Authority Melts From Me NYC pre-cd Release

Friday April 18th

@ The Jazz Gallery

Two sets: 9pm and 11pm

On May 6^th, Whirlwind Recordings will release Authority Melts From Me, an hour-long suite of music for quintet that was inspired by events surrounding the Haitian Revolution.  The night before the slaves of Haiti joined the revolution in 1791, it is believed that a massive Vodou ceremony was held in which participants pledged their commitment to take over the Northern part of the island – the drumming rhythms playing a central role in the ceremony. 

To lend a spirit of solidarity to the project, I’ve sought to incorporate rhythmic concepts and relationships found in Haitian Vodou drumming throughout Authority Melts From Me. 

This project, which included a trip to Haiti to record a Vodou ceremony in the small village of Soukri, and a meticulous transcription process of parts of that ceremony along with music from a Vodou drumming ensemble from Port au Prince, has been years in the making and has been made possible by Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works: Commissioning and Ensemble Development Grant funded through the generosity of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Musicians:

Bobby Avey – piano

Miguel Zenón – alto sax

Ben Monder – guitar

Thomson Kneeland – bass

Jordan Perlson – drums