Klazz-ma-tazz & J-music Ensemble at DROM

Klazz-Ma-Tazz
Founded in 2014 by violinist and composer Benjamin Sutin, Klazz-Ma-Tazz is a band with a vision to transcend boundaries of labels in music and in people. Their music, rooted in the jazz idiom strives to include genuine influence from a multitude of folk musics from around the world based on the various ethnic backgrounds of each band member; namely Klezmer and Balkan Folk music, Indian Classical Music, Native American Tribal Dances, English Folk Music and more, finding common musical and cultural identities from which these various forms are derived. Creating this musical melting pot makes NYC the perfect home for Klazz-Ma-Tazz, a city who’s entire history is based on the very idea of uniting people from around the world to create something new and distinct. Klazz-Ma-Tazz released their debut album Tangibility in September, 2015 on OneTrickDog* Records. The album has since received consisent airplay on radio stations across the US from Philadelphia to Hawaii and has doubled the band’s fan base from the US to South Africa. Tangibility was launched off with two sold out sets at Greenwich Village cultural haven Cornelia St. Cafe to rave reviews by Fred Stal of RG Magazine, declaring their music, “Wild, yet reserved, the music of Klazz-Ma-Tazz will surprise you, excite you and calm you, all in one sitting”. ...

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Klazz-Ma-Tazz
Founded in 2014 by violinist and composer Benjamin Sutin, Klazz-Ma-Tazz is a band with a vision to transcend boundaries of labels in music and in people. Their music, rooted in the jazz idiom strives to include genuine influence from a multitude of folk musics from around the world based on the various ethnic backgrounds of each band member; namely Klezmer and Balkan Folk music, Indian Classical Music, Native American Tribal Dances, English Folk Music and more, finding common musical and cultural identities from which these various forms are derived. Creating this musical melting pot makes NYC the perfect home for Klazz-Ma-Tazz, a city who’s entire history is based on the very idea of uniting people from around the world to create something new and distinct. Klazz-Ma-Tazz released their debut album Tangibility in September, 2015 on OneTrickDog* Records. The album has since received consisent airplay on radio stations across the US from Philadelphia to Hawaii and has doubled the band’s fan base from the US to South Africa. Tangibility was launched off with two sold out sets at Greenwich Village cultural haven Cornelia St. Cafe to rave reviews by Fred Stal of RG Magazine, declaring their music, “Wild, yet reserved, the music of Klazz-Ma-Tazz will surprise you, excite you and calm you, all in one sitting”.

In addition to Sutin on violin, band members include: saxophonist and clarinetist Elijah Shiffer, pianist Ben Rosenblum, guitarist Grant Goldstein, bassist Mathew Muntz, tabla player, Ani Challa, and drummer Tim Rachbach. Sutin, who is currently based in New York City, began his career in Philadelphia, where he studied with legendary jazz violinist, John Blake Jr. Sutin has since had the privilege of performing in venues such as NJPAC’s Victoria Theater, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Microsoft Theater, the Nassau Coliseum, Oracle Center, Clifford Brown Jazz Festival and many more. Sutin has performed with Tran-Siberian Orchestra, Arijit Singh, Larry Harlow, Bobby Sanabria, Pandit Samir Chatterjee, Ronnie Burrage, Benito Gonzalez, George Burton, Diane Monroe and Tommy Byrnes. Finally, he has garnered acclaim in the jazz violin community from the likes of Jean Luc Ponty, Regina Carter, Christian Howes and Sara Caswell. On hearing Sutin, Caswell wrote, “his adventurous musical lines and underlying creative energy left me feeling that I had witnessed a unique voice destined for something great.”

J-MUSIC Ensemble

The J-MUSIC Ensemble is an exciting 8-piece instrumental band that is dedicated to exposing the genius and fantastical songs that make up the Japanese music world as we know it today. This band fuses its virtuosity and improvisational background in jazz with the catchy yet brilliant nature of modern Japanese music to create never-before-heard powerful versions of J-Pop/J-Rock, anime music, and more! Following in the jazz tradition, the horns do not play a background role in this instrumentation; instead, they are at the forefront and are put in the same role as leading singers.

Formed by saxophonist Patrick Bartley while attending the Manhattan School of Music, the J-MUSIC Ensemble initially spawned as a vehicle to express a mutual interest in anime and video game soundtracks--many of which never get a proper spotlight. This music is fused with the spontaneity and soulfulness of jazz improvisation to deliver a fresh and engaging listening experience, without distracting from the intent and message of the original songs. The band has since expanded its repertoire to include music from all facets of modern Japanese culture, and has done covers of artists such as Perfume, Utada Hikaru, Yoko Kanno, PUFFY, and School Food Punishment.

The J-MUSIC Ensemble is a growing project that serves as the spearhead and pioneering force for the "J-MUSIC Alliance" - the idea of linking together Japanese music fans around the world by providing opportunities for both musicians and audiences to learn about Japanese culture through the world of music, as well as opportunities to perform and produce Japanese music. Patrick believes that by fervently and prolifically re-arranging Japanese music for jazz-like instrumentation, the J-MUSIC Ensemble can help to expose and nurture the undeniable relationship between both Japan and America's music worlds, providing the ultimate platform for a true "J-MUSIC Alliance".

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