STANLEY JORDAN
In a career that took flight in 1985 with commercial and critical acclaim, guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan has consistently displayed a chameleonic musical persona of openness, imagination, versatility and maverick daring. Be it bold reinventions of classical masterpieces or soulful explorations through pop-rock hits, to blazing straight ahead jazz forays and ultramodern improvisational works—solo or with a group—Jordan can always be counted on to take listeners on breathless journeys into the unexpected.
Key to Jordan’s fast-track acclaim was his mastery of a special technique on the guitar’s fretboard. Instead of conventional strumming and picking, Jordan’s innovative “touch technique” is an advanced form of two-handed tapping. While a handful of other players were using similar techniques, Stanley’s fluid, multi-layered textures and sheer virtuosity raised the bar for excellence. But his technique, though impressive, is always a means to a musical end. His music is imbued with a warmth and sensitivity that has captured the imagination of listeners worldwide. A classically trained pianist before playing guitar, Jordan wanted greater freedom in voicing chords on his guitar, so, he applied piano principles to do so. Jordan’s touch technique allows the guitarist to play melody and chords simultaneously with an unprecedented level of independence. It also allows Jordan to play simultaneously on two different guitars, or even on guitar and piano. He says that “I think of it as a single instrument, but one with a wide range of tonal colors—that’s why I do it.”
Stanley Jordan has performed in over 60 countries, on some of the biggest stages and festivals worldwide. He’s a unique performer who routinely leaves his audience mesmerized.
*FIU and UM student tickets are discounted to $20. Students must show a valid student ID at the door when presenting your student ticket.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Russ Spiegel was born March 30, 1962 in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Santa Monica, California. His family was musical as he has an older sister who plays the bluegrass fiddle, a pianist and composer brother and a father who is an avid amateur jazz trumpeter.
A fan of pop radio as a youngster, Russ discovered rock music as he entered his teens. Picking up the electric guitar he took lessons at a local music store, eventually buying a Fender Stratocaster. He started jamming with area musicians, which led to forming a rock cover band. Finishing high school in Frankfurt, Germany he enrolled in the University of Maryland that had a campus in Munich, Germany. While there, he formed a progressive-rock band, joined a local R&B and soul unit, and began learning jazz standards. In 1982 Spiegel returned to the U.S. to complete his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, earning a degree in philosophy.
In 1986 had Spiegel in Boston, Massachusetts on scholarship at Berklee College of Music. Upon completion of his studies, he relocated to Germany in 1988 where he gradually made contacts in the music world. He began playing on military bases and at local jazz clubs and festivals. During a stint in Paris, France he formed a quartet called Guitar Hell, which toured widely in France and Germany. He soon found himself in demand as a guitarist and electric bassist with various European big bands, jazz ensembles, and blues groups.
Around the same time, Russ joined the band of German jazz organist Barbara Dennerlein and toured Europe with her before receiving the coveted Jazz Scholarship by the city of Frankfurt for his contributions to the city’s artistic scene.
In 2001 Spiegel returned to the U.S. settled in New York City and studied under teachers Adam Rogers, Paul Bollenback, Ben Monder and John Patitucci, receiving his master’s degree in jazz performance from the City College of New York.
In 2008 his Jazz/North Indian classical fusion ensemble, Sundar Shor, undertook a tour of India under the auspices of the American Center, and it has toured widely in Europe as well. Guitarist Russ Spiegel continues to perform and record.
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JEREMEY POPARAD JAZZ ORCHESTRA
To celebrate his 40th, Jeremey has called upon his friends in the Norhteast Ohio jazz scene for an evening of all original compositions and arrangemenets by Jeremey as well as Andrew Wegierski of the Danjo Jazz Orchestra and Bryan Kennard, director of The Bop Stop. The evening will feature two special guest vocalists from groups that Jeremey performs with: Bassel Almadani from Bassel and the Supernaturals and Heidi Swinford of Axon-Neuron. The band for the evening includes:
Flute: Bryan Kennard
Saxophones: Chris Coles, Nathan-Paul Davis, AJ Kluth, BJ Quimby, Brad Wagner
Trumpets: Tim Coyne, Garret Folgler, Mark Russo, Tommy Lehman
Trombones: BJ Bishop, Eric Dregne, Mark Mauldin, Andrew Wegierski
Rhythm: Andru Dennis, piano; Jeremey Poparad, guitar; Kevin Martinez, bass; Anthony Taddeo, drums
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The Jazz Voyager
The Jazz Voyager is back once more on a flight to the nation’s capital to the Big Apple. I’ll be giving my regards to Broadway before heading up a few blocks to 10 Columbus Circle 10019 where the Appel Room is located within Jazz At Lincoln Center. It will be a night of Brazilian music and romance with vocalist Rosa Passos.
Based on the design of a Greek amphitheater, The Appel Room merges luxuriant splendor with functional accessibility. One glance at the dramatic 50′ × 83′ wall of glass confirms that The Appel Room possesses one of New York City’s greatest backdrops—Central Park and the Manhattan skyline. Several mechanical tiers make up the fluid inner structure of the amphitheater, offering a strikingly adaptable layout. This ingenious design allows for a smooth transformation from supper-club or event mode to theater mode. For additional capability, The Appel Room features a removable stage on its bottom level.
Vocalist Rosa Passos reunites with NEA Jazz Masters Kenny Barron and Ron Carter in the Appel Room for the first time together. 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 meeting of these three masters is first-call Brazilian drummer, Rafael Barata.
The Appel Room is located at 10 Columbus Circle, New York City 10019. For more info 212~258-9800 or visit https://2023.jazz.org/rosa-passos-with-kenny-barron-and-ron-carter
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AARON LESSARD GROUP
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