Available for Europe:
January / March / April / May and fo the Summer Festivals 2014
CHICO FREEMAN 4TET
This is an all-star quartet of internationally recognized musicians. The group, consisting of Chico Freeman (tenor and soprano saxophone), Antonio Farao (piano), Heiri Känzig (bass) and Michael Baker(drums), are setting a new standard for eclectic and innovative musical improvisation from a band comprised entirely of composers and virtuoso instrumentalists.
The musical concept embodies at once the timeless classical elements of the past with an innovative eye to the future while taking full advantage of the explosive and immediate gift of the present, painting a picture of our times and all of it’s variances. The music is original in its inception, its conception and its perception and honest in the deliverance of its view of the world.
Video: Chico Freeman & McCoy Tyner Trio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-msZn7upWow&feature=youtu.be
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pEIzxPdK7w&feature=youtu.be
CHICO FREEMAN
Chico Freeman’s musical journey has been one akin to that of an alchemist, provid¬ing the Midas touch to not only his projects, but also helping to create gold for others within the jazz, rhythm & blues, pop and world music musical realms.
A legendary concert at Lincoln Center in June 1982, by The Young Lions, a group critics hailed as the brightest hopes of jazz in the 1980’s - Chico Freeman, Wynton Marsalis, Paquito D’Rivera, Kevin Eubanks, Anthony Davis, and others - pro¬duced an album on which Freeman plays nearly every cut. His 14-minute composition “Whatever Happened To The Dream Deferred?” was called “one of the best of the album” by the New York Times.
In 1991, during the 150 year anniversary celebration of the invention of the saxo¬phone by Adolphe Sax, the band Roots was formed. This band consisted of interna¬tionally known saxophonists Nathan Davis, Benny Golson, Arthur Blythe, and Chico Freeman. Adding Buster Williams (bass), and Ed Thigpen (drums), this band toured the world, and delighted audiences with their unique arrangements, and brilliant improvisation.
More recently Freeman has recorded and performed with: McCoy Tyner Trio w/ Chico Freeman (5 years), Dizzy Gillespie, Elvin Jones (4 years), Reggie Workman, Herbie Hancock, Bill Cosby, Don Pullen, Sam Rivers, Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition (5 years), Dewey Redman, Dave Holland, Don Cherry, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Kevin Eubanks, Muhal Richard Abrams, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Chucho Valdes, Irakere, Paquito D’Rivera, Carmen McRae, Betty Carter, Cassandra Wilson, Arturo Sandoval, among many others Freeman has performed in many types of jazz and world music collaborations: Antonio Gades, Paco de Lucia and other artists in flamenco music, traditional Japanese Shakuhachi flute music, Indian music, various styles of African music, as well as Afro-Cuban and Brazilian musical forms. Was a featured VIP artist at the “Festival Mondial des Arts Negres” (Black World Arts Festival) in Senegal Dec. 2010.
Antonio Farao
“I’m not often surprised by the recordings of musicians the way I was overwhelmed the first time I heard Antonio Farao’ on one of his recent CD’s. What amazed me was what I felt inside of me. There is so much warmth, conviction and power to his playing. I was immediately attracted to his harmonic conception, the joy of his rhythms and swing feel and the grace and ingenuity of his melodic improvisational lines. Antonio is not only a fine pianist but a great one.” (Herbie Hancock)
He is considered to be one of the greatest pianists by the international critics.
Continuing with his first recordings for the German label “Enja records” three tremendous albums were release: “Black Inside” (1998), Thorn (2001) with Jack DeJohnette on drums, Chris Potter on tenor sax and Drew Gress on bass. 2002 the album “Next stories” went public.
“The best young piano player to come up for years”
Kenny Kirkland
“Antonio is not only a fine pianist, but a great one”
Herbie Hancock
COLLABORATIONS
Franco Ambrosetti, Andrè Ceccarelli, Daniel Humair, Gary Bartz, Lee Konitz, Steve Grossman, Tony Scott, Chico Freeman, Miroslav Vitous, John Abercrombie, Richard Galliano, Toots Thielemans, Jack Dejohnette, Dave Liebman, Didier Lookwod, Benny Golson, Johnny Griffin, George Garzone, Charles Tolliver, Eddie Gomez, Christian Mc Bride, Wallace Rooney, Mike Clark …and with the famous italian pop singer Mina.
Heiri Känzig
Born in New York, bassist Heiri Känzig has been a long-term player on the international scene. Already at age 21, he has accompanied the great bebop trumpeter Art Farmer and since has played with innumerable and illustrious colleagues in Europe and the USA. Känzig, who studied in Graz, Vienna and Zurich, has long ranked among Europe's best bassists.
He is a virtuoso technician whose sound comes to the fore in the widest range of contexts from jazz and improvisation to World Music. He has received international acclaim as the long-standing bassist of the Vienna Art Orchestra, with which he has played since 1978. In high demand as a freelancer, he has played on over 150 CDs on Blue Note, Verve, ACT, Virgin, and WB.
He has regularly toured worldwide and recorded with a variety of musicians and, most notably, has played with such musicians as John Scofield, Billy Cobham, Pierre Favre, Adam Nussbaum, Bob Mintzer, Charlie Mariano, Kenny Wheeler, NENA, Ralph Towner, Betty Carter, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin, Andreas Vollenweider, Max Lässer, Daniel Humair, Christy Doran, Dominique Pifarely, Andreas Vollenweider, Gary Thomas, George Gruntz, Jerry Bergonzi, Mark Feldman, Didier Lockwood, Franco Ambrosetti, Glenn Ferris, Thierry Lang, Dieter Meier (Yello), David Linx, Richard Galliano, Gerry Allen und Billy Hart.
Michael Baker
Serving his 18th years as pop-icon, Whitney Houston's Music Director and drummer, has a distinguished resume playing, producing and arranging.
He is a multi-platinum productions and a world-renowned drummer. He has performed with some of the world's top recording artists:
Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Sting, Christina Aguilera, James Taylor, Elton John, Celine Dion, Ricky Martin, Brandy, Candy Dulfer, Aaliyah, Ray Charles and Italian superstars Giorgia, Karima Ammar, Zuccerro and jazz artists Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, Branford Marsalis, The Zawinul Syndicate, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, Stanley Turrentine, Billy Childs, Freddie Hubbard, Dianne Reeves, Clark Terry, The Ellington Orchestra and many others.
Under the direction of Clive Davis, Michael was the Music Director and Arranger for the Areatha Franklin segment of Arista's 25th Anniversary Special. Michael and his arranging partner, Adi Yeshaya, created many arrangements for Aretha Franklin for live shows as well as on her last CD So Damn Happy for Arista.
Michael has been associated with producer David Guest as drummer for numerous shows and benefits at Madison Square Garden, including Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary Special in 2001 which Featured, Usher, Missy Elliot, the Jacksons, Nelly Furtato, Little Romeo, and others.
Michael performed with Sting at Carnagie Hall in his ‘Save the Rain Forest' concerts; a UNICEF concert showcasing the late Aliyah, Taylor Dane, Simply Red, and Celine Dion; and in the late eighties, Michael was part of a short lived power trio with ex-Police guitarist Andy Summers and Bassist Jerry Watts.
BEST REGARDS
MERKLE KULTURKONZEPTE
Mühlbachweg 12
D-87463 Überbach
Tel.: **49-(0)8374-586 606
