Jazz at Lincoln Center NewsFlash

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DON LUCOFF, DL Media (610) 667-0501, dondlmedia@covad.net
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SCOTT H. THOMPSON, Jazz at Lincoln Center (212) 258-9807, sthompson@jalc.org

LISTING INFORMATION:
Venue: Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center
Event: Brazilian Carnaval Universal with Cyro Baptista & Friends February 1-6, 2005
Address: Frederick P. Rose Hall - Broadway at 60th Street, 5th Floor
Artist Sets: 7:30 & 9:30pm every day / Also 11pm Friday & Saturday
After Hours Sets: 11pm Tuesday-Thursday / 12:30am Friday-Saturday
Monday: Monday, January 24: Upstarts!
Juilliard Jazz Ensemble, Ali Jackson & Friends
Doors Open: 6pm for 7:30pm set / 9pm for 9:30pm set
Admission: $30 music charge for artist sets / $10 After Hours sets
Student Prices: Sun, Tues, Wed 9:30pm set $15 with valid student ID / After Hours $5 with valid student ID / Upstarts! $10 for students with valid ID
Minimum: $10 tables / $5 bar all shows
Reservations: (212) 258 9595 or www.jalc.org

This Week at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola:
Brazilian Carnaval Universal with Cyro Baptista & Friends
Featuring special guests Anat Cohen, Pedro Ramas and others

After Hours with Colombian harpist Edmar Castaneda

(New York, NY) January 31, 2005 - Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola -- located in The House of Swing, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall – presents a celebration of Carnival with percussionist Cyro Baptista’s “Brazilian Carnaval Universal,” a high-energy musical carnival of uninhibited drummers and dizzying dancers performing with jaw dropping precision. The band features a truly international cast, with members hailing from the U.S., Israel, Europe, Asia, and Brazil. The New York Times has called it “wild, vivid entertainment” and Time Out New York noted it as “a most unforgettable spectacle.”

Tuesday, February 1 through Sunday, February 6:
Brazilian Carnaval Universal with Cyro Baptista & Friends
Cyro Baptista (percussion), Max Pollak (tap, percussion, vocals), Viva DeConcini (guitar, percussion, vocals), Zé Mauricio (percussion, vocals), Chikako Iwahori (tap, percussion, vocals), Tim Keiper (drums, percussion), Brian Marsella (keyboard, percussion), with special guests Anat Cohen (clarinet, saxophone), Pedro Ramos (cavaquinho), Romero Lubambo (guitar) (Tuesday only), Rob Curto (accordion) (Thursday only), and Edmar Casteñeda (harp) (Friday only).

Two full artist sets at 7:30pm & 9:30pm. Additional set on Friday & Saturday at 11pm.

“An assemblage of musicians and dancers in outrageous costumes, banging on drums for all they’re worth—Mr. Baptista’s band is Brazilian carnival crossed with Lower East Side performance art. It makes a ruckus, and it’s wild, vivid entertainment.”-Jon Pareles, The New York Times

“This band has an entertainment jones, and the energy of their attack has a free-for-all physicality that keeps a smile on your face.” -Jim Macnie, Village Voice

On February 1-6 at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Cyro Baptista’s percussion army, Brazilian Carnaval Universal, comes marching in for their celebration of Brazilian Carnival. Brazilian Carnaval Universal’s weeklong residency also serves as the CD release celebration for the group’s newest studio recording, Beat. The new CD features fourteen original tracks that allow Cyro’s imagination to run wild, mixing instrumentation from all over the globe, and unusual percussion inventions of his own to create a recording (and live show) of infectious dance music, both spellbinding and mysterious.

Grammy-award winner Cyro Baptista and the Brazilian Carnaval Universal (a modified group based off his 8-piece percussion orchestra, Beat the Donkey) present a musical, dance, and visual event like no other. Beat the Donkey is a literal translation of the Brazilian expression Pau Na Mula which, loosely translated, means “let’s take it up a notch,” or “let's go, let's do it!”

Since arriving in the U.S. in 1980 from Brazil, percussionist, bandleader Cyro Baptista has gained international recognition by performing with such artists as Paul Simon, Sting, Trey Anastasio, Herbie Hancock, Yo Yo Ma, Dr. John, David Byrne, John Zorn, and numerous others. He’s even managed to record on five Grammy-winning albums throughout his career; additionally, Cyro is the Brazilian percussionist present on Yo-Yo Ma’s critically acclaimed, dual Grammy-winning release, Obrigado Brazil.

Cyro Baptista’s thoughts on Dizzy Gillespie:
“One day I went to Miles Davis’ son’s house – I remember him saying how amazing Miles was, raving on and on about his father. While I agree Miles was an incredible horn player, he never shared his playing or his personality on Sesame Street, like Dizzy did! Dizzy was an incredible human being; sharing his talents outside the stage and the studio. He could be playing at the same level that Miles was – but he would play his instrument and share the music with the children on the Sesame Street. That is why he is amazing! He is so willing to share and step outside those lines: that is why I love him!”

Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola offers spectacular views and serves a jazz inspired menu seven days a week through the collaboration between Great Performances and Spoonbread culinary creators. Reservations can be made at 212-258-9595 or via the Jazz at Lincoln Center web site http://www.jalc.org.

Monday, January 31 UPSTARTS!:
7:30 & 9:30pm: Juilliard Jazz Ensemble, Ali Jackson Trio and Friends – Jammin’ With Jackson

Born April 3, 1976, drummer Ali Jackson was performing with his father on the streets of Detroit by age seven. These outings with his father were valuable lessons in performance and in life. He learned to appreciate the function of his instrument in an ensemble. He graduated from Cass Technical High School, known for producing some of the most renown names in jazz, including: Paul Chambers, Donald Byrd, Barry Harris and Geri Allen. Ali won the Clarence Eddins/Blue Bird Inn Scholarship for outstanding music achievement and was selected to be a featured soloist for "Beacons in Jazz" honoring jazz legend Max Roach. A recent graduate of the Mannes College of Music for jazz and contemporary music at the New School for Social Research, Ali continues to expand his studies. He has studied under master teachers such as Joe Chambers, Charlie Persip, Chico Hamilton and Max Roach. His style, a powerful blend of technical mastery and melodic content, is strongly influenced by his late Uncle Oliver "Bops" Jackson Jr., Papa Jo Jones and Lionel Hampton. Jackson has worked with some of the world’s finest musicians, including Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Aretha Franklin, Marcus Roberts, Gerald Albright, Eric Reed, KRS-ONE, Russell Gunn, Jacky Terrasson, Rodney Kendrick, Buster Williams, Cyrus Chestnut, Christian McBride, James Moody, Vinx, Marcus Printup, Nicolas Payton, Milt Hinton and the New York City Ballet.

AFTER HOURS SETS
Tuesday-Saturday, February 1-5
After Hours: Colombian harpist Edmar Castaneda

Tuesday-Thursday set starts at 11pm; Friday & Saturday set starts at 12:30am.

The sensational Colombian harpist, Edmar Castaneda, who was a big hit performing with Paquito D'Rivera recently at both Carnegie Hall and Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, will be performing for the After Hours sets February 1-5 during the week of Brazilian Carnaval Universal. Castaneda will also be the special guest with Cyro Baptista’s band on Friday, February 4. The twenty-five year old musician, who began playing the harp at 13 in Colombia, arrived in the U.S. in 1994 and was quickly recognized for his unmatched style and sound. Castaneda uses his immense talent to transform the harp to a lead instrument with stunning results by combining the influence of traditional Colombian music with Latin jazz. In addition to Paquito D’Rivera, Castaneda has also worked with Dave Samuels, Trio De Paz, Yerba Buena, Nelson Gonzales, Dave Valentin, John Benitez, Lila Downs and Czech singer, Marta Topferova.

Edmar Castaneda on playing at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola: “It is great to play again at the house of jazz, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola.

Tuesday, February 8 through Sunday, February 13: The Ben Riley Monk Legacy Septet
Ben Riley (drums), Don Sickler (trumpet & arranger), Bruce Williams (alto & soprano sax), Wayne Escoffery (tenor & soprano sax), Jay Brandford (baritone sax), Freddie Bryant (guitar), Kiyoshi Kitagawa (bass)
Two full artist sets at 7:30pm & 9:30pm.

Drummer Ben Riley and arranger/trumpeter Don Sickler have taken their deep love and understanding for Thelonious Monk’s music and developed a new environment for exploring the genius of the man: a piano-less septet. Ben Riley played in Thelonious Monk’s quartet for nearly five years and was continuously inspired by Monk the composer and performer. 2004 marked the 40th anniversary of the first of 166 nights that Riley performed with Monk at the Village Vanguard.

Monk had his own personal harmonic and rhythmic language, which, coupled with his unorthodox approach to the piano-the way he coaxed sound from the keys of the piano-made his voice in the rhythm section totally unique. Riley’s no-piano Monk Legacy Septet lets varying combinations of horns and guitar explore Monk’s accompaniment role, using Monk’s own unique palette of harmonies and rhythms. Ben can once again react to the familiar Monk language and accents, now being spoken by alto or soprano sax, trumpet, tenor sax, baritone sax and guitar. The combination of these different instrumental timbres, without piano, creates a refreshing new canvas of sound for exploring Monk’s music.

Don Sickler’s arrangements dissect and re-construct Monk’s comping and solos so the Septet’s voices echo Monk’s original thoughts and phrases, inspiring Riley’s responses. As many excited audience members said after the group’s debut performance at the Village Vanguard in NYC, "This band ROCKS!"

Ben Riley's Monk Legacy Septet repertoire currently includes: Ask Me Now, Bemsha Swing, Blue Monk, Boo Boo's Birthday, Brake's Sake, Bright Mississippi, Bye-Ya, Coming On The Hudson, Epistrophy, Evidence, Four In One, Gallop's Gallop, Green Chimneys, Jackie-ing, Let's Call This, Little Rootie Tootie, Pannonica, Reflections, Rhythm-A-Ning, Shuffle Boil, Straight, No Chase, Ugly Beauty

AFTER HOURS SETS
Tuesday-Saturday, February 8 through Saturday, February 12 After Hours: The Peter Leitch Trio
Peter Leitch (guitar), Sean Smith (bass), Tony Jefferson (drums)

Tuesday-Thursday set starts at 11pm; Friday & Saturday set starts at 12:30am.

Over the years Peter Leitch has gained an international reputation for his unique personal style, rooted in tradition but recognizably his own. Of his fourteen recordings as a leader, most feature his long-time rhythm section of pianist John Hicks, Ray Drummond and Marvin “Smitty” Smith. Several also include a saxophonist (Pepper Adams, Bobby Watson and Gary Bartz have each contributed to Peter's recordings). The Montreal Concert, Peter's latest CD, is a duet of another sort. Recorded live (a first!), he and altoist Gary Bartz take some musical chances to create what Jazziz Magazine calls, "one of the new decade's sterling examples of chamber jazz."

This past weekend, Tito Puente Jr. dropped into Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola to enjoy the music of Stefon Harris. You never know who’s going to show up at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola

Coming Up At Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola: Bank of America Jazz Festival:
Carol Sloane with The Norman Simmons Quintet, featuring Eric Alexander and Paul Bollenback Carol Sloane (vocals), Norman Simmons (piano), Eric Alexander (tenor sax), Paul Bollenback (guitar) Chip Jackson (bass), Ben Riley (drums) February 15-20 / Tuesday-Sunday 7:30 & 9:30pm Tuesday-Sunday, 11:30pm show Friday and Saturday "With all the talk today about new jazz singers, none comes even close to Carol Sloane. This is what jazz is all about." - Nat Hentoff, May 2004

Jazz at Lincoln Center is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to jazz. With the world-renowned Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and a comprehensive array of guest artists, Jazz at Lincoln Center advances a unique vision for the continued development of the art of jazz by producing a year-round schedule of performance, education, and broadcast events for audiences of all ages. These productions include concerts, national and international tours, residencies, weekly national radio and television programs, recordings, publications, an annual high school jazz band competition and festival, a band director academy, a jazz appreciation curriculum for children, advanced training through the Juilliard Institute for Jazz Studies, music publishing, children’s concerts, lectures, adult education courses, film programs, and student and educator workshops. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis, President Derek E. Gordon, Chairman of the Board Lisa Schiff and Jazz at Lincoln Center Board and staff, Jazz at Lincoln Center will produce hundreds of events during its 2004-05 season. This is the inaugural season in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s new home – Frederick P. Rose Hall – the first-ever performance, education, and broadcast facility devoted to jazz.