June 10, 2005
To: Listings/Critics/Features From: JAZZ PROMO SERVICES Press Contact: JIM EIGO, [email protected]
STRING TRIO MAJOR OVER MINOR PLAY BARTOK AT CORNELIA STREET CAFÉ SUNDAY JUNE 12 2005 @ 8:30 PM
Rob Thomas, Tanya Kalmanovitch and Lindsey Horner improvise Bartók’s 44 Duos for Violin
The string trio Major Over Minor will perform Sunday June 12 2005 at 8:30 PM at Cornelia Street Café. Formed in November 2004 by three of New York’s leading improvising string players – violinist Rob Thomas, violist/violinist Tanya Kalmanovitch, and bassist Lindsey Horner – the group pays homage to Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist Béla Bartók by using the composer’s works for two violins as departure points for daring, dazzling jazz improvisation.
The trio’s debut earlier this spring at Cornelia Street Café was enthusiastically received by audiences and media. Reviewing the trio’s debut in All About Jazz, David Adler wrote, “Horner set the tempos and laid rhythmic foundations for the violin solos, in which Bartók's acrid melodic language became a springboard for brilliant jazz musings”. The group’s name comes from a musicological term that describes Bartok’s characteristic polytonal harmonic language, but “major over minor” also points to the music’s emotional chiaroscuro of sadness and celebration. The result is an intimate, expressive chamber music that reaches across the boundaries of folk, classical, jazz and free improvisation.
Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was deeply involved with the folk music of Eastern Europe. One of the founders or 20th century ethnomusicology, Bartok collected field recordings of traditional Rumanian, Slovakian, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Turkish and North African music as well as the folk music of his native Hungary. The short compositions that form the bulk of Major Over Minor’s repertoire – in particular, the progressive compositions Bartók wrote for piano and violin students – display these various ethnic influences. In their upcoming performance, the trio will focus on Bartok’s 44 Duos for Violin.
International critics and audiences recognize violinist Rob Thomas as one of the most original, technically adept and powerful violinists playing jazz and contemporary music. Thomas has been an active member of the creative music scene in New York City since moving there in 1991. In the mid ‘90’s he performed and recorded extensively with The Jazz Passengers. In 2001 Rob accepted the violin chair in the String Trio of New York joining guitarist James Emery and bassist John Lindberg as the legendary group began its 23rd season. He is also a member of the critically acclaimed Mahavishnu Project, and most recently dazzled Jazz at Lincoln Center audiences as featured soloist with John Handy’s Legendary 1965 Monterey Sextet.
A formidable classical performer, Tanya Kalmanovitch is fast developing a reputation in the international jazz and creative music community as an innovator on her primary instrument, the viola. After graduating from the Juilliard School, Kalmanovitch played with the Turtle Island String Quartet before embarking on the studies in ethnomusicology that would eventually take her to South India, where she lived for a year researching the connections between jazz and Karnatic music. Since moving to New York in late 2004, she is fast making a name for herself in the city’s jazz and creative music scene and was named as “Best new talent” for 2004 by All About Jazz New York. She has released two albums as leader of her quartet Hut Five (with Rick Peckham, Ronan Guilfoyle and Owen Howard), 2002’s Hut Five and 2004’s Out where the trains don’t run. Kalmanovitch co-leads a free-improvisation duo with pianist Myra Melford, which has recently recorded its first album.
Bassist Lindsey Horner is one of the more versatile musicians in jazz and modern music. He has most often been heard with musicians on the cutting edge recording and performing with artists such as Greg Osby, Bill Frisell, Bobby Previte, Dave Douglas and Muhal Richard Abrams. Through the ‘90’s Horner performed as a member of the Myra Melford trio, an association that yielded four highly acclaimed discs. As a leader he has produced three recordings, Never No More, Mercy Angel and Believers with a fourth due later this year. Horner is a member of the co-operative group Jewels and Binoculars with saxophonist Michael Moore and drummer Michael Vatcher. Horner also has deep roots in Irish music having toured and recorded extensively with singer/songwriter Susan McKeown, Scottish fiddle master Johnny Cunningham and traditional Irish music legend Andy Irvine.
Cornelia Street Café is located at 29 Cornelia Street, New York, 10014. A $10 music charge ($7 for students) will apply, and there is a one-drink minimum per set. For reservations, contact the Cornelia Street Café at 212-989-9319.
* * * * * * * * Rob Thomas:
“Rob Thomas is a violinist of exceptional creative resources... riveting as a solo voice with a rich complex tone that can sing or shriek" - JazzTimes
“... soars with the wild abandon of Jean Luc Ponty and Jerry Goodman ...Thomas gets it!” -All About Jazz Major Over Minor Page 2
Tanya Kalmanovitch:
“Best new talent 2004” -All About Jazz New York
“Don't let Canadian viola player Tanya Kalmanovitch's Juilliard pedigree fool you into thinking she can't cut it in a heated improv setting. For proof, check out the two excellent CDs she made with her quartet, Hut Five — both the crafty, tuneful self-titled debut and the freewheeling, spontaneous follow-up, Out Where the Trains Don't Run.” - Time Out New York (critic's pick)
Lindsey Horner:
“...creative phrasing, and precise timing, articulation and intonation." -Chicago Reader
“...wondrously played with Lindsey Horner's bass bringing new colors to the melodies." - One Final Note
Websites
www.tanyakalmanovitch.com www.robthomasviolin.com www.corneliastreetcafe.com
For more information contact Tanya Kalmanovitch
[phone] (646) 359-2556 [email] [email protected] [web] www.tanyakalmanovitch.com
To: Listings/Critics/Features From: JAZZ PROMO SERVICES Press Contact: JIM EIGO, [email protected]
STRING TRIO MAJOR OVER MINOR PLAY BARTOK AT CORNELIA STREET CAFÉ SUNDAY JUNE 12 2005 @ 8:30 PM
Rob Thomas, Tanya Kalmanovitch and Lindsey Horner improvise Bartók’s 44 Duos for Violin
The string trio Major Over Minor will perform Sunday June 12 2005 at 8:30 PM at Cornelia Street Café. Formed in November 2004 by three of New York’s leading improvising string players – violinist Rob Thomas, violist/violinist Tanya Kalmanovitch, and bassist Lindsey Horner – the group pays homage to Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist Béla Bartók by using the composer’s works for two violins as departure points for daring, dazzling jazz improvisation.
The trio’s debut earlier this spring at Cornelia Street Café was enthusiastically received by audiences and media. Reviewing the trio’s debut in All About Jazz, David Adler wrote, “Horner set the tempos and laid rhythmic foundations for the violin solos, in which Bartók's acrid melodic language became a springboard for brilliant jazz musings”. The group’s name comes from a musicological term that describes Bartok’s characteristic polytonal harmonic language, but “major over minor” also points to the music’s emotional chiaroscuro of sadness and celebration. The result is an intimate, expressive chamber music that reaches across the boundaries of folk, classical, jazz and free improvisation.
Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was deeply involved with the folk music of Eastern Europe. One of the founders or 20th century ethnomusicology, Bartok collected field recordings of traditional Rumanian, Slovakian, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Turkish and North African music as well as the folk music of his native Hungary. The short compositions that form the bulk of Major Over Minor’s repertoire – in particular, the progressive compositions Bartók wrote for piano and violin students – display these various ethnic influences. In their upcoming performance, the trio will focus on Bartok’s 44 Duos for Violin.
International critics and audiences recognize violinist Rob Thomas as one of the most original, technically adept and powerful violinists playing jazz and contemporary music. Thomas has been an active member of the creative music scene in New York City since moving there in 1991. In the mid ‘90’s he performed and recorded extensively with The Jazz Passengers. In 2001 Rob accepted the violin chair in the String Trio of New York joining guitarist James Emery and bassist John Lindberg as the legendary group began its 23rd season. He is also a member of the critically acclaimed Mahavishnu Project, and most recently dazzled Jazz at Lincoln Center audiences as featured soloist with John Handy’s Legendary 1965 Monterey Sextet.
A formidable classical performer, Tanya Kalmanovitch is fast developing a reputation in the international jazz and creative music community as an innovator on her primary instrument, the viola. After graduating from the Juilliard School, Kalmanovitch played with the Turtle Island String Quartet before embarking on the studies in ethnomusicology that would eventually take her to South India, where she lived for a year researching the connections between jazz and Karnatic music. Since moving to New York in late 2004, she is fast making a name for herself in the city’s jazz and creative music scene and was named as “Best new talent” for 2004 by All About Jazz New York. She has released two albums as leader of her quartet Hut Five (with Rick Peckham, Ronan Guilfoyle and Owen Howard), 2002’s Hut Five and 2004’s Out where the trains don’t run. Kalmanovitch co-leads a free-improvisation duo with pianist Myra Melford, which has recently recorded its first album.
Bassist Lindsey Horner is one of the more versatile musicians in jazz and modern music. He has most often been heard with musicians on the cutting edge recording and performing with artists such as Greg Osby, Bill Frisell, Bobby Previte, Dave Douglas and Muhal Richard Abrams. Through the ‘90’s Horner performed as a member of the Myra Melford trio, an association that yielded four highly acclaimed discs. As a leader he has produced three recordings, Never No More, Mercy Angel and Believers with a fourth due later this year. Horner is a member of the co-operative group Jewels and Binoculars with saxophonist Michael Moore and drummer Michael Vatcher. Horner also has deep roots in Irish music having toured and recorded extensively with singer/songwriter Susan McKeown, Scottish fiddle master Johnny Cunningham and traditional Irish music legend Andy Irvine.
Cornelia Street Café is located at 29 Cornelia Street, New York, 10014. A $10 music charge ($7 for students) will apply, and there is a one-drink minimum per set. For reservations, contact the Cornelia Street Café at 212-989-9319.
* * * * * * * * Rob Thomas:
“Rob Thomas is a violinist of exceptional creative resources... riveting as a solo voice with a rich complex tone that can sing or shriek" - JazzTimes
“... soars with the wild abandon of Jean Luc Ponty and Jerry Goodman ...Thomas gets it!” -All About Jazz Major Over Minor Page 2
Tanya Kalmanovitch:
“Best new talent 2004” -All About Jazz New York
“Don't let Canadian viola player Tanya Kalmanovitch's Juilliard pedigree fool you into thinking she can't cut it in a heated improv setting. For proof, check out the two excellent CDs she made with her quartet, Hut Five — both the crafty, tuneful self-titled debut and the freewheeling, spontaneous follow-up, Out Where the Trains Don't Run.” - Time Out New York (critic's pick)
Lindsey Horner:
“...creative phrasing, and precise timing, articulation and intonation." -Chicago Reader
“...wondrously played with Lindsey Horner's bass bringing new colors to the melodies." - One Final Note
Websites
www.tanyakalmanovitch.com www.robthomasviolin.com www.corneliastreetcafe.com
For more information contact Tanya Kalmanovitch
[phone] (646) 359-2556 [email] [email protected] [web] www.tanyakalmanovitch.com
For more information contact All About Jazz.
