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Performance Review: Chick Corea & Gary Burton In Orange County

drumminfabe — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:44:38 +0000

Friday, March 4th, the famous duo of Chick Corea and Gary Burton entertained hundreds at the Segerstrom Center For The Arts in Orange County, CA. Having performed together since 1972, these guys not only know there way around the music, they make it seem like one seamless 4-handed performance. Previewing tunes that will appear on their next album, while still referencing some of the great standards, they wowed the crowd, eventually returning to the stage for an encore.

Like the 2 have done together for nearly 40 years, pianist Chick Corea & vibraphonist Gary Burton put on a show! This one-night, one-time set was a special treat for jazz fans in L.A. and Orange County, having the opportunity to get a small preview of what is to come on their next album while enjoying some of the stuff that made them jazz greats over the years.

The Set List

The set list was very interesting – as one could expect from these two – featuring standards from some of the greatest jazz legends as well as some original works and even some avant garde pieces. Some of the tunes that really stood out include a rendition of the Beatles’ infamous “Eleanor Rigby”, Thelonious Monk’s often overlooked work “Light Blue”, and a Chick Corea original tribute to late pianist Bud Powell, entitled “Bud Powell”.

Also on the list were some interesting works, featuring a piece called “Allegria” (soon to be released on their next album). This piece begins with hand tapping on the piano, enters into a battery of altered-time sections, and when all seems to be chaotic and lost, the two reunite at the end as if it were the most simple of songs. Another favorite of mine was an original based on the inspiration of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Yes, a classical composer! Switching from swing to straight-time, meshing dominants and tonal chords with embellished jazz sounds, it was amazing to hear how a piece could borrow from two completely different styles of music, traditionally never mixed.

Their Style

As was mentioned by Gary Burton, their next album features more of an artist-led approach, rather than a song-based approach. They will be featuring a lot of the most popular standards, but most of the tunes will be the lesser-known or often overlooked ones. In addition, the references, inspirations, and tributes to musicians and composers of various genres really does justice to music as a whole, tying everything together in one unique and mind-blowing package.

The way that Corea and Burton capture the essence of so many styles, artists, and time periods really has to do with their unique perspective on music as a whole. While so many artists tend to think within the boundaries of the already-existing groundwork, the two feed off the ways in which the music can be of multiple domains.

The best way that they do this is by embracing the natural function of the two instruments (piano and vibraphone) and taking it to the next level. In fact, one of the most difficult things they do is change from lead to accompaniment – in an instant. Both are skilled regarding melody, harmony, and rhythm, allowing them to utilize their instruments in multiple ways. Through this, they continue to expand upon the forms that can be created, the genres that can be melded together, and the sounds that captivate.

Overview

To say that these two guys are on the same page would be an understatement. They perform as if they were one person – with 4 hands – going in and out of time, changing roles from lead to accompaniment, and feeding off each other’s ideas the whole time. The most amazing thing is that while the audience knows they are concentrating – and believe me they have to in order to play like they do – it’s entertaining to watch because it seems so fun and effortless.

These two are always fun to watch, challenging the audience, amazing them with their talent, and making it look easy the whole time. Our recommendation is to see these guy whenever you get the chance – you won’t regret it!

Thanks to Heather Cho and the Segerstrom Center For The Arts for the chance to see this concert and write a review.

Chick Corea & Gary Burton Perform For Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Jazz Series

drumminfabe — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:40:21 +0000

Legendary jazz pianist and composer Chick Corea and vibraphonist extraordinaire Gary Burton are set to combine their virtuosity on stage at Segerstrom Center for the Arts on March 4th, 2011 at 8 p.m.

See Review

An Evening with Chick Corea & Gary Burton Duets will display one of the greatest collaborations in the history of jazz. For this special one-night-only show, the Grammy-winning duo will explore jazz standards featuring fresh new arrangements by Corea.

Corea and Burton first paired in 1972 with their album Crystal Silence, which has been called “one of the seminal recordings of that decade” by NPR. Tickets to see An Evening with Chick Corea & Gary Burton Duets start at $25 and are available now.

Press Release

Concert Details

Segerstrom Center for the Arts – Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Friday, March 4, 2011 at 8 p.m.

615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA
Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Tickets: Start at $25
In person – The Box Office
600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
Online – SCFTA.org
Phone – (714) 556-2787
Open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily
TTY number – (714) 556-2746
Group Sales – (714) 755-0236

Grammy Award-Winning Jazz Trumpeter Chris Botti To Perform At OCPAC

jazzman — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:52:12 +0000

Trumpet sensation Chris Botti, known for effortlessly crossing boundaries between
pop and classical, jazz and rock, will bring his chart-topping talents to the Orange County Performing Arts Center for a special one-night-only concert Sunday, January 8, 2011 in Segerstrom Hall. A gifted instrumentalist, talented composer, charismatic performer and former trumpeter for Sting, Botti has risen to new heights of popularity with his critically acclaimed CDs, Live in Boston, December and Italia. Botti’s performance is being offered as a Bonus Event in the Center’s 2010-11 Jazz Series.

Since the release of his 2004 critically acclaimed CD When I Fall in Love, Botti (pronounced boat-tee) has become the largest selling American instrumental artist. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music and his ongoing association with PBS has led to four No.1 Jazz Albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum & Grammy Awards.

The New York Times said about Botti, “It’s easy to like trumpeter Chris Botti. … an image of pensive
romance, achieving stardom in the realm of adult-contemporary pop … Mr. Botti’s sumptuous, limpid
instrumental voice was the focus of the show.”

Ticket Info

Tickets to Chris Botti start at $46 and are now available online at OCPAC.org, at the Center’s Box Office
at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling 714.556.2787. For inquiries about group ticket
discounts for 15 or more, call the Group Services office at 714.755.0236. The TTY number is
714.556.2746.

Sara Gazarek and Sachal Vasandani Make Their OCPAC Debuts To Start the 2010-2011 Jazz Series

drumminfabe — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:20:05 +0000

Sara Gazarek and Sachal Vasandani are two of today’s brightest young jazz artists, and they will combine their formidable talents to open the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s 2010-2011 Jazz Series September 24th and 25th in Samueli Theater. Each are creating jazz music that moves today’s generation.

Singer/songwriter Gazarek is known for seamlessly mingling her uniquely intimate style with the musical and improvisational elements of jazz while Vasandani is simply one of the hottest jazz vocalists/songwriters/bandleaders working today. Recently, Vasandani won the 2010 DownBeat Critics Poll for best Male Jazz Vocals in the Rising Star category. And Gazarek was voted one of the Best New Artists in the JazzTimes Readers Poll.

Sara Gazarek

(Listen To Interview)

Gazarek is a talented young artist on an amazing musical journey who has emerged as a strikingly original artist with limitless potential. In a follow up to Yours, Gazarek’s widely hailed 2005 debut focusing on American Songbook standards, she delivers a sensational sophomore effort with Return to You. Born and raised in Seattle, Gazarek grew up without much exposure to jazz.

Her preliminary jazz education started during high school and as a senior, she was awarded the first-ever Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation Outstanding Jazz Vocalist Award at the Essentially Ellington Festival in New York City.

She studied at the prestigious Thornton School of Music at USC. In 2003, Gazarek was awarded the 2003 Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Collegiate Vocalist. Shortly after the publication hit the press, she was asked to perform with Oleta Adams, Karrin Allyson, and Diane Schuur as the “as yet undiscovered talent” on the Concord Jazz Festival Tour. Simultaneously, Gazarek joined Barry Manilow, Allyson, and Schuur as a Stiletto Entertainment (management) client and was soon being booked by the industry giant, William Morris.

John Clayton, a mentor and teacher at USC, produced her first album, and insisted she develop the arrangements herself with the band she’d been performing with. She found musical soulmates in her group and the resulting record was a debut that was released to national and international rave reviews. It ranked in the Top 10 on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Charts, Top 10 on the iTunes top Jazz Album Downloads (US, UK, Switzerland, and Belgium), No. 1 on the iTunes Top Jazz Album Downloads (Germany, France), No. 5 on the Jazz Week Radio Charts, No. 4 on the HMV (Japan) chart. In addition, Gazarek was voted the No. 3 Best New Artist in the JazzTimes Readers Poll. saragazarek.com

Sachal Vasandani

Vasandani’s sophomore CD, We Move, on Mack Avenue Records was produced with a team of top-flight studio sages (John Clayton, Doug Wamble and Al Pryor). We Move finds Vasandani (who also serves as a producer) maturing as songwriter, tune stylist and bandleader in the wake of his breakout 2007 debut, Eyes Wide Open (Mack Avenue Records).

Vasandani was born in Chicago and grew up in a household where all kinds of music was appreciated. In pursuing his love for music at the University of Michigan, he began to be recognized as a talent of the future, most notably by DownBeat magazine, which awarded him Collegiate Jazz Vocalist of the Year in 1999.

After moving to New York, Vasandani quickly became a part of the jazz scene, and made a musical home in storied clubs like the Zinc Bar. And after the release of his breakthrough debut recording, he toured extensively supporting Eyes Wide Open. He opened for such disparate artists from jazz trumpeter Chris Botti to pop singer Joan Osborne.

On We Move, Vasandani has ample support from his trio comprised of pianist Jeb Patton, bassist David Wong and drummer Quincy Davis. The band has been a group since 2001. Vasandani notes that in addition to their instrumental support, two band members also contributed songs, including Patton’s “Horizons” that is paired with the romping, upswing “Once in a While” (by Michael Edwards and Bud Green) and Davis composed the music on “Ring Road (Back to You).”

In addition to his originals, Vasandani puts his spin on songs from the jazz songbook and canon,including Rodgers & Hart’s “There’s a Small Hotel” with a Vasandani intro (“Escape”) that gives the standard a fresh feel. Also on the CD are “No More,” the Hubert Laws/Jon Hendricks ‘70s song; the Bloom/Kohler tune “Don’t Worry About Me;” “Poinciana;” “There Are Such Things” (by Stanley Adams, Abel Baer, George W. Meyer); “The River of St. Marie” by Joe Williams; and Thelonious Monk’s “Monk’s Dream” (with lyrics by Hendricks). sachalvasandani.com

Performance Info:

Date: September 24th-25th, 2010 (7:30 pm, 9:30 pm)

Location: Orange County Performing Arts Center (Samueli Theater)

Tickets: $49 – will go on sale August 22nd. They will be available online at OCPAC.org, at the Center’s Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling 714.556.2787. For inquiries about group ticket discounts for 15 or more, call the Group Services office at 714.755.0236. The TTY number is 714.556.2746.

10th Annual Newport Beach Jazz Party: Feb. 11th-14th

drumminfabe — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:48:24 +0000

February 11th-14th, 2010Newport Beach for “Right Down The Middle And Straight Ahead” Jazz at the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel & Spa. The party will again center on a large stage nightly at 7:00pm (Thursday at 8:00pm) with reserved seating providing a near perfect mix of concert conditions and intimacy of a club setting, all in the Grand Pacific Ballroom.

Highlights & Schedule

• Thursday’s Grand Opening Night will feature a stunning tribute to Frank Sinatra with the Patrick Williams’ Orchestra conducted by Terry Woodson, in SINATRLAND. Said one reviewer of the “10-star tribute to the Chairman” album- “If you like a well-disciplined big band sound, you gotta hear the Sinatraland Orchestra. You’ll love it!” Closing the evening will be a big band tribute to Benny Goodman with clarinet virtuoso- Ken Peplowski!

• Friday evening will kick off with Ken Peplowski, Gilbert Castellanos, Bill Cunliffe, Paul Keller and Lewis Nash in swinging set of the Great American Songbook, followed by the legendary Jimmy & Tootie Heath quartet featuring Cunliffe and Bob Magnusson. Jackie Ryan and the Tamir Hendelman Trio will follow and closing this second great night of straight ahead jazz will be famed drummer Jeff Hamilton and his Trio which features Tamir Hendelman and Christoph Luty!

• Saturday night will open with one of the most recorded drummers in jazz- Lewis Nash and his Friends, followed by trumpeter and vocalist Byron Stripling who will be joined by Dan Barrett, Paul Keller, Jeff Hamilton and Bill Cunliffe. Marlena Shaw and the Bill Cunliffe Trio will be next and closing the evening will be the Holly Hofmann Quartet with Strings in a tribute to Duke Ellington! Holly will feature Mike Wofford on piano, Christoph Luty on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums, along with special guest- Byron Stripling.

• Sunday Evening will start by featuring one of the hottest young guitar players on today’s jazz scene- Graham Dechter who will be joined by veterans Jeff Hamilton, John Clayton and Tamir Hendelman. And continuing with
some comedy relief will be Dave Frishberg who is certain to perform many of his classic hits including “Peel Me a Grape”. Byron Stripling and Marlena Shaw will team up for the first time and bringing the weekend to a swinging
close will be the renowned Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

More Info

Details

Tickets are now available for the complete four night, three-day package including one Jazz Brunch. Prices are $350/375. Individual reserved seats are priced at $65/$70 for evening performances and $40/50 for the Grand Opening Sessions, $30 each for “Friday, Saturday & Sunday By the Pool” and $50 for each Jazz Brunch. For tickets to the 10th Annual Newport Beach Jazz Party, call the Jazzline at 949.759.5003 or for complete artist appearance times and an order form visit our website at newportbeachjazzparty.com.

Those wishing to have a weekend getaway may also enjoy the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel & Spa special rate of $154 per night for a standard room, $164 for Pool/Music View, $174 for Ocean Music View and $179 for Concierge. For hotel reservations call Marriott at 949.640.4000 and ask for the Newport Beach Jazz Party rate.

Free self-parking will also be available for attendees.

The Newport Beach Marriott
900 Newport Center Dr.
Newport Beach, CA
newportbeachjazzparty.com