The “House of Improve” is proud to have the opportunity to present tonight’s performers as part of our first collaboration with Jazz Habitat.
Tonight’s first two sets are solo performances by two artists who have produced fantastic recordings for Relative Pitch.
Catherine Sikora is a Saxophonist who was born and raised in West Cork, Ireland.
She has played with Eric Mingus, Enrique Haneine, Brian Chase, Han-earl Park, Stanley Zappa, Christopher Culpo and Ross Hammond, as well as actively pursuing solo performance
In the past few years Sikora has toured in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia. She was a featured soloist in Eric Mingus' radical reimagining of Tommy by the Who (Adelaide Festival 2015), and was artist in residence at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris for the fall of 2014, working on a project inspired by stories from her female ancestors. Catherine's first solo album 'Jersey' was released on Relative Pitch Records in July 2016....
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The “House of Improve” is proud to have the opportunity to present tonight’s performers as part of our first collaboration with Jazz Habitat.
Tonight’s first two sets are solo performances by two artists who have produced fantastic recordings for Relative Pitch.
Catherine Sikora is a Saxophonist who was born and raised in West Cork, Ireland.
She has played with Eric Mingus, Enrique Haneine, Brian Chase, Han-earl Park, Stanley Zappa, Christopher Culpo and Ross Hammond, as well as actively pursuing solo performance
In the past few years Sikora has toured in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia. She was a featured soloist in Eric Mingus' radical reimagining of Tommy by the Who (Adelaide Festival 2015), and was artist in residence at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris for the fall of 2014, working on a project inspired by stories from her female ancestors. Catherine's first solo album 'Jersey' was released on Relative Pitch Records in July 2016.
Jessica Pavone is a multi-string instrumentalist and composer residing in Queens, NY. While her earliest training was primarily in classical music, after graduating from conservatory, she began exploring other avenues for creative musical expression. Pavone has received grants and commissions from The American Music Center, New Music USA, Music at the Anthology (MATA), The Jerome Foundation, The Tri-Centric Foundation, Experiments in Opera and was a composer in residence at Mise-En_Place in 2018. She has premiered new work in venues in New York City such as Roulette Intermedium, ISSUE Project Room, Abrons Art Center, and The Kitchen.
As an instrumentalist, she has personally worked with and interpreted new music by Aaron Siegel, Elliott Sharp, Glenn Branca, Henry Threadgill, Matana Roberts, Matthew Welch, Tristan Perich, Anthony Braxton, and William Parker.
As a composer, she has released over a dozen albums produced by Tzadik, Taiga Records, Thirsty Ear, Relative Pitch, and Skirl Records. In 2011, Pavone was featured in NPR’s “The Mix: 100 Composers Under 40" and since, The Wire magazine has praised her “ability to transform a naked tonal gesture into something special,” and The New York Times described her music as "distinct and beguiling...its core is steely, and its execution clear."
Tonight’s third set will be the duo of Cat Toren and Ochion Jewell.
Cat Toren is an award winning pianist, improviser and composer residing in Brooklyn, New York. Described as “vibrant, earthy and spiritual” (UK Vibe), Cat “uses bold atmospheric abstraction and fluid melodies to mix deep human warmth with creative fire” (Coastal Jazz and Blues). Career accolades include a JUNO Award for Best Instrumental Album of the Year 2013, numerous grants to fund projects such as a commission to write for a nine piece new music ensemble, Orkestra Futura, in 2014. Noteworthy performances include the JUNO Awards Showcase in Regina and Ottawa, Cornelia Street Cafe’s Piano Festival 2015, Montreal Jazz Festival and the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Ochion Jewell (pronounced ocean) has performed professionally with critically acclaimed jazz musicians including Charlie Haden, Joe LaBarbera, and Kenny Werner. He has also performed in years past as a sideman with other nationally recognized artists such as Smokey Robinson, Michael McDonald, Chaka Khan, and Gregory Hines. Ochion has studied/performed classical, traditional jazz, contemporary jazz/improvisation, Ewe drumming, Armenian folk, north African, Blues/Funk/R&B, and the Persian Ney, among other styles.
Currently, Ochion teaches for the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and performs regularly in the New York area, ranging from his standards trio to free jazz, to bilingual puppet shows for Teatro SEA and west African drumming for Bedstuy Ewe (co-founded with the other quartet members). Ochion believes in transcendence through music and that there is a universal thread woven through all cultures’ art and music.
Critical response to his work has been extremely positive:
“Best Albums of 2016” – Downbeat Magazine
“Top Ten Albums of the Year” – Patrick Jarenwattenanon (NPR)
“Top Ten Albums of the Year” – JazzEd Magazine
“4 ½ Stars” – All About Jazz
This should be three great sets of music. You can hear/buy their music via Bandcamp
https://jessicapavone.bandcamp.com/
https://cattorenband.bandcamp.com/
https://ochionjewellquartet.bandcamp.com/
https://catherinesikora.bandcamp.com/
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