Neil Alexander Presents Heavy Weather the Music of Joe Zawinul at The Falcon

Neil Alexander with Mr. Gone & Special Guests present a tribute to the music of Joe Zawinul, maverick synthesist, unparalleled fusion composer and leader of the iconic ensemble WEATHER REPORT at tonight's Birthday Concert.

Mr. Gone:
Neil Alexander/Keys; Peter Furlan/Saxes; Ratzo Harris/Basses; Terry Silverlight/Drums)
Special Guests:
Vinnie Cutro/Trumpet), Steven Frieder/Sax/Clarinet, Todd Isler/Percussion, Judi Silvano/Vocals, Gino Sitson/Vocals and a special appearance by Decora/Spoken Word

Neil Alexander
www.nailmusic.com
NYC born pianist, synthesist and composer Neil Alexander has been performing, composing and arranging since age 14. His latest CD is a critically acclaimed solo piano recording titled “Darn That Dream: Solo Piano Vol. 1” and he recently completed a 2 year solo tour featuring his piano transcription of Stravinsky's "The Rite Of Spring"....

read more

Neil Alexander with Mr. Gone & Special Guests present a tribute to the music of Joe Zawinul, maverick synthesist, unparalleled fusion composer and leader of the iconic ensemble WEATHER REPORT at tonight's Birthday Concert.

Mr. Gone:
Neil Alexander/Keys; Peter Furlan/Saxes; Ratzo Harris/Basses; Terry Silverlight/Drums)
Special Guests:
Vinnie Cutro/Trumpet), Steven Frieder/Sax/Clarinet, Todd Isler/Percussion, Judi Silvano/Vocals, Gino Sitson/Vocals and a special appearance by Decora/Spoken Word

Neil Alexander
www.nailmusic.com
NYC born pianist, synthesist and composer Neil Alexander has been performing, composing and arranging since age 14. His latest CD is a critically acclaimed solo piano recording titled “Darn That Dream: Solo Piano Vol. 1” and he recently completed a 2 year solo tour featuring his piano transcription of Stravinsky's "The Rite Of Spring".
Neil maintains several working ensembles including “Mr Gone”, a repertory ensemble performing key musical works from the early 70’s Jazz Fusion repertoire. He performs solo acoustically and electronically and works with several NYC based Modern Dance and Theater companies. In addition, he runs a monthly electronic music workshop at the Newburgh Free Library, Newburgh NY.

Joe Zawinul
Joe Zawinul was and is a category unto himself - a European from the heartland of the classical music tradition (Vienna) who learned to swing as freely as any American jazzer, and whose appetite for growth and change remained insatiable.
He was one of a few synthesizer players who actually learned how to play the instrument, and make it an expressive, swinging part of his arsenal. Prior to the invention of the portable synthesizer, Zawinul's example brought the Wurlitzer and Fender Rhodes electric pianos into the jazz mainstream.
Zawinul blossomed with Cannonball Adderley's band for nine years, contributing the major pop hit "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", and ultimately steering the Adderley band into the electronic era. He was right in the thick of the new jazz-rock scene, recording several pioneering records with Miles Davis, contributing the title tune of Davis' "In a Silent Way".
When Zawinul formed the iconic ensemble WEATHER REPORT in 1970, he created a platform for his evolving interest in propulsive grooves. He gradually dropped the electric piano in favor of a series of more sophisticated synthesizers, and mastered them to levels never thought possible by those who derided the instruments as sterile, unfeeling machines. Weather Report eventually became a popular group appealing to audiences beyond jazz and progressive rock, thanks in no small part to Zawinul's hit song "BIRDLAND", from their Grammy-winning album "HEAVY WEATHER".
Beginning in 1985, The Zawinul Syndicate, over the span of a decade, tilted increasingly toward groove-oriented world music influences.

show less