It soon became evident that this was a gift from God and should be taken seriously. Not long after, Marcus became the official drummer at his father's church. From that point on, he played at tent revivals, concerts and all services affiliated with the church. "Playing at church was the greatest start I could ever have because I constantly played and it served as a platform to develop a sound."
Marcus' introduction to jazz came in junior high school. Ironically, a friend played him a Yellowjackets record. Although different, there were certain similarities in their music and gospel, the music Marcus was so familiar with. But, something sparked in him the first time he saw jazz played live.What attracted him to this music was that it was something he never heard and found it to be a challenge, a new sound to develop. After scratching the surface, Marcus was eager to learn about those that came before them. He discovered Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and many other jazz greats. As Marcus became more exposed to this music, he excelled quickly in the language of jazz. He joined his school jazz band, won the Southern Illinois University high school big band competition and made All District Jazz Band.
At the close of high school, Marcus was offered a four year scholarship at Mannes School of Music in New York City. This was his first chance to study the music from a traditional perspective. He was fortunate to study with some of his musical heroes, Lewis Nash, Chico Hamilton, Michael Carvin and Buster Williams. Being in New York City afforded him all that was available in the jazz world from being able to hear great musicians as well as play with them. During his sophomore year, Marcus began playing local gigs, one of which was with the music director for Cassandra Wilson, who invited him for an audition with the band. This was a significant turning point in Baylor's career as he recorded for the first time with Wilson on "Travelin' Miles", featuring the music of Miles Davis. "Playing with Cassandra, I learned to hear and play different textures, or 'colors' as she called it, and explore different dynamics." While on tour, there were many memorable moments as renowned artists sat in with the band. Among them were George Benson, Dave Holland, Regina Carter and Olu Dara. Meanwhile, Baylor earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Following Wilson, Marcus began working with Kenny Garrett. He explains this opportunity as "a dream come true". For Marcus, this was a chance to open up and explore another side of playing jazz music. More than just a musician, Kenny was also a teacher and mentor. Working with him, Marcus gained a tremendous understanding of the history of rhythm, phrasing and ultimately a sound within the music. It also granted him an enormous amount of exposure as others heard him play and consequently opened up many doors. He recorded a song with Kenny on the album, "Happy People". Also on the road with Garrett, Marcus was exposed to playing with other greats such as Chick Corea and Freddie Hubbard. Independently, Baylor has worked with John Scoffield, Joshua Redman (Elastic Band), Greg Osby, Cyrus Chestnut, Stephon Harris, Junior Mance, Nicholas Payton, Lamont Johnson and East St. Louis native, Russell Gunn.
As Marcus Baylor comes into his own, he has found himself in the chair of one of the longest running and most loved contemporary jazz groups. Marcus has been playing with the Yellowjackets since 2000. In that time, he recorded his first record with them, "Mint Jam", a live recording at The Mint in California, and "Time Squared". When asked what he likes most about being a part of the Yellowjackets, "The Yellowjackets allow me the creative space to lend my own personality to the music. It's been a blessing and a dream come true to play with a group that I've listened to for so many years." Concerning his future, Marcus adds, "Music is a special gift from God. As it has blessed me, I pray that it will be used as a light to reach, touch and inspire lives all over the world."

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2008.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, février 2008.

Bevinda Ferreire

Chant

Née au Portugal et vivant en France, Bévinda, chanteuse franco-portugaise, représente aujourd'hui la génération de ceux qui vivent entre deux terres. L'instrumentation acoustique de ses musiciens offre un fado résolument nouveau, où la gravité de la tradition se mêle à une écriture musicale et poétique bien de notre temps.

Explorant et défendant la musique de son pays et l'intégrant dans sa propre musique, comme une porte ouverte sur le monde, Bévinda imagine une errance lusitanienne aux escales atlantiques et méditerranéennes portant son Portugal natal toujours plus loin vers l'orient. Toujours nomade, son chant se pigmente de Luth, guitare flamenca, guitare portugaise et tablas.

Fidèle à l'essence même du fado, car il est toujours le temps de chanter l'infini de l'attente, Bévinda devient naturellement une des grandes voix contemporaines de cette musique si particulière, à fleur d'âme.

Après cinq albums studios entre 1994 et 2001 et un album live en 1998, elle s'entoure pour son dernier opus, " Luz " (lumière), d'une nouvelle équipe musicale et nous mène à un croisement musical orient-occident, vers des voyages orientaux inspirateurs pour une écriture lusophone loin des chemins traditionnels, mais toujours en contact avec ses racines...

Bévinda chante Amalia Rodrigues, Fernando Pessoa, ses propres mots et ceux de sa mère Marie de Lourdes, sur ses musiques ou celles de son arrangeur Lucien Zerrad. Sans rien perdre de sa poésie et de son romantisme ("Ilha", "Filha da Luz"), l'écriture de Bévinda, se fait plus acide lorsqu'elle décrit certains faits de notre société en mal de vivre ("Felicidade", "Aparecida", "Liberaçào").

Migration d'un fado imaginaire, rêvé, navigant sur des caravelles contemporaines, voyage lusophone aux escales atlantico-méditerranéennes, nostalgie en errance, "Luz" est la lumière qui guide les pas de cette exploratrice sans cesse en quête de nouvelles aventures musicales.

Discographie :

" Fatum " Celluloid / 1994

" Terra e Ar " Celluloid / 1996

" Pessoa em pessoas " Celluloid / 1997

" Bévinda à la Chapelle des Lombards - Live " 1998

" Chuva de Anjos " 2000

" Alegria " Celluloid / 2001

" Luz " Celluloid / 2003

 

© Copyright Le Satellit Café, 2005.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, juillet 2006.

Peter Finger

Guitare

Le succès de l’International Guitar Night (14ième tournée en Allemagne et deuxième en France) ainsi que les demandes qui se succèdent, nous incitent à vous proposer notre spectacle pour vous faire partager une soirée inoubliable avec des guitaristes internationaux exceptionnels.
Quatre musiciens présentent à tour de rôle, ensemble ou en duo une variété fascinante de musique contemporaine pour guitare. Un spectacle intense ou l’entente musicale et la fusion des genres n’enlèvent rien à la personnalité de chaque artiste.

PETER FINGER (D) : pour les fans de la guitare acoustique, le nom de Peter Finger est incontournable. Depuis les années 70, il jouit d’une réputation incontestée sur la scène acoustique internationale.

Né à Weimar en 1954, son père chef d’orchestre, lui fait étudier le piano et le violon dés l’âge de 5 ans. Vers 13 ans, il découvre le Fingerpicking et apprend à jouer de la guitare en autodidacte.

A 19 ans, découvert par l’Américain Stefan Grossman, il enregistre son premier album„Bottleneck Guitar Solos“ pour Kicking Mule Records. A partir de 1976 débute sa carrière internationale. De nombreuses tournées l’emmènent en Europe, en Amérique du Nord, en Asie et en Russie.

Depuis, plus de 15 albums ont reçu l’éloge de nombreux critiques du monde entier Son univers musical enrichi par une curiosité inépuisable de tous les genres, classique, jazz, blues ou folk et la maîtrise parfaite de son instrument, en font un talent unique sur la scène acoustique.

Peter Finger présente une profondeur musicale, une énergie rythmique et une ampleur dynamique rarement atteinte chez un soliste. Dans son parcours, des noms prestigieux l’accompagnent: le vibraphoniste Florian Poser, le saxophoniste Charlie Mariano, et le fantastique percussioniste Trilok Gurtu. En 1988, il fonde le label Acoustic Music Records, spécialisé en guitare acoustique, ou de nombreux collègues trouvent refuge. En 1995, il devient éditeur du magazine Akustik Gitarre.
En plus de ses activités dans son studio d’enregistrement, il participe à des productions pour la télévison et pour des radios allemandes. En 1998, il inaugure son festival annuel de guitare (Open Strings), toujours existant.

La revue Guitarist Acoustic affirme : « C’est un guitariste unique tant par son parcours que par son univers musical.»

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2008.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, janvier 2008.

Glenn Ferris

Trombonne

Né en 1950 à Hollywood ; dès l’age de huit ans, il entreprit des études de Musique Classique et Instrumentale pour Trombone à Los Angeles. Dès 1964, il ajoutera à son cursus classique, des études spécialisées en Théorie du Jazz, Improvisation, Composition et Direction d’orchestre avec Don Ellis. En 1972, diplômé du California Institute of the Arts. Ses études ne l’empêcheront pas de devenir un musicien professionnel jouant et enregistrant dès l’âge de seize ans. Il commencera avec le très innovant Don Ellis Big Band, fondera ensuite avec Jack Walrath, le groupe Revival et aussi son propre orchestre de vingt musiciens : Celebration Orchestra. Il va devenir le tromboniste soliste de Frank Zappa, Don Ellis, Harry James, Billy Cobham, Bobby Bradford entre autres et lors de tournées internationales et de festivals, il jouera et enregistrera aussi notamment avec George Duke, Philly Joe Jones, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, John Scofield, Art Pepper… Et comme la Presse, unanime, l’a souligné : “Vingt ans après avoir quitté les États-Unis pour s’installer en France, Glenn FERRIS est le tromboniste le plus accompli, un des musiciens les plus importants de sa génération et le grand rénovateur du trombone aujourd’hui. Si sa carrière américaine a fait de lui un instrumentiste de dimension internationale, en Europe, de par le grand nombre de ses collaborations, prestations et enregistrements avec entre autres : l’Azur Quartet et Quintet de Henri Texier, Le Collectif Palatino Quartet, Michel Petrucciani, Joachim Kühn, Quincy Jones, Archie Shepp, Steve Lacy, Enrico Rava, Franco D’Andréa, Martial Solal, Louis Sclavis, Michel Portal, le Glenn FERRIS Trio, le Glenn FERRIS “Chrominance” trio, sa carrière française l’a définitivement installé au sommet, avec les grands.” Depuis 2000, Glenn FERRIS est Professeur au sein du Département Jazz au Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. La discographie de Glenn FERRIS, à l’image de sa carrière, comporte plus de cent enregistrements.

“DJANGO D'OR 2002 - VICTOIRES DU JAZZ” (France) pour le BFG Trio et son album “Here & now” (naïve Records, 2001). “GRAND PRIZE“ of “STRADE del CINEMA“ Film Music International Festival 2002 - AOSTE (Italy) for Original Music and Performances of the GLENN FERRIS TRIO

Contacts promo naïve 01 56 02 20 00 - www.naive.fr

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2006.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, juillet 2006.

Nina Ferro

Chant

 "Ms Ferro's Mellifluous voice reflected her warm personality...As Bob Hope said of Dinah Shore: "Naturally the voice is good. Just look where it's been." - Jack Massarik, Evening Standard, London.

Nina Ferro is recognised as one of the world's finest vocalists. Her wealth of experience has seen her perform throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia and has appeared with some of the great artists including Tony Bennett, Hugh Jackman, Ricky Martin, James Morrison, Renee Geyer, Kate Ceberano. Performed alongside masters including Gil Askey, Howard Alden, Les Paul, Jake Hanna, John Sheridan, Warren Vache, Ken Peplowski, Dan BarrettDave Sanborn, Renee Geyer, Chris Botti, Chick Corea, Monty Alexander, Eddie Floyd, Gary U.S. Bonds,Billie Ocean, Steve Tyrell, as well as appearences with The Australian Pops Orchestra, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, The Commitments, The Cat Empire. Nina's guest appearances with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band has resulted in over 30 performances being aired (several live to air) on Public Radio International all accross the USA. Nina is also featured on albums with the Jim Cullum Jazz band featuring collaborations with Dick Hyman and guests Benny Carter, Carol Woods, Topsy Chapman and Joe Williams. Her own albums have received rave reviews worldwide.....

"Ferro's voice is a pleasure to hear... She sounds natural, sexy and effortless."
 - Jerome Wilson, Cadence Magazine, New York.

"Nina Ferro may be an unfamiliar name to some in the US but that won't last long. Nina's voice is smooth, consistent and rich. Her energy and feeling for the music is fresh and infectious. The US will want to hear more of this stellar vocalist." - Paul Pearce, Bass World Magazine, USA.

This soul-full songstress has a quality of tone, honest emotion and technique that is rarely found in today's music. Her performances are nothing short of inspirational. Her energetic style and musical grace ensure an entertaining and powerful evening of music from slick Jazz Standards, sultry soul as well as her own original compositions.

"What an amazing voice, a stand out performance."
 - Hugh Jackman.

Nina's unique interpretation of jazz and soul repertoire never fails to impress both in intimate settings and on the concert stage. Whether appearing live or on television, from Jazz Clubs to large international festivals all over the world, she embodies the epitome of style.

"Nina Ferro is considered the Dom Perignon of Jazz.. bubbly, cool and very, very good!"
 - Marty Fields.

www.ninaferro.com

 

© Copyright Le Franc Pinot, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, août 2007.

Boney Fields

Trompette

Voilà plus de 20 ans que le trompettiste et chanteur Boney Fields écume la scène blues, funk et jazz du monde entier. Né en 1958 dans les quartiers Nord de Chicago, c'est là qu'il débute à la fin des années 70, influencé par James Brown, Earth Wind & Fire et Bootsy Collins pour le Funk, Armstrong, Miles et Clifford Brown pour le Jazz. Après 1981, date à laquelle Jimmy Johnson lui offre son premier engagement, sa carrière s'envole ; il accompagne Smokey Wilson, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, James Cotton (dont il est l'arrangeur), Little Milton, Junior Wells et Kenny Neal. Il dirige le groupe de Lucky Peterson, puis s'installe à Paris et rejoint le groupe du regretté Luther Allison, tout en se produisant avec son fils Bernard Allison.
Depuis, ce maître du groove, remarquable showman, a créé son propre gang « The Bone's Project », s'entourant d'une brochette de talents européens.

« Boney Fields, shouter sensuel dont la trompette funky vaut à elle seule la section cuivres de James Brown. Celui-là, faudrait pas le rater. On y sera. » (Libération, 2002)
« Le trompettiste et chanteur Boney Fields nous donne un magnifique exemple de blues funk moderne. » (Jazz Hot)

Faut il encore présenter Boney Fields ? Toujours un pied en dehors des limites du blues, Boney se plait à visiter le rhythm'n'blues mais aussi le funk, le jazz et pourquoi pas le reggae pour nous en mettre plein les yeux et plein les oreilles !
Showman émérite, Boney Fields fait résonner sa trompette sur des arrangements particulièrement bien pensés et fait le spectacle avec une section de cuivres omniprésente. Derrière eux, on remarque un petit génie de la six cordes, sorte de croisement de Jimmy Hendrix et de Kéziah Jones.

Passé maître dans l'art du funky blues, le trompettiste dreadlocké est également un chanteur hors pair et ne manque pas de nous régaler de sa voix rocailleuse et de ses effets spéciaux au résultat immédiat.
Alors, Boney Fields : blues ou pas blues ? Assurément blues !

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2006.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, septembre 2006.

Les Fleurs Noires

Fleurs Noires est un orchestre composé de 11 musiciennes argentines et françaises. Ensemble, elles nous livrent un tango vigoureusement contemporain qui se démarque du tango traditionnel ou électro... Musiciennes confirmées dans les domaines classiques et populaires, elles mélangent leurs différences culturelles à l’originalité de leur répertoire. De ce tango se dégage une force sensuelle, tout en nuances, qui est le fruit de la diversité de ses racines.

Les Fleurs Noires ravivent l’axe historique Paris – Buenos Aires en émancipant la place de la femme dans cette musique faite originellement par des hommes. Ces jeunes femmes passionnées bousculent cette tradition. Les 11 musiciennes nous embarquent dans cette odyssée enivrante mêlant classe, élégance, fraîcheur et... culot !

« Nom implacable pour un big band féminin franco-argentin totalement dédié au tango. Mais le noir sied à cet univers. 4 violons, 1 piano, 1 violoncelle, 1 contrebasse et 3 bandonéons. Mazette, dans un univers macho, c’est un choc ! Répertoire cultivant l’éternité et tutoyant la modernité, exécution nécessairement impeccable, arrangements cultivant la dissonance, plus un atout que bien des homes n’osent pas endosser, l’humour : beau bouquet pour faire chalouper les âmes ! »

Rémi KOLPA KOPOUL

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, janvier 2007.

Ahmed Fofana

Guitare, Balafon, Flûte, Djembe, Piano

Mamadou, dit Ahmed, est né en Côte d'Ivoire de parents maliens. Il est issu d'une famille de griots (poètes musiciens). Ainsi, il grandit dans la musique, entre la flûte, le balafon, la kora et les percussions. Il fait de la musique son langage, à travers lequel il se fait dépositaire de la vérité et de ses origines à travers le monde. Au fil des rencontres, sa musique s'est métissée, le jazz s'y est glissé.

Metteur en scène, arrangeur, musicien multi-instrumentiste, Ahmed travaille pour les plus grands artistes du paysage musical africain (Aicha Kouyate, Vieux Farka Touré, Manjul, Cheick Tidiane Seck ... etc) et démontre son talent avec passion et sérieux. Il devient par la suite le chef d’orchestre de Toumani Diabaté, qu’il suit sur toutes ses tournées internationales.

Après sa première création musicale solo, un album intitulé Musique sans frontières, Ahmed Fofana prépare aujourd’hui la sortie de son nouvel album Desert Blues avec son groupe Le Métis Mandingue. Habitué des plus grandes scènes internationales, invité d’honneur au Festival Nuits d’Afrique à Montréal en 2006, il nous fait le plaisir de venir au Satellit Café dans le cadre du festival « Sur la Route des Sons ».

EN ECOUTE SUR

www.myspace.com/ahmedfofana

DISCOGRAPHIE

• Desert Blues (en cours de préparation)
• Musique sans frontières

 

© Copyright Le Satellit Café, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, octobre 2007.

Sue Foley

Chant, Guitare

Sue Foley est une guitariste canadienne. Compositeur interprète, Sue Foley est reconnue pour son blues moderne électrique à travers le monde. Elle fut nominée aux W.C Handy Award en tant qu' "artiste contemporaine féminine de blues" en 2003.
En septembre 2004, la maison de disque Ruf record sort son nouvel album "Change" qui présente un nouveau côté live et acoustique de l'artiste.
Sue Foley inclue dans son répertoire certains classiques d'artistes féminines de blues tels que "Me and my chauffeur blues" de Memphis Minnie.

BLUES CARAVAN 2007 THE NEW GENERATION Once again Ruff Records from Germany is at the forefront of presenting the European Blues scene with the best contemporary blues artists from around the World. We are proud to be associated with Ruff Records and presents to you the first UK festival appearance of this amazing Blues Caravan 2007 featuring :

SUE FOLEY (Canada)
Sue Foley has solidified her place as one of the leading lights of the contemporary blues scene. In the male-dominated field of blues music, she’s proven she can sling a guitar with the best of them – and she’s shared the stage with BB King, John lee Hooker, Buddy Guy and George Thorogood, to name a few. But it’s her remarkable songwriting skills and unique vocal style that set apart from the pack. Foley’s music is anything but your standard 12-bar blues; she revs up her tunes with a contemporary twist and moves the music forward. Not that she doesn’t appreciate the traditional songs – she pays them as well, and has studied the genre ever since leaving home as a teenager, determined to make a career in music.
With the April 2006 release of NEW USED CAR, powerhouse singer/songwriter/guitarist Sue Foley has solidified her place as one of the leading lights of the contemporary blues scene. In the male-dominated field of blues music, she's proven she can sling a guitar with the best of them - and she's shared the stage with BB King, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy and George Thorogood, to name a few. But it's her remarkable songwriting skills and unique vocal style that set her apart from the pack. Foley's music is anything but your standard 12-bar blues; she revs up her tunes with a contemporary twist and moves the music forward. Not that she doesn't appreciate the traditional songs - she plays them as well, and has studied the genre ever since leaving home as a teenager, determined to make a career in music.
Her first new studio work in four years, NEW USED CAR is the most accomplished and accessible album of her career, featuring Sue's smooth purr-to-growl vocals wrapped around original songs, punctuated by her high velocity, shiver-inducing lead guitar work. She wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 tunes on the disc. "I feel this is the best songwriting I've done in my life - the songs just developed so naturally and seemed to write themselves," says Foley, "it was a remarkable process and it is my strongest work and most satisfying album yet."
Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Foley hails from a large, music-loving, working-class family. In her early years she sang with her father, who loved to play Celtic folk songs, while her brothers were in bands hammering out the hard rock covers of the 1970s. Her love of the Rolling Stones and other blues rock bands found Sue checking song writing credits on the albums, where names like Willie Dixon, McKinley Morganfield and Chuck Berry were found, leading to the originators. For her thirteenth birthday, she received her first guitar - "it was my saving grace," she says - and locked herself in her room until she learned how to play. At age sixteen she was gigging around Ottawa clubs, at eighteen she left home for Vancouver, British Columbia, with nothing more than a small suitcase and her guitar.
With determined drive and talent to burn, her first band built a following playing every club in Vancouver. Word spread quickly about the pretty young girl with a wicked guitar style and unique voice - playing blues tunes and her own songs. Soon Foley was out on the road playing across Canada to enthusiastic audiences. An offer to back blues Harmonica whiz Mark Hummel found Foley and her band touring the US and Canada in tandem. During her first trip to Memphis for the Handy Awards, a fated evening's jam found her trading licks with renowned guitar icon Duke Robillard. In the audience was Austin, Texas' blues club and record label owner Clifford Antone.
An offer came from Antone to record an album and play his hallowed nightclub - the regular haunt of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Angela Strehli and Lou Ann Barton - Foley jumped, immediately relocating from Canada. "Going to Austin had been a dream of mine...I was so inspired by living and breathing the air there that I stayed for close to seven years and recorded four albums for Antone's Records." Released in 1992, debut album YOUNG GIRL BLUES set Foley's extraordinary vocal character beside her already stunning guitar abilities. It was a solid debut, garnering critical acclaim from the press and nationwide radio airplay. Down Beat magazine said, "Foley plays with almost terrifying ferocity, bending strings as if she's tearing out pieces of her own heart." Her live performances also drew the amazement of the press. "After one performance," said Billboard, "she left the audience flabbergasted."
She remained based in Austin, released WITHOUT A WARNING in 1993 and BIG CITY BLUES in 1995, all while touring extensively, including overseas to Europe and Japan. And the praise flooded in. "Echoes of Earl Hooker, Bessie Smith, T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters and other forebears of the blues filter through the cannon of singer, songwriter and guitarist Sue Foley," said the Los Angeles Times. Q magazine stated, "her singing is not only sexy as hell, but somehow manages to capture the tone of Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, while still sounding contemporary." When she wasn't on the road, she was over at Antone's hanging out -
"I was there every night, sitting in with everyone in town, and all the artists who would come down for the anniversaries." She was soon sharing the stage and opening up for the likes of Buddy Guy, Tom Petty, George Thorogood, Joe Cocker, Koko Taylor. By the time she recorded 1996's WALK IN THE SUN, Foley came fully into her own songwriting style. "I had to start crossing musical barriers and stop being compelled to stay within the boundaries of the blues, and stretch out..." Down Beat raved, "Sue Foley has just started a new chapter in her career, and it's the best one yet."
1997 was a year of change. After ten years on the road, she decided to become a mother, and moved back to Canada to be near to her family. She later remarked "I stopped and decided what I wanted - having a child, learning about life - a lot of that put things back in perspective." A year later she was back in action, releasing 1998's TEN DAYS IN NOVEMBER on the Shanachie label to continued critical and commercial success. Touring took backseat to motherhood, but she still hit out for selected dates and weekenders and enjoyed a high profile on the summer festival circuit.
The year 2000 brought two new releases - most importantly the Shanachie title LOVE COMIN' DOWN, which resulted in her winning a Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy) for Best Blues Album. She also swept the nation's Maple Blues Awards, winning an amazing five trophies for Recording of The Year, Songwriter of The Year, Entertainer of The Year, Guitarist of The Year, Female Vocalist of The Year. France's blues music award, 2000's Trophee de Blues was bestowed on Foley for Best Female Guitarist. Britain's MOJO magazine honored LOVE COMIN' DOWN as one of the top 10 blues releases of the year. JazzTimes remarked, "all the elements - songwriting, playing, soulful conviction - come together for her on this solid outing." Her live performance profile heightened as she opened for BB King and John Lee Hooker among others. 2000 also found the resurrected Antone's label (now owned by the Texas Music Group) releasing BACK TO THE BLUES, a compilation of unreleased songs recorded during her 1990-1996 Antone's years.
2002's WHERE THE ACTION IS marked another highly praised recording and Foley again swept Canada's Maple Blues Awards, bringing home five more trophies, including Recording of The Year. (To date, she has received a record setting 17 Maple Blues Awards, more than any other artist.) She was nominated for a prestigious WC Handy Entertainer of The Year Award. Down Beat said, "The real action comes when she sets down her Telecaster and picks up her acoustic guitar to make the time hallowed "Down The Big Road Blues" her own." The Hartford Advocate chimed in, "Foley digs deep into her vocal range and wrings it for all it's worth."
In 2003, a live performance in Toronto was recorded - with a stripped down band, the mostly acoustic show was an inspired example of Sue Foley's live performance prowess. The intimate and remarkable recording proved so excellent, it was released in the US and Europe in 2004 by Ruf Records and named simply CHANGE. "We did it on the fly without rehearsing," said Foley, "I was playing from memory and trying out songs I'd just written, and of course the songs I love to play at home." Once again, the accolades came pouring in. The Philadelphia Inquirer stated "Foley has a killer voice - an impossibly alluring blend of sex and innocence to go with those blazing guitar chops." The Detroit Free Press added "If you're amongst those folks who get bored with the same 12 bars, this is your kind of action."
With the completion of the CHANGE, Foley turned her attention to a project she started in the late 1990's, when researching women guitar players. Having been inspired in her teen years by the work of Memphis Minnie, Sister Rosetta Tharp and Elizabeth Cotton, she decided to document the relationship of the woman guitar player - from past to present and beyond. "I thought I would research this and looked around to find that there was little to no documentation... it looked like the entire chapter had been excluded on purpose, or to be more polite, maybe just overlooked," noted Foley. She decided to start work on a book - researching female musicians of the past and interviewing many contemporary guitarists. The book is still in the works and there are plans for tours and a documentary. "It's almost like a new mythology for me," she comments, "the lives of these women are unique and inspiring. Seeing as there's no solid literature on women guitarists, I feel an obligation to share their stories with the rest of the world." (see www.guitarwoman.com for more information)
As an aside to the book project, Foley co-produced and wrote extensive liner notes to the Ruf Records album BLUES GUITAR WOMEN, released in late 2005. The compilation consists of two CDs, one featuring contemporary artists and the second featuring traditional players. Foley appeared on the nationally syndicated House of Blues Radio Hour touting the release and her research. The All Music Guide said of the package "from originals to blues standards, there's something for everyone here. What's most surprising is how little known so many of these fine performers are, and the way the heritage gets passed down, guitar to guitar for over 70 years."
Sue Foley's commitment to music is more intense now than when she first hit the road as a teenager. NEW USED CAR proves she is one of the most creative and intriguing artists on the touring circuit and affirms her rising star burns as bright as ever.

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, février 2007.

Nicolas Folmer

Trompette

À 29 ans, Nicolas Folmer est considéré comme l'un des meilleurs trompettistes et artistes de jazz de sa génération. Après de brillantes études au Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, il obtient en 1996 un premier prix, et en 1998 un prix de perfectionnement en composition.
Il intègre l'orchestre national de 1996 à 2000 et fonde avec Pierre Bertrand le « Paris Jazz Big Band » à la réputation aujourd'hui internationale et dont les projets – composés et dirigés par ses deux fondateurs – sont encensés par la critique. Il est également à l'origine du groupe « Nojazz » avec Philippe Sellam mariant jazz et musique électronique, et enregistre à New York un album produit par Teo Macero (producteur légendaire de Miles Davis, Duke Ellington). Il est régulièrement sollicité comme soliste par des artistes prestigieux : Dee Dee Bridgewater, Henry Salvador, Wynton Marsalis, Charles Aznavour, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Claude Nougaro, John Lewis, Georges Russell, Laurent Cugny, Ricardo Del Fra, André Ceccarelli, Patrice Caratini, Louis Winsberg, Minino Garay, DJ Abdel, Sylvain Beuf, Stéphane Huchard… entres autres…

“ Quand vous revenez jour après jour sur une plage musicale qui vous a accroché, vous savez que vous tenez un vrai disque, une œuvre. C'est le cas avec le morceau que Nicolas Folmer appelle I comme Icare et qui donne non seulement son titre à l'album, mais sa couleur bleue à l'ensemble. Martial Solal, créateur exigeant, a raison de dire, dans les notes de pochette, que ce trompettiste a dans son jeu tous les atouts qui font le grand musicien. Lèvres d'acier, contrôle parfait de la colonne sonore, mise en place impeccable, sensibilité et audace. Et sur les plages où Folmer invite un autre brillant représentant de sa génération, Stéphane Guillaume à la flûte et au saxophone, les couleurs tournoient. Il suffira de nommer la rythmique, Ira Coleman et André Ceccarelli, pour dire son extrême musicalité. Pour quiconque serait brouillé avec le jazz, voici l'occasion d'émouvantes retrouvailles.” Michel Contat - Télérama décembre 2004 - 4 clés 

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2006.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, septembre 2006.

Ricky Ford

Saxo

Born 4 March 1954, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Ford started to play drums, then changed to tenor saxophone at the age of 15, inspired by Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Ran Blake heard him playing in a Boston Club and persuaded him to study music at the New England Conservatory. (Blake later invited him to play on several albums too, including Rapport, Short Life Of Barbara Monk and That Certain Feeling). In 1974 Ford joined the Duke Ellington Orchestra under the leadership of Mercer Ellington and in 1976 he replaced George Adams in the Charles Mingus group, recording on Three Or Four Shades of Blue and Me Myself An Eye. In the late 70s and early 80s he played with Dannie Richmond, Mingus Dynasty, George Russell, Beaver Harris, Lionel Hampton and Adbullah Ibrahim's Ekaya group. However, following the release of his debut album in 1977 he has worked increasingly as a leader, often recording with Jimmy Cobb and ex-Ellington colleague James Spaulding. His latest releases also feature one of his New England Conservatory teachers, Jaki Byard. A strong, authoritative tenor player, Ford's fluency in most idioms of modern jazz has perhaps hindered the development of an individual voice. Ricky is from 2000 Professor at the Bilgi University in Istambul.

One of the most prolific tenor saxophonist and composers of new jazz in the late twentieth century Ricky Ford is the only musician in jazz history to have recorded on the last works of Duke Ellington (Les trois Rois Noirs, Mercer Ellington Continuum on Fantasy) composed in 1974, as well as the Charles Mingus last seven albums, from 77 through 78, and Jaki Byard works in 98.

Ricky has enjoyed the privilege to record several great albums during the Late 70s and 80s showcasing new talents. Wallace Roney's first date as a sideman in New York, Interpretations, was just released as a compilation on Jazz 32. Rickys Choice, with five originals and standards, recorded during the early eighties, featured Jimmy Cobb on all of the Tracks. Ricky also showcased other prominent young musicians on there debut recordings as sidemen, Geoff Keezer and Roy Hargrove on Hard Goovin (Muse 1989) and Christian Mc Bride on Hot Brass (Candid 91).

Ricky is one of the most prolific late 20th century mainstream jazz composers since his debut recording in 1977, Loxodonta Africana, (New World Records 204) which was distributed to forty thousand libraries around the world, featuring Danny Richmond and Richard Davis, there first time recording together.

During a period of great difficulty in the jazz recording industry, especially for young composers, to create there own repertoire, Ricky has composed consistently throughout his career. Charles Parker recorded 60 original compositions in 15 years. Thelonious Monk recorded 87 during a forty year career. But Ricky Ford has recorded 89 compositions during the last 22 years, a performance unsurpassed by any of his contemporaries in the mainstream genre.

Ricky's passion for musical research and composition has enabled him to compile a Big Band repertoire of well over 150 arrangements of his works and the works of Mary Lou Williams, and many of the band leaders he has worked with. It constitutes a veritable musical diary of which most of the music, never realized in the venacular of Big Band before, has given birth to one of the most contemporary mainstram jazz repertoire s of the 21st Century.

Rickys latest album Balaena features 8 originals that are the basics in jazz expression as well as innovative new material accessible to musicians to play at a moments notice.

Rickys music is neither complicated or easy but utilizes the middle ground of maximum musical expression for the various side men that accompany him.

Ricky Fords music is a wake up call to the aspiring and experienced instrumentalist that Jazz is still in its infancy and fresh as day one, an alternative music for todays developing musician.

Education

1997	Master in Music Composition Brandeis University
1983	Bachelors in Fine Arts Music New England Conservatory of Music

Conservatory of Music

1974 - 1980

New England Conservatory of Music

Faculty Positions

2003 - 2000	Lecture Istanbul Bilgi University Saxophone studies, Big Band, Small ensembles and Music Composition.
1997 - 1990	Artist in Residence Brandeis University
1989	Essex Community College NJ.

Professional Performance and Recording Activities

2002	Mingus Trippin Ankara
2001 - 2000	The Istanbul Jazz Collective Big Band
1998	Jaki Byard
1997	The Ricky Ford Orchestra Paris
1997	Richard Davis
1996	Pete Larocca Sims
1995 - 1991	Mal Waldron Sweet Basil NYC
1994 - 1993	Steve Lacy, Vespers
1994 - 1992	The Richard Davis Quintet
1990	George Wein Newport All Stars

1989 - 1983	Abdulla Ibrahim Ekaya
1984 - 1980	Beaver Harris 360 Degree Esxperience
1982 - 1980	Lionnel Hampton Orchestra
1982	Freddie Hubbard
1982	McCoy Tyner
1981	Pete Larocca Sims
1981 - 1978	The Dannie Richmond Quintet
1980	Nad Adderly
1980	Sonny Stitt
1979	The Red Rodney Quintet

1978	George Russell
1978 - 1976	The Duke Ellington Orchestra Directed by Mercer Ellington
1974 - 1972	Wallys Paridise Boston Mas
1974 - 1972	NEC Jazz Ensemble, Directed by Gunther
1973	Ran Blake Duo the Gardner Museum Boston Mass
1969	Pete Larocca Sims

Recording Activities

2001 - 1999	Jazz Friends Productions
1992	Muse Records
1992 - 1991	Candid Records
1989 - 1978	Muse Records
1977	New World Records

Documentary

1991	The Ricky Ford Quart Encore : La Sept Paris & Canal +
1985	Ricky Ford and the Last Waves 1369 Jazz Club Cambridge, Mass

RICKY FORD

2 Place Diderot - 78180 Montigny le Bretonnneux - France

Tel : + 33 1 39 44 97 27 - + 90 535 94 12 705

E-mail : raford2@hotmail.com

Voir aussi : le reportage photographique sur Ricky Ford

© Copyright Ricky Ford, 2004.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier for Jazz-Passion, novembre 2004

Robben Ford

Chant, Guitare

In the 1960s, long before pop artists were backed by the generic, computer-based accompaniment that is commonplace today, singers often recorded with formidable house bands, including Booker T. & the MG’s and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. The former band came together at Stax records in Memphis, laying down timeless grooves on hits by artists like Otis Redding, Albert King, and Carla Thomas. The latter group—based in Muscle Shoals, as well as New York and Nashville—enhanced such classic tracks as Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally,” and Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome.”
Growing up in the ’60s, a teenaged Robben Ford spent countless hours listening to artists like Aretha and Otis, at the same time soaking in guitar blues from Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, and B.B. King. In his early 20s, Ford went on to join blues luminary Jimmy Witherspoon’s band. But soon, Ford experienced a diversion from the genre. In 1974, the guitarist was discovered by saxophonist Tom Scott, whose progressive fusion group, L.A. Express, then teamed up with Joni Mitchell to support her Court and Spark tour and play on two of her albums (1974’s Miles of Isles and 1975’s The Hissing of Summer Lawn).

Today, possessing a résumé that includes stints with an impressively broad range of other musical personalities—Miles Davis, George Harrison, Little Feat, and the Yellowjackets, among many others—Ford has demonstrated an uncanny adaptability similar to that of the MG’s and the Muscle Shoals group. The guitarist has effortlessly traversed genres without compromising his exquisite, blues-based playing and singing. So it’s only natural that on his latest album, Keep On Running (CCD-2187), Ford tips his hat to Muscle Shoals and the MG’s, offering fresh takes on soul classics, in addition to serving up several glowing originals.

Keep On Running boasts a core group of heavyweight players—bassist Jimmy Earl and drummers Toss Panos and Steve Potts. Ford couldn’t be happier with his co-conspirators. Of the low-end, he raves, “Jimmy’s just about my favorite bassist in the world. He has a great feel, and he and I see eye-to-eye in terms of time; Jimmy is so comfortable to play with.” Ford is similarly praiseful of his percussionists: “Steve plays so beautifully. He can do rhythm ’n’ blues in such an authentic way, while at the same time sounding incredibly fresh. And I’ve played with Toss on the road for a couple of years now; I’ve really benefited from his unique feel.”
Among other instrumentalists, Ford expanded the core group with a battery of keyboard players. But after the recording was completed, Ford, a relentless perfectionist, found that their sounds were incongruous. He explains, “At a certain point, I thought, ‘What’s wrong with this picture?’ It turned out I just didn’t want to hear the [Hammond] B3 [organ].” So Ford, himself a diligent multi-instrumentalist, redid most of the keyboard parts, using the more appropriate-sounding Wurlitzer electric piano.

Ford’s journey throughout this CD, his second for Concord Records, covers many musical miles. Starting things off, the title track is a fresh though faithful cover of the Spencer Davis Group classic, which captured a then 17-year-old Steve Winwood on vocals. Joining the core cast here are Bob Malach on tenor sax and Edgar Winter on baritone; Ford expertly handles the guitar, vocal, and keyboard parts. “I really dug this record when I was growing up,” says Ford. “I’d been wanting to hear it again, but it only recently became available on CD. My producer [John Wooler] also had this song in mind. We worked up an arrangement at rehearsal recorded it.”

“Over My Head” showcases Ford’s organic, breezy compositional style in a song dealing with the oldest of subjects: man chases woman, followed by heavy infatuation. Here, his smooth, blues guitar screams and moans in a perfect extension of the song’s soulful vocals. “‘Over My Head’ came from a casual guitar riff that I found myself playing one day,” says Ford. “The words tumbled out quite naturally. The riff seemed to suggest something many men go through as one point, or many times—meeting a woman you know is dangerous but find completely irresistible.”
Ford was at first uncertain about “Can’t Do My Homework,” originally recorded by Otis Rush. The guitarist says, “We played the song, but it has such a camp lyric. It felt so good, though, and was so much fun to play, that we just had to use it.” And it is such an enjoyable listen, too. Showcased here are Ford’s gorgeous guitar tones and sharp, playful improvisations, which never stray too far from Rush’s original version.

On “Badge” (written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison, and recorded by Cream), Ford offers another respectful cover, his smooth vocals backed by those of Siedah Garret (the singer also appears on “Bonnie”), and his creamy guitar tone recalling that of Clapton, while retaining Ford’s own unmistakable imprint. “I’ve always loved the first Cream album, which is brilliant,” says Ford. “Recording ‘Badge’ was John Wooler’s idea. I’m glad he suggested it; the song so was nice to use as a touchstone, since I had worked with Harrison, and he had recently passed away. You can really hear his influence in there, as well as Clapton’s.”

“Peace Love & Understanding” finds Ford using R&B to smooth out a more rocking version recorded previously by Elvis Costello. On this outstanding song, Ford duets with the legendary Mavis Staples (who, incidentally, began her recording career at Stax/Volt in 1969, backed by the MG’s) commenting on the difficult times as of late. Ford explains, “I have to say that I didn’t grow up listening to Elvis Costello. But this song presented a great opportunity: I don’t like what’s going on in the world right now, and “Peace Love & Understanding” expresses a beautiful sentiment.

TA smart blues instrumental, “Cannonball Shuffle” was written by Ford for Freddie King. The composition showcases Ford’s gutsy though refined playing, in addition to some fine soloing from Malach. Ford says, “While planning this album, Wooler and I were talking a lot about Freddie King. As a youngster, I’d never gotten next to him, but now that I’ve taken the time to get inside his style, I modeled ‘Cannonball Shuffle’ after tunes like ‘Hideaway’ and ‘The Stumble.’”
The album’s second half—“Me and My Woman,” “Bonnie,” “Lifetime Thing,” “For the Love of Money,” and “Hand in Hand With the Blues”—maintains a similar vibe. It’s at once old-school and, thanks to Ford’s outstandingly fresh playing, contemporary. Ford says, “This is the music I grew up with, when things were more carefree. For me, the album is full of nostalgia. I think we could all use some of that kind of feeling today.” 

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2006.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, novembre 2006.

Jean-Pierre Fourment

Contrebasse

Sortie parisienne, le 26 novembre 2007 au New Morning, du disque « La danse du papillon », du Jean-Pierre FOURMENT Quintet. Ce Quintet est né en août 2006, dans les montagnes cévenoles, autour des compositions et arrangements du contrebassiste

Beaucoup de profondeur et de maîtrise technique pour cette musique qui évoque, cependant, lyrisme et légèreté.
Des mélodies ciselées, aux structures bien campées, évoquant parfois des univers cinématographiques…
Une musique, bien sûr, à l’image de la richesse du parcours de Jean-Pierre Fourment qui a joué aussi bien dans des groupes de musique tzigane que brésilienne, de musique Klezmer comme de celle d’Astor Piazzolla…
Il a également composé et joué pour le théâtre.
Fort de ces expériences et d’un large panel discographique, il s’est résolu, pour le bonheur de tous, à monter une formation autour de sa propre musique :
Il est accompagné de Jean-François ANGLES aux saxophones et de Bernard RESSEGUIER à la batterie, tous deux professeurs de musique – des complices du JAM de Montpellier, avec qui il avait déjà monté un groupe de Jazz de création (UBIQ), en 93 –, puis de Christophe CASTEL au trombone et de Michel TARDIEU au piano, respectivement directeur et professeur à l’école de musique du Vigan. La rencontre s’est faite ici, autour d’un penchant commun : la musique assistée par ordinateur..
Différents mondes… Mais au final, un jazz cohérent, coloré. Une musique virevoltante, au gré du vol du papillon.

Jean Pierre FOURMENT
Né le 18 février 1964 à Melun
C'est en autodidacte qu'il commence à jouer de la guitare basse au sein de groupes de rock en Normandie.
En octobre 90, il étudie la contrebasse et commence à jouer dans diverses formations du Trio au Big Band.
En 93, il forme le groupe UBIQ avec 3 musiciens de jazz (Piano, sax, batterie) et commence à composer. Le groupe tourne toujours.
En 94, retour aux sources du rock avec les FLYING SNAILS.
En 95, il joue avec un Trio de musique brésilienne IRACEMA.
De 96 à 2003, il joue du tango d'Astor PIAZZOLLA et de la musique Klezmer avec le groupe : A C'T'HEURE LA (piano, violon, clarinette).
Depuis 98 il accompagne l'auteur et compositeur de chansons françaises: Michel AVALON (guitare, accordéon)
En parallèle, composition et musique live pour une pièce de théâtre : " La nuit est aussi un soleil " d'Arrabal en 1994, et pour un spectacle de danse contemporaine de Philippe CHEHERE : " Du bleu puisé en vous " en 2000.
De 99 à 2007, trio de jazz tzigane avec CORDES à CORPS (guitare, batterie)
2004, LES MAINS CHROMEES, musique des Balkans et compositions (Clarinette, violon, accordéon).
2006, Jean-Pierre Fourment Quintet (piano, sax, trombone, batterie)
CD : La danse du papillon - JPF QUINTET - Les yeux noirs de Suzanne EDITIONS

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, octobre 2007.

Bernard Fowler

Vocal

If you listen to music regularly then you've probably heard BERNARD FOWLER before. The list of musicians the man has collaborated with throughout his career spans several pages. He has worked on projects in numerous genres – rock, jazz, pop, Latin.

His widely acclaimed vocals are full of power and soul: once heard, never forgotten. Bernard was born and grew up in New York's Queensbridge Projects and began his musical career as bass player in a salsa band. He started writing songs at 16 and sang for “Total Eclipse”, who later signed to Brunswick Records. He then joined Tackhead as front man where he soon became one of the most sought after vocal talents in the world.
Bernhard Fowler has sung on countless tours and albums, he has sung with the greats of the twentieth century: Ryuchi Sakamoto, Gill Scott-Heron, Sly & Robbie, Material, Bootsy Collins, Duran Duran, Herb Alpert, Paul Carrack, Yoko Ono and many, many others.

He has spent the last ten years on tour and in the studio with the Rolling Stones, including the three albums by Charlie Watts (check out the legendary Long Ago & Far Away), where he provided lead vocals as well as guesting on solo albums by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ron Wood.

Bernard Fowler is not just a hugely talented singer: he has also made a name for himself as a writer, trombonist, percussionist, keyboarder and producer. His varied talents have graced releases from Ron Wood, Stevie Salas, The Rolling Stones, Living Colour, Herbie Hancock as well as his own projects, Peach Boys, Tackhead and Nicklebag.

His new band is called BAD DOG (or say even the old gang - TACK>>HEAD), and he is currently promoting his first SOLO album “Friends With Privileges” LIVE in Europe with an all-star line up including Doug Wimbish (Living Colour, Madonna, Mick Jagger und und und ...), Skip Mc Donald (Little Axe, Wood-Brass and Steel, James Brown, George Clinton, African Bambata a.o.) and Keith Le Blanc (James Brown, Little Stevens, Tina Turner, Seal, Joe Satriani, George Clintion a.o.) Prepare to be dazzled: rock, funk, R&B, soul and TACK>>HEAD in a truly explosive mix! A real highlight!

The brand new SOLO CD Bernard Fowler – Friends With Privileges
is released on DUDE Records (an echo beach subdivision) and distributed through Indigo. Guest muusicians on the album include Stevie Salas, Ron Wood, Steve Lukather, Ivan Neville, Doug Wimbish, Will Calhoun, Darryl Jones, Simon Phillips, Kid Rock, Lisa Fischer, Weddy Wachtel, Kid Rock and lots and lots more!

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2008.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, janvier 2008.

Lilian Franca

Chant, Guitare

Lilian é fluminense de Niterói. Foi integrante, no naipe dos sopranos, de diversos coros e grupos vocais. Em janeiro de 1994, Lilian apresentou seu primeiro trabalho profissional como intérprete ao estrear o show: “Outros Quereres” em Niterói e Rio de Janeiro.

Paralelo ao show “Outros Quereres”, Lilian também desenvolveu um trabalho mais popular, que consta de Bossa-Nova e Sambas antigos, que foi apresentado em diversos shoppings centers do Rio de Janeiro ( Barra Shopping, Norte Shopping, Via Parque,…)

Durante o ano de 1995, Lilian se apresentou em diversos palcos com o show: “Homenagem a Cartola”, incluindo entrevistas e apresentações, ao vivo, na TV Gazeta-Vitória-ES. Este show foi reapresentado em fevereiro/98 durante as comemorações dos 90 anos do compositor em evento realizado pela Universidade Gama Filho e no Centro Cultural da Light – Rio de Janeiro.

Entre os anos de 1997 e 1998, Lilian realizou a gravação de seu primeiro CD chamado Combustível, que contou com a Direção Musical, Arranjos e Produção de Sérgio Tannus, e com participações especiais de Marcos Suzano (pandeiro) e Sérgio Chiavazzoli (bandolim), além do incentivo do cantor e compositor Lenine. O repertório do CD é formado por canções inéditas de compositores de Niterói (característica do trabalho de Lilian) e clássicos da MPB com nova roupagem, como a versão em tango de “ As Rosas Não Falam”. É um CD de música brasileira, onde há grande diversidade rítmica e arranjos nem sempre convencionais. Neste trabalho, Lilian deixa refletida em cada música interpretada a sua personalidade musical.

Em abril de 1999 o CD Combustível foi lançado no Teatro da UFF(Universidade Federal Fluminense) em Niterói – RJ. Em 2000, este CD foi relançado, a convite, pelo Selo Niterói Discos.(Selo da prefeitura de Niterói). O CD recebeu grande elogio da crítica carioca e paulista.

O show do CD COMBUSTÍVEL já foi apresentado, desde seu lançamento, em diversas casas de show do Rio, São Paulo ( SESC Pompéia, SESC Consolação,…), Vitória e Guarapari – ES, Minas ( Festival de Inverno de São João del Rei) e programas de TV, como: Sem Censura e Atitude.Com ( ambos da TVE ), Jogo Aberto e ES – TV ( TV Gazeta – ES), TV Guarapari, entre outros.

Canções do CD Combustível são tocadas nas rádios de diversas regiões do Brasil, tais como: Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Pará, Rio de Janeiro, Amazonas, entre outras. Algumas canções estão sendo tocadas em rádios nos EUA, Alemanha e Itália.

De Julho a Dezembro de 2005, Lílian França e o multi-instrumentista Sérgio Tannus realizaram uma turnê por algumas cidades da Europa, como: Barcelona, Toulouse, Paris, Munique, Berlim,entre outras.

Atualmente Lilian França está gravando seu segundo CD, que contará com participações especiais de músicos consagrados da MPB.

Discographie du groupe

• Lilian França : Combustível - 1999
• Sérgio Tannus :
• Participations en tant que compositeur : Cds de Lilian França, Raul Menezes et Coral da Casa das Meninas (disque pour enfant).
• En tant que musicien : CDs de « Belchior » , du groupe « A Mosca », de la chanteuse Suely Mesquita

Site Internet : http://lilianesergio.blogaliza.org/

 

© Copyright Le Satellit Café, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, février 2007.

Claudine François

Après une brillante formation classique et une carrière de concertiste, parallèle à l'enseignement de la musique (lycée, ateliers de création pour enfants, adolescents et adultes), elle se tourne vers la musique improvisée et le jazz, obtient un prix de la SACEM au concours de la Défense en 1983, écrit pour le théâtre et la danse ainsi que des recueils de pièces éditées chez Henry Lemoine.

Elle tourne d'abord avec un spectacle musical, " Cirque de Barbarie ", puis avec ses propres formations, jouant principalement un répertoire de ses compositions originales :

- En Europe : Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hambourg, Hanovre, Freiburg, Stuttgart, Ulm, Karlsruhe, Wien, Copenhague, Amsterdam, Bruxelles, Gand, Venise, Londres, Genève, Zurich, Athènes, Istanbul, Bilbao, Lisbonne, Porto, Metz, Avignon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Périgueux, Rouen, ...

- En Afrique : Douala, Yaoundé, ...

- Aux U.S.A.

Elle se produit aussi dans de très nombreux clubs, concerts et festivals.

À Paris : New Morning, Eustache, Duc des Lombards, Sunset, Latitudes, Alligators, Mécène, Baiser Salé, Café de la plage, Village, L'Arganier, Petit Journal Montparnasse, Cithéa, Franc Pinot...

Disques :

- 1984 : " COMME SI ", avec Jean Querlier (sax, hautbois, flûte), Bruno Girard (violon), Jean-Louis Méchali (batterie), Pierre Jacquet (contrebasse), NIGLO.

- 1989 : CAMARGUE " avec Jim Pepper (sax), Ed Schuller (contrebasse), John Betsch (batterie), PAN MUSIC.

- 1992 : " HEALING FORCE " avec Didier Forget (sax), Jane Bunnett (soprano, flûte), Harry Gofin (basse), John Betsch (batterie), PAN MUSIC.

- 2002 : " AMAZON " avec le Métis Quintet, disponible sur : <www.jazzvalley.com/musician/claudine.francois>.

Elle joue aussi avec : Marion Brown, Steve Potts, Richard Raux, Bobby Rangell, Rasul Siddik, Iraru Oki, Bobby Few, Dan Rose, Stefan Persiani, Jean Jacques Avenel, Kent Carter, Wayne Dockery, Paolo Cardoso, Gildas Scouarnec, Jack Gregg, James Lewis, François Mechali, Raymond Doumbe, Noël McGhee, Bob De Meo, Brice Wassy, Orlando Poleo, Roger Raspail, Tiacoh Sadia, Lee Konitz et de nombreux autres musiciens.

Cliquez ici

Freedom For Seeds

http://www.svivens.com

http://www.myspace.com/vivens

Chico Freeman

Saxos

Chico Freeman (*1949) – ts, ss: The son of the tenor saxophonist Von Freeman has already released numerous records and CDs and is at home in almost all styles of jazz. Strongly influenced by John Coltrane, the saxophonist has already played in many other ensembles from Jack de Johnette’s Special Edition all the way to the bands of Sun Ra, Don Pullen and Elvin Jones. His sound on the tenor sax is unmistakable, and he also produces a very soft but succinct expression on the soprano saxophone.

The LEADERS are back ! They created a big stir in the 80s and 90s: The all-star band “The Leaders”. Releases on various labels (Black Hawk, Black Saint and Sunnyside) and international tours gained the band worldwide recognition. The bands members were none less than Arthur Blythe, Lester Bowie, Chico Freeman, Famoudou Don Moye, Cecil McBee and Kirk Lightsey. Now the group has been revived. The initiators were Chico Freeman and Cecil McBee, who remembered the “good old times” and had the great idea to create an ensemble composed of experienced “leaders again. Unfortunately, a few of the original members are no longer available. Lester Bowie has died in the meantime, Arthur Blythe could not participate for health reasons, etc. Consequently, an ensemble was formed around the core of the two legends McBee and Freeman, which is composed of experienced musicians who are big names in jazz on one hand, and on the other hand have often been on stage or in a studio together – blind trust was to be the basis. A trumpeter was quickly found with Eddie Henderson, who fit perfectly into the concept, and Bobby Watson was also enthusiastic about the project from the start. The fact that Billie Hart was involved was almost self-evident, since he has been friends with all of them for a long time. Only the pianist Fred Harris is perhaps not so well known (yet), even though he knows the other musicians of the band from joint performances and CD projects. It finally happened in the summer 2006. Compositions were shared and worked out together in extended sessions and then a new CD was recorded during two days at Twinz Studios in New Jersey. The air was electric in the studio from the first note; the leaders interacted flawlessly and each individual was part of an ambience bursting with the joy of playing and creativity. Technical tricks or game-playing were superfluous with so much concentrated professionalism, and the first take was usually already the perfect take. It was immediately clear, since all were highly motivated, that only a CD recording would not suffice; a tour together was required. Consequently, plans for 2007 are already in an advanced stage, and the CD will be presented in various clubs and at festivals worldwide next year.

 

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, février 2007.

Les Frères de la rue

Reggae Goumbé

Le Goumbé est une bête qui a piqué les frères Issa et Ali, tout petits sur la terre rouge de leur village natal Tiémélékro, au centre de la Côte d’Ivoire, non loin de Démokro. Chaque week-end les grandes sœurs dansaient le Goumbé dans les rues de Tiémélékro. Une chanteuse était accompagnée par les Pères du Village qui jouaient sur de gros tambours, des temrus (percus)… Jé Cumba est l’ambassadrice de ce style, colporté par les commerçants et voyageurs d’Afrique de l’Ouest.

Début des années 80 ils se retrouvent chez les grands frères pour écouter des musiques venues d’ailleurs : Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Peter Tosh… les choses se sont alors précisées. Issa n’a qu’une idée en tête rallier le reggae au Goumbé !

1983, ils prennent le train direction la Capitale, Abidjan, plaque tournante de la Musique en Afrique de l’Ouest. Le grand frère les incitait à y exercer un métier artisanal, celui de couturier, à suivre des cours franco arabes… mais le virus de la musique les en a rapidement détournés…

Alpha Blondy leur donnera confiance en leurs objectifs. Le reggae peut prendre d’autres dimensions…

En 1987, ils rencontrent Ismaël Isaac et les Frères Keita qui seront de bons conseillers.
1989, Fousseini Keita décède. Issa dit Galaïfa œuvrera alors aux côtés d’Ismaël Isaac jusqu’à fin 92 en qualité de danseur et choriste.

1991, Issa (dit Galaïfa) et Ali (dit Biguess) fondent leur groupe « Les Frères Black de la Rue ». En 1995, ils font la rencontre de Sidibé Demba qui produira leur premier album intitulé « Fanta Sidibé » sorti chez Pathé Marconi. Cette même année, le Festival du Fespaco, Marché Panafricain des Arts, au Burkina Faso, donnera une impulsion à leur carrière. Il s’en suivra une tournée en Afrique de l’Ouest jusqu’en 1997.

1998, Les Frères arrivent en France poursuivant leur chemin « Sira »… avec une seule idée en tête, présenter leur style novateur : le Reggae Goumbé ! Ils se baptiseront alors Les Frères de la Rue.

En 2003, ils enregistrent un maxi CD 4 titres « Avant tout y’a la Vie » et composent la musique d’un court-métrage, « Paraboles » réalisé par Rémi Besançon.

2005, ils enregistrent leur second album de 14 titres « Ton Attitude » aux sonorités mandingues, goumbé, reggae et ragga. La sagesse, le respect des femmes et des enfants, des traditions, la bonne éducation, la religion, les orientations politiques… sont autant de thèmes qui y sont abordés.

© Copyright Le New Morning, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, février 2007.

FRÖHN

FRÖHN [fro:n] (ou Froehn) n.m.:

1. Chimère à cinq têtes aussi imprévisible qu'indomptable. Son cri tour à tour rageur et plaintif décoiffa la méduse ; ce qui n'empêcha pas Homère de le prendre pour celui d'une sirène au sommet de son art. Les musicologues s'échineront longtemps encore sur cette énigme.

2. ind. Gmbh. Fameuse industrie de munition.

 

© Copyright Olympic Café, 2006.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, novembre 2006.

FULANAS

Paóla Fernández Dell’Erba
Mariana Bevacqua

Le projet Fulanas est le fruit d’une collaboration fertile entre deux jeunes Argentines, émigrées en Europe depuis plusieurs années et liées par une sensibilité musicale commune. Né sur les docks de Buenos Aires et reconnu comme patrimoine de l’Humanité, le tango est une musique puissante, vibrante, illustrant à merveille la complexité de l’âme argentine. Paóla Fernández Dell’Erba et Mariana Bevacqua reprennent cet univers et ses codes tout en lui ouvrant avec maestria une porte sur l’avenir.

Ayant forgé leur première expérience de ce duo sous le nom Donne di Tango, en 2001, ces deux artistes continuent leur travail d’innovation et de minimalisme avec Fulanas. Après un premier spectacle adaptant librement plusieurs textes de grands poètes Argentins sur fond de projection vidéo, elles rendent hommage à leur pays dans leur nouvel album, « Antiborges, Opera », enregistré en Italie. Composant et interprétant une musique aux accents délicats, elles jouent avec les textes de l’auteur italien Simone Bandirali, avec la collaboration de sa compatriote et consoeur Alda Merini.

Si leur talent s’épanouit pleinement au sein de Fulanas et des formations avec lesquelles elles collaborent en Italie – Tango Seis et Nuevos Aires, avec qui elles on enregistré l’album Buenos Tangos (Halidon, 2002) – leur quête artistique les amène également à travailler séparément. Paóla est ainsi la fondatrice de l’ensemble « La Milonguera » et étudie la musicologie à Milan tandis que Mariana gagne un premier prix en composition pour le tango « Grito Final » à Buenos Aires et elle collabore à Paris avec divers orquestres de tango tout en composant musiques de films et de spectacles. Ces différentes expériences enrichissent leur répertoire et donnent à leur musique son incroyable profondeur.

Discographie du groupe :

• « Buenos Tangos », 2002
• « Antiborges, Opera », juillet 2004

Site Internet :

www.fulanastango.com

Ils ont dit :

(…) Leur musique a été beaucoup applaudie par le public qui a été porté par la voix déchirante de Paóla Fernández Dell’Erba et la maestria au piano de Mariana Bevacqua.(…)  Silvia Scarpa, Jornal ENEL, Pise, Italie

(…) Paóla Fernández Dell’Erba, chanteuse avec une émission vocale très adaptée au genre et une grande capacité expressive. La pianiste Mariana Bevacqua brille par sa manière intelligente et son haut niveau d’accompagnement. Des compositions nouvelles, intéressantes, originales et très réussies de Mariana Bevacqua.(…)  Gerhard Litterst, magazine Tango Danse, Allemagne

 

© Copyright Le Satellit Café, 2007.
Page maintained by Christian Boullangier, Jazz-Passion, avril 2007.

FUTURISMO

 Moreno VELOSO
Alexandre KASSIN
Domenico LANCELOTTI

En 2000, ils ont l’idée de créer une trilogie musicale. Trois albums par le même trio, chaque album composé sous la direction d’un membre différent qui mettrait sa vision des choses en avant. Chaque membre du groupe ferait son propre album et proposerait ainsi un angle de vue inédit à chaque disque ». Les « 2 » sont nés, et « Music Typewriter » par Moreno 2, le premier volet de la trilogie, sort en 2001.

Trois ans plus tard, le groupe change de chef d’orchestre - et au passage de nom -, et se focalise cette fois-ci sur le batteur, percussionniste, compositeur et arrangeur Domenico Lancelotti. « Sincerly Hot », l’album de Domenico 2 est un mélange de salsa, bossa nova, tropicalia, MPB (Mùsica Popular Brasileira), rock et musique électronique. Ca pourrait être, selon Moreno « un album de batteur », mettant l’accent sur le groove et l’expérimentation sonique, sans sacrifier pour autant le songwriting qui a fait le succès du premier album du trio.

Aujourd’hui sort “Futurismo de Kassin. 3ème de la trilogie.

DOMENICO est né en 1972 et a grandi dans une famille italiano-brésilienne de Rio de Janeiro. Les rythmes de la samba coulent dans ses veines : son père est le fameux compositeur et chanteur des années 70 : Ivor Lancelotti. Domenico a collaboré avec des artistes tels que Quarteto Em Cy, Daniel Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Fernada Abeu, Adriana Calcanhotto ; dans les années 90, il forme le groupe de rock experimenal « Mulheres Oue Dizem Sim (La femme qui dit oui) avant de fonder les 2. Domenico est également graphiste : c’est lui qui a crée tous les visuels des albums du trio, avec l’aide de sa femme Zoy.
« Quand on a fait le « Music Typevwriter » de Moreno Veloso, on a porté une attention toute particulière au chant. Et la première chose à laquelle j’ai pensé lorsqu’on a commencé à travailler sur mon disque, c’est que je voulais l’envisager comme celui d’un trio de bossa nova, comme Milton Banana, où le batteur dirige les autres musiciens. Au final, même si je n’ai pas obtenu précisément cela, l’idée originale est toujours là, et on peut l’entendre en écoutant le disque. »

MORENO est né à Bahia, la première capitale du Brésil et lieu de naissance de nombreux beats afro-bresiliens, puis a été élevé à Rio de Janeiro. Il est le fils d’un des compositeurs et chanteurs les plus connus et respectés du Brésil :
Caetano Veloso. Moreno est un chanteur très doué qui se sent autant à l’aise lorsqu’il tient une guitare, un violoncelle, une trompette ou un tambourin. Grâce à son père, il a eu la chance d’être le témoin des changements et des métissages dans la musique brésilienne tout au long de sa vie, et il le retranscrit en construisant des ponts entre la musique expérimentale et la musique populaire traditionnelle brésilienne.

KASSIN est le troisième membre du groupe et producteur de « Sincerly Hot ». Depuis le début, Kassin s’est toujours intéressé à la face expérimentale et bizarre de la musique. Son frère ainé, un DJ, l’a toujours encouragé dans cette direction en lui faisant acheter son premier disque – un album de Kraftwerk – à l’age de 8 ans. En 1996, il sortait son premier album avec son groupe de fusion Tex-Mex / Ska « Acabou La tequila ». Producteur reconnu mais également bassiste, Kassin a collaboré et produit des disques de beaucoup d’artistes, dont Lenine, Marisa Monte, Bebel Gilberto, Arto Lindsay, Caetano Veloso, et Jorge Mautner.
« Je ne me suis jamais vraiment soucié de savoir d’où venait la musique. Je crois que c’est une manière très discriminante de la catégoriser. Dire que toute la musique, à l’exception de celle des Etats Unis ou d’Europe serait systématiquement qualifiée de world music… je trouve que cette façon d’envisager les choses est très coloniale ».

Bienvenue dans le monde de Moreno, Domenico, et Kassin. Véritables pionniers, instrumentalistes accomplis, producteurs respectés, dignes héritiers d’une famille Tropicalia et Samba, et avant-garde d’une nouvelle génération de musiciens brésiliens… Ce sont ces trois artistes, dont le mélange unique du songwriting brésilien traditionnel avec les beats, boucles et sons de l’electronica comtemporaine, qui sont en train de définir le son du nouveau brésil.

FUTURISMO – KASSIN + 2
To understand where the richness of Futurismo by Kassin + 2 comes from, take a walk through Rio’s Zona Sul. In the dusty record shops of Copacabana’s crumbling antiques arcades, 60’s MPB classics by Elis Regina and Jorge Ben play on scratchy vinyl. In bohemian Santa Theresa, the psychedelic sounds of Os Mutantes and Tom Zé find their spiritual home. Along the Ipanema beachfront the bossa nova of Tom Jobim and Joao Gilberto remains the perfect reflection of that elegant part of the city. You can hear samba everywhere, from the city centre to the furthest suburbs, and in the hillside slums, the bump and grind of favela funk pumps out a rougher reality.

Futurismo by Kassin + 2 is the new portrait of Rio’s rich musical, cultural and ethnic diversity. The final part in the + 2 trilogy — fellow band members Moreno Veloso and Domenico Lancellotti were the featured names for the first two releases — Futurismo is as Carioca as Havianas, Caiprinhas and the ability to spend all day on the beach without getting any sand on your sarong. “When I make an album, I want it to be able to sit happily inside my record collection,” says Kassin, a Rio native who has been digging for vinyl gold all of his life. Futurismo is like a collection inside a collection. It represents my tastes and my world.”

For the past few years, Kassin has been one of the most exciting names in Brazilian music. From his Monoaural Studio in Gavea he has produced records by singers like Marisa Monte and Bebel Gilberto and made an album from the bleeps of a Gameboy. He has played bass for Caetano Veloso’s live shows and masterminded the Orchestra Imperial project, in which samba classics are given a modern twist by a loose and ever-expanding live band. And given his status as a leader of Brazil’s musical avant-garde, the biggest surprise of Futurismo is its bossa-rooted accessibility. “I have been making strange and experimental music,” says Kassin. “This time I wanted to make an album that is clean, melodic and calm.” John McEntire (Tortoise) and Sean O'Hagan (High Llamas) also contributed to the album with additional production and vocals on the tracks "Ya Ya Ya," "Lakeline" and "Back Bow."

The songs on Futurismo are melodic gems. They were written at different periods in Kassin’s life and recorded quickly, mostly on acoustic instruments with electronic flourishes added later. “I am fast,” he says of the song writing and recording process. “I have an idea and I work out how to make that idea a reality. Because I do too much and never have as much time as I would like, I have to work fast.”

“Seu Lugar,” a duet with funky bossa nova legend Joao Donato, has the ease of a sea breeze. “Mensagem” is a beautiful slice of sunshine pop with some unsuitably melancholic lyrics. “Ya Ya Ya” is a collision of Brazilian harmony and squealing space-age freakout reminiscent of the classics from the Tropicalia era. “Pra Lembrar” begins with an orchestral blast before settling into a plaintive bossa nova that is evocative of the beauty, humor and sadness, forever entwined, at the heart of Rio life.

Alongside Music Typewriter by Moreno + 2 (2001) and Sincerely Hot by Domenico + 2 (2004), Futurismo presents a body of work by a group that is as inspired by adventure as it is by the grace of Brazil’s musical traditions. Kassin was 17 when he met childhood friends Moreno Veloso and Domenico Lancellotti through Pedro Sa, a mutual friend and fellow musician. In 1999, after performing a concert together and bonding over a shared inspiration from the American/Brazilian experimental musician Arto Lindsay, the trio rented a house in Petropolis on the outskirts of Rio and set up a studio. The + 2 band came from those early sessions.

“We work like a normal band,” says Kassin. “The only difference is that for each person we try to work out what fits best. Domenico is a drummer so he’s raucous, he’s energetic, and the songs we wrote together for his album reflect that. Moreno has a thin, precise voice and he sings beautifully. I wanted to make this album as a guitar player and composer as I don’t feel like a singer yet. But hopefully with this album, I have found my voice.”

Kassin on a few of Futurismo’s highlights:

Futurismo: “People are too in thrall of the modern age, with the result that when something is totally modern it already sounds out of date. This is a song about clones and spaceships and computers; everything associated with the future.”

Ponto Final: “The song has a classical theme. The singer says, ‘I don’t want you. It’s over.’ At the same time he’s singing about how he wants to be smarter, and he wants to get in shape, and he wants to have a new life. It’s about wanting what you haven’t got.”

Mensagem: “My idea with this song was to have sad lyrics to a happy tune. It’s about waking up and thinking that everything looks worse than it did before.”