Akbank Jazz Festival: Howe Gelb Piano Trio at Akbank Jazz Festival at Babylon

The indie rocker of Arizona deserts, the Pennsylvania-born pianist, singer-songwiter Howe Gelb, since 1985, has recorded 27 albums with his group Giant Sand (later being named “Giant Giant Sand” with the addition of Danish musicians) and 22 solo albums. He wrote and sang numberless songs. His music was a blend of Mariachi waltzes, psychedelic rock guitar, jazz piano and dusty C&W improvisations. And in his latest album Future Standards, released last year, he ventured into a path totally new to him. Tracing the steps of old jazz standarts, with Leonard Cohen’s tranquility between his lips, he travelled to the future...

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The indie rocker of Arizona deserts, the Pennsylvania-born pianist, singer-songwiter Howe Gelb, since 1985, has recorded 27 albums with his group Giant Sand (later being named “Giant Giant Sand” with the addition of Danish musicians) and 22 solo albums. He wrote and sang numberless songs. His music was a blend of Mariachi waltzes, psychedelic rock guitar, jazz piano and dusty C&W improvisations. And in his latest album Future Standards, released last year, he ventured into a path totally new to him. Tracing the steps of old jazz standarts, with Leonard Cohen’s tranquility between his lips, he travelled to the future. In this project, which he realized with a small combo, his objective was to decipher, using both his brain and heart, the mystery of those simple, innocent and timeless melodies that spilled over the fingers of great bygone pianists; and as he was challenged by the melodies, counter melodies and more complex piano chords, he discovered his capacity and what he can leave for the future. And now he comes to Akbank Jazz Festival to share with us, this sincere journey of his.

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