Music in the Park - Sunday, May 18
Main Stage |
North Carolina Stage |
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Winard Harper Media Sponsor: Triangle Tribune Newspaper 2:00-3:00
Inspired by the musicianship of greats such as Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Jackie McLean, Cannonball Adderley, Dr. Billy Taylor, Art Blakey and Billy Higgins, Harper has been the leader and musical inspiration for a vibrant sextet for almost a decade. The group appears regularly all over the United States from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. to Yoshi's, the legendary West Coast jazz club. Although clearly the dominant force behind this extraordinarily gifted ensemble, Harper has surrounded himself with superbly talented young guardians of the jazz tradition (including Lawrence Clark, Ameen Saleem, Josh Evans, Stacy Dillard and Alioune Faye), who are as entertaining to watch as they are to listen to.
Constantly in reverence of his predecessors while remaining innovative in his own right, Harper has become one of the most celebrated drummers in jazz. He is a virtuoso on the drum set as well as the balafon, the West African equivalent of the marimba. Critics have written that Winard is as pleasing and entertaining to watch as he is to hear. "As tasteful a drummer as one could ask for," according to Jeff Kaliss of JazzTimes. Franz Matzner recently wrote in All About Jazz that the sextet's performance "culminated in an evening of fireworks with a sustained display of percussive pyrotechnics by Harper so rapid fire, so mind bogglingly dexterous, and so expressively diverse, as to be truly awe-inspiring."
Anat Cohen Media Sponsor: Carolina Woman 4:00-5:00
Idiomatically conversant with modern and traditional jazz, classical music, Brazilian choro, Argentine tango, and an expansive timeline of Afro-Cuban styles, Anat Cohen has established herself as one of the primary voices of her generation on both the tenor saxophone and clarinet since arriving in New York in 1998. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Anat began clarinet studies at age 12 and played jazz on clarinet for the first time in her Jaffa conservatory’s Dixieland band. At 16 she joined the school’s big band and learned to play the tenor saxophone. The same year, Anat entered the prestigious “Thelma Yelin” High School for the Arts, where she majored in jazz. After graduation, she discharged her mandatory Israeli military service duty from 1993-95, playing tenor saxophone in the Israeli Air Force band. In 1996, Anat headed to Boston to matriculate at Berklee College of Music. Her playing and studying of a wide range of musical styles has culminated in her finding her own distinctive musical voice.
Anat’s debut CD, Place and Time, was one of All About Jazz-New York’s “Best Debut Albums of 2005.” Her follow-up albums Poetica and Noir have also garnered high critical praise.
Jon Faddis Quartet 6:00-7:00
Jon Faddis is a complete and consummate musician - conductor, composer, and educator. As a trumpeter, Faddis possesses a virtually unparalleled range and full-command of his instrument, making the practically impossible seem effortless. Born in 1953, Faddis began playing at age eight, inspired by an appearance by Louis Armstrong on television. Meeting Dizzy Gillespie at 15 proved to be a pivotal beginning of a unique friendship that spanned over three decades. Shortly after his 18th birthday, Faddis joined Lionel Hampton's band, moving from Oakland, CA to New York. Faddis worked as lead trumpet for the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard, formed his own quartet, and soon began directing orchestras, including the Grammy-winning United Nation Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie 70th Birthday Big Band, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band (1992-2002), and the Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra of New York (2003-present). The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, celebrating its 40th anniversary at Columbia College Chicago in 2005-2006, named Faddis as its Artistic Director in autumn 2004.
Faddis' original compositions include the Jazz opera Lulu Noire (1997) (named a “Top 10” pick by USA Today); others may be heard on his Grammy-nominated Remembrances (Chesky), Into the Faddisphere (Epic), and Hornucopia (Epic). His CD, TERANGA (KOCH Records), features compositions by the trumpeter, joined by David Hazeltine (piano), Kiyoshi Kitagawa (bass), & Dion Parson (drums) - together with special guests Alioune Faye (sabor), Abdou Mboup (djembe & talking drum), Russell Malone (guitar), Gary Smulyan (baritone saxophone), Frank Wess (alto flute) and Clark Terry (flugelhorn & vocals).
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The Allen Boys Media Sponsor: The Connection Place Magazine 1:00-2:00
For more than a decade, The Allen Boys have made soul-stirring sacred music together, playing mostly at their Mount Airy, North Carolina, church. The band’s driving force is pedal steel guitarist DaShawn Hickman, while bassist Mitchel Fonville (Bottom Dropper) provides the low end, keyboardist Camron Moore (Smooth and Easy) keeps the rhythm, and drummer Ranzy Moore (Big Foot) supplies the beat. Unlike in most other churches where a lead guitar or keyboard/organ drives a service, in their church the pedal steel guitar takes the lead. Found only in select African American Pentecostal Holiness churches, the band’s style of music is called “sacred steel,” a traditional music that dates back to the 1930s. Today, sacred steel has garnered much acclaim—including from secular audiences—thanks to artists such as Robert Randolph, The Campbell Brothers, The Lee Boys, and Calvin Cooke. The Allen Boys are North Carolina’s only sacred steel band and their music is meant to bring a little joy into your life.
The Old Ceremony Media Sponsor: Business Leader Magazine 3:00-4:00
The Old Ceremony draws their water from a deep well of music ranging from the Beatles to Beck, Leadbelly to Led Zeppelin. Unorthodox instrumentation meets superb songwriting, to create a unique interpretation of rock'n'roll. After two highly acclaimed albums and three years of touring, the Chapel Hill band has built a large and loyal following. The Old Ceremony has performed with CAKE, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Chuck Berry, Polyphonic Spree, Mountain Goats, and Avett Brothers. The band’s albums include a self-titled debut in 2005 and Our One Mistake in 2006, which was included in PASTE Magazine's "Top 100 Albums of 2006."
The Old Ceremony is headed by songwriter/raconteur Django Haskins, and includes bassist Matt Brandau, drummer Dan Hall, vibes/organist Mark Simonsen, violinist Gabriele Pelli and cellist Josh Starmer.
Eric Lindell 5:00-6:00
When singer/songwriter/vocalist Eric Lindell first hit the national music scene with his 2006 Alligator Records debut Change In The Weather, critics and fans alike celebrated the arrival of a roots rocker with dozens of unforgettable original songs. With his musical roots planted in Northern California, Lindell’s music blossomed in New Orleans. His combination of sweet, blue-eyed soul with foot-stomping R&B, swamp pop, funk and blues have won him critical and popular acclaim across the country. As he toured the U.S., his fan base grew, and before long clubs and festivals were filled with happy, dancing people singing the words to every song. Now he’s back with Low On Cash, Rich In Love, a collection filled with solid grooves, insightful lyrics and one emotionally rich song after another.
Lindell's live shows draw as much attention as his material. His unstoppable grooves, rocking, roots, original songs and excellent musicianship always fill the dance floor wherever he plays. He is a musician bursting at the seams with talent, with enough original songs and inventive grooves to carry him as far as he chooses to go.
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