New England & Boston creatives up from The New Haven Jazz Underground!

Another adventurous journey into improvisation with special guests pushing the envelope of Jazz, and actually more clearly, merges seamlessly, the Free with New Music.                               

Contact: Alex @ Creative Music Series, alexlemski@gmail.com, 617/800-7255

https://www.creativemusicseries.com/

Trumpeter Nick Di Maria established himself early on as a performer, bandleader, and composer, and since 2006 has carved out his lot as one of the most sought after musicians and organizers. Di Maria is a protege of trumpeter Dr. Eddie Henderson who came to prominence during the 1970’s as a member of Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi band. Coming up and hitting the scene in 2006, Di Maria also learned how to self produce concerts and recordings which led to him founding the New Haven Jazz Underground, a grassroots community based organization dedicated to preserving and sustaining jazz in New Haven, CT. Since the inception of the organization, Di Maria has become a mainstay of the Connecticut Jazz Scene. Di Maria frequently performs with various projects he leads which showcase a broad array of different styles of jazz and improvisational music. His bands and music have been described as “moody, playful and often times….danceable. In a word “groovy.”

Aside from leading his own bands, Di Maria has worked with such notable musicians as trumpeters Jeremy Pelt & Nate Wooley guitarists Peter Bernstein, Ed Cherry & Tony Davis; pianists Brian Charette, & Kevin Hays; bassists, Joe Morris, Matt Dwonszyk & Alex Trembley; drummers Curtis Nowosad & Mike Clark; saxophonists Abe Burton, Andrew Beals Stacey Dillard & Jon Blanck

Here are videos of my group Concussion which featured special guests Wooley and Morris:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFTskROcdVE&list=PLxiimiUW0zVBk90WwHfzW7ZwKfmGAwh3V&index=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7GFs9ZaXOM&list=PLxiimiUW0zVBk90WwHfzW7ZwKfmGAwh3V&index=4

Dan O’Brien

Dan O’Brien is a multi-woodwind improviser, teacher and composer-conductor based in the Hartford, CT area. He has performed and recorded with many significant jazz and free music artists, including Joe Morris, Nate Wooley, Marc Edwards, Sam Newsome, DoYeon Kim, Brad Barrett, Pandelis Karayorgis, Nate McBride, Elinor Speirs, Ben Stapp, Stephen Haynes and Eric Rosenthal. He founded the Phonoemulsion Records label in 2021, which has released 11 albums of free and creative music by musicians from NYC, CT and MA, and is the leader and conductor of Dan O’Brien’s Standards of Dysfunction, a free music large ensemble whose first album will be released in 2024.
Global Jazz, Creative Music and Band Teacher
Owner
Phonoemulsion Records

Previously:

Stafford Public Schools

Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts

Now:

EAST HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Brandon Terzakis is a young, Boston-based improviser. A former student of acclaimed jazz guitarist, Joe Morris, Brandon works with prepared guitar and electronics to create mesmerizingly hazy, near static pieces

Brandon first became interested in playing the drums at the age of 10. A few years later he began studying privately and playing in bands with friends. At this point he also began to play drums. Jazz appealed to him relatively early on in high school, so he auditioned for the jazz ensemble and from there knew he wanted to be involved with that realm of music in some form. After graduating high school, he began studying with Tony Lombardozzi and Avant Jazz guru, Joe Morris, whom had a great influence on his pursuit with free improvisation. Brandon currently performs in several bands based in Boston and New Haven and has toured extensively, both domestically and internationally.

Aidan O’Connell, bass

“Discovering the great concepts of Free Improvising has widened the pallet of my playing forever. In the past couple years I have been very inspired by the music of Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, Barry Guy and other Free musicians. Getting to play at The Lilypad with my brand new band of Kelly Bray on Trumpet and Brandon Terzakis on Drums is very exciting!” – Aidan O’Connell

NEC, Hartt School of Music

https://aidanoconnell.bandcamp.com/album/getting-pulled-up

https://aidanoconnell.bandcamp.com/album/getting-pulled-up

Grant Beale is a Boston based composer and improvisor.