This was an exciting spring with the release of two new CDs, followed by great reviews and then two amazing tours with El Violin Latino and Sirius Quartet.
In the next few weeks school will end in Munich and the festival season will begin. First in Blaine near Seattle, then Paris with Sirius Quartet and finally, just like every year with my brother, the annual Einhalden Festival where Sirius Quartet meets Malia.
August will be quiet and I will have some time to write new music. Then the pace picks up in September with a lot of great concerts in the US.
Richie Beirach – Gregor Huebner Duo and The WDR Big Band (Rich DeRosa, Conductor) has been well received. Here are two rave reviews from Jonathan Widran for The JW Vibe and Dick Metcalf for Contemporary Fusion Reviews.
I will be interviewed on WPFW 89.3 FM on Thursday, June 13 at 3pm. I’ll be talking about El Violin Latino at the DC Jazz Fest on Jazz and Justice Jazz Stories Edition with hosts Aaron Myers and Amy K. Bormet. TUNE IN >>
*This engagement is supported by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through US Artists International in partnership with the National Endowments for the Arts and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Rufus Reid feat. Sirius Quartet Jazz Standard — New York City
In der neuesten Folge unseres Amerika-Podcasts ist Musik drin und zwar vom Feinsten.
Unser Interviewpartner, der Jazzviolinist und Komponist Gregor Hübner, hat uns nicht nur reichlich Material aus seinem umfangreichen Werk zum Einspielen zur Verfügung gestellt. Gregor, der zwischen Harlemer Jazzclubs und den Hörsälen der Hochschule für Musik in München pendelt, hat eigens für uns eine kleine Improvisation aufgenommen, mit der wir Euch in unseren Talk mit ihm geleiten.
Any musician worth his or her salt knows that timing is integral to making music. From counting notes in a measure, to orchestrating in different meters, the element of time is foundational to every piece of music. For most artists, being sure that a song has proper timing is mostly a musical decision. But in the case of Crossing Borders, maestros Richie Beirach, piano, Gregor Huebner, violin, and Rich De Rosa (conductor) have thought about timing in a broader sense. Their spectacular and sparkling album with Germany’s WDR Big Band is both timely and timeless.
In the US and Western Europe, the rise of tribal politics and a trenchant xenophobia has taken hold. Building the US-Mexico border wall has become a political issue, not just dividing countries, but Americans who support or disagree with this measure. The resulting heightened concern and anxiety towards people who are different continues to shape the national political dialogue.This is a conversation in which artists can and should participate. Musical creators learn from an early age that they should evaluate people on their intrinsic talents and skills. And that music ultimately has a welcoming spirit, in which artists and audience members can be in communion with each other during and throughout a performance or production.
Crossing Borders is a production with this sort of welcoming spirit. It blends borders between classical and jazz, traditional and edgy. Both Richie Beirach and Gregor Huebner were classically trained and play instruments that are often used to perform music by Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. “I wanted to do something unusual,” said Huebner. So, when he was commissioned by the WDR, he jumped at the opportunity to create something of the moment, and very much needed.
The first piece Rectilinear/Paradox is a medley of two Beirach compositions. It’s a rather short number but makes a profound statement. It’s the opening salvo of what’s to come, an album that knows no borders or limits. The juxtaposition of these two pieces showcases how different sounding elements may mesh together. The more melodic “Paradox” with its song-like form, paired with the contrapuntal material of “Rectilinear” makes for tantalizing beginning.
The centerpieces of this production are two concertos for solo instruments and jazz orchestra composed by Huebner. Given that solo concertos are usually within the classical music genre, and performed with an orchestra, this album’s title “Crossing Borders” thus derives its second meaning by describing these two concertos’ musical category-transcending character into big band jazz.
“To write for a big band in this way is something new and fresh,” he says. Violin Concerto No. 3 is comprised of three movements. The first is Kathmandu and it is based on the devastating earthquake which occurred in Nepal in April 2015, around the time that Huebner began thinking about this project. It begins with a slow introduction followed by a scream or outburst with a heavy rhythmic structure. As the second movement The Grave begins, a more serene aesthetic envelopes the listener, as the number is based on one note that varies in terms of volume and density, as performed by Huebner. This represents the settling down or aftermath of the earthquake. Finally, the third movement is entitled Two Thousand 15 and presents a more uplifting and positive outlook on the future, the rising from the ashes.
Snow Leopard is a masterful arrangement, inspired by the original 1978 ECM LP “Eon” of the Richie Beirach Trio with George Mraz and Jack DeJohnette, which have moments of silence and space. It’s in this “emptiness” that DeJohnette responds gracefully. “That’s where I got the idea,” says DeRosa, “to transcribe Richie’s improvisation from the 1978 recording, and then ask him to respond to his solos from years ago.” The WDR horn players followed suit by performing Richie’s transcribed piano improvisation. That a classic recording could be recast in this way is a commentary on how sometimes the best ideas come from looking at from where we’ve come.
Huebner composed the Piano Concerto No. 3 for his friend Beirach, who he has collaborated with for some twenty-three years. It is entitled “The Code” since that’s Beirach’s nickname as he knows “the code” of playing music at a high level. Indeed, this concerto also has three movements, beginning with Into the Quest. Beirach and Liebman had a band “Quest” which began in the 1980s and this piece evokes the energy from this band.
There is a terrific solo transition into the second movement It’s Enough. It is based on a 17th century German Lutheran hymn which has a deep history in German classical music: Bach arranged it as a chorale in his Church Cantata BWV 60, and Austrian composer Alban Berg employed it to great effect in his Violin Concerto of 1935. “This is Richie’s forte, to take another composition and make it his own,” said Huebner. The last movement Born in Brooklyn is a coming home of sorts. Beirach was born in this borough and grew up in this environment rich with creative energy.
Elm was written by Beirach on Christmas Day 1979 when he found out that his peer, Polish jazz violinist Zbigniew “Zbiggy” Seifert, a violinist of great import, had passed away. “This piece became my best-known composition,” says Beirach. The direct emotional appeal of the melody and simplicity of the harmony and structure certainly strikes a chord within the heart. It opens with a chorale set in dark brass followed by a moment of solitude, in which there’s a written cadenza for bassist John Goldsby. The duet between violin and guitar evokes a somber, solemn moment, as Beirach performs a stirring solo.
Pendulum, another Beirach composition from the 1978 ECM “Eon” LP, may sound like a simple and short piece. This modal number is anything but. It incorporates a chromatic pedal-point that builds intensity, over which the melody unfolds. The piece culminates with a stomping groove that grows in volume and instrumentation. It’s certainly a dazzling number, showcasing both brilliant arrangement and performance.
It has been a privilege and high honor to produce this production with and for these musical giants. Creating music that speaks to the time in which we live is a charge that I hope more artists will be inspired to take on.
Kabir Sehgal Kabir Sehgal is a Multi-GRAMMY & Latin GRAMMY Award-winning producer. He is a New York Times bestselling author.
Songs:
1. RECTILINEAR / PARADOX Richie Beirach 5:48
Violin Concerto No. 3 Gregor Huebner
2. Movt. 1 KATHMANDU 6:17
3. Movt. 2 THE GRAVE 5:17
4. Movt. 3 TWO THOUSAND 15 7:44
5. SNOW LEOPARD Richie Beirach 6:59
Piano Concerto No. 3 “The Code” Gregor Huebner
6. Movt. 1 INTO THE QUEST 8:06
7. Movt. 2 IT’S ENOUGH 11:41
8. Movt. 3 BORN IN BROOKLYN 5:48?
9. ELM Richie Beirach 10:50
10. PENDULUM Richie Beirach 8:27
Musicians:
RICHIE BEIRACH – piano
GREGOR HUEBNER – violin
RICH DEROSA – conductor, arranger on #1, 5, 9, 10
The WDR Big Band:
Johan Hörlen – alto sax, alto flute (lead)
Karolina Strassmayer – alto sax, alto flute
Olivier Peters – tenor sax, clarinet
Paul Heller – tenor sax, clarinet
Jens Neufang – baritone sax, bass clarinet
Andy Haderer – trumpet, flugelhorn (lead)
Wim Both – trumpet, flugelhorn (alt. lead)
Rob Bruynen – trumpet, flugelhorn
Ruud Breuls – trumpet, flugelhorn
John Marshall trumpet, flugelhorn
Ludwig Nuss trombone, euphonium (lead)
Shannon Barnett trombone, euphonium
Andy Hunter trombone, euphonium
Mattis Cederberg bass trombone, tuba
Joachim Schoenecker guitar
John Goldsby bass
Hans Dekker drums
Recorded: Live in Gütersloh,
Germany, in March 2016
Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by:
Markus Mittermeyer, recording producer
Recording engineer: Reinhold Nickel
Recording assistant & editing: Thomas Kupilas & Michaela Höck
Produced by: Kabir Sehgal, Paul Avgerinos, Gregor Huebner, and Rich DeRosa.
Associate Producers: Lucas Schmid, Friederike Darius.
Art direction, composite photography and package design by: Jack Frisch.
Executive Producer: Joachim “Jochen” Becker.
Publishing: Beirach Music (1, 5, 9, 10)
Gregor Huebner Music, Mindvine Publishing (2-4, 6 – 8).
Richie Beirach’s compositions are arranged by Rich DeRosa.
A Westdeutsche Rundfunk Cologne Production, 2019
Licensed by WDR mediagroup GmbH.
Thanks from Richie, Gregor and Rich to all the members of the WDR Big Band who did a magnificent job mastering some difficult music in such a short time!
Musik, Kabarett, Zauberei: Der Kleinkunstpreis des
Landes Baden-Württemberg geht in diesem Jahr unter anderem an einen
Zauberkünstler aus Baienfurt und an zwei Musiker mit Wurzeln in
Ravensburg.
Der Kleinkunstpreis Baden-Württemberg gilt als bundesweit einmalig. Er ist der einzige von der Landesregierung als Staatspreis ausgelobte Kleinkunstpreis. Vergeben werden drei Hauptpreise, die mit je 5.000 Euro dotiert sind, ein Förderpreis und ein Ehrenpreis. Das teilten das Kunstministerium und die baden-württembergische Toto Lotto GmbH mit. More info >>
Sirius Quartet is in the midst of our crowdsourcing campaign to expand the Progressive Chamber Music Festival in New York City and Munich, Germany. We invite you to become a PRODUCER of the festival by contributing to our fundraising campaign. Perks include festival admission, CDs, a handwritten score, an original composition from a Sirius Quartet member, or a House Concert. Please become a supporter. Many thanks to everyone who has already contributed!
Richie Beirach – Gregor Huebner Duo and The WDR Big Band (Rich DeRosa, Conductor)are incredibly proud to announce our new album Crossing Borders. It will be released worldwide on May 10, 2019 by Zoho. The album was recorded live in Gütersloh, Germany, in March 2016. More info >>
The musical trio Berta Epple has been awarded the 2019 Baden-Württemberg Kleinkunstpreis for excellence in Cabaret in Germany.
“The cabaret is an indispensable part of the cultural landscape of Baden-Württemberg, … Innovative formats often take their origin in the diverse artistic forms of expression that are encompassed by the term cabaret. ….” The prizes will be presented on April 30, 2019.
This engagement is supported by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through US Artists International in partnership with the National Endowments for the Arts and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
El Violin Latino – Spring ’19 Tour Photos and More
El Violin Latino performed at some marvelous venues in support of our album “Gregor Huebner – El Violin Latino Vol. 3, Los Soñadores“. Check out photos from recent concerts in Germany, Luxembourg and Detroit Art Institute.
We are so excited to perform at the DC Jazz Festival in Washington on Sunday, June 16, 2019. Follow me on Instagram for El Violin Latino concert dates and more.
Review: Gregor Huebner – El Violin Latino Volume 3 – Los Soñadores By Dee Dee McNeil
A shockingly beautiful violin opens the second track of Gregor Huebner’s album and it stops everything I’m doing. The song is “Obsesion,” hauntingly interpreted by vocalist, Yumara. When Gregor Huebner re-enters the arrangement on violin, I am once again captivated by his talents. He makes that violin dance sweetly, floating like cherry blossoms in the wind. This song is a 1935 bolero, sung in Spanish and locked into a clavé-based groove. The next track is a protest song about leaving the land of your roots, where you should have felt safe, and venturing to new spaces to begin anew. Once again, Gregor uses the voice of Yumara to sing this ode to finding freedom. She performs in both English and Spanish. It’s a moderate tempo, with driving percussions and a melody that sings like a chant. Huebner uses his violin to interject the sweetness into a tragic story. John Benitez and Louie Bauzo pump the percussion up and their rhythms are infectious. More >>
The video of Los Soñadores/Dreamers premiered on May 4, 2018 is getting more important each and every day in our world, that’s why I send it to you again to share it with all your friends. The video has been viewed on Facebook nearly 10k times. Facebook is no longer allowing us to boost it, they say it’s a Political Message. Initially they allowed us to boost it, and the song was incredibly popular in the U.S., Central and South America. Now we need to spread the word about this video even further. Please help us, WATCH & SHARE on YouTube or Facebook.
Any musician worth his or her salt knows that timing is integral to making music. From counting notes in a measure, to orchestrating in different meters, the element of time is foundational to every piece of music. For most artists, being sure that a song has proper timing is mostly a musical decision. But in the case of Crossing Borders, maestros Richie Beirach, piano, Gregor Huebner, violin, and Rich De Rosa (conductor) have thought about timing in a broader sense. Their spectacular and sparkling album with Germany’s WDR Big Band is both timely and timeless.
