VJC Presents a CD Release Concert with the Convergence Project, Saturday, May 17th at 8:00 PM.
Eugene Uman’s Convergence Project is back for their yearly Vermont Jazz Center concert on May 17th at 8:00 PM, presenting music that fuses jazz and rock with Colombian rhythms. This concert will celebrate the release of a new album, Six Elements, recorded last October at Guilford Sound and mixed at Northern Tracks Studio in Wilmington.
On May 17th, the Convergence Project will appear at the Jazz Center. All members will be present except guest cellist Eugene Friesen. Uman will guide the ensemble from the piano, in the good company of Michael Zsoldos on saxophones, Jeff Galindo on Trombone, Sebastian Cruz on guitar, Stomu Takeishi on bass, and Satoshi Takeishi on drums. Uman refers to the Convergence Project as his dream band. Each musician is skilled at reading and interpreting his compositions, they are all strong soloists, each with a unique sound and an individualized vocabulary. The entire band is able to authentically interpret both Latin and swing rhythms and everyone is fearless, willing to stretch out into unfamiliar territory and jump into the abyss of the unknown.
For the VJC performance on May 17th, the Convergence Project will be playing material from their new album as well as debuting a few new compositions. Over half of the material from Six Elements, utilizes rhythms borrowed from Colombian folkloric music: porro, pasillo, cumbia, puya and bullerengue. Uman uses these rhythms as a springboard for creativity. His process usually starts with listening to and singing along with a recording of the rhythm until a melodic motif that fits over it can be sung. Once a strong basic idea is established an inevitable logic unfolds revealing a structure which is then refined. Uman composed much of the material during a retreat at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, NH, where he spent two solid weeks composing in a quiet cabin in the woods.
In preparing for the album, there was ample time for the musicians to delve deeply into the compositions: the form, the harmony, the varied rhythms and melodies. The arrangements intentionally travel far afield from traditional structures by incorporating odd meters and musical language from the worlds of jazz and rock. But the pieces based on Colombian rhythms still retain their original folkloric essence. This is because the foundation of these compositions are rhythmical grooves which give immutable finger-prints to their sound. Furthermore, everyone in the Convergence Project (especially guitarist, Sebastian Cruz who is from Bogotá) has a direct, personal connection to Colombian culture. They bring a sense of respect and affinity to the source material gained from having visited this rich, complex country and directly assimilating the deep roots of the music’s origin. Each individual is encouraged to add his own voice to the big picture. The band concept is founded on the synergy of each musician’s personal style in combination with the primordial, rhythmical pulse.
Now in its sixth year as a core group, the Convergence Project, in addition to Uman on piano, features:
Drummer Satoshi Takeishi has appeared on over 75 recordings including those by Latin giants Nestor Torres, Ray Barretto, Hector Martignon and Eliane Elias. Satoshi has also performed with Laszlo Gardony, Badal Roy, Erik Friedlander, Colombian saxophonist Antonio Arnedo, Paul Winter, Anthony Braxton, Theo Bleckmann/Ben Monder, Joel Harrison and Rob Brown. Satoshi’s roots are deep in jazz, Latin and experimental music; he can be found on recordings including Marc Johnson, Eddie Gomez, Randy Brecker, Dave Liebman, Mark Murphy, Herbie Mann, and the Toshiko Akiyoshi Big Band. His unique style incorporates ethnic percussion and electronics along with the traditional drum set. He currently works with pianist/conceptualist, Shoko Nagai.
Electric bassist Stomu Takeish has been praised by critics for his sensitivity to sound and timbre. He has played in many international jazz festivals and at major venues throughout the the world. In Downbeat’s 57th Critics Poll, Stomu was the winner in the category of Electric Bass, Rising Star. He has appeard on over 45 recordings including those with Paul Motian’s Electric Bebop Band, Lazlo Gardony, Dave Tronzo, Henry Threadgill & Make a Move, Badal Roy, Erik Friedlander, Cuong Vu, Myra Melford’s Crush, Steve Gorn, John Zorn and many others.
Saxophonist Michael Zsoldos has performed with Paquito D’Rivera, Sheila Jordan, Ernie Watts, Matt Wilson, Rebecca Parris, and Jerry Bergonzi and has opened for piano legend McCoy Tyner. Michael has arranged for and performed with the horn section of the Dartmouth Gospel Choir and Chicago’s One Accord. They performed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, Umbria, Napoli, Rome, Chicago’s House of Blues, Jazz at Lincoln Center and at the Obama Inauguration. Zsoldos plays with the Discover Jazz Festival Big Band in Burlington, VT and the Vermont Jazz Center Big Band in Brattleboro, VT. For six years, Michael was the Band Director at Woodstock Union High School and Middle School and is currently on the teaching faculties of Castleton State College and Interplay Jazz Camp.
Trombonist Jeff Galindo sums up his personal musical philosophy in one phrase: “Music doesn’t lie. We can speak lies, but a musician plays who he is.” When Jeff picks up his horn, the truth of that statement becomes obvious. Every utterance is crazy wisdom: beyond thought but with deep roots in study and talent. Jeff has toured the world with Phil Woods, Makoto Ozone, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, Irving Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. He was Trombonist and Musical Director for Esperanza Spalding’s recent world tour and played on her Grammy-award winning CD, Radio Music Society. He has performed with Chick Corea, Clark Terry, Joe Lovano, George Russell, Slide Hampton, and Johnny Griffin, Gunther Schuller, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Jerry Bergonzi, Bobby Shew, The Boston Pops Orchestra, and the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra among many others. In Boston, Jeff performs regularly with the Greg Hopkins Big Band and Nonet, the Galindo/Phaneuf Sextet plus his double quartet with George Garzone. He is currently one of the top free-lancing trombonists in the Boston area.
Guitarist Sebastian Cruz often mixes musical elements from his Colombian roots with those of New York City life. He focuses on teaching, writing for film and writing and performing with own group, “Cheap Landscape,” which has released three acclaimed CDs. Sebastian has performed throughout the U.S., Europe and Colombia including the Mozart-Saal from Vienna’s Kozerthaus, Joe’s Pub, BAM Cafe, Symphony Space, Summer Stage-Central Park in New York, A-Trane in Berlin, among many others. Sebastian has taught Colombian music at Columbia University. As a composer Sebastian won theVan Lier Fellowship from Meet The Composer, and an ASCAP award.
In an interview with Chris Lenois, Uman stated: “Each of these musicians brings vast knowledge and wisdom to musical performance. In putting together the Convergence Project, I have created a situation in which I could effectively express all the styles that influence my composition. These musicians go beyond that objective and add depth, sophistication and fun. This band is extremely exciting, I am honored to perform with them and feel very fortunate that they are permanent members of my recording ensemble. The Convergence Project is a dream come true.”
The Convergence Project at VJC, Saturday, May 17th at 8:00 PM is made possible with generous financial support from the McKenzie Family Charitable Trust and the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Hospitality provided by the Hampton Inn of Brattleboro and underwritten by VPR and WFCR.
Tickets for the Convergence Project at VJC, May 17th, are $20 general admission, $15 for students with I.D. (contact VJC about educational discounts); available at In the Moment in Brattleboro, or online at www.vtjazz.org. Tickets can also be reserved by calling the Vermont Jazz Center ticket line, 802-254-9088, ext. 1.
Short Summary
Who: Eugene Uman’s Convergence Project: Eugene Uman, piano and compositions; Michael Zsoldos, saxophone; Jeff Galindo, trombone; Sebastián Cruz, guitar; Stomu Takeishi, electric bass; Satoshi Takeishi, drums
What: Jazz influenced by the rhythms of Colombia and the vibe of rock
When: Saturday, May 17th, 2014 at 8:00 PM
Where: The Vermont Jazz Center, 72 Cotton Mill Hill, #222, Brattleboro, VT 05301
Tickets available: online at www.vtjazz.org by phone 802 254 9088, in person at In The Moment, Main St., Brattleboro, VT.
