CD/Book Release: Barbara Sfraga & Center Search Quest, @ Makor-NYC, Thu., June 22nd

Barbara Sfraga and Center Search Quest will be celebrating the upcoming release of their latest CD Timelessness Frozen in Time (Street Date September 5, 2006), as well as Barbara Sfraga's book The Subway Series: A Book of Drawings Sprinkled With Words

at Makor
35 West 67th Street
212-601-1000
Thursday, June 22nd
7:30 PM
$15 cover

With voicist Barbara Sfraga, bass artisan Christopher Dean Sullivan, soundrhythium Michael T.A. Thompson, pianist/vocalist/ songwriter Mala Waldron, and saxophonist Erik Lawrence.

Described as consistently inventive (Billboard), a master of bold interpretation (Jazz Times), jazz singing at its cutting edge best (LA Times), Barbara Sfraga has been on a musical journey that evolved from church organist to rock keyboardist to jazz singer to voicist. Her creativity pours over into the visual arts as well, as evidenced by her work in the book also being celebrated on June 22nd.

In 1989, bass artisan Christopher Dean Sullivan met kindred spirit and soundrhythium Michael T.A. Thompson, and collaborated to form Center Search Quest. Barbara met Sullivan and Thompson in 2002 and has been performing with them ever since in many configurations, including voice/bass/drums, performing some of Barbara's originals as well as their unconventional arrangements of jazz and pop standards. During that time, T.A. made a comment to Barbara that what she needed to do next was an entirely original project. Although she had a few of her originals sprinkled on her previous two recordings (Oh, What a Thrill, Naxos Jazz and Under the Moon, A440 Music Group) she was more known for her unconventional twists on jazz and pop standards (pops- terdizing jazz and jazz-terdizing pop...) The next year, T.A. and pianist/vocalist/songwriter Mala Waldron began a writing collaboration. Shortly thereafter, they surprised Barbara with material they had written expressly for her, with the invitation to write lyrics to any of the tunes she resonated with. That gift put this present journey into motion. Soon after, the unit began regularly writing together toward what would become the Timelessness project. Mala Waldron officially joined the unit in the summer of 2004, and saxophonist/flautist Allen Won came on board shortly after that. Mala and Allen also lead their own groups and each have releases as leaders; Waldron's Always There (2006) and Won's The Jewel in the Lotus (2004)

Collaborating with these stellar musicians, Sfraga and Center Search Quest are genre-bending their way to a whole new sound. With roots firmly planted in jazz and with the improvizational element always in place, Sfraga and CSQ are on a quest to leave no groove unturned. All five musicians lend their creative - and sometimes their physical - voices to this project in three part harmony, with a little spoken word thrown into the pot. It's music without borders! Sfraga and CSQ's newest recording will be celebrated June 22nd, featuring mostly their original material, as well as a few surprises.