Author Archives: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

CD Review: Underground Horns – a groove that seems to flow throughout its entirety contributing to the musical coffee vibe and making it the kind of music you can joyfully clean your house to

Underground Horns ALMOST BLUE CD coverArtist: Underground Horns
Title: Almost Blue
Label: selfproduced
Genre: brass band playing Afro-Funk/Bhangra/New Orleans grooves and beyond.

CD review by Dante Mann

There is something different about Brooklyn based brass band the Underground Horns and their new album, Almost Blue. It has a pleasing freshness, and part of that is down to the way they have blended New Orleans Jazz, Ethio Jazz, Afro Funk, and obscure hints of Balkan music. Their smooth blend of these genres brought together in a subtle, textured way, makes for a good listen all of the way through. The album features Welf Dorr (alto sax, bass clarinet), Patriq Moody (coronet), Kevin Moehringer (trombone), Andrew McGovern (trumpet), Channel Crichlow (tuba), Kevin Raczka (drums), and Okai Fleurimont (djembe, vocals, whistle).

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Concert Review: Mathias Kunzli CD Release Show…dreamy soundscapes and heavy hitting beats

Date: October 26, 2011
Venue: Joe’s Pub (NY)
Concert review by Dante Mann

Photo by Dante Mann

Since Photo by Dante Mann

Since 1998 Swiss drummer and percussionist Mathias Kunzli has been all over the place in the New York music scene.  He has been performing with artists and bands of many genres, such as Moby, Lauryn Hill, Yo-Yo Ma Silk Road Project, Vieux Farka Toure, Marc Ribot, John Zorn’s Electric Masada, The Paul Winter Consort, Keyhan Kalhor, Azam Ali, and many others.

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Recommended Event: Sylvain Leroux’s “Kickstarter Music Education Project in Guinea” Closing Celebration

Date: Thursday, November 20, 2014
Time: 7pm
Venue: Judson Memorial Church (55 Washington Square S, New York, NY 10012)
Ticket: free

Photo by Oyiza

Photo by Oyiza

New York/ Canadian composer  Sylvain Leroux achieved what many told him was impossible: he raised $25,000 to conduct a four-month experimental music education project in Guinea. After the successful Kickstarter campaign, Sylvain arrived in Conakry, Guinea this February and used his invention, the chromatic tambin (an updated version of the local traditional tambin–or Fula flute) to teach a group of children to read and write music.

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