Category Archives: Musicians

iPhone interview: M.A.K.U. SoundSystem Colombia’s nu voice!

Interview by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

This year, the energy will reach new heights with the newest voice on the world stage, M.A.K.U.SoundSystem (featured at NY’s globalFEST 2011). They are one of my favorite bands of this year. Their driving rhythms are grounded in Afro- Colombian traditions and their gaitas come from Colombia’s indigenous heritage (like their name), as they present their music with the freedom of young Colombians hailing from urban Queens.

I interviewed them backstage for the second time after their show at the Encounter NYC Colombian Music Festival at Le Poisson Rouge, November 10, 2012. (First interview here.)

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Recommended Event: Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance

Tickets for the Friday and Saturday performances by the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra of Falafel, Freilach, & Frijoles: From Mambo to Borscht will be at the box office of Symphony Space. The box office opens at 1pm on both days. Symphony Space is located at 95th Street and Broadway in Manhattan.

If you would like to attend please go to the box office and request a ticket. There will be assigned seating and everyone must have a ticket.

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Concert Recommendation: Sylvain Leroux “Quatuor Creole” CD release concert!

Date: Thursday, November 1, 2012
Time: 8pm – 9pm
Venue: ShapeShifter Lab (18 Whitwell Pl, between Carroll St & 1st St,Brooklyn, NY 11215, 646-820-9452)
Ticket: $11

On Thursday, November 1, 2012 Downbeat Rising Star Sylvain Leroux will present a live performance of his latest project “Quatuor Creole” featuring legendary vibist Karl Berger. Released in June, the CD has been well received by critics, eliciting such comments as: “… perfect contemporary music release…” (Dustin Garlitz, JazzTalent.com); “… gentle as a river in the afternoon sun.” (Thurston Hunger, KFJC); “… worthy addition to the canon of the world- jazz…” (Hrayr Attarian, All About Jazz); “… mellifluous acoustic quality…” (Howard Mandel, Jazz Beyond Jazz); “…belongs to a lineage of precious recordings […] such as CoDoNa, Oregon, Steve Wilson, Don Cherry, Dollar Brand and Chico Hamilton…” (Dan Behrman, Magazine Son & Image–translated from the French).

With Quatuor Creole, Leroux reexamines the fusion of European and African music that took place in the Americas and informs it with his deep experience.

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Al-Madar at The Stone in NYC on Friday, October 5, 2012

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Unfortunately I missed the AL-MADAR show at The Stone on Friday, October 5, 2012 because I was still in Tokyo. As you might remember AL-MADAR  was opening up for my band SoSalA at  at the CD release party at Nublu in March. Since that show the band has went through member changes. Al-Madar became  a new 5-piece instrumental band of the New York Arabic Orchestra, fronted by Bassam Saba of Lebanon , a renowned figure of Arabic music and director of the New York Arabic Orchestra.  performing on the oud, saz, nay, and western flute and violin, in collaboration with Arabic percussionist and drummer April Centrone, joined by guitarist Gyan Riley, Timba Harris on violin/viola and trumpet, who’s also a member of one of my favorite bands the Secret Chiefs 3, and the versatile electric bassist Brian Holtz.

Bassam Saba and his NY Arabic Orchestra has been featured in DooBeeDoo a couple of times for the last two years. I’m actually surprised that Saba joined this ensemble because usually, as far as I know him, he wouldn’t play at small clubs like the STONE. Guess his young members convinced him to join and be the leading part of this ensemble.

Watching and listening to the videos this ensemble plays a mix of Arabic music to Afro Beat and progressive rock. What is missing is a human voice which would express an important element of Arabic music: melancholy.

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Tokyo Report P.5: my only encounter with live music in Tokyo – Andy Bevan & STEWMAHN

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

It took me 42 days in Tokyo to meet Andy Bevan, an Australian Jazz musician who’s been living and playing music in Tokyo for a long, long, long time. I heard about him through a NY music colleague who’s a friend of him. During the 42 days I missed two gigs of him, but finally on the 42nd day I had the time to go to his show at the Saravah Tokyo club in Shibuya. To get to the club I took the subway, the Ginza line, from Asakusa to Shibuya, crossed the famous intersection in Shibuya and walked a couple of blocks north towards the Bunka Mura. However it took me some time to find the club. Even the Google map couldn’t help me out?! I had to use my inspiration and feeling to find the club.

When I was at the door of the club a sign told me that Andy was playing with Masaki Hayashi ‘s STEWMAHN: Masaki Hayashi on piano, who’s also the leader, Toru Nishijima on bass and violin, Akira Horikoshi on drums and my brother Andy Bevan on soprano and tenor sax, didgeridoo and various flutes.

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