FONT :: Festival of New Trumpet Music » FONT

ON THE HORIZON – New Yorker Magazine

rich — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 01:26:20 +0000

NIGHT LIFE

WHEEL OF LIFE

Oct. 20-23

The ninth Festival of New Trumpet Music, at the Jazz Standard, pays tribute to Kenny Wheeler. The eighty-one-year-old trumpeter, making a rare New York appearance, will be joined by Ingrid Jensen’s + Brass band and the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble and will play with his own quintet. (fontmusic.org.)

ILLUSTRATION: LUCI GUTIERREZ

CELEBRATE KENNY WHEELER AT THE JAZZ STANDARD

rich — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 02:24:13 +0000

THE 9TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF NEW TRUMPET MUSIC
CELEBRATES TRUMPETER/COMPOSER KENNY WHEELER AT THE JAZZ STANDARD

(New York City, NY) – JAZZ STANDARD, one of the nation’s premier jazz clubs, presents the 9th Annual Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT) series, “Kenny Wheeler Celebration,” from Thursday, October 20, through Sunday, October 23, 2011. Program schedule and artist bios are outlined below.

The FONT series celebrates Kenny Wheeler, one of the most creative and iconic of progressive trumpeters. Wheeler, a Canadian residing in the UK since 1952, celebrated his 81st birthday this year. He will make a rare New York appearance in this series devoted to his music and vision.

The Festival also presents a cadre of progressive New York trumpeters, among them Ingrid Jensen, Shane Endsley, Nate Wooley, Jonathan Finlayson, Tony Kadleck, and Jon Owens. As part of this celebration, Kenny Wheeler will be featured with Ingrid Jensen + Brass, will play his music alongside John Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble, and will also convene a New York Quintet, featuring Jon Irabagon, Craig Taborn, Matt Brewer, and Rudy Royston.

Kenny Wheeler commented on being honored by FONT Music and returning to NYC: I first came to New York in the late 40′s. I was with a big band attached to the American forces and I had joined with the sole purpose of getting to New York. I just wanted to find and maybe talk to Miles. I couldn’t find him but in the process I had a really short (even for me) conversation with Charlie Parker. I was so disappointed I had missed Miles that it wasn’t until hours later I realized I had actually spoken to Bird! By that time though New York had gone from being in my head to being in my blood, heart and soul. It’s where most of the Jazz I listened to before and after that trip was born.

Although I have played in New York a few times over the years every time I come back I still feel the same excitement I felt that first time I visited all those years ago. For me New York is the place to play. The fact that I am being honored with a New York week and that so many fantastic trumpet players are involved is overwhelming. I am so proud and, before my nerves get the better of me, I would just like to say thank you to all of the people who have put this event together and thank you to New York for giving me the opportunity to come back and play here again.

The Festival of New Trumpet Music, a nonprofit founded in 2003 by Dave Douglas and Roy Campbell, Jr. designed to encourage creative brass music, will present its Award of Recognition to Wheeler during the week’s run. Previous recipients include Wadada Leo Smith and Bobby Bradford.

Each series presented by FONT features work from brilliant trumpeter/composers. This season, award-winning trumpeter and FONT board member Ingrid Jensen will honor Wheeler with a night of brass quintet music and rhythm section with Jonathan Finlayson, Tony Kadleck and a special appearance by Wheeler. In addition, John Hollenbeck has conceived of a special program for his Large Ensemble in honor of Wheeler. Trumpeters Shane Endsley, Nate Wooley, and Jon Owens will join in a performance of new unrecorded pieces for jazz orchestra (plus a few Wheeler chestnuts) that will also include Chris Cheek, Brad Shepik as special featured guests alongside Wheeler. The festival also presents informal sessions of Wheeler’s music at New York University, including members of the Royal Academy of Music in London.

# # # #

OCTOBER 20 – 23, 2011: FESTIVAL OF NEW TRUMPET MUSIC (FONT)

“KENNY WHEELER CELEBRATION”

THURS, OCT 20: Ingrid Jensen + Brass featuring Kenny Wheeler:

Ingrid Jensen – trumpet, Jonathan Finlayson – trumpet, Tony Kadleck – trumpet, Shelagh Abate – french horn, Elliot Mason – trombone, Jennifer Wharton – tuba, Kevin Hays – piano, Matt Clohesy – bass, Jon Wikan – drums, Music Charge: $25, 7:30, 9:30 PM

FRI & SAT, OCT 21 + 22: John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble featuring Kenny Wheeler

John Hollenbeck – drums; Shane Endsley, Jon Owens, Tony Kadleck, Nate Wooley – trumpet; Alan Ferber, Jacob Garchik, Mike Christianson, Rob Hudson – trombone; Chris Cheek – tenor saxophone/reeds; Dan Willis – tenor saxophone/winds; Jeremy Viner – alto; Ben Kono – alto saxophone/winds; Bohdan Hilash – baritone saxophone/reeds; Matt Mitchell – piano; Kermit Driscoll – basses; Brad Shepik, guitar; Theo Bleckmann – voice; J.C. Sanford – conductor. Special Featured Guests: Nate Wooley and Shane Endsley, Chris Cheek, Brad Shepik. $30, 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 PM

SUNDAY, OCT 23: Kenny Wheeler Quintet

Kenny Wheeler – trumpet, Jon Irabagon – alto saxophone, Craig Taborn – piano, Matt Brewer – bass,
Rudy Royston – drums. $30, 7:30, 9:30 PM

# # # #

ABOUT FONT
The Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT Music) supports new trumpet music in all forms, and provides a platform for emerging artists and creative pioneers. Its primary goal is to celebrate the excellence of the current music scene by hosting a broad array of new trumpet music performances. By presenting concerts throughout the year, commissioning new works, creating new projects, hosting panels, and collaborating with other New York presenters and international artists, FONT exposes the exciting range of current activity and brings together disparate communities of musicians, students, and audiences. FONT Music is a nonprofit organization directed by award-winning trumpeter Dave Douglas. It is run by an all-volunteer board that includes some of the finest brass players on the scene. The first Festival of New Trumpet Music took place at the now defunct venue Tonic in August 2003. By the time of the 4th annual festival, in 2006, it had grown to include seven venues and present over forty new trumpet events. The fifth annual festival took place from September 16 to September 30, 2007 at venues all around New York. Since its inaugural festival, FONT has presented approximately 290 concerts featuring more than 195 different trumpet players and hosted dozens of free masterclasses and educational workshops.

The New Yorker calls FONT “a grand highlight of the musical season”; The New York Times says FONT “prizes a spirit of innovation” and describes it as “a cross-stylistic extravaganza”; and JazzTimes praises its “stellar and eclectic schedule of genre-blurring commissions and exploratory collaborations.” The Festival of New Trumpet Music is proud to celebrate the music and legacy of Kenny Wheeler with this series at the Jazz Standard.www.fontmusic.org

About Kenny Wheeler
Kenny Wheeler has long been one of the most advanced voices on his instrument. Blessed with a full, lovely tone and an astounding range, Wheeler sounds equally at home in fiery free jazz explorations or softer, more lyrical post-bop meditations. Wheeler has written over one hundred compositions and is a skilled arranger for small groups and larger ensembles. His compositions blend lyrical melodies with a distinctive and ever changing harmonic palette. Although resident in England since 1952 and often thought to be an English musician, Kenny Wheeler was born in Canada in 1930 and began playing trumpet at age 12.

After studying at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory, he moved to London in 1952, where he gigged with swing and dance bands. In the 1970s, Wheeler played with Anthony Braxton, and went on to record the well-received Gnu High, which established him as a soloist of note. Wheeler turned out a series of excellent albums, including 1977′s Deer Wan and 1983′s Double, Double You (that year, Wheeler also began a four-year run with the Dave Holland Quintet). Several more generally fine outings followed in the ’90s, including the ECM dates Music for Large and Small Ensembles and The Widow in the Window and other recordings. Kenny Wheeler is a true innovator and a consequential part of modern music. “Wheeler’s simmering chemistry of 20th-century classical music harmonies, jazz and folk themes, and shrewd stimulation of the improvising freedoms he’s unafraid to love, have made his work a treasure-trove for today’s jazz students” – John Fordham - The Guardian,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Wheeler

Show Times: 7:30 & 9:30 + 11:30 PM on Fridays & Saturdays.
Jazz Standard is located at 116 East 27th St. (betw Lex and Park) No minimum & student discounts.
For reservations call Jazz Standard @ 212 576 2232, or visit www.ticketweb.com orwww.jazzstandard.com

Press/Media Contact: Red Cat Publicity
Jason Paul Harman Byrne
347 578 7601
Redcatjazz@mac.com

Forward to Philly

rich — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:33:47 +0000

If you can’t make it to NYC for this weekends Forward Flight series and you’re close to Philadelphia, check out three of the great groups on Sunday, Jan 17 at the Ars Nova Workshop at International House Philidelphia.

Ars Nova Workshop, in partnership with the New York-based Festival of New Trumpet (FONT), is pleased to present the first annual FONT Philadelphia mini-festival showcasing three adventurous projects. Curated by Taylor Ho Bynum and Dave Douglas.

Open Circuit International Trumpet Ensemble

Taylor Ho Bynum (USA), cornet
Jean-Luc Cappozzo (France), trumpet
Franz Hautzinger (Austria), trumpet
Joe McPhee (USA), trumpet
Itaru Oki (Japan/France), trumpet
Herb Robertson (USA) , trumpet
William Parker (USA), bass
John Betsch (USA/France), drums

Meridian Arts Ensemble + Dave Ballou

John Ferrari, drums
Daniel Grabois, horn
Benjamin Herrington, trombone
Brian McWhorter, trumpet
Jon Nelson, trumpet
Raymond Stewart, tuba
Dave Ballou, trumpet

Chicago Underground Duo

Rob Mazurek, cornet + electronics
Chad Taylor, percussion

International House Philadelphia
3701 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104 Map
Price: $12 General Admission
TICKETS

Stream from FONT celebrates Woody Shaw

rich — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:45:00 +0000

Festival of New Trumpet Music
Celebrates Woody Shaw (1944-1989)

The Woody Shaw Legacy Ensemble: Brass Knights
At the Jazz Standard, New York

Sean Jones with Ezana Edwards, Nick Roseboro, trumpets; Mulgrew Miller, piano; Dwayne Burno, bass; musical director Victor Lewis, drums; Woody Louis Armstrong Shaw III, Producer

MUSIC (all by Shaw)
Joshua C
The Moontrane
Katrina Ballerina
Sweet Love of Mine (Woody Shaw III on drums)
Stepping Stone

Stream it on demand at jazzset.npr.org after December 24, the 65th anniversary of Woody Shaw’s birth.

All the Brilliant Trumpets

rich — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:54:30 +0000

October 4th, 2009 | Author: Dave Douglas

Bobby Bradford accepting the FONT 2009 Award of Recognition

This week I heard a recording of the music Nadje Noordhuis wrote for FONT this past June. What a beautiful sound and thoughtful composer. She says she’s recording it soon and I recommend checking that out if you can.

Ambrose Akinmusire shared the stage with Avishai Cohen — truly inspiring to see trumpeters playing TOGETHER. No competition, just music. Clearly pushing each other to new creative heights, playing original music and a few re-arrangements of music by Bobby Bradford. They say there’s nothing new under the sun, but when you see two creatively and technically gifted trumpeters side by side playing in two widely divergent styles it just drives home how many personal developments have taken place on this instrument in the past decade or so. Those developments are shot through all the music of our time, on all instruments, but hearing these two trumpeters it couldn’t be any clearer. Both of these guys are pushing new frontiers in terms of phrasing, intervallic leaps, and rhythmic interplay with the rhythm section. Most of all — leaps of imagination. Let it be said that the rhythm section was exemplary and constantly inventive – Vijay Iyer, Chris Tordini, and Marcus Gilmore.

On Friday Jeremy Pelt invited Eddie Henderson and David Weiss with the rhythm section of Marc Cary, Vicente Archer, and Gerald Cleaver. I’m not being sarcastic or ironic when I say it made me want to go home and practice. I love Jeremy’s sound and fluid facility. He has also been important to FONT as a board member, and every time he has a chance he highlights his hero Dr. Eddie Henderson, who played just as beautifully and lucidly as ever. They played some engagingly rearranged Bobby Bradford pieces and originals. It’s such a pleasure to hear a three trumpet gig that isn’t a high note fest, a rehash of old classics, or a battle of one-up-manship. Just pure music made now in our time.

Peter Evans and Nate Wooley joined me yesterday for a short performance and discussion of “extended techniques” for the trumpet. I’m putting that in quotes because we all had the same point to make that these kinds of things have been around a long time. Peter made a good point about Round Midnight being the first major bestselling example of extended trumpet techniques. Breathy, close-miked harmon mute with a lot of reverb and microtonal pitch bending? How bizarre!

That aside, there really are things these two guys are doing that have only developed in the last decade or so. Trumpeters like Peter and Nate, Greg Kelley, Axel Doerner, Ed Harkins, Franz Hautzinger, Jaimie Branch, and others (if you know of others I’m leaving out, please reply in the comments or send me an email) have started using split tones, circular breathing, slap tonguing and many other techniques as the basis for their music. Nate said a lot of the impetus for the work he’s doing comes from listening to electronic music and sound/noise music. That kind of makes sense when you hear his uninterrupted tones affected by sheets of aluminum flashing covering the bell–with your eyes closed you would be hard pressed to identify it as trumpet music. When asked why he started developing these sonic resources on the trumpet, Peter said he does it because it’s fun. It was fun playing with Peter and Nate, I hope we get a chance to do it again some time. The session was recorded and FONT will produce a transcript of the conversation and possibly some sound samples.

Bobby Bradford played a beautiful gig with David Murray, Marty Ehrlich, Mark Dresser and Andrew Cyrille last night. I’m going to hear the Octet tonight. Bradford is being given the FONT Award of Recognition (the recipient is chosen democratically by the membership each year) this evening, and it is hard not to get emotional in seeing this cornetist and composer celebrating with a great band in NYC. Sold out houses were there to cheer him on and the music was rich and powerful.

Dave Douglas

FONT this weekend “IN HONOR OF BOBBY BRADFORD”

rich — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:22:56 +0000

OCT 1-4: FESTIVAL OF NEW TRUMPET MUSIC (FONT)

“IN HONOR OF BOBBY BRADFORD”
Jazz Standard NYC
116 E. 27th Street
Tickets:
www.jazzstandard.net/

OCT 1: AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE QUARTET plus special guest Avishai Cohen
SET 1, 7:30 PM | SET 2, 9:30 PM

OCT 2: JEREMY PELT plus special guests Eddie Henderson and David Weiss
SET 1, 7:30 PM | SET 2, 9:30 PM | Set 3, 11:30 PM

OCT 3: BOBBY BRADFORD QUINTET featuring DAVID MURRAY
SET 1, 7:30 PM | SET 2, 9:30 PM | Set 3, 11:30 PM

OCT 4: BOBBY BRADFORD OCTET featuring DAVID MURRAY
SET 1, 7:30 PM | SET 2, 9:30 PM

FONT in New York Times annual Fall ARTS Preview

rich — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:09:51 +0000

Today’s New York Times features its annual Fall ARTS Preview section. It spotlights FONT. View online HERE.

OCTOBER

FESTIVAL OF NEW TRUMPET MUSIC The annual trumpet-centric series engineered by Dave Douglas pays tribute to Bobby Bradford, the Los Angeles improviser associated with Ornette Coleman and John Carter. It brings Mr. Bradford together in a band with the saxophonist David Murray, and also presents other bands led by the excellent younger players Ambrose Akinmusire and Jeremy Pelt. Oct. 1-4, Jazz Standard, jazzstandard.com. (B. R.)

avishai cohen interview

rich — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:38:33 +0000

IN-DEMAND jazz trumpeter Avishai Cohen is returning to New York’s Festival of New Trumpet Music to perform with musical prodigy Ambrose Akinmusire, writes Robert Clayton.

And Avishai is full of praise for the winner of both the 2007 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition and 2007 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition.

He said: “Ambrose contacted me and asked if I wanted to perform with him at the festival on October 1 at New York’s Jazz Standard.

“He is an incredible young trumpeter and I am always happy to work with and support him.

READ THE REST HERE.

New Trumpet Underground This Weekend!

rich — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:17:56 +0000

FONT presents
New Trumpet Underground 2009
Cornelia Street Café
June 26-28

$10 per set or $15 per night
29 Cornelia Street, New York, NY 10014
(212) 989-9318

Check the schedule HERE

FONT NEW TRUMPET UNDERGROUND THIS WEEKEND

rich — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:07:43 +0000

FONT presents
New Trumpet Underground 2009
Cornelia Street Cafe June 26-28

$10 per set or $15 per night
29 Cornelia Street, New York, NY 10014
(212) 989-9318

CHECK THE SCHEDULE HERE