J a z z
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH AT 7:30 PM
at La Maison Française
Admission: $20
Tickets: www.instantseats.com
Marlon Simon
French Latin Jazz Project
A reception to meet the artists will follow the concert.
Performers
- Marlon Simon, drums
- Marc Glomeau, percussions
- Fred Bidou, bass
- Dominique Rieux, trumpet
- Fred Breton, piano
- Laurent Audinos, tenor saxophone
"Simon is a Venezuelan born percussionist, composer, educator and band leader who immigrated to the U.S. bringing with him a fine feel for Latin Jazz and a gift for composition." -- Eugene Holley, Billboard
"Drummer Marlon Simon continues to mine a rich vein. The Venezuelan percussionist who lives in Philadelphia has assembled a recording of smooth-flowing Latin Jazz." -- Karl Stark, Philadelphia Inquirer
A prominent figure on the Latin American cultural scene, Marlon Simon has brought latin jazz to numerous stages in the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America and Australia through his impeccable work ethic and drive. He is also a distinguished educator, whose hundreds of workshops and seminars are presented on a yearly basis to students of all levels from the lowest income public schools of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, to the most prestigious colleges such as the conservatories of music in Melbourne (Australia) and La Paz (Bolivia), making this an important aspect of his career since it began in 1975.
A native of Venezuela, where he grew up surrounded by afro-caribbean rhythms, Marlon came to the U.S. in 1987 with a strong desire to study jazz music. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from the New School for Social Research in 1991 and started performing locally in New York and Philadelphia, developing a unique style as a percussionist and later on coveted by the most prestigious musicians in the field, such as Hilton Ruiz, Jesus Chucho Valdez, Mc Coy Tiner , John Blake, Jerry Gonzalez, Dave Valentin, Charles Fambrough, Paquito de Rivera, Bobby Watson and crossing over to Aretha Franklin and Pete Cetera. As a leader of Nagual he has produced four internationally acclaimed projects featuring a remarkable scope of original compositions. Marlon’s French Latin Jazz Project started as an initiative of the French band Black Chantilly, which, in 2004 and 2005, invited Marlon to present workshops on afro-caribbean percussion and latin jazz composition. The dedication, respect towards the music and intensive work of these French musicians gave birth to this unique Latin Jazz project and to a CD, "Black Chantilly & Marlon Simon: French Latin Jazz Project".
Listen to: Marlon Simon
Listen to the latest album: French Latin Jazz Project
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD AT 7:30 PM
at La Maison Française
Admission: $20
Tickets: www.instantseats.com
ZaMZaM Arts: Aufgang
Francesco Tristano Schlimé, piano
Rami Khalifé, piano
Aufgang brings together two classically trained pianists, Rami Khalifé and Francesco Tristano Schlimé, along with a sound engineer, Aymeric Westrich, and a DJ/drummer, Wilfried Lasbleiz, to create a very modern sound.
A reception to meet the artists will follow the concert.
Francesco Tristano and Rami Khalifé met at the onset of the 21st century in search of new musical experiences. In 2005 they created Aufgang, a project complemented by Aymeric Westrich (sampler/drums), where they enjoyed an incredible musical scavenger hunt guided by a feeling of liberty. Mixing influences of classical contemporary music with electronic beats and programming, Rami Khalifé, Francesco Tristano, and Aymeric Westrich created an ideal electro-acoustic sound with original compositions that audiences connect to on many levels. This united trio breaks barriers with a big bang. It has played at the Sonar Festival in Barcelona (Spain), the Jazz-Festival of Trier (Germany), the Transmusicales festival of Rennes (France), at La Panera Center for contemporary art in Lleida (Spain), and at the STRP festival of Eindhoven (Netherlands). They are currently working on an album, set to release in 2008.
Francesco T. Schlimé has establishing himself as one of classical music's rising stars. He graduated from the Juillard School in New York, before studying at conservatories in Luxembourg, Brussels, and Paris. He recorded several albums (Ravel - Prokofiev - Schlimé in 2006, Luciano Berio – Complete Piano Works in 2005, J.S. Bach – The Complete Keyboard Concertos in 2004, Goldberg Variations in 2002...). While he dreamed of becoming a drummer, he was also fascinated by jazz and improvisation, along with contemporary and electronic music. A music lover with an insatiable appetite for discovery, he soon began to experiment with different genres, periods, interpretations and improvisations during his concerts. Audiences could have been disconcerted, but instead they loved it. The depth and maturity of Francesco T. Schlimé’s musical culture enable him to combine, with unusual ease, his love for classical music, jazz, contemporary music, improvisation and composition.
Rami Khalifé also studied at the Julliard School of Music in New York. He studied piano under Hungarian pianist Gyorgy Sandor, who was Bela Bartok’s last student. His open-mindedness and musical richness led him to jazz and new music, where he discovered an innate talent for improvisation. Both his intense ability and artistry have enabled Rami Khalifé to create compositions and improvisations in a variety of styles and genres ranging from classical to contemporary, jazz and world music, continuously expanding his musical repertoire and accomplishments, while venturing into new territories.
Aufgang Francesco Tristano Schlimé Rami Khalifé
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1ST AT 7:30 PM
at La Maison Française
Admission: $20
Tickets: www.instantseats.com
Meeting - French-American jazz quintet
Featuring Pierrick Menuau and Paul Steinbeck
A reception to meet the artists will follow the concert.
- Pierrick Menuau, saxophone
- Paul Steinbeck, bass
- Will Guthrie, drums
- Candice Ivory, vocals
- Cédric Piromalli, piano
In 2005, emerging New York bassist Paul Steinbeck went to Europe to conduct research on the Art Ensemble of Chicago and met French saxophonist Pierrick Menuau. In 2007, the two formed a jazz quintet, enabling them to build a collective musical style from their individual creative perspectives. The quintet comprises Pierrick Menuau, Paul Steinbeck, the soul-tinged voice of Candice Ivory, pianist Cédric Piromalli (winner of the Martial Solal competition and nominated for the Djangos d’or prize), and explosive improvised-music drummer Will Guthrie. The Quintet presents a large repertoire ranging from free jazz to hip hop, full of percussion and improvisations.
Pierrick Menuau, a saxophonist steeped in the jazz heritage, is a disciple of Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, and a veteran of international collaborations (Pierrick was the organizer of Don Cherry’s Gift, an encounter between the Gangbé Brass Band of Bénin and the Mopti sextet, a franco-african project supported by Cultures France and Pannonica).
Paul Steinbeck is a young bassist educated in American universities, and a composer influenced by Jimmy Garrison, the AACM, and R&B.
Candice Ivory is a soul/R&B singer, and composer in her own right of funky and electric music.
Cédric Piromalli is a pianist committed to eclecticism, a jazz-division graduate of the national conservatory in Paris, and an originator of new aesthetic directions with his group Triade, his solo-piano tribute to Thelonious Monk, and his work with free improvisation.
Will Guthrie is an Australian drummer/percussionist engaged in improvised electro-acoustic music, and also a straight-ahead jazz drummer.
Listen to the musicians of Meeting:
- Paul Steinbeck
- Candice Ivory
- Cédric Piromalli
>> Sept. 17: Marlon Simon
>> Sept. 23: Aufgang
>> Oct. 1: French-American jazz quintet
Francesco Tristano and Rami Khalifé
Francesco Tristano Schlimé
