THE SHOWROOM SESSIONS: LIVE from Piedmont Piano Company
Craig Handy Quartet
Craig Handy delivers his fired-up musical Jazz quartet based in the spirit of Post Bop, with acoustic instrumentation, infectious swing, rigorous improvisation and deep, collaborative exchange. He incorporates an approach that invokes reflection and challenges the imagination. The audience may be treated to an invitation to join in vocally or rhythmically, to bring on musical healing, soothing, wailing, protesting, deep breathing, or interstellar exploration. You’re sure to be recharged and invigorated by these musical wizards of Jazz artistry.
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CRAIG HANDY
Powerful, melodic saxophonist Craig Handy has worked with Herbie Hancock, Cedar Walton, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Betty Carter and Wynton Marsalis.Craig Handy has been a first call player at the highest level for many years. After arriving in New York his distinctive sound and instrumental prowess were soon gaining attention and it wasn't long before the legendary Art Blakey had signed him up. When Handy was asked to join iconic drummer Roy Haynes’s band, he really started to make an impact, joining both Abdullah Ibrahim’s group and at the same time the Mingus Dynasty Band. As he says "I got saddled up with three gigs right away and that was it, I was off and running”. It wasn’t long before the New York Times was referring to him as “a young star,” and work with some of the finest players on the International jazz scene was to follow, including Herbie Hancock, Cedar Walton, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Betty Carter and Wynton Marsalis. More recent collaborations include John Scofield, Charles Tolliver and Dee Dee Bridgewater, a review in the New York Times with the latter describing his playing as "…a combination of sensitivity and audacity". He also has had a 28 year association with the Mingus Dynasty, Big Band and Orchestra, where he served as musical director for much of that time. You get the idea, he’s very, good.
In more recent years Craig has continued to perform and record under his own name, most notably with his highly acclaimed band "Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith", which draws much of it’s inspiration from his fondness for the contemporary music of New Orleans. His ability to deliver his own striking and elegant interpretations of classic songs make him a musician much admired the world over by both audiences and fellow musicians alike.Craig’s most recent passion is Liberation Journey Project (LJP) which is a suite of music composed with a grant from Chamber Music America’s 2017 New Jazz Works Program funded thru the generosity of the Doris Duke Foundation. The suite (LJP) was composed to accomplish 2 goals; first, to honor the survivors of sex trafficking and sexual slavery. Secondly, to create a greater awareness of the heinous public health issue that is part of the growing human trafficking pandemic that is currently enslaving more than 45 million souls worldwide.
ESSIET OKON ESSIET
Essiet Okon Essiet, one of New York's premier bassist, first received critical acclaim more than a decade ago as a member of saxophonist Bobby Watson's post hard bop group Horizon He has long since established himself as one of New York's premier bassist. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, his parents having moved there from Nigeria, West Africa, the family later moved to Wisconsin where Essiet began his musical studies at age 10 on the violin. Four years, later he switched to the bass. As a child, and into his teens, his family moved often. His father worked for the US, as well as the Nigerian government, and his job took the family to many places including Europe, Africa and various cities in the US. His family finally settled in Portland, Oregon where he began studying jazz at the age of 14. Having traveled widely as a youngster with his family, he had an easy time adjusting to life on the road once he turned professional. More importantly, his early exposure to many cultures, languages, folkways and religions, fostered his world view of strength through diversity. "Some musicians are purist" says Essiet, "but I like to mix styles. I like many different types of cultures".
His first big break came in 1982 when he met Chicago based percussionist Famoudou Don Moye, a founding member of such important collectives as the Art Ensemble of Chicago and The Leaders. Moye asked Essiet to join his quartet and during that same year the bassist met Abdullah Ibrahim, the famed South African pianist. Working with Ibrahim, Essiet toured the globe splitting his time between Europe and the US during the period from 1982 to 1986. Eventually Essiet settled in NYC. Two years later, he joined Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and remained in the group until the famed drummer/teacher's passing in 1990. During the next decade, the bassist began what has proven to be a significant freelance career.
He has performed and recorded with such notables as Benny Golson, Johnny Griffin, James Moody, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Cedar Walton, Sam Rivers, George Adams, Pat Martino, Kenny Burrell, Jackie McLean, Frank Morgan, Kenny Barron, Louis Hayes, Ben Riley, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Higgins, Billy Hart, Art Farmer, Abby Lincoln, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Billy Cobham, Bennie Maupin, Al Foster, Eddie Henderson, Steve Turre, Jon Faddis, Bobby Watson, Victor Lewis, Kenny Garrett, Kenny Kirkland, Mulgrew Miller, Jeff "Tain " Watts, Mike Stern, Kevin Mahogany, Kurt Elling, Fort Apache Band, Danilo Perez, Claudia Acuna, Geri Allen, and Ralph Peterson to highlight only a partial list.
In 1997, he was asked to join an incarnation of the Blue Note Allstars which included Greg Osby, Javon Jackson, Tim Hagens, Kevin Hays, and Bill Stewart. The Blue Note Allstars embarked on a number of tours including Canadian Festivals, US tours, Europe and Japan. In 2000 he joined Danilo Perez's Motherland project for 2 years touring the US, Europe and Central America.
Currently, Essiet leads his own group called "IBO" named after a Nigerian tribe. It is a Nigerian jazz project which mixes jazz harmonies with West African rhythms. essietokonessiet.net
SYLVIA CUENCA
Sylvia is an active drummer on the New York and San Francisco Bay Area music scene contributing outstanding performances in a variety of situations. She has had the honor of sharing the bandstand with saxophone legend Joe Henderson for 4 years. They toured extensively in Europe, Asia and U.S. Sylvia also performed with trumpet legend Clark Terry for 17 years. Terry’s quintet and big band performed jazz cruises, clubs, concerts and festivals in the U.S. Europe, the Caribbean, and South America. She performed with Kevin Mahogany at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in South Africa, recently as a sideman on a State Department tour of Nicaragua and toured Australia with Lea Delaria. As a leader she performed in India, Ukraine, Poland, Chile, China, Japan and numerous clubs and jazz festivals in the USA.
Sylvia also performed and toured with jazz luminaries Billy Taylor, Eddie Henderson, Gary Bartz, Kenny Barron, Ray Drummond, Frank Foster’s Loud Minority Big Band, Red Holloway, Jimmy Heath, George Cables, Renee Rosnes, Kenny Drew Jr., Emily Remler, Al Grey, Frank Wess, Michael Brecker, Helen Merrill, Houston Person, Hilton Ruiz, Marian McPartland, Lou Donaldson, Etta Jones, Geoffrey Keezer, Gregory Porter, Catherine Russell, Joe Williams, Vienna Art Orchestra, Lea Delaria, Jon Faddis, John Abercrombie, Lew Soloff, Sean Jones, John Clayton, Dave Stryker, Paul Bollenback, Roni Ben-Hur, Dianne Reeves, Dianne Schuur and Albert “Tootie” Heath’s 4 drum set group called “The Whole Drum Truth also featuring Louis Hayes and Joe Saylor. For more info: http://www.sylviacuenca.com
Guest clinician for Sisters in Jazz Program at the IAJE Convention in NYC and the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Faculty at Jazz for Teens and Pre-Teen programs at NJPAC, Roni Ben-Hur Jazz Camp in Vermont, Stanford Jazz Workshop and Jazz Camp West in California. She is also a clinician for universities throughout U.S. Europe and at the Guangzhou Conservatory of Music in China. Recently she was a guest performer at the Skidmore Jazz Institute in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Sylvia received two NEA Grants and was a semifinalist at Thelonius Monk International Drum Competition. Sylvia endorses Canopus drums, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks and brushes and Remo drumheads.
Facebook - Sylvia Cuenca
Instagram - sylvia_cuenca_drums
#zildjiancymbals, #vicfirthsticks, #vicfirthbrushes, #canopusdrums, #remodrumheads,
MATTHEW CLARK
Matthew Clark holds a BM in Jazz Studies from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Highly regarded as a pianist and arranger, he has performed with jazz luminaries Bobby Hutcherson, Benny Golson, David "Fathead" Newman, Frank Morgan, Teddy Edwards, Billy Harper, Steve Turre, Jimmy Cobb, Ray Drummond, Richard Davis, Jon Faddis, and Marcus Belgrave, among many others. Clark has performed throughout Asia, Europe and the United States, including appearances, at the Monterey, Stanford, San Francisco, Vienne, Big Sur, and Rochester Jazz festivals, as well televised performances for CNN and PBS. As an educator, Matthew has worked as a lecturer and ensemble instructor at the Stanford, Jazz Camp West, California Jazz Conservatory, and SFJazz workshops.