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MEG OKURA
THE PAN ASIAN CHAMBER JAZZ ENSEMBLE
Composer, erhu player and premiere jazz violinist Meg Okura leads a group of virtuosi, Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble, inventing and defining "world chamber jazz" today. Hailed by New York Times as "vibrant" and "sophisticated," the ensemble is not just pretty faces, but rather "... mixes a classically trained mastery of strings, piano and drums with quick-witted compositional twist performed with high energy" (Down Beat Magazine). Their self-titled debut album was one of the finalists of the 2006 "Best Album" in the Independent Musicians Awards. Today, the album is still the No. 1 Top -Seller in the "Chamber Jazz" category on the CDBaby, and received the Editor's Choice in "Jazz -World Fusion" category.
Juilliard trained Meg Okura takes advantage of compositional techniques of classical music such as melodic counterpoint, as well as her knowledge in sophisticated jazz harmony and vocabularies, while incorporating traditional music from Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle-East. The compositions also feature the erhu, a two-stringed Chinese violin, as well as the shinobue, a bamboo flute from Japan. As an arranger, she also puts her unique spins on masterpieces ranging from Paganini to Coltrane, making them completely new and radical.
As Elliot Simon from All About Jazz puts it "…the best jazz New York has to offer," this New York-based ensemble features some of the most talented musicians from all ethnic, cultural, and musical backgrounds. They all went to world's top conservatories, then went onto performing with some of the biggest names in jazz, gospel, rock, pop and world music as well as major symphonies. The ensemble has just returned from their first tour of Japan (of all sold-out concerts) celebrating the Japanese release of their CD.
Native of Japan, Meg Okura toured throughout Asia as the concertmaster and the soloist with the Asian Youth Orchestra while attending the Toho School in Tokyo. As a teenager, she made her Kennedy Centre debut with the late Alexander Schneider's New York String Orchestra. She then settled in New York City to pursue her classical study at The Juilliard School. While in school, she realized that studying jazz was the only way to become the most complete musician anyone could be, and made the difficult shift from classical to jazz upon graduation.
Today, her credit includes over fifty appearances on albums, movie soundtracks, and television and music videos, performing with musical icons such as David Bowie, Mary J. Blige, Michael Brecker, Philip Glass, Ziggy Marley, Lee Konitz, Lenny Kravitz, Steve Swallow, Kanye West and others.
Since the ensemble's debut at New York's Stone in February of 2006, Meg Okura's Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble has performed at Makor, the Next Door Jazz Festival, Saint Peters Church, Asian Leadership Conference at the MoMA, Kumble Theater, Saint Paul's Chapel. This year, the ensemble was invited to perform at the 2008 Winter Jazz Festival held at the Knitting Factory.
The ensemble is currently working on their second album, featuring the current members of the ensemble, including pianist Mamiko Kitaura of the Monica Mancini Orchestra and Jun Kubo, winner of the Haifa International Flute Competition.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Golden Land Concert and Connections will present a double bill performance featuring Sam Newsome playing solo saxophone & violinist/composer Meg Okura and her Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble at DROM in New York City on Friday, September 25, 2009.
Program
Solo Soprano Saxophone Works by Sam Newsome
Performed by Sam Newsome
The Suite “Lu Chai” by Meg Okura
a chamber jazz suite inspired by a poem “Lu Chai” by Wang Wei
Performed by Meg Okura’s Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble
Anne Drummond (flute)
Willard Dyson (drums)
Mamiko Kitaura (piano)
Rubin Kodheli (cello)
Jun Kubo (shinobue/flute)
Meg Okura (violin, erhu)
Jennifer Vincent (double bass)
Solo Soprano Saxophone Works by Sam Newsome
Newsome, named a “Rising Star” in the Soprano Saxophone category in this year’s 56th Annual Downbeat Critic’s Poll, will be performing music from his soon-to-be released CD, Blue Soliloquy, a collection of cross-cultural works for solo saxophone that takes listeners on a journey from the Mississippi Delta all the way to the mountains of Mongolia. Time Out New York has referred to Newsome’s solo works as “…an astounding display of extended techniques.”
A Chamber Suite “Lu Chai” by Meg Okura
I. Empty Mountains
II. Echo of Voices
III. Sunlight
IV. Green Moss
For Okura and her Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble, this will make their second appearance at Drom - the first being a sold-out concert last fall with Oscar Award winning actor/singer Terrence Howard. The ensemble will perform music from Okura’s extended suite “Lu Chai,” (inspired by a poetry by Wang Wei) which fuses traditional sounds of Asia with contemporary classical and jazz. Originally commissioned by the Jerome Composer Commission Program (JCCP) in 2007, the suite will feature traditional instruments including Okura’s erhu (Chinese violin) and Jun Kubo’s shinobue (Japanese flute), as well as premiere jazz flutist Anne Drummond, Rubin Kodheli on cello, Jennifer Vincent on double bass, Mamiko Kitaura on piano, and Willard Dyson on drums.
Press Quotes
New York Times
"Ms. Okura's vibrant, Eastern-influenced, jazzy score and the playing of her musicians were the most sophisticated parts of the work" (Roslyn Sulcas)
All About Jazz
"… (some of) the best jazz New York has to offer." (Elliot Simon)
Down Beat Magazine
"... mixes a classically trained mastery of strings, piano and drums with quick-witted compositional twist performed with high energy." (Jennifer Odell)
New York Sun
"The group delivers exactly what its name promises… the group found a common ground in '60s-style modality, occasionally reminiscent of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner's Eastern explorations." (Will Friedwald)
All About Jazz
"…elegantly intertwine(s) elements of classical, jazz and world folk into a new sound…by presenting precisely played ethnically inspired original compositions in an exciting modern jazz context." (Elliot Simon)
Boudica's Music Reviews
"…very original and fresh. …It is relaxing, it is invigorating. It never disappoints; rather it draws your attention throughout the entire production. The compositions are complex, the skill of the musicians is without question."
Chris Ruel's Instrumental Music Reviews (www.chrisruel.com)
"…a phenomenal new album with the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble that showcases her stunning compositional skills that integrate stylistic elements from multiple genres of music within individual arrangements. …deeply moving emotional projection from Romantic era…as well as other elements from jazz, contemporary, and popular music spanning from Joe Venuti to Gershwin to Coltrane to Hancock and beyond. …The vision is radical but the flawless execution and inspired delivery make it seem natural. …Meg Okura defies convention by breaking through all boundaries with her revolutionary vision that is redefining our understanding of and perspective on modern music. …The music is refined, sophisticated, emotional, progressive, and hip all at once. …This is the future of instrumental music." (Chris Ruel)
Visit the Meg Okura website
Visit the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble website