Author Archives: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

CD reviews: Willie Martinez & Rusconi – two bands from different worlds

CD reviews by  William Harvey

Artist: Willie Martinez/La Famillia Sextet
Title: After Winter, Spring
Label: Cuch Be Witcha Productions
Genre: Latin Jazz

After Winter, Spring is drummer/percussionist Willie Martinez’s second album as a leader. This album features many of Martinez’s own originals and arrangements. His band La Familia Sextet is tight and hard grooving as they venture through various latin jazz styles. On this recording Martinez lets his band shine as he plays mostly a supporting role in the rhythm section; a sign of a mature veteran who as a leader choses to place emphasis on melody and groove.

In addition to his strong instrumental chops Martinez is featured as a vocalist singing in both English and Spanish. Musical influences heard range from Ray Baretto, Max Roach, Ray Romero, Cachao, to Hilton Ruìz as mentioned in the liner notes of After Winter, Spring. Additionally, pianist Misha Tsiganov wrote “Anthony” as a dedication to the late Tony Williams , which ends with a nice drum solo. After Winter, Spring has and will continue to captivate Latin jazz and Afro-Carribean music fans alike.

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Japanese guitar drums duo PIKACHU-MAKOTO at Death By Audio (NY)

Date: May, 2011
Venue: Death By Audio (NY)

Text by Jim Hoey

What should be known about this guitar drums duo is that they are former/current members of Afrirampo and Acid Mothers Temple, 2 hard hitting punk/psychedelic rock bands from Japan. Also to be know is that they are in the middle of a one month tour of the US, and if you find yourself on the east coast or somewhere between NYC and southern California, you might be close enough to road trip over to one of their gigs soon.

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Music listings – 5/16 through 5/22

1. Karl Berger’s Stone Workshop Orchestra

Date: Monday, May 16, 2011
Time: 7:30 & 10pm
Venue: The Stone (is located at the corner of Avenue C and 2nd Street)
Ticket: $10
Genre: Contemporary Jazz/improve

During the ‘70- and ‘80’s, the Woodstock-based Creative Music Studio was considered the premier study center for contemporary creative music. Founded in 1971 by Karl Berger , Ingrid Sertso and Ornette Coleman, CMS brought together leading innovators in the jazz and world music communities. Unprecedented in its range and diversity, CMS was an acknowledged phenomenon in the international music world.

The Stone is proud to host a new series of CMS workshops in 2011: a new improviser’s workshop orchestra gets underway EVERY MONDAY NIGHT IN 2011 led by composer/pianist/vibist Karl Berger. Conducted in the tradition of the legendary Creative Music Studio (www.creativemusicstudio.org), original compositions, themes by the likes of Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, and world musical melodies will be utilized for orchestral explorations and contrasting solo/duo/trio flights. This series supports the Creative Music Studio Archive Project.

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CD review: Tirtha – celebrating the freedoms of jazz forms and Carnatic melodies and rhythm!

Artist: Tirtha (Vijay Iyer, Prasanna and Nitin Mitta)
Title: Tirtha
Label: ACT Music + Vision
Cat.#: ACT 2011
Genre: Nu Indian Jazz (?)

Reviewed by Matthew Rentz

Tirtha is a Sanskrit word that represents a crossable shallow river or stream and a place of pilgrimage. That is exactly what the US based ensemble of the same name provides the listener on their self-titled debut album, a journey where the traveller emerges having experienced a spiritual transformation.

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