DRIFF FEST

This year’s edition will feature a fast-paced and exciting program of six local acts in half-hour sets: Andria Nicodemou Solo, Cliff Trio, Duo Buzz, Steve Lantner Trio w/ Allan Chase and Luther Gray, Cutout and Jeb Bishop’s Every Opportunity. A party-jazz band will close the evening into the early morning hours.

The evening will start off with rising improv star and Cyprus native Andria Nicodemou on solo vibraphone. Andria has been working in diverse interdisciplinary art projects, with multi-media artists, dancers and actors in Europe and USA. She has worked with musicians such as Joe Morris, Anthony Coleman, Marty Ehrlich, Ikue Morri, Tayler Ho Bynum, Tatsuya Nakatani, Ab Baars, Anne La Berge, Gianni Lenoci, Jim Hobbs and Marc Sanders, among others. She was a guest performer at the London Improvisers Orchestra (2015) and the Royal Improvisers Orchestra in Amsterdam (2014). With her unique voice she has established herself as one of the important emerging musicians in the experimental, improvised music idioms. In July of 2014 she received the honorary visa for prominent artistic personalities, “Artist with an extraordinary ability in the fields of art” from the USA.

Next up, Cliff Trio, featuring Pandelis Karayorgis on piano, Damon Smith on bass and Eric Rosenthal on drums. Cliff Trio explores density, pulse and texture in extended trio improvisations. Karayorgis and Rosenthal share a long musical relationship dating back to the early nineties. They are joined by bassist Damon Smith with whom they have been working together over the past couple years while he has been living in Boston.

Continuing the evening, Duo Buzz with dancer Jessica Roseman and saxophonist Jorrit Dijkstra will perform their unique melding of music and movement which involves both performers moving around the stage in expressive vignettes.

Pianist’s Steve Lantner Trio with Allan Chase on alto sax and Luther Gray on drums is next. The trio, in collaboration since 2005, have forged three disparate backgrounds into one distinctive voice, producing highly articulated free improvisation, with kaleidoscopic harmonic resonance.

Following up, is Cutout (Jorrit Dijkstra, soprano, alto sax – Jeb Bishop, trombone – Pandelis Karayorgis, piano – Nate McBride, bass – Luther Gray, drums), a collaborative group that brings together five of the most accomplished and internationally acclaimed jazz musicians living in the Boston area, united by an interest in creating adventurous improvisational forms. All musicians contribute original compositions that function as springboards for instant arrangements during each performance. The group’s members have all played together for at least 15 years in different configurations such as The Whammies, Matchbox, several of Pandelis Karayorgis’ groups, Breakaway, the Bathysphere large ensemble and the Duo Jeb Bishop/Jorrit Dijkstra. Since September 2017 Cutout has been performing regularly at the Lilypad in Cambridge, as part of the Point01Percent series of improvisation concerts.

Next, Trombonist Jeb Bishop presents his new large ensemble Every Opportunity. Bishop describes this group: “I first assembled a version of this group in spring 2018, for Eric Rosenthal’s Point01Percent series. For that first performance we did free improvisation, but I liked the sound of the group so much that I wanted to try to write some music for it. This Driff Fest invitation gave me the perfect opportunity to do that. I’ve expanded the band, which in any case is a flexible concept, to four string players, two drummers, two trombones, trumpet and vibraphone for the occasion.”

Finally, the evening closes with the sextet Jazz Party (Forbes Graham, trumpet – Charlie Kohlhase, saxes – Jeb Bishop, trombone – Pandelis Karayorgis, piano – Jef Charland, bass – Curt Newton, drums) playing Monk, Mingus and Eddie Harris tunes among others.

Tickets will be available at the door for $20/$15, doors open at 7PM and the music will start at 7:30PM. LilyPad, 1353 Cambridge Street, Inman Sq, Cambridge MA 02139.

www.driffrecords.com

driffrcords.bandcamp.com

jorritdijkstra.com

karayorgis.com

Driff Fest 2019 schedule Saturday June 8

7:30

Andria Nicodemou Solo

Andria Nicodemou, vibraphone

8:15

Cliff Trio

Pandelis Karayorgis, piano

Damon Smith, bass

Eric Rosenthal, drums

9:00

Buzz

Jessica Roseman, dance

Jorrit Dijkstra, soprano sax

9:30

Steve Lantner Trio w/ Allan Chase and Luther Gray

Allan Chase, alto sax

Steve Lantner, piano

Luther Gray, drums

10:15

Cutout

Jorrit Dijkstra, soprano, alto sax

Jeb Bishop, trombone

Pandelis Karayorgis, piano

Nate McBride, bass

Luther Gray, drums

11:00

Jeb Bishop’s Every Opportunity

Forbes Graham, trumpet

Jeb Bishop, trombone

Reginald Chapman, bass trombone

Abigale Reisman, violin

Junko Fujiwara, cello

Brittany Karlson, bass

Andria Nicodemou, vibraphone

Curt Newton, drums

Eric Rosenthal, drums

11:50

Jazz Party

Forbes Graham, trumpet

Charlie Kohlhase, saxes

Jeb Bishop, trombone

Pandelis Karayorgis, piano

Jef Charland, bass

Curt Newton, drums