summer tours 2017

MUSIC

WORKSINTERNATIONAL

S U M M E R / / 2 0 1 7

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET special guest KURT ELLING // July

The Quartet with Kurt Elling. Do we need to say anything more? Okay then, here’s a quote from The Guardian that sums this project up very nicely.

“BRANFORD MARSALIS has mastered most tricks of the sax-player’s trade—traditional song-playing lyricism, an advanced post-Coltrane technique (lately coupled with a classical one), and long experience of playing with singers, notably Sting in the 90s. All that colours this memorable meeting between Marsalis’ quartet and KURT ELLING, one of the best jazz vocalists on the planet.” THE GUARDIAN [UK]

DIANNE REEVES // July / New CD Spring 2017

Five-time Grammy Winner including the 2015 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album, Beauti-ful Life showcases DIANNE REEVE’s sublime gifts in a melding of R&B, Latin and pop ele-

ments within the framework of 21st Century jazz. Reeves has recorded and extensively

performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Or-chestra and Wynton Marsalis. Dianne’s next

release is with her stellar Quintet and she will tour behind the album in 2017 and 2018. Di-

anne is also a much sought-after guest artist who has performed with various symphonies

and ensembles, including the Chicago Sym-phony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Baren-

boim and the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.

“[Her performances] revealed new depths to this passionate, fearless and technically as-

tonishing artist..” //THE GUARDIAN

Katherine McVickerMUSIC WORKS INTERNATIONAL

[email protected] Tel: +01 781 300 7580 Fax: +01 781 942 8858 www.musicworksinternational.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.musicworksinternational.com

AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE // July / New CD Spring 2017

AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE ‘s trajectory has been as keen as the atmospheric post-bop he creates. While he was just 19, he was enlisted by saxophonist Steve Coleman for his Five Elements band. In 2007, Jazz icons Terence Blan-chard, Quincy Jones, Herb Alpert, Hugh Masekela, Clark Terry and Roy Har-grove awarded him first prize in the Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition. Before the Blue Note debut of When The Heart Emerges Glisten-ing, Ambrose had been gigging with what has now become a who’s who of the new jazz stars; Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, Esperanza Spalding and Jason Moran. His personal journey continues with the imagined savior is far easier to paint, which contains all the oblique and mysterious poetry implied in its title.

“Akinmusire sounds less like a rising star than one that was already at great heights and just waiting to be discovered.”” //LA TIMES

RUTHIE FOSTER // June

RUTHIE FOSTER, born in the small rural town of Gause, TX. With a chapel-bred bravado trained on the works of powerful women such as Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin, her sound grew into an inspired blend of blues, folk and gospel. Ruthie’s artistry and performances have both been lauded with accolades. Outside of her 2010, 2012 and 2014 Grammy nominations, Ruthie has been recognized bythe Austin Music Awards (2007, 2008 and 2013 Best Female Vocalist), Blues Music Awards (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), Living Blues Awards (2010 Critics’ Poll Winner, 2011 nominee for Blues Female Artist of the Year and 2013 Critics’ Poll Winner for Blues Artist of the Year).

“Ruthie Foster was pure magic.” //ROLLING STONE

CYRILLE AIMÉE // June, July & August

When her major label debut hit The New York Times called it “a bravura turn, presented with a smile.” Let’s Get Lost, CYRILLE AIMÉE’s second album for Mack Avenue Records, brings to light a different side of the radiant singer with a story of nascent love coming to full bloom. Accompanied by two guitar wun-derkinds, Adrien Moignard and Michael Valeanu, so tight-knit that they are al-most the same person, she adds pensive touches to her usual zest and reveals a bittersweet depth that has her listeners daydreaming for a while.

“Astonishingly creative....with a brilliant sound, fresh ideas, impeccable rhythm ...honor[ing] tradition without being shackled to the past.” //WALL STREET JOURNAL

RICHARD BONA MANDEKAN CUBANO // June & July & August

When bassist/vocalist RICHARD BONA arrived in New York in the mid-’90s some outrageously hinted that Bona was the second coming of Jaco Pas-torius. He soon rebuffed the comparisons and showed his own true voice. His latest project is his spirited Afro-Cuban group Mandekan Cubano which melds together a variety of roots music, from Africa, South America and of course Cuba. Bona’s six-piece band includes two percussionists making this celebration ripple and soar.

“Mesmerizing.” //FINANCIAL TIMES



ORAN ETKIN // June, July & August

ORAN ETKIN has crafted his TIMBALOOLOO experience into two programs: the concert presentation for both kids with their older parental units and the intimate, crew-sized, music-filled sessions. Timbalooloo is filled with so much of the magic and joy of music that the line between fun and learning is duly erased. The classes play off the concerts and the concerts flow into the classes. Etkin can also adapt the show to work in any language, as they have done successfully in France, Germany, Japan, China, Czech Republic, Turkey and other countries. Etkin also tours What’s New?, his acclaimed tribute to the genius of Benny Goodman.

“Oran Etkin awakens the child in us. Certainly no small talent. It means creat-ing trust, promoting happiness and beauty, spreading the goodness to give the feeling of playing.” //LIBERATION.FR

RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA’S INDOPAK COALITION // July & August / New CD

Synthesizing jazz with the improvised musical forms of South Asia, Mahan-thappa’s INDO-PAK COALITION transcends any preconception of Indo-jazz fusion. Led by alto-saxophonist Mahanthappa, this trio with Pakistani-Amer-ican guitarist Rez Abbasi and first-call percussionist Dan Weiss has turned heads internationally in both the jazz and world music scenes. Their debut album Apti received excellent reviews from a variety of publications including The New York Times and Rolling Stone.

“…a trio equally grounded in folk tradition and jazz improvisation, proposes a social pact as well a musical ideal.” //THE NEWYORK TIMES



ANTONIO SANCHEZ & MIGRATION // July & August

Four time Grammy Award winner ANTONIO SANCHEZ is considered by many critics and musicians alike as one of the most prominent drummers, bandleaders and composers of his generation. He has released 4 critically acclaimed albums under his name. The latest is with Migration, his working band since 2011. They exquisitely perform Sanchez’s “The Meridien Suite”, a piece which pushes Sanchez’s compositional skills in a way that no other project has done before.

““[The Suite] reminds one of the elabo-rate and ever-evolving musical writing of the jazz-rock era, but here it is well-enhanced by his ensemble executing the piece with impeccable and extraor-dinary performances. ” //JAZZIT

CHRISTIAN McBRIDE’S NEW JAWN //

July

Powered by a relentless energy and a boundless love of swing, CHRISTIAN

McBride’s path has described a continuous positive arc since his arrival

on the scene. His latest grouping, CHRISTIAN McBRIDE’S NEW JAWN, is a killer unit, tight, soulful, in the pocket and in the groove. By the way, Jawn is Philly

slang to describe just about everything and anything, but most importantly to

understand why McBride named his new band so, it is probably this: “Jawn’ is one

Philly thing New York can’t lay claim to.”

“...a wonderfully cohesive entity, seam-lessly working as a synchronized unit de-signed to demonstrate that mainstream jazz still contains a wealth of surprises.”

//KANSAS CITY STAR



JOSHUA REDMAN TRIO //May & June

STILL DREAMING //1-14 August

JOSHUA REDMAN is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the 1990s. Son of legendary Dewey Redman and dancer Renee Shedroff, he was exposed at an early age to a variety of musics (jazz, classical, rock, soul, Indian, Indonesian, Middle-Eastern, African) and instru-ments (recorder, piano, guitar, gatham, gamelan). The early influences of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cannonball Adderley and his father, as well as The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, the Tempta-tions, Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince, The Police and Led Zeppelin are threads within Joshua’s music.

“Redman is among the most accom-plished living practitioners of the jazz tenor saxophone, and can be counted on to shred on demand.” //NPR

DAVID SANBORN ELECTRIC BAND and guest appearances open dates

One of the most distinctive saxophonists in contemporary music since the late 70s, DAVID SANBORN has released more than 24 albums, won six Grammy Awards, and has had eight Gold albums and one Platinum album. Having inspired countless other musicians, David was a seminal influence in reintro-ducing the saxophone as a prominent instrument in contemporary Rock, Pop and R&B. That solo in Bowie’s “Young Americans”? Sanborn’s. Available as a special guest as well as with his own band. Special project TBA for Summer 2017.

“The great saxophonist delivered an eloquent, personal and revealing perfor-mance...impassioned and bristling with surprises.” //THE GUARDIAN [UK]

JUSTIN KAUFLIN TRIO // June, July & August New CD Spring 2017

Pianist JUSTIN KAUFLIN began with classical studies on violin and piano. From age six, he performed concerts, eventually becoming concertmaster for several orchestras. Along the way, Justin also started to lose his vision, until he was totally sightless. Not to be deterred, he developed a love for jazz, eventually mentored by Harold Mabern and Clark Terry. Kauflin’s style embodies - without being derivative - the ‘’quiet fire’’ lyricism of Bill Evans (Kauflin’s ‘’biggest influence at age 14’’), the nimble and mercurial qualities of Bud Powell, the genial melodiousness of Herbie Hancock and a bit of Dave Brubeck’s gregarious percussiveness.

“He’s a monster on the piano! And, one of the greatest people I know.” // CLARK TERRY



KURT ROSENWINKEL CAIPI // June, July & August/ New CD Spring 2017

KURT ROSENWINKEL’s career spans almost three decades collaborating with dynamic peers like Brad Mehldau, Brian Blade, Mark Turner, Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, and jazz elders like Joe Henderson, Paul Motian and Gary Bur-ton. Rosenwinkel’s indelible mark in music is steeped in the rich and deep traditions of jazz, springing off of the shoulders of such vital underpinnings to elevate his own art to new heights, evolving the language in a way no other guitarist has since his arrival. Kurt’s new project was inspired by Brasil’s music, rock and jazz, and yet is a highly personal while genre-bending. The sextet is called Caipi, as in Caipirinha, Brasil’s strangely intoxicating drink.

“Kurt Rosenwinkel is a genius - he really is.”” // ERIC CLAPTON

BOKANTÉ // late June through August / New CD Feb 2017

The word bokanté means “exchange” in Creole, the language of vocalist MALIKA TIROLIEN’s youth growing up on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Joining forces with two-time Grammy award-winning guitarists MICHAEL LEAGUE, CHRIS MCQUEEN, and BOB LANZETTI (all from Snarky Puppy), percussion legend JAMEY HADDAD (Paul Simon, Sting), pedal and lap steel virtuoso ROOSEVELT COLLIER (Lee Boys, Karl Denson), and unplaceable percussionists ANDRÉ FERRARI (Väsen) and KEITA OGAWA (Banda Magda, Yo-Yo Ma), BOKANTÉ comes together to create a diverse ensemble rich in groove, melody, and soul.

“[Snarky Puppy] is one of the more versatile groups on the planet right now.” //ROLLING STONE

JOHN BEASLEY presents MONK’estra // July & August

GRAMMY® Award-nominated recording artist John Beasley presents MONKESTRA, his smashing 15-piece big band that captures the spirit of Thelonious Monk’s singular music—the off-beat melodies and humor, strange beauty and unbounded swing. In fresh arrangements flavored with New Orleans spirit, hip-hop, Afro-Cuban rhythms and atmospheric colors Beasley hones in and expands on exactly what made Thelonious “MONK”.

“The result is thrilling…this is may be the best new big band on the planet.” //INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF MUSIC

JASON MORAN solo and guest appearances // open dates

Since his formidable emergence on the music scene in the late 90s, jazz pianist JASON MORAN has proven more than his brilliance as a performer. The Blue Note Records recording artist has established himself as a risk-taker and in-novator of new directions for jazz as a whole. In almost every category that matters – improvisation, composition, group concept, repertoire, technique and experimentation – Moran in all his settings, group, solo, and special pro-jects, has continuously challenged the status quo, and earned the reputation as “the future of jazz”.

““It was all joyous and foolish and graceful: somehow both exceptional and no big deal.” //THE NEW YORK TIMES

MARTIN HAYES QUARTET // July

MARTIN HAYES and DENNIS CAHILL are arguably the undisputed masters of Irish music around the world. The Martin Hayes Quartet expands on the musical ideas of the duo by exploring sonic possibilities with the inclusion of the deep mellow sound of the bass clarinet, played by the virtuosic DOUG WIESELMAN, and the rich warm tones of the viola, played by the brilliant LIZ KNOWLES.

““In years to come, we’ll surely talk of having seen [Martin Hayes] in the way others talk of Miles Davis or Jimi Hendrix.” //IRISH TIMES



JON CLEARY // July & August

The release of the Grammy-winning GoGo Juice, New Orleans funk master returns JON CLEARY to writing and recording the original material that has brought him critical acclaim since his 1999 album, Moonburn. Cleary’s thirty-five years of intensive hands-on work on the Crescent City scene has made him a respected peer of such New Orleans R&B icons as Dr. John and Allen Toussaint. While thoroughly steeped in the classic Crescent City keyboard canon – from Jelly Roll Morton to Fats Domino to Art Neville, James Booker, and beyond – Cleary uses that century’s worth of pianistic brilliance as a point of departure to forge his own unique and eclectic style wrapped in such far-flung influences as ‘70s soul, gospel music, funk, Afro-Caribbean (and especially Afro-Cuban) rhythms and more.

“New Orleans is in good hands with this expat.” //RELIX

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN // open dates

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN’s has brought the music of the Great American song-book to the world. From recordings that have earned him five Grammy nomi-nations to his Emmy nominated PBS-TV specials, his acclaimed NPR series and concerts spanning the globe – in addition to his appearances at iconic venues such as The White House, Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Bowl, Carn-egie Hall and Sydney Opera House – and as an educator and archivist define Feinstein as one of the most important musical forces of our time.

“Over three decades, Mr. Feinstein has steadily evolved from an intimate piano bar performer into an accomplished traditional entertainer. He now is a man fully in charge.” //THE NEW YORK TIMES



LIZZ WRIGHT // August & September / New CD Spring 2017

LIZZ WRIGHT was a preacher’s kid and she sang during most services. It is there, deep in the joy of ministry, that one can find the roots of the voice and spirit that so captivates listeners. With peculiar focus, she seamlessly weaves through the genres of gospel, jazz, folk, pop, and blues, handling them like colors on a palette. Ultimately, it is the voice, the stories told and the call to connect that transcends categorization and stirs her audiences. Available as a guest with Big Band, Symphonies, or with her small band. Touring with HR Big Band, March 2018.

“[This is] her most vibrant performance to date: controlled yet as swinging, prod-ding and persuading as the lyrics and melodies demand.”



BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA //open dates

The BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA have the rare distinction of being recognized around the world as both living legends

and modern-day innovators. They are not just gospel singers borrowing from

old traditions; the group helped to define those traditions in 20th century and

almost single-handedly created a new gospel sound for the 21st. The band has

persevered through seven decades to become one of the most recognized and

decorated roots music groups in the world.

“The Blind Boys of Alabama have little left to prove. In nearly 75 years of raising

their voices to the heavens, the Blind Boys have set the standard for gospel

greatness.” //WASHINGTON POST

summer tours 2017

Documents