Love In The Times of The Virus: Fred Hersh Daily Mini-Concerts

20 Friday Mar 2020

Posted by in Home, In Other Words, Jazz, On Music

≈ Leave a comment

In an e-blast today, pianist Fred Hersh announced a program of free daily mini-concerts available on his Facebook page, beginning Sunday. It is not necessary to have a Facebook to access it.

At a time in which many of us are not only trying to adjust to a “new normal” but also bring back old revolutionary concepts such as solidarity, community, and the common good, we certainly can use all the grace and beauty we can get.

“I hope everybody is safe and healthy and will remain that way. This is an unprecedented challenge to everyone on the planet and we all need resilience and resourcefulness going forward,” reads the message.

“Starting this Sunday, every day at 1pm EST, 10am PST, and 7pm in Europe I will do a live mini-concert of piano music from my home. You can see and hear the concert here:

https://www.facebook.com/fredherschmusic

“You don’t have to “be” on Facebook or sign in to anything to access the concert. Just click the image below. And if you “like” the page you will be notified each day.”

“Wishing you all strength and much love,
Fred ”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are familiar with Hersh’s work, you need no further encouragement.
If you have not heard Fred Hersh, you are in for a treat.

Robert Glasper Premieres Orchestral Piece With Nu Deco Ensemble

12 Thursday Mar 2020

Posted by in Home, In Other Words, Jazz, On Music

≈ Leave a comment

 

Nu Deco Ensemble, Jacomo Bairos conductor, performing at the Arsht Center, Miami

Pianist, composer, and producer Robert Glasper has made an art of moving with ease between jazz, hip hop, neo-soul, rock, pop, and back. Using tools as traditional as the jazz piano trio and as open-ended as the recording studio, Glasper has created an ever-changing but organic mix that is often deceptively easy-on-the-ear — yet always studded with surprising turns and details. This weekend, Glasper will be premiering his first orchestral work, a commission by the Miami-based Nu Deco Ensemble, in concerts Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the World Center in Miami Beach, FL.

(These concerts were canceled on Thursday because of coronavirus concerns.)

The restless, genre-bending Glasper was a natural choice for Nu Deco.
“Robert has been in our ‘bucket list’ collaborator from the beginning of Nu Deco,” says Nu Deco co-founder, composer and co-artistic director Sam Hyken. “I find very exciting the opportunity to add to the orchestral canon using artists that normally wouldn’t get an opportunity to do so because of just the way classical music is.”

Continue reading →

Betsayda Machado and Parranda El Clavo: Small Town, Powerful Music

11 Wednesday Mar 2020

Posted by in Home, In Other Words, Latin Jazz, On Music

≈ Leave a comment

Betsayda Machado and Parranda El Clavo. Photo by Luis Acosta

Countries in the Caribbean and Latin America such as Cuba, Brazil, and Colombia have long-established the wealth of their musical traditions on the global stage. But the extraordinary variety and richness of Venezuelan music remain largely a secret hidden in plain view, in some cases to Venezuelans themselves.

Betsayda Machado and Parranda El Clavo are helping to change that as they put a spotlight on Afro-Venezuelan traditions and music. They will be appearing in concert this Saturday, March 14 at Downtown Doral Park, as part of the city and The Rhythm Foundation’s joint musical and cultural event, “Ritmo Doral.”

(This event has been canceled because of coronavirus concerns.)

“What people know about Venezuelan music, outside and inside the country, is the ‘joropo.’ That seems to be the one genre that identifies Venezuelan culture, and there is so much more,” says Machado, during a Spanish-language phone interview from the Boston area. The group was there performing and conducting workshops at Brandeis University.

Continue reading →