GIGI BROOKS of JAZZ TIMES presents an exclusive New York City jazz event, introducing PILZ4JAZZ, A Tribute To The Jazz Masters, tonight, April 26th at 8 p.m. and April 27th at 1:30 p.m., 2014.
Jazz radio personality and Jazz Times columnist, Gigi Brooks of the highly acclaimed jazz radio programs, "GG's Steamin' Greens" and "GG's Jazz Greats and Legends" series, is proud to introduce the jazz group PILZ4JAZZ. This band's documentation of jazz eras through the integration of Latin jazz, Straight-ahead, Blues, Modal, Acid jazz and Afro-punk jazz takes jazz music to a new and refreshingly brilliant level! A must hear!
This event will be filmed as Gigi interviews artists for her television pilot with 12 time Emmy Award winner,
Eric Johnson, as well as recording segments for her acclaimed jazz radio show, "GG's Steamin' Greens".
PILZ4JAZZ debuts, followed by a "Super-Jam-Session" with International Jazz Greats" all night long!
PILZ4JAZZ is a new music group that has recorded their debut release entitled "Our Tribute Album". PILZ4JAZZ was brought together to pay homage to our heroes in jazz music and the wonderful eras they flourished in! From N.Y.C., the four members are: sax-man Charlie LaGondola Italian-American, "Spyder" Nicks on bass African-American, pianist YAYA Japanese, and Almax drummer, producer and founder/conceptualist is all of the combined cultures mentioned above. Ranging from their 30's through their 60's, each of the four members, individually, worked diligently to write a memorable instrumental theme song of the highest integrity, reminiscent of the great jazz standards. They then collectively strengthened their individual original songs and arrangements by welcoming new ideas from the other members of the band after tirelessly experimenting. Finally they recorded, fully crediting all 4 songs as "collaborative original compositions" on this their debut album.
Things got interestingly different when PILZ4JAZZ then reinterpreted new versions of the original 4 jazz compositions into all the different eras of jazz! From ragtime through the introduction of electric instruments in Avant-garde jazz, they have seamlessly integrated this entire timeline. Tributes to Latin jazz (feat. percussionist Bashiri Johnson), funky jazz, jazz in film, steamy ballads, and jazz blues interpretations with an emphasis placed on the integrity and accountability of each of the eras, are represented here without sounding sounding clinical, rehashed, or trite. Charlie LaGondola went way beyond the extra yard when I (Almaxx) asked him to rearrange the 4 original jazz compositions using modes. He returned with modal reinterpretations that gave us such great incentive to feed off of, PILZ4JAZZ was raised to a whole 'notha spiritual level we had no idea we could get to! Thank you Brotha' Charlie!
Guest jazz singer
Lisa Gary 26, from NYC, sang the original and reinterpreted melodies of the 4 jazz songs so well, we feel strongly that she can be the next heralded jazz superstar vocalist internationally! These are truly captivating and inspired performances by her with lyrics written by Almax that match the intensity and integrity of their instrumental only interpretations. Detailed account of the inspiration for the lyrics as well as the actual writing process including the original hand written lyrics and our take on Lisa's "interpretations" on a song by song basis can be accessed by pressing the "lyrics" button on this website. Pressing the lyrics button also shows the hand written music transcripts by Charlie of our Miles modal tribute, 'Trane modal tribute, etc. as well as two 22:00 jams (whew! 22:00 straight at 120 bpm!!), one without a "click" track and one with a click running the entire 22:00! Other goodies will be added as we move onto the next tier of web-dom experimentation, as my wife Cristiana has slowly become the web designer of our dreams! Thanks BUBU! Stay tuned please...!
PILZ4JAZZ are currently putting finishing touches on our follow-up album dedicated to "supporting this debut" album with even more variations of the 4 original jazz songs that kicked off this project! We're working with remixers using state of the art modern electronic approaches (whatever is trendy is what that means...) to yet again re-interpret the 4 jazz songs. With these collaborative "remixes", PILZ4JAZZ will attempt to display our range of inspiration from acid jazz, jazz-hip-hop, and the afro punk jazz worlds, Viva La Jazz, V.2.0. For more infromation, visit
www.pilz4jazz.com/music/.
