After a year which took him to Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Romania and France as a Fulbright Scholar, Jazz pianist Armen Donelian will celebrate the release of his new CD Mystic Heights on Sunnyside Records on Sunday, December 8th at InHouse in the heart of New York City's Soho district.
The second volume in his Grand Ideas solo piano series and his fifth album for Sunnyside, Mystic Heights features eight of Donelian's distinctive original compositions, including “Ode" inspired by the playing of Joe Lovano, and “Exiled Dreams" dedicated in memorium to the late Thomas Chapin.
In a review of Wave (Grand Ideas Vol. 1), an album of classic standards and popular songs, Village Voice Jazz critic Gary Giddins praised Donelian's “Dramatic lyricism" and “Controlled and expressive poetry" (Voice Choices, 4/3/01).
Grand Ideas Vol. 3, Full Moon Music, scheduled for release on Sunnyside in 2003, features Donelian in a program of improvisations he created entirely at the recording session in one evening. More about Sunnyside Records can be found on the internet at www.sunnysidezone.com.
During the December 8th concert, Donelian will also join forces with Marc Mommaas, tenor saxophonist phenomenon from Amsterdam, in a set of piano/saxophone duets. An honors graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Mommaas has made New York his home in recent years. David Liebman calls his first album, Globalmotiontrio (Alibre Records), “First class." More about Marc Mommaas can be found on the internet at www.mommaas.com.
The ARMEN DONELIAN CD RELEASE CELEBRATION CONCERT with special guest MARC MOMMAAS will take place on Sunday evening, December 8th, 2002 at 7pm at InHouse, 474 Greenwich Street (at Canal Street), 5th Floor, New York City. Admission is $10. and $7. for students and seniors. For further information and reservations please call (212) 925-8534. More about Armen Donelian can be found on the internet at www.armenjazz.com.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
