Alex Harding & Lucian Ban: Dark Blue Cd Release Concert at An Die Musik Live

“Lucian and Alex have been honing their duo craft for some years. Now they have become one voice when they want to and still manage to complement each other” — Howard Johnson

Video excerpts:

Chakra | Tough Love | Spirit Take my Hand

This event is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Alex Harding, baritone saxophone
Lucian Ban, piano

Detroit born baritone saxophonist extraordinaire ALEX HARDING and Transylvanian expat pianist LUCIAN BAN are celebrating their long awaited follow up album DARK BLUE. Released by NYC based Sunnyside Records the album showcases Mr. Harding, one of the most important baritone saxophonists of the past decades, in a program of duets with longtime collaborator pianist Lucian Ban – a unique amalgamation of original pieces and improvisations informed by traditions of jazz, blues, and European chamber music. ...

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“Lucian and Alex have been honing their duo craft for some years. Now they have become one voice when they want to and still manage to complement each other” — Howard Johnson

Video excerpts:

Chakra | Tough Love | Spirit Take my Hand

This event is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Alex Harding, baritone saxophone
Lucian Ban, piano

Detroit born baritone saxophonist extraordinaire ALEX HARDING and Transylvanian expat pianist LUCIAN BAN are celebrating their long awaited follow up album DARK BLUE. Released by NYC based Sunnyside Records the album showcases Mr. Harding, one of the most important baritone saxophonists of the past decades, in a program of duets with longtime collaborator pianist Lucian Ban – a unique amalgamation of original pieces and improvisations informed by traditions of jazz, blues, and European chamber music.

From avant blues to spontaneous improv pieces, from uncanny ballads that seem to channel Ben Websterand Archie Sheep into an alternate Sun Ra universe, from intricate bass clarinet & piano duets to a heartfelt solo baritone tribute to the late master Hamiet Bluiett, DARK BLUE represents a stunning document of two artists at their maturity, two old friends conversing in the language of modern jazz. Fans of Mr. Harding’s unmistakable baritone sound will be surprised to hear his amazing bass clarinet voice on several pieces of this album. As legendary tuba player & baritone saxophonist Howard Johnson writes in the liner notes for the album:

Alex Harding & Lucian Ban have been at the forefront of contemporary jazz for more than two decades, collaborating and founding several groups together, releasing a handful of diverse albums for American and European labels, performing countless concerts and tours all the while documenting an amazing body of music. From their debut duet “Somethin’ Holy “ (cimp 2001) to their TUBA PROJECT group featuring legendary Bob Stewart, from Alex’s own BLUTOPIA featuring Nasheet Waits to the “Romanian –American Jazz Suite” quintet with soprano master Sam Newsome, DARK BLUE represents their strongest recorded material as of yet.

In 2003 their co-lead ensemble Lumination featuring drum legend Barry Altschulwas voted “BEST SHOW OF THE YEAR” by AAJ Magazine in New York among shows by Cecil Taylor, Joe Lovano and others. Jeff Stockton notes in All About Jazz “Alex Harding and Lucian Ban have developed a fruitful partnership over the years. Harding's bluesy, church-steeped baritone sax is the logical heir to Hamiet Bluiett's, while Ban's tasteful, reflective piano playing combines the elegance and technical precision of the European classical tradition with wide-ranging musical interests and a passion for improvisation.”

Tickets: $22 advance /$25 door /$10 full time student with ID

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