Oakland » Calendar » earPlay Jazzquintet at Freight & Salvage
earPlay Jazzquintet at Freight & Salvage
Courtesy of Andrew Reissiger | Posted on September 27, 2012
Where
Freight & Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA
Map
(510) 644-2020
When
Sun, October 7, 2012
8pm
Save the date
Musicians
earPlay Jazzquintet
pianoMichael Smolens
pianoAlex Murzyn
saxophoneMichael Hatfield
vibraphoneFred Randolph
bassAbout
The earPlay Jazzquintet brings together a multitude of musical influences – from Brazilian choro to vintage funk, Afro-Cuban to jump swing, country-western to the latest in digital sound design – and interweaves them with jazz and 20th century classical idioms. The resulting tapestry of sound is a mix of structured composition and bold improvisation, with elements of poetry and stage magic stitched in for dramatic effect.
Michael Smolens is the leader of the group. A composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist for nearly four decades, Michael takes his inspiration from the contemporary jazz of Art Lande, the vocal flights of Bobby McFerrin, the Sufi poetry of Hafiz and Rumi, and the stage magic of Jeff McBride, as well as the music of Brazil, West Africa, northern India, and modern composers like Brian Eno, Steve Reich, and Gabriel Faure. The San Francisco Chronicle called Michael “a highly skilled writer whose works recall Miles Davis’ ESP period as well as the exoticism of groups like Oregon.”...