Tag Archives: Michel Camilo

Concert review and thoughts about Jazz: Michel Camilo keeps Jazzzzzzzzzz alivvvvvvvvve!!!

Venue: Highline Ballroom (NY)
Date: June 27, 2012.

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Is jazz “really” dead? In 1975, when an angry, bitter and maybe exaggerating Miles Davis declared “Jazz is dead (it’s) the music of a museum,” I felt the same — especially when Fusion jazz and later Smooth jazz became very popular and very commercial, thus changing jazz into elevator and background music. Jazz became music that was “easy” to listen to and very accessible. Bored of that kind of music my interest went to American free jazz and to international jazz, such as European, Asian, African and Latin jazz.

As a jazz lover, I can say that this music has become stagnant, especially over the last twenty years. There’s no shortage of talented musicians out there, but jazz in America has gone decades without producing an artist capable of reinventing the genre the way Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, my mentor Ornette Coleman and many others did.

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Music listings – 9/26 through 10/2

1. Mount Eerie and Nicholas Krgovich w/ itsnotyouitsme

Date: Monday, September 26, 2011
Time: 8pm
Venue: Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012, ph: 212- 505-3474)
Ticket: $14
Genre: post rock/indie rock/nu folk

Phil Elverum is Mount Eerie. The 33 year-old multi-instrumentalist has played in other bands, and worked as a producer, but remains best known for this solo project, which began under the name the Microphones in 1997. In 2003, he renamed the project Mount Eerie (and added an “e” to his last name, Elvrum) after returning from a trip to Norway, where he lived alone in a remote cabin for a winter. “Mount Eerie” specifically refers to the mountain on Fidalgo Island, an island an hour and change north of Seattle where you’ll also find Elverum’s lifelong Anacortes, Washington hometown.
Nicholas Krgovich is a 28 year-old Vancouver-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with NO KIDS, GIGI, P:ANO and MOUNT EERIE. He has been releasing records under various monikers since P:ANO’s acclaimed chamber pop debut “When It’s Dark And It’s Summer” in 2002, which has led to his work with the girl group inspired GIGI, the icy displacement of the r’n’b informed NO KIDS and most recently to the singular pop dreams released under his full legal name NICHOLAS KRGOVICH. Even though the material is often wildly diverse there is a unmistakable sense of Krgovich’s deep commitment to exploring the endless possibilities of pop, a discerning ear for sonic detail and quite often an ambition that wilfully borders on the absurd.

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Michel Camilo speaks about his new band and CD

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

One of my favorite pianists of today is Michel Camilo. The first time when I got to know him was through the music documentary film Calle 54 (2004) directed by Fernando Trueba which documents the Latin music scene in NY. This year when I worked at MICHIKO STUDIOS I was so lucky to meet him in person. Before his rehearsals I had a chance to talk with him about his music and music in general. He even allowed me to watch his rehearsals with his various bands!!! What a treat! I love his technique, I love his sound, I love how he expresses himself and I love his passion to music!

Enjoy Michel’s new EPK in which he introduces to his new CD Mano a Mano. And check him out this Tuesday through Sunday at the Blue Note (NY) (more information in the music listings) where he’s celebrating the release of his new CD!