JOHN HOLLENBECK Triple Bill @ Le Poisson Rouge, 30 NOV 2009

TRIPLE BILL:

·JOHN HOLLENBECK LARGE ENSEMBLE
·FUTURE QUEST (MUSIC OF MEREDITH MONK)
·TRIO WITH TODD REYNOLDS + MATT MORAN

CELEBRATING TWO NEW CDS: "ETERNAL INTERLUDE" and "RAINBOW JIMMIES"

Doors Open: 7:00pm Show Time: 8:00pm
Venue: Le Poisson Rouge, Greenwich Village, 158 Bleecker St (between Sullivan St & Thompson St) New York, NY 10012
Tel: (212) 505-3474 Web: http://lepoissonrouge.com
Tickets: $15 Minimum Age: 18+, Wheelchair Accessible: No, Alcohol: Full Bar, Smoking: No, Coat Check: Yes

Description:John Hollenbeck has gained widespread recognition as the driving force behind the Claudia Quintet and the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, groups with roots in jazz, world music, and contemporary composition. He is well known for his longtime collaboration with Meredith Monk, composing and performing the percussion scores for her Magic Frequencies, Mercy, and The Impermanence Project.
Hollenbeck was named as both the Rising Star Composer and the Rising Star Arranger of the Year two years in a row (2008 and 2009) in Down Beat Magazine’s Critics Poll. John’s first large ensemble recording, A Blessing, received a 2006 Grammy Nomination, and in 2007, John was awarded the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship.


PART ONE: John Hollenbeck This show spotlights Hollenbeck in each of these roles, opening with music from Rainbow Jimmies (GPE), his new CD of chamber works, played by violinist Todd Reynolds, vibraphonist Matt Moran, and John Hollenbeck.

PART TWO: Future Quest, a quintet devoted to “re-imaginings” of Meredith Monk’s music, with vocalist Theo Bleckmann, saxophonists Ellery Eskelin and Tony Malaby, pianist Gary Versace, and Hollenbeck on percussion. Meredith Monk will be in attendance.

PART THREE: John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, performing music from the group’s new CD, Eternal Interlude (Sunnyside), including three New York premieres.

Artists
John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble: Sunnyside CD Release Performance for "eternal interlude" with...
Woodwinds: Ben Kono flute/soprano/alto sax, Jeremy Viner clarinet/tenor sax, Tony Malaby soprano/tenor sax, Ellery Eskelin tenor sax (perseverance), Dan Willis tenor/soprano sax/soprano sax/flute/english horn, Bohdan Hilash bass clarinet/baritone sax/contrabass clarinet.
Trombones: Rob Hudson, Mike Christianson, Jacob Garchik:(tenor horn on eternal interlude), Alan Ferber
Trumpets/Flugelhorns: Tony Kadleck, Jon Owens, Dave Ballou, Laurie Frink
Acoustic and Electric Bass: Kermit Driscoll, Drums (keyboard-The Cloud): John Hollenbeck, Piano/Organ/Keyboard: Gary Versace, Marimba, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Crotales: John Ferrari (eternal interlude, Perseverance, no boat)
Vibraphone: Matt Moran (Foreign One, Guarana, The Cloud), Voice: Theo Bleckmann, Conductor: JC Sanford
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Future Quest: with Theo Bleckmann, Ellery Eskelin, John Hollenbeck, Tony Malaby, Gary Versace
Vocalist Theo Bleckmann and percussionist John Hollenbeck have both spent considerable amounts of time in the ensemble led by visionary singer, composer and choreographer Meredith Monk. Completing the lineup are saxophonists Ellery Eskelin and Tony Malaby, and keyboardist Gary Versace.
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Hollenbeck/Reynolds/Moran trio
Rainbow Jimmies is largely devoted to Gray Cottage Studies, composed for Todd Reynolds. The seven studies, scored for violin with vibraphone and/or drumkit, were written by Hollenbeck while at the Blue Mountain Center arts retreat in the Adirondack Mountains.

For more information, please visit: http://www.johnhollenbeck.com
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internet publicity: Kristin Samet, eMajor Marketing

DO YOU REMEMBER SWINGING AT THE BARN?

DO YOU REMEMBER SWINGING AT THE BARN?, WEEK OF NOVEMBER 12-18, 2009
The Wilmington Journal
Originally posted 11/16/2009

http://www.wilmingtonjournal.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=100084&sID=4


BY LARRY RENI THOMAS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SWINGING AT THE BARN: A STUDY OF WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA'S JAZZ DANCE HALL (1944-1952), an oral history project, which will consist of interviews and videos, is looking for people who frequented ''The Barn,'' during the 1940s and 1950s. The popular dance hall played host to several great jazz bands like Lionel Hampton, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Buddy Johnson, Louie Jordan and many others. We are looking for people who frequented ''The Barn'' or have heard about ''The Barn'' from others. We want them to talk about times at that black-owned and operated establishment. Located on South Eleventh Street, it was not only a thriving black business, but it was also a place where blacks held meetings, wedding receptions, debutante balls, birthday parties and family functions. Locals would point proudly to ''The Barn,'' as a shining example of black pride in the midst of a segregated Wilmington when ''Whites Only'' signs made some African-Americans feel less than human. It meant that blacks could have something first-class, and that they could dress up, go out to some place nice to enjoy themselves. At ''The Barn'' they danced their troubles and the night away. It was known as the place where the dancers seemed like they were ''flying in the air'' all the time.

''The Barn'' was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Whitted, who lived in a big two story on South Seventh Street.

Sometimes they would make accommodations for some of the musicians to stay with them because white motels and hotels would not allow them to stay at their establishments.

There were some very famous musicians who stayed with the Whitteds. One of them included vocalist Billy Eckstine, whom their granddaughter, Gerrie Lemon, in an interview during the 1980s, recalled hearing singing one morning, while he shaved, in a bathroom across from her bedroom. The legendary saxophonist Jimmy Heath, who was a 1943 graduate of the all-black Williston Industrial High School, remembered one of his very first concerts as a professional, with the Nat Towles Band, was at ''The Barn.'' Heath said, during a 1989 interview, that it was where he first met a young saxophonist who would later be known as Yusuf Lateef. The famous trumpet player John Birks ''Dizzy' Gillespie also played at ''The Barn'' early in his career in The Cab Calloway Band and he also came back later as the leader of his own big band during the late 1940s.

All of these all-star, well-known big bands played in Wilmington during what was called the Big Band era of the jazz, during the World War II years of the mid to late 1940s. Wilmington was part of a Southern tour that included Raleigh, Durham, Kinston, Rocky Mount and other North Carolina cities. The port city was known as a party place and a classy city where blacks appreciated good jazz music and fun times. Oftentimes, the band members would arrive early in the week, say on a Wednesday, or Thursday. That would give them a chance to play in softball games against the local teams. It was a joyous occasion for all and permitted the band members a time to relax and to get to know their fans. It also helped the citizens feel good about meeting and seeing these musicians up close and personal. It was a thrill for the public to see them play softball on a Friday and perform on the bandstand on a Saturday night.

SWINGING AT THE BARN: A STUDY OF WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA'S JAZZ DANCE HALL, our oral history project, will need the help of the general public.

We are asking all who have photos, memorabilia and mementos to let us know about these keepsakes. We would like to interview people who would like to talk about ''The Barn.'' We realize that time is moving quickly and that time is of essence because most of the people who need to talk to are getting older.

Contact us by sending an e-mail to: larryrthomas@bellsouth.net or mailing a letter to P.O. Box 4171 Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27515. You can also contact The Wilmington Journal. We plan to donate our research results to local educational and cultural institutions. We are thrilled, inspired and very excited about this project. We look forward to hearing from you, so we can leave a legacy for future generations to read, brag and boast about, and to show that Wilmington was and still is, a major cultural center, a place that has always been filled with great, highly-professional, pleasing, excellent entertainment.

Larry Reni Thomas, a Wilmington native, is a writer/ radio announcer based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He is the host of Sunday Night Jazz, WCOM-FM, Chapel Hill-Carrboro, North Carolina, and is contributor to www.allaboutjazz.com