The 2007 New Languages Festival in NY

The 2007 New Languages Festival is just two weeks away! With 15
ensembles spanning five nights over two weekends, it will be a
panorama of the new generation, and a preview of what the twenty-
first century holds for jazz. These are the most ambitious young
musicians in New York today. They take real risks and put their
reputation on the line every time they take the bandstand.

It all starts next Friday the 25th, with Jacob Sacks (photo), Nate Wooley,
and Buck-Buck. This will be some of the most provocative music
you're likely to hear in New York City all year. Don't miss out!
Full details are at www.newlanguages.org.


Contact: Aaron Ali Shaikh
(646) 644-2766
info@newlanguages.org

Rose Live Music
345 Grand St.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY USA

$10 Admission
$25 All-Festival Pass


FULL SCHEDULE

Week 1

Friday May 25

8:30 pm - The Jacob Sacks Quintet
10:00 pm - Nate Wooley's Attack / Adorn / Decay
11:30 pm - Buck-Buck


Saturday May 26

8:30 pm - Heavy Merge with Russ Lossing, Mark Helias, and Randy Peterson
10:00 pm - The Jackson Moore Trio
11:30 pm - Akoya Afrobeat


Thursday May 31

8:30 pm - Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition
10:00 pm - Little Women
11:30 pm- Zemog El Gallo Bueno


Week 2

Friday June 1

8:30 pm - Judith Berkson's Liederkreiss
10:00 pm - Mat Maneri/Randy Peterson Duo
11:30 pm - The Dub Trio


Saturday June 2

8:30 pm - The Mark Taylor Quartet
10:00 pm - The Aaron Ali Shaikh Trio
11:30 pm - Harriet Tubman with Brandon Ross, JT Lewis, and Melvin Gibbs



DETAILED SCHEDULE

Friday May 25

8:30 pm - The Jacob Sacks Quintet

Jacob Sacks - Piano
Jacob Garchik - Trombone
Ben Gerstein - Trombone
Dave Ambrosio - Bass
Vinnie Sperrazza - Drums

Jacob Sacks has brought a deeply personal voice to a variety of
settings ranging from mainstream jazz to compositional free jazz to
vamp based fusion. His own projects include the Jacob Sacks Chamber
Quartet, an ensemble inspired by twentieth century classical music as
well as jazz, and the Jacob Sacks Quintet, a group that explores
musical freedom in a variety of ways. In addition to teaching
students in private practice, Jacob is also a co-founder of the
Creative Music Workshop, a non-profit school based upon helping
students of all ages and levels transcend the boundaries of style to
find their own voices through the creation of original works, both
written and spontaneously conceived. Jacob currently resides in
Brooklyn, where he is working on several recording projects and on a
book for beginning pianists.


10:00 pm - Attack / Adorn / Decay

Nate Wooley - Trumpet
Matt Bauder - Tenor Saxophone
Jason Mears - Alto Saxophone
Ben Gerstein - Trombone
Loren Dempster - Cello
Christopher Hoffman - Cello
Reuben Radding - Bass
Tom Blancarte - Bass
Kris Davis - Piano
Andrew Drury - Percussion
Harris Eisenstadt - Percussion

Nate Wooley has striven to blur the demarcations between tonality and
texture, extreme sound and the protracted use of silence, nervous
energy and an almost painful amount of patience. At times he provokes
the listener with machine-like holds/ostinatos and eruptions of
charged clumsiness; at others he invites the surrounding environment
to take his place while he develops the next ideas as soon as they
come to mind. In his hands even the absence of events becomes
dangerous. His music seems to move in an unidentifiable biological
space, waddling over leaves, tripping over rocks, plopping into
puddles. It's the sounds of animals that don't quite exist, with
motions and moods that defy human understanding. The core of Attack/
Adorn/Decay consists of Radding, Drury, and Bauder, with others
joining the family depending on the composition at hand. At New
Languages they will present a new composition from Nate's "V." cycle,
"flights of migratory birds to the ornithologists".


11:30 pm - Buck-Buck

Morgan Wiley - Keyboards
Abe Seiferth - Guitar
Ben Bromley - Bass
Guy Licata - Drums

Combining elements of classic dance and psychedelic music with
improvisation and modern electronic music, this band pushes the
envelope while remaining true to its song writing roots. It strives
to create a sound of the future and of the past at the same time,
while keeping the crowd engaged and the party moving.



Saturday May 26

8:30 pm - Heavy Merge

Russ Lossing - Piano
Mark Helias - Bass
Randy Peterson - Drums

Heavy Merge is a collaboration between three heavyweights on the New
York jazz scene. Russ Lossing straddles the line between 20th century
classical music and modern jazz. In addition to being a risk-taking
improviser, he has composed hundreds of notated pieces. His life long
passion for music theory and analysis has resulted in a unique syntax
for improvising and composing that allows him to blend written and
improvised music in works with ease, and his music is bolstered by a
faith in intuitive engagement with musical structure. Randy Peterson
seldom plays a timekeeping role, instead thinking in terms of
phrasing and psychological time. He has sensitivity to tone uncommon
amongst percussionists. Mark Helias is a prolific composer and a
legendary bassist.


10:00 pm - The Jackson Moore Trio

Jackson Moore - Alto Saxophone
Eivind Opsvik - Bass
Eric Mcpherson - Drums

Composer and saxophonist Jackson Moore returns to Rose with two
brilliant colleagues, both of whom share his propensity for
unscripted melodicism and propulsive swing. Fascinated by the degree
of stability that the language of jazz has attained at the turn of
the century, Jackson has dedicated himself to shaking it up. As a
composer and bandleader he furnishes an environment of maximum
volatility and risk - an environment where perpetual rupture creates
an opportunity for fresh responses. As these exceptionally nimble
improvisers rise to the challenge, expect the sound of surprise.


11:30 pm - Akoya Afrobeat

Yoshi Takemasa - Congas
Gabriel Hays - Keyboards
Mayteana Morales- vocals
Kemba Russell - Background Vocals, Stick
Felix Chen - Bass
Duke Mseleku - Tenor Sax
Yoshio Tony Kobayashi - Drums
Will Jones - Baritone Sax
Taku Kuroda - Trumpet
Seth Paris - Baritone Sax
Ryan Blotnick - Guitar
Nikhil Yerawadekar - Guitar

With a furious storm of thundering congas and a tight, blasting horn
section, the Akoya Afrobeat takes to the stage an explosion of dance
rhythms. Fusing a mixture of African, Afro-Cuban, Jazz, and Funk
music, Akoya is New York’s finest example of a musical melting pot.
Featuring members from Ghana, Benin, South Africa, Japan and the US
this 13-piece ensemble embraces unity and positive vibrations. Armed
with original music and an arsenal of songs by Afrobeat founder, Fela
Kuti, Akoya consistently brings a new level of dance floor frenzy
with every performance. Akoya takes the contributions of Fela Kuti
one step further by drawing on their experiences on the New York
music community. They have developed a style that incorporates modern
improvisation, interesting use of meter and groove as well as
utilizing the high level of musicianship inherent in the ensemble's
lineup through spontaneity. Rarely does group attempt to bring Fela's
music into the 21st century. Akoya not only possesses a fresh and
experimental approach to Afrobeat, their live execution is a
spectacle to behold.


Thursday May 31

8:30 pm - The Indo-Pak Coalition

Rudresh Mahanthappa - Alto Saxophone
Rez Abbasi - Guitar
Dan Weiss - Tabla


Synthesizing jazz with the astutely improvised musical forms of South
Asia, the Indo-Pak Coalition transcends any preconception of Indo-
jazz fusion. Led by Indian-American saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa,
this trio with Pakistani-American guitarist Rez Abbasi and rising
tabla star Dan Weiss is already turning heads internationally in both
the jazz and world music scenes. Recently awarded the prestigious
Guggenheim fellowship Rudresh Mahanthappa is one of the most
innovative young musicians and composers in jazz today. Named a
Rising Star of the alto saxophone by the Downbeat International
Critics Poll for the past four years, #2 in 2006, Rudresh has
incorporated the culture of his Indian ancestry and has fused myriad
influences to create a truly groundbreaking artistic vision.




10:00 pm - Little Women

Darius Jones - Alto Saxophone
Travis Laplante - Tenor Saxophone
Ben Greenberg - Guitar
Jason Nazary - Drums

"Little Women has a very genuine raucousness. Also though there's a
gorgeous sense of structure. The band - 2 saxes, guitar and drums -
works a lot with these sort of fanfare type themes, often with
jagged, proggy rhythms. For the improvisations, the band atomizes,
constantly splitting up into different mini groups. The guitarist Ben
Greenberg...plays with a crazy snarling tone and extreme volume,
giving the music a real attack feel, and the saxists just completely
go for it as well. Tenor player Travis Laplante has an absolutely
huge sound, with an apocalyptic-free-jazz meets R&B kind of vibe. The
set ended with this amazing coda: the two saxists - the other being
the excellent Darius Jones - took off their mouthpieces and just
started basically ranting/moaning/emoting into their horns, using the
keys to fuck with the sound. It was unsettling and beautiful." - Hank
Shteamer


11:30 pm- Zemog El Gallo Bueno

Abraham Gomez-Delgado - Composer, Vocals, Guitar
Alvaro Benavides - Bass, coro
Matt Bauder- tenor Sax, Clarinets
Roberto Rosario - Congas, coro Emilio Valdez- Drumset
Ted Nordlander- Electric guitar
Colin Stetson - Baritone Sax
Oscar Muñozm- Guiara, Guiro, maracas, coro
Taylor Ho-Bynum- Cornet

Zemog El Gallo Bueno plays 21st Century Latin music, reflecting all
of the contradictions and cultural tensions of what it means to be
Latin in America in 2006. Bandleader Abraham Gomez-Delgado, of
Peruvian descent, left his native Puerto Rico as a child and
relocated to the US, and as a result Zemog's music incorporates
everything from bomba and plena to Sun Ra and Van Halen in an
uncategorizable, unique sound. Downbeat magazine says Zemog "does for
Afro-Latin music what Tom Waits did for Weillian cabaret, bringing a
madcap energy and willful weirdness to the basic ingredients and
blowing it up with his personality. ...Zemog has developed an
original, satisfying spin on Latin rock that reveals a understanding
of the plena and bomba and a desire to subvert [stereotypical ideas
of 'Latin music']. Gomez-Delgado grounds his group's music in clave
rhythms, but ranges far and wide in his melodic constructions without
ever suggesting a glib mish-mosh of ingredients."





Friday June 1

8:30 pm - Liederkreiss

Judith Berkson - Vocals, Keyboards
Peter Evans - Trumpet
Jacob Garchik - Trombone
Brandon Seabrook - Guitar
Lori Bingel - Bass
John Mclellan - Drums

Judith Berkson's experience ranges from encounters with folk legend
Theodore Bikel and saxophonist Steve Coleman to renditions of the
works of Milton Babbitt to collaborations with Joe Maneri and Osvaldo
Golijov. As a soloist she accompanies her microtonal singing on
analog wurlitzer. She currently teaches a class in microtones as well
as harmony and counterpoint and in addition to performing new music
she is a Cantor and teaches liturgical music at Old Westbury Hebrew
Congregation on Long Island. Liederkreiss features compositions by
Judith, written especially for this group of musicians, which pay
homage to bebop, Webern, Eric Dolphy, and Maria Callas.


10:00 pm - Mat Maneri/Randy Peterson Duo

Mat Maneri - Viola
Randy Peterson - Drums

These two musicians have added something profound and genuine to jazz
and American music. Their shared history runs deep: a relationship
that reaches back almost twenty years from the legendary Joe Maneri
groups to Mat's trio and extended ensembles. Mat has recently been
performing in Paul Motian's ensembles. This set will be their first
meeting in two years, and their first duo performance in four years.
They have recorded as a duo for the No More label on the album Light
Trigger, and they can also be heard on Leo and ECM recordings.


11:30 pm - The Dub Trio

DP Holmes - Guitar, Keys, Dubs
Stu Brooks - Bass, Keys, Dubs
Joe Tomino - Drums, Keys, Dubs

The three gentlemen collectively known as Dub Trio play drums, bass,
and guitar primarily, but the "job description" for each member
varies immensely. In the hands of Joe Tomino, the drums function as a
section unto themselves, not just a single instrument. They can
suddenly transform from machine-like sounds to a big rock assault in
an instant, the pulse never wavering. Joe's inspired moment-to-moment
decisions act as the foil in a three way cat and mouse game that the
trio brings to the bandstand. Stu Brooks delivers the low end like a
weapon swinging towards your gut one moment, and like a playful rump
locked in with Joe's groove the next. Stu changes faces many times in
a performance, but never loses the pocket. DP Holmes is the man who
cues a response in the listener. Aggressive, dreamy, liquid, solid -
there is a command of the elements in the guitar section. The medium
becomes the message when the distortion kicks in. Staying away from
cliched genre restrictions, Dub Trio will bring you to the dance
floor, or to tears, or at least give you a peek at the three minds at
work.



Saturday June 2

8:30 pm - The Mark Taylor Quartet

Mark Taylor - French Horn, Composition
Lalo - Vibraphone
Keith Witty - Bass
Brady Miller - Drums

One of the few performers to tackle the notoriously difficult french
horn in jazz and improvised music, Taylor's sound has been described
as "rapturous" and "golden" (Coda Magazine); "as fluid and limpid as
(the) flute, and as gnarly as (the) alto." (JazzTimes). His
innovative style has won him recognition by such legendary artists as
Max Roach, who said, "Mark Taylor is a virtuoso
instrumentalist...there is no one dealing with the french horn or the
music the way Mark is doing."


10:00 pm - The Aaron Ali Shaikh Trio

Aaron Ali Shaikh - Alto Saxophone
Michael Formanek - Bass
Randy Peterson - Drums

Aaron Ali Shaikh is moving towards the realization of the saxophone
as a true microtonal instrument, inspired by the Qawwali music of his
Sindhi/South Asian heritage and the American saxophone styles of the
early 1900s. In the past decade he has created a personality-based
music: an interpretation of these practices via his emotional memory
and life inside and outside of ensembles. He is one of the most
distinctive voices of his generation - a single note is enough to
know who one is listening to. This evening he is joined by a veteran
and very accomplished rhythm section. This will mark their second
performance as a trio.


11:30 pm - Harriet Tubman

Brandon Ross - Guitar
Melvin Gibbs - Bass
JT Lewis - Drums

Harriet Tubman explores electronics and pan-tonality to sculpt a
multidimensional, interactive, sonic language in a "classic" R&B/Rock
configuration of guitar, bass, and drums. Recontextualizing musical
technology to create innovative compositional and cultural spaces is
an important part of the African-American cultural tradition, and
Tubman is dedicated to musical revelation/investigation in the ever-
evolving pan-african vernacular. Harriet Tubman's music reflects a
search for something greater, something incorruptible, something real
and void of the empty superficiality of unexamined living. Content as
liberator. Freedom.