2011 JAZZ FESTIVAL, AUGUST 6 – 8
Katonah, NY ~ April 15, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cohn Dutcher Associates
CARAMOOR INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
PRESENTS THE 2011 JAZZ FESTIVAL, AUGUST 6 – 8
JASON MORAN AND THE BANDWAGON, JOHN SCOFIELD TRIO, CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE BIG BAND, JOSHUA REDMAN’S JAMES FARM, RENEE ROSNES, FRED HERSCH & NICO GORI DUO & MORE
KATONAH, NY – Caramoor International Music Festival’s annual weekend-long Jazz Festival has become one of the country’s premiere destinations for jazz music, for artists and fans alike. 2011 is no exception, as producer Jim Luce has crafted a three-day festival – August 6, 7 & 8 – packed with jazz legends and innovative voices on the international scene demonstrating the breadth and diversity of the state of jazz.
On Friday evening, pianist Renee Rosnes, who brought concertgoers to their feet at the 2010 festival with Bobby Hutcherson’s Quartet, returns to kick off the weekend with her own superlative quartet – Steve Nelson, Peter Washington, and Lewis Nash – for an inspired and elegant evening in the intimate Spanish Courtyard.
Saturday brings virtuoso bassist Christian McBride and his Big Band to heat up the Venetian Theater as the day’s headliner and to show why this propulsive large ensemble is one of the hottest groups on the scene. Guitarist Juan Carlos Formell and his quartet Johnny’s Dream Club begin the afternoon by conjuring the rhapsodic yet sizzling sounds of late-‘40s Havana. Joshua Redman’s latest project––James Farm––brings together pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland for a truly collaborative approach resulting in rhythmically complex, harmonically rich, and melodically beautiful music-making. Vocalist Jose Jamescloses the afternoon with his smooth combination of soul, hip-hop and jazz.
To close out the jazz festival on Sunday, 2010 MacArthur ‘Genius’ Fellow recipient Jason Moran brings his intrepid trio––The Bandwagon––to the Venetian Theater for a set that weaves myriad influences into the group’s distinctive sound . Legendary guitarist and innovator John Scofield and his quartet also summon stylistic diversity as they launch into their powerful improvisations. Columbian harpist Edmar Castaneda and his quartet open the afternoon with a lush and unexpected journey that demonstrates how he is revolutionizing the perception of his instrument. Fred Hersch, one of the most brilliant pianists and composers of his generation, teams up with Italian multi-reedist Nico Gori for deeply immersive and subtle music-making. The Robert Glasper Trio presents an intricate set of hip-hop inflected originals.
TICKETS
August 5: $30, $40; August 6: $33, $45, $57; August 7: $33, $45, $57. Tickets are on sale now, order by calling the Box Office at 914.232.1252 or visiting www.caramoor.org.
PROGRAMS
August 5, 2011 in the Spanish Courtyard
Caramoor Jazz Festival (I)
8:00pm – Renee Rosnes Quartet: Renee Rosnes, piano; Steve Nelson, vibraphone; Peter Washington, bass; Lewis Nash, drums
August 6, 2011 in the Venetian Theater
Caramoor Jazz Festival (II)
$33, $45, $57
3:00pm – Juan Carlos Formell’s Johnny’s Dream Club-Sonidos Latinos
4:15pm – James Farm: Joshua Redman, saxophone;
Aaron Parks, piano; Matt Penman, bass; Eric Harland, drums
5:30om – Jose James
Dinner Break
8:00pm – Christian McBride Big Band
August 7, 2011 in the Venetian Theater
Caramoor Jazz Festival (II)
$33, $45, $57
1:00pm – Edmar Castaneda Quartet─Sonidos Latinos
2:15pm – Fred Hersch / Nico Gori Duo
3:30pm – Robert Glasper Trio
5:00pm – John Scofield Quartet
6:30pm – Jason Moran and The Bandwagon
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Jason Moran and The Bandwagon have established themselves as the risk-takers and innovators of new directions for jazz. In almost every category that matters – improvisation, composition, group concept, repertoire, technique and experimentation – Moran, and his group The Bandwagon – with bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits – have challenged the status quo, and earned the reputation as “the future of jazz.” Rolling Stone has called Moran “the most provocative thinker in current jazz,” and in Mateen and Waits, he has found his ideal companions, two distinctive voices on their instruments who are restlessly creative and share his open-mindedness and diversity of influences, not just beyond jazz in classical music and hip hop, but also beyond music in art, film, dance, and theater. Over ten years the trio has developed an intuitive level of musical communication. In a recent live review in The New York Times, critic Nate Chinen praised Moran’s “fierce longstanding group,” adding that they “didn’t follow his lead so much as flank him on both sides. Though it’s a trio its sound described something bigger and more indivisible.” With the release of TEN in 2010, his 10th anniversary album with The Bandwagon, the trailblazing trio has proven to be one of the most enduring and creative piano trios in jazz today.
John Scofield is a masterful guitarist and jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, funk edged jazz, and R&B. Throughout his career Scofield has punctuated his traditional jazz offerings with funk-oriented electric music. He has prominently led his own groups in the international Jazz scene, recorded over 30 albums as a leader and has collaborated with contemporary favorites like Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Eddie Harris, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Bill Frisell, Brad Mehldau, Mavis Staples, Government Mule, Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano and Phil Lesh. He’s played and recorded with Tony Williams, Jim Hall, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Dave Holland, Terumasa Hino among many jazz legends.
Christian McBride is a bassist extraordinaire, composer, arranger, educator, curator and administrator, and has been one of the most important and most omnipresent figures in the jazz world for 20 years. The Philadelphia-born bassist moved to New York City to further his classical studies at the Juilliard School, only to be snatched up by alto saxophonist, Bobby Watson. Since then, his list of accomplishments has been nothing short of staggering. As a sideman in the jazz world alone, he’s worked with the best of the very best – Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, J.J. Johnson, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny.
Renee Rosnes is recognized as one of the premier jazz pianists and composers of her generation. She began classical studies at age three and was introduced to jazz during her high school years. She has toured and recorded with many of the greatest masters, attracting international attention and building a resume that reads like a who’s who of jazz, including stints with Joe Henderson, JJ Johnson, Wayne Shorter, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band with Jon Faddis, Buster Williams, James Moody, and Bobby Hutcherson, among others. In addition to performing with her own bands, Rosnes frequently collaborates with her husband, the acclaimed pianist Bill Charlap.
James Farm is a collaborative band featuring saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland. The band infuses traditional acoustic jazz quartet instrumentation with a progressive attitude and modern sound, creating music that is rhythmically and technically complex and at the same time harmonically rich, melodically satisfying, and emotionally compelling. Redman, Parks, Penman, and Harland exhibit a total commitment to group improvisation combined with a song-based approach to jazz that incorporates the members’ myriad of influences: rock, soul, folk, classical, and electronica, among many others. James Farm brings sincerity and sophistication, fluidity and focus, organic music with a sense of purpose.
Fred Hersch balances his internationally recognized instrumental skills with significant achievements as a composer, bandleader, and theatrical conceptualist, as well as remaining an in-demand collaborator with other noted bandleaders and vocalists. In addition to his more than three-dozen recordings as a leader/co-leader, his numerous awards include a 2003 Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship for composition, and a Grammy® nomination for Best Instrumental Composition, as well as two Grammy® nominations for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance. He is considered to be the most prolific and celebrated solo jazz pianist of his generation. Hersch has collaborated with an astonishing range of instrumentalists and vocalists throughout worlds of jazz including Joe Henderson, Charlie Haden, Art Farmer, Stan Getz and Bill Frisell.
Edmar Castaneda has a unique style of playing harp, combining Latin jazz with traditional Colombian music and has carved a firm place in the international jazz scene. A jazz harpist of imposing talent, he transforms the harp into a lead instrument to phenomenal effect. Producing cross-rhythms like a drummer, smashing chord flourishes like a flamenco guitarist and collating bebop and Colombian music, he is practically a world unto himself. His style is fascinatingly percussive and he plucks dynamic bass lines almost invisibly while picking out melodies with his right hand. His playing is striking for its rhythmic complexities, driving bass lines and sheer musical force.
Nico Gori started studying clarinet at the age of 6 and continued to perfect his art by attending seminars held by famous jazz musicians such as Dave Liebman, Tony Scott, etc. He then began performing in theatres, clubs, festivals, and on RAI Television broadcasts. He has given many concerts as a soloist as well as performing in big bands, symphonic orchestras and jazz groups as leader or as sideman in situations ranging from classical music to jazz, from funk music to acid jazz.
For information on the Robert Glasper Trio, visit robertglasper.com
For information on Juan Carlos Formell and Johnny’s Dream Club, visit www.myspace.com/formell
For more information on Jose James, visit josejamesmusic.com
PICNICKING AT CARAMOOR
Extend the Caramoor experience by arriving early and enjoying a picnic amidst the beautiful gardens. During the Jazz Festival, Great Performances® will grill chicken, ribs, burgers and hot dogs on the picnic lawns, which are available for purchase. Concertgoers can also bring their own picnic, or order one for pick-up at Caramoor by calling Great Performances® at 212-337-6055 or online at www.greatperformances.com/caramoorpicnics.
ABOUT CARAMOOR
Caramoor is a performing arts center located on a unique 90-acre setting of Italianate architecture and gardens in Westchester County, NY. It enriches the lives of its audiences through innovative and diverse musical performances of the highest quality. Its mission also includes mentoring young professional musicians through the Evnin Rising Stars, Vocal Rising Stars, Bel Canto Young Artists and Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence programs as well as providing curriculum-based, educational programs centered around music for 5,000+ middle and high school children in local schools. Renowned for its annual summer music festival held from late June to early August, Caramoor is often described as “a Garden of Great Music” where audiences are invited to come early, explore the beautiful grounds, enjoy a pre-concert picnic, and discover beautiful music in the relaxed settings of the Venetian Theater, Spanish Courtyard, Music Room of the Rosen House, and the magnificent gardens.
The historic Rosen House, built in the 1930’s, and its Music Room are “the heart of Caramoor.” Upon its completion in 1939, Caramoor founders Walter and Lucie Rosen began to present private concerts in the Music Room, and today it is used for all ‘Caramoor Indoors’ concerts and arts-in-education programs. Tours of the Rosen House by the general public are currently on hiatus as Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts has embarked on a comprehensive planning project to restructure the programs and usage of the historic Rosen House. It is Caramoor’s intention to complete this process during the next few years.
Caramoor’s gardens are also well worth the visit and include nine unique perennial gardens. Among them are a Sense Circle for the visually handicapped, a Butterfly Garden, Tapestry Hedge, and Iris and Peony Garden, which may be enjoyed on one’s own or seen on a guided tour. With its unique heritage, Caramoor is a place where days and nights are shared and enjoyed by thousands.
Concert Venues and Gardens
Concerts take place in two outdoor theaters: the 1714-seat, acoustically superb Venetian Theater and the more intimate, romantic Spanish Courtyard. Caramoor’s gardens are also well worth the visit and include nine unique perennial gardens. Among them are a Sense Circle for the visually handicapped, a Butterfly Garden, Tapestry Hedge, and Iris and Peony Garden, which may be enjoyed on one’s own or seen on a guided tour.
GETTING TO CARAMOOR
Caramoor is easy to get to by car and mass transportation.
By car from the West Side of Manhattan and New Jersey, take the Saw Mill River Parkway north to Katonah. Exit at Route 35/Cross River. Turn right, and, at the first traffic light, make a right turn onto Route 22 south. Travel 1.9 miles to the junction of Girdle Ridge Road. Follow the signs to Caramoor. (For detailed directions call 914.232.5035 and press 2, or online at www.caramoor.org). Parking at Caramoor is free.
By train, take the Harlem Division of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah, New York. Taxi service from the station to Caramoor (5 minutes away) is available.
CREDITS
Performances are made possible, in part, by
ArtsWestchester with funds from Westchester County Government.
Performances are made possible with public funds from
the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
The 2011 International Music Festival is supported in part by
an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
CARAMOOR CENTER FOR MUSIC AND THE ARTS IS LOCATED AT
149 GIRDLE RIDGE ROAD, KATONAH, NEW YORK.
ALL PROGRAMS AND ARTISTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE