ObliqSound artist Gretchen Parlato is featured in Documentary Channel’s new 4-part series “Icons Among Us: Jazz in the Present Tense”. The series premieres Monday April 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Watch Gretchen in Mon, April 27th’s episode, at 9pm - “Icons Among Us - 12 Notes In Real Time”
Telecasts are Mondays at 9pm, on April 20 & 27, May 4 & 11.
Other familiar faces in the series include ObliqSound’s Gilfema leader and Blue Note recording artist Lionel Loueke, and recent ObliqSound guest artists Aaron Parks (on Parlato’s upcoming In A Dream), Anat Cohen (on Gilfema + 2), Jeff Ballard (on Persona), and Herbie Hancock (Lionel Loueke’s Virgin Forest).
Missed it? The full series will repeat and re-run many times. Check telecast times at IconsAmongUs.com
Documentary Channel is on Dish Network channel 197 & NYC TV channel 25. More info on the series at The Documentary Channel
Switzerland digs ObliqSound and we like them! Come to the Canal Room on Wednesday, January 14, as we help salute the amazing sounds of Switzerland. Grand Pianoramax, featuring Mike Ladd, Celena Glenn and Jojo Mayer, headline the Swiss music showcase co-presented by the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York and ProHelvetia.
Doors open at 7:30 PM. Show starts with Beat Kaestli (8 pm), Serena Jost and full band (9 pm), and goodie bags filled with tasty Swiss chocolates and treats. Join us!
Good news sounds so much better in French…Music critic Jacques Denis of France’s Vibrations Magazine has featured John Shannon’s American Mystic among his Best Albums of 2008.
Look out Boston, here comes Gilfema! On January 14, Gilfema will unveil their newest disc Gilfema + 2 at their USA album debut at Boston’s legendary venue The Regatta Bar. Lionel Loueke, Ferenc Nemeth and Massimo Biolcati will be joined by guest clarinetists John Ellis and Joris Roelofs to present the music of this “melodious, rich album (eMusic),” with “vital, inventive music that recalls both Africa and a summer day in Central Park (Rhapsody).
The live concert isn’t until January, but last night, Jeff Turton of Boston’s WFNX sounded the alarm that “Gilfema is coming!” on the station’s popular Jazz Brunch podcast. (Sorry, it’s Boston, we really wanted to yell “The British are coming!” like Paul Revere. Sue us!) Go to WFNX.com today and download the in-depth podcast interview with Lionel Loueke and hear some of the album’s top tunes. Stay tuned for more area appearances with the trio and guests - including a live in-studio session at Worcester, MA’s WICN Public Radio.
Listeners around the nation got a chance to hear from Lionel Loueke last week on NPR’s News & Notes, when he was invited to appear on the December 23rd show. He talked with host Farai Chideya about his unique fusion of jazz and African sounds, the new album, and even fit in the time to perform a track from Gilfema + 2 normally done in a quintet formation…Listen now on NPR and tell all your friends - preferably “plus two” at a time.
For the second year in a row, ObliqSound has received multiple nominations for the Independent Music Awards! Two ObliqSound albums were just named as finalists in the 8th Anual competition.
The 7th Annual IMAs saw Lionel Loueke’s solo album Virgin Forest nominated twice, for Best World Fusion Album and Best World Fusion Song (”Kponnon Kpete”), and Ferenc Nemeth’s Night Songs nominated for Best Jazz Album. Loueke’s song “Kponnon Kpete” enjoyed a win for Best World Fusion Song and has received wonderful promotion and acclaim as a result of the IMA Award.
Massimo Biolcati’s debut album as a leader, Persona, is a finalist for Best Jazz Album. The album features Biolcati, Jeff Ballard, Peter Rende and Lionel Loueke in quartet, with vocal guests Lizz Wright and Gretchen Parlato.
Grand Pianoramax’s second album, The Biggest Piano In Town, is a finalist for Best Album Art Photography. The album features Leo Tardin on keys, and Deantoni Parks and Adam Deitch on drums, with vocal guests Celena Glenn, Spleen, Mike Ladd and Invincible. The cover was photographed by Marcelo Krasilcic and art direction was by Andrea Ruggiero.
Winners will be announced in January 2009, but you can be a part of the process in 2008 by voting for Persona and The Biggest Piano In Town in the IMA’s Vox Populi contest. Tell your friends and vote for Persona and The Biggest Piano In Town today on www.independentmusicawards.com.
Want to celebrate with us more? Join our mailing list to receive a discount code for 25% off any order on ObliqSound.com. If you buy more than $20 of merchandise, you’ll also get a free ObliqSound t-shirt! Offer ends this Friday, December 5.
ObliqSound proudly presents…John Shannon’s Music Video debut! The video, for the song “Somewhere” is from the album American Mystic, and was directed by Carsten Fleck.
Join John on tour, starting tonight, Tuesday October 14, in New York at Canal Room’s excellent “Artists You Should Know” series, with Emily Zuzik and Joe Whyte also on the bill. (Show starts at 8, he’ll take the stage at 10 pm.)
Can’t make it to New York? John heads west for the rest of the week, opening for Velour Music vocalist Sonya Kitchell on tour in Colorado and Utah, and will then spend November touring with Hiromi across Europe and Japan.
After an 8 city tour in the US opening for Maceo Parker at legendary venues including the Fillmore in San Francisco and the Roxy in West Hollywood, Grand Pianoramax has just finished a European tour with Mike Ladd, including shows in Paris, Berlin, London, Edinburgh, Zürich, Lisbon and the Cully Jazz Festival. After Europe, Grand Pianoramax played three memorable nights to full capacity crowds at the Blue Frog in Mumbai, India - which you can see for yourself in the Grand Pianoramax photo gallery on iLike.
This intense touring activity and new album The Biggest Piano In Town in stores now have received rave press reviews and profiles in many top US and Europe publications including BPM, Edinburgh Evening News and Metro London. Watch videos from recent in-studio sessions and concerts, plus read excerpts from the critics’ comments right here and read Downbeat Magazine’s June issue feature about Grand Pianoramax leader Leo Tardin below.
(click image to read the full article)
Do you think the new disc is really the biggest in town? Leave a comment and let us know…
Attention, citizens of France. John Shannon has landed.
On Wednesday, the French vloggers of La Blogotheque debuted two “Concerts a Emporter” or “Take Away Shows” on their blog, featuring ObliqSound vocalist and guitarist John Shannon. The videographers of Blogotheque followed him through the streets of Venice this spring while he performed from his album American Mystic and captured “Somewhere” and “Falling Into All” on film. You can watch the videos here or by clicking the image above.
The next day, French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles also published a full page feature about John and his music. Pick up a copy if you’re in town, but you can see the online version here.
John is performing this weekend in Paris, Berlin and then coming back to his hometown of Pittsburgh in two weeks for a hometown release show on May 28. Come join us - venue and tourdates are here.
We are pleased to announce that Alon Yavnai’s album Travel Notes is now in stores! The album is ObliqSound’s 10th release in our instrumental series and we couldn’t be prouder.
Travel Notes is now available nationwide in the USA and Canada, and worldwide on iTunes (with a digital exclusive bonus track). CD release in Europe and other territories is set for September.
Travel Notes is a musical diary of pianist Yavnai’s life as a touring musician with a multi-national upbringing, including influences from his culture from Israel, travels in Cape Verde, Angola, and Brazil. Melding solo piano with a trio combination featuring stand-out members Omer Avital on bass and oud and Jamey Haddad on percussion, the album is an intimate and personal songbook with international flavors.
We are pleased to announce that