Author Archives: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Concert review: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi mixing Iranian influences with the passionate tone of a well seasoned club musician.

Date: March 6th, 2013
Location: house concert in Bloomington, Illinois
Review by Phil

Experiencing Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi (leader of NY’s SoSaLa) perform at a small-yet-packed house show was a unique night.  Not only was the audience of roughly 30 people (half of them children) different from the usual house shows, but Sohrab’s ability to combine commentary on each song and then blast into high volume horn blowing created an intimate and entertaining evening. I was moved by his personal accounts and melodic songs that mixed Iranian influences with the passionate tone of a well seasoned club musician.

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CD Review: Lo’Jo creating audio world cinema…?

pArist: Lo’ Jo
Title: Cinema El Mundo
Label: World Village
Genre: French avant pop/ world

The CD begins with jungle sounds, and a poem (in French, which unfortunately, I don’t understand) by singer / keyboardist / band leader Denis Péan. This led into the second track; a soft, lilting ballad with memorable melodies, seductive backing vocals, and Péan singing / reciting his story.

Lo Jo’s latest release, Cinema el Mundo is a multi-faceted recording marking their 30 year existence as a group, and proving their creative wellspring is far form dry. Péan is joined by his longtime partner Richard Bourreau (violin / kora), Kham Meslien (bass), Baptiste Brondy (drums), and the Nid el Mourid sisters Yamina and Nadia (vocals), Cinema El Mundo guest artists include Menwar, Gan Guo, Andra Kouyate, Vincent Segal, Stephane Coutable, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib and Eyadou, Niaz Diasamidze and Robert Wyatt.

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CD Review: Manu Koch’s debut album

320392067-1Artist: Manu Koch
Title: Triple Life
Label: self released
Genre: genre border-crossing music

I had the pleasure of attending a live performance by Manu Koch not long ago (for which I wrote a review). The concert was amazing, and I was eagerly anticipating taking the time to listen to what he and his colleagues would come up with in the studio. The results were pleasantly unexpected.

The lovely jazz poetry of a Fender Rhodes floats out of a void. It slips like incense smoke into the framework of the bass and drums. Lush chord melodies speak softly like a lover. This dreamy dialogue surrenders to a funk beat with ornaments of clavichord, synth, and vocals. Thus begins New Year’s Labyrinth, the first track on Koch’s CD Triple Life.

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KICKSTARTER Campaign Recommendation: JOANIE LEEDS & THE NIGHTLIGHTS Are Making A New Kids Album!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

I have been knowing the singer-song writer Joanie Leeds for a while. She was my neighbor in my previous apartment building. And her husband Dan who’s a very talented drummer and playing in Joanie’s band became my friend later. In fact we have been sharing a studio in Williamsburg. Anyway…I think Joanie does a great job creating music for children and teaching them the essence of music. I think educating children about music is one of the few ways to create human beings for the future.

A child who really loves music and becomes a musician later can’t become inhuman. So we need young musicians like Joanie around us and I think we should support them emotionally and financially. So please check out her KICKSTARTER campaign and see whether you would like to be involved in this campaign.

Joanie’s message: “Hey Everyone! My name is Joanie Leeds and I am a nationally touring singer/songwriter from Brooklyn, NY specializing in Kindie-Rock (that’s kids music for y’all not hip with the lingo…yet)…My band Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights are putting out a new kids album called BANDWAGON. Get up on it and help make it a reality…”

Music listings – 3/4 through 3/10

1. Federico Ughi Quartet

Date: Monday, March 4, 2013
Time: special midnight show
Venue: Rockwood Music Hall (196 Allen Street, NY)
Ticket: free
Genre: jazz

Federico Ughi Quartet will be playing at Rockwood Music Hall a special midnight show this Monday March 4th. This is their first NYC show since coming back from their Italy tour.
Line up: David Schnug (alto sax), Federico Ughi (tunes, drums), and special guests: James Brandon Lewis (tenor sax) and Dan Fabricatore (bass)

Federico Ughi is a drummer and composer based in New York. His music infuses the New York avant garde sound with a sense of melody inspired by the Italian classical and folk traditions of his childhood in Rome. Ornette Coleman has been a major influence for Federico as well as a mentor. Born in Rome, Italy Federico relocated to London at age 21 to play music, from there moving to New York in 2000 again to play music. He has been based in Brooklyn, NY ever since. He has performed or recorded with Daniel Carter, William Parker, The Cinematic Orchestra among others. Federico Ughi has perfomed throughout Italy, the UK, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Slovenia, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Ukraine, Russia, China, Mexico, Canada and the US.

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