Category Archives: Musicians

Interview: A Random Encounter With “Moon Hooch” in Central Park!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

A month ago I went to the Summer Stage in Central Park to check out Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. After short I felt that Yo-Yo wasn’t my thing for the night. So I left and decided to take a walk in the park. While walking I heard some drum sounds which sounded like Korean traditional drums. I followed the drum sounds to find out who was playing. After two, three minutes I found three young men playing two tenor saxophones and a simple drum set.

From the moment I walked towards them I knew it was going to be an exciting outdoor concert… Blasting their drums and saxes, Moon Hooch, which was the name of the band, thrilled the people around them.They were playing energy music. It was fun watching three young enthuastic musicians who played so passionate. They proved that music is still essential in our lifes. Hope they don’t lose this positive energy and keep going.

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John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” Revealed

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

As a horn player I have never tried to play this song. Why? Because I am too lazy to play other people’s music. But in case of GIANTS STEPS I felt that it would take me 10 years to master this song. So being lazy and also not willing to play other people’s music I decided to leave this to other horn players around me. Does it make sense?

VS

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Underground Comedy: Strange Talk In the Basement with Jerry Haas (At Donny Vulture’s)!

Text by Jim Hoey

Underground, (literally underground) comedy, is alive in a Brooklyn basement known as Donny Vulture’s. To get there for some laughs and to hear probing interviews with local stars, and questions beamed in from a microwave (huh? what!?), you have to hop on the L train, hightail it to Montrose, and step out past the Dominican barbershop, the Vortex thrift store, and the Danbro music studios, to where it all takes place.

It’s by invite only (Shhhhh…), so if you are lucky enough to be on the list, or know someone who might bring you around, you’re in for a few hours of homespun laughs and giddy shenanigans orchestrated by one Jerry Haas, a mysterious personality who, judging by his accent, may have made his way to New York by way of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, or the Colonel Sanders
school for young lost reprobates. Thankfully this guy knows his way around a small, cramped stage and if you’ve ever been over to the Upright Citizen’s Brigade, or a corner by a bodega in Bushwick, you might have an idea of what level of repartee you’ll be in for. Check out the video below, where you’ll see one curious saxophone player in the spotlight at Donny Vulture’s.

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Interview – Remi Alvarez: ” I started the opposite of Coltrane…!”

Interview by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi, June 16, 2011

Remi Alvarez, a Mexican saxophonist and flutist, stopped in at Roberto’s Winds in mid June to see his old friend and owner Roberto Romeo. Just the week prior to his visit he played two gigs at the VISION FESTIVAL, here in NYC. After a short conversation, in which we discussed his musical approach of free style I decided to do a video interview with him. What follows is the summery of this interview in which I discovered a Mexico native who’s primary focus is not the typical Latin or English influences one might expect.

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Interview: Augmented Reality – an instrumental collaboration that fuses east, west, north and south.

Text and interview by William Harvey

Colour photos by Megan Shumate

Photo by Ana Koleva

On Tuesday, May 24th I had the opportunity to see a performance of an exciting new trio, Augmented Reality, as they performed at the Cornelia Street Cafe in Greenwich Village to promote the release of their new self titled album. Pianist Roy Assaf, drummer Ronen Itzik, (both from Israel), and Peruvian bassist Jorge Roeder are all monster players and rising stars in the New York jazz scene. The house was packed for both sets and the chemistry between the musicians was undeniable as they performed a diverse repertoire of mainly Assaf and Itzik’s own originals. After the concert I had the opportunity to ask Ronen a few questions about the project.

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