OSCAR PEÑAS

Oscar Peñas
Guitarist/composer Oscar Peñas is a Barcelona, Spain native and a U.S. naturalized citizen. Leader of his ensembles, Peñas first started taking guitar lessons at eight and got acquainted with jazz at seventeen years old. At twenty-one, he left law school for his “mistress,” music, and at twenty-four, he moved to Boston, where he graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1999 and New England Conservatory of Music in 2007. Since then, he has lived in NYC.

Peñas’ innovative compositions, whose training began with classical studies and later progressed to jazz, have won the USA’s press and audiences’ attention, attracting a wide variety of fans through its unique combination of different grooves over the American jazz base. He leads his band with harmonic imagination and authenticity, writing his original compositions with minimalistic and sensitive musical strokes and exchanging spontaneous creativity with his bandmates. Though his early work was rooted in bebop, he later developed a more personal style thanks to a few conversations with the latest pianist Cecil Taylor in 2008, who advised him to embrace his cultural heritage. Subsequently, Peñas’ began crossing jazz with Iberian, South American, and classical strains.

His precise finger-picking technique is not a flashy one. It gives his fellow band members space for improvisations and shows all its artistry work, retaining considerable humility that remains no less impactful.

Frequently, he creates arrangements using the guitar, resulting in a sonic mix that never sacrifices clarity for density or volume despite the added layers of complexity. His compositions are visual with a story tale and improvisation. Oscar’s clever musical experimentation is the essence of his style. His diverse use of different genres to express ideas beyond those in his writings creates extraordinary musical experiences through novelty and particular artistic excellence when performing with his band. Peñas’ intuition and ear drive him into an amalgam of melodies aiming for the innovative unexpected.

Oscar does not look for cohering to a single signature style, sharing his five recordings with renowned American jazz masters Gil Goldstein, Paquito D’Rivera, Esperanza Spalding, and Ron Carter.

He is using his uniqueness in writing his originals for non-traditional instrumentation in jazz. As an independent artist who self-produces all his work it is astonishing to see his access to the best venues in the U.S. to showcase his work.

Oscar’s newly released album, “Almadraba,” features legendary bassist Ron Carter, is available to buy in L.P. and digital formats ONLY at CDBaby. The work is Peñas’ first arranged jazz-classical suite for a jazz quartet and string quartet (eight-piece ensemble). “Almadraba” premiered at BAM Next Wave Festival in 2018.

Sara Caswell
Violinist Sara Caswell is from Bloomington, Indiana, USA. A Grammy Nominee, jazz educator. Rooted in early exposure to various musical genres, Sara’s technical facility intertwined with her gift for lyricism continues to attract growing attention to her artistry as a jazz soloist, sideman, and teacher.

Sara is currently faculty at Berklee College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. She was raised in a musical family and began playing violin at age 5. A graduate of Indiana University, which she attended under full scholarship as a Wells Scholar, Sara received B.M. Degrees with High Distinction and an Artist Diploma in Violin Performance and Jazz Studies. In 2006 Sara completed her M.M. Degree in Jazz Violin at the Manhattan School of Music.

Sara has been performing with Oscar Peñas at different prestigious venues, and she is part of Peñas’ album “Music of Departures and Returns” 2014.

Motohito Fukushima
Born in Kobe, Japan, based in NYC, six-string bass player, composer, and shamisen player Motohito Fukushima was given the Outstanding Performer Award before graduating Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music. He studies Western Classical music, Japanese traditional music, and the African-inspired musical sensibilities of South American tunes in his jazz improvisations. Moto’s playing is a fantastic combination of finesse, subtlety, and power seen in his performances as a sideman with many other artists.

Motohito has enjoyed playing with Oscar Peñas since 2011 at Peñas’ quartet, and he is part of two of Peñas’ albums recordings, “From Now On,” 2011 and “Music of Departures and Returns,” 2014. Fukushima is an endorsed bass player by: Aguilar Amplification.

Richie Barshay
Richie Barshay began drumming inside kitchen cabinets early and continues banging on things worldwide. Born in Connecticut, he has led outreach projects across five continents as an American Musical Envoy with the U.S. State Department. Richie has recorded over 80 albums as a sideman and his two self-produced albums. Based in New York City and Northampton, MA, he is an AmSAT certified Alexander Technique teacher and maintained a private practice for performing artists and others to regain better mind-body coordination and ease of movement.

Barshay and Oscar have been performing together since 2009. Richie is on both U.S. albums releases, “From No On” and “Music of Departures and Returns.” Also, on the coming out, “Almadraba.”

BAND MEMBERS
Oscar Penas – Leader, Composer, Electric Guitarist
Sara Caswell – Violinist
Motohito Fukushima – Electric Bass
Richie Barshay – Drums

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Barry Sweig was born on February 7, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan. His mother loved music and taught her son to clap on the 2 & 4 as a toddler. He received a ukulele for his fifth birthday, played violin from the age of eight until he was eighteen, but bought himself a guitar for ten dollars when he was 15. His first recording session was at age 17, at Capitol Records.

Drafted in the Army in 1964 Sweig was assigned to NORAD Band where he got the opportunity to study with guitarist Johnny Smith. After his discharge he joined Buddy Rich’s band and after recording an album with Sammy Davis Jr. that led to him joining the latter’s band. Touring with Davis ended fourteen months later and he settled in Los Angeles, California and broke into the music scene where he performed and recorded for a host of who’s who vocalists and musicians.

He played his final gig at The Lighthouse Cafe in Hermosa Beach. Guitarist Barry Sweig, who taught at UCLA, USC, and the University of Texas, El Paso, transitioned on March 15, 2020 of complications from Crohn’s disease.



SUITE TABU 200

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Ulysses Livingston was born on January 29, 1912 in Bristol, Tennessee and played in the band of the West Virginia State College. He began his  professional career in music in the Horace Henderson band as a roadie, or, as Henderson called them, valet.

After his period with Henderson he played guitar in carnival bands on traveling road shows. By the middle of the 1930s he began to get jazz gigs with Lil Armstrong, Frankie Newton, Sammy Price, Coleman Hawkins, and Benny Carter.

Moving to New York City, Ulysses accompanied Ella Fitzgerald on tour and on record. He served briefly in the military during World War II, but returned to jazz playing on the West Coast in 1943. He played with Cee Pee Johnson in Hawaii four years later.

Alongside his guitar playing, Livingston also sang with the Spirits of Rhythm, and led a group called the Four Blazes. From the 1950s he did freelance work with West Coast jazz musicians and also became active as a record producer.

He would go on to record with the Varsity Seven, Jazz At The Philharmonic, Illinois Jacquet, Rex Stewart’s Big Eight, Pete Johnson and numerous others. Guitarist Ulysses Livingston, who also played and recorded on electric bass guitar, transitioned on October 7, 1988 in Los Angeles, California.

DOUBLE IMPACT FITNESS

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ROSA PASSOS

It’s the return of Brazilian vocalist and guitarist in The Appel Room since her sold-out performance in 2016.

Rosa Passos with Kenny Barron and Ron Carter brings the iconic Brazilian vocalist and guitarist to the Appel Room for the first time since her sold-out 2016 appearance with NEA Jazz Master pianist Kenny Barron. Their spellbinding simpatico will be enhanced by Passos’ reunion with Ron Carter—also an NEA Jazz Master who bass virtuoso Stanley Clarke once described “as the most important bass player of the last fifty years.”—after their lauded 2003 “Entre Amigos” album. While Passos has been called the “female João Gilberto” she is a prolific and distinct vocalist and guitarist with a playful yet sophisticated style, marked by perfect pitch and spacious elegance. Enhancing this first-ever meeting of these three masters is first-call Brazilian drummer, Rafael Barata.

You can purchase the 9:30 performances on March 24 and 25 as part of the 9:30 in The Appel Room series – three 9:30 Appel Room shows for $99 (including fees) for any seat in the house while seats are available. Your Appel Room ticket stub can be used for a free cover to that evening’s Dizzy’s Late Night Session

Friday 3/24 @ 7:00pm | $115.50~$135.50 / @ 9:30pm – $70.50~90.50

Saturday @ 7:00pm | $115.50~$135.50 / @ 9:30pm – $75.50~95.50

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DAVE STRYKER TRIO WITH WARREN WOLF

Dave Stryker Trio with Warren Wolf

Dave Stryker~Guitar, Warren Wolf~Vibraphone, Jared Gold~Organ, McClenty Hunter ~Drums

The Dave Stryker Trio will be featuring new material from their latest CD “PRIME!”

Whether you’ve heard guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group (with 30 CD’s as a leader to date), or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, and many others, you know why the Village Voice calls him “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.” Hot House magazine awarded Dave Best Guitarist Fans Decision for 2017.  He was recently voted once again as one of the top Jazz Guitarists in the 2019 Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls for the 10th time.

Fresh off their summer tour opening for Steely Dan, Stryker releases Prime—the first recording featuring his working trio. Along with Jared Gold on organ and McClenty Hunter on drums, Stryker offers eight new compositions and the beautiful standard “I Should Care.” From the burning title track “Prime” to songs penned for his first boss Jack McDuff (“Captain Jack” and “Dude’s Lounge”) as well as “Mac” for his drummer and the original trio versions of “Hope” and “As We Were” from Stryker’s last album As We Are, Prime grooves from start to finish with the precision of a trio that has been road-tested for the last 12 years.

Warren Wolf is a multi-instrumentalist from Baltimore, MD. From the young age of three years old, Warren has been trained on the Vibraphone/Marimba, Drums, and Piano. Under the guidance of his father Warren Wolf Sr., Warren has a deep background in all genres of music. Vibraphonist Warren Wolf is one of the hardest swinging virtuosos in all of modern music.

Friday 4/7 ~ 7:00 pm  & 9:30 pm | $35~$45 + fee

Saturday 4/8 ~ 7:00 pm  & 9:30 pm | $35~$45 + fee

Sunday 4/9 5:00 pm & 7:30 pm  | $35~$45 + fee

Streaming Pass: 5:00pm & 7:00pm only | $10.00 + fee

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