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The APAP (The Association of Performing Arts Presenters) Conference, held annually in the heart of NYC, is the biggest marketplace for the performing arts in the world. With nearly 400 exhibitors, representing disciplines ranging from all forms of dance, music, theater and family programming to puppetry, circus, magic, attractions and performance art, it is the top destination for experiencing what’s next, and learning who’s doing it.

The Motéma staff has just returned from our 3rd and most fulfilling APAP Conference to date. We had several promising discussions with other presenters, planting the seeds for future collaboration, and held two showcases in Bridges Bar and in Beekman Parlor.

On Saturday evening, Motéma showcased our Groove Jazz Visionary Series, In The Pocket Series, and Without Borders Vocal Series. We kicked off the show with a superior straight ahead set from Antonio Ciacca Trio and finished in the wee hours of the morning with Charnett Moffett, featuring Oran Etkin on sax. Inbetween, we had incendiary performances from Amy London, Roni Ben Hur, Tessa Souter, Babatunde Lea, Jana Herzen & Charnett Moffett, Group Kelenia, Geri Allen and a rousing, riveting introduction to label newcomer Gregory Porter.

On Sunday, Jana Herzen, Geri Allen, Charnett Moffett, and Tomoko Sugawara performed their intimate, unique, and virtuosic compositions for the afternoon crowd as a part of our Museum Series. The audience response was very positive and several presenters stopped by Booth #508 to discuss performance opportunities for these artists.

Overall, we are excited about the outcome and feel that our footprint in the jazz community has expanded due to our participation.

N.E.D. recently rocked the house at Portland, OR’s Crystal Ballroom. Below are a sampling of the pictures from the evening - courtesy of photographer Joseph Boggess. We have posted the full set at our Facebook Page. Stay tuned for live video from this weekend’s GCF Race to End Women’s Cancer.

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Help N.E.D. save lives and see them perform live at the GCF Race to End Women’s Cancer!

Committed runners and a Surgeons Team consisting of over 100 gynecologic oncologists will run a half marathon through the streets of downtown Washington with the start/finish line on historic Pennsylvania Avenue, two blocks from the White House. They will be joined by patients, survivors, advocates, leaders and others committed to the cause.

N.E.D., who recently released No Evidence Of Disease to benefit the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, will be performing at the post-race party on Sunday at 10:30am. Other celebrity appearances at the event include singer/actress Mandy Moore.

Sunday, November 8, 2009
Half Marathon/5K/1 Mile Walk
7:00 am – 11:30 am
Historic Pennsylvania Avenue Between 13th St, and 14th St. NW

More info on the race
More info on N.E.D.

On September 8th, N.E.D. celebrated the release of their self-titled debut CD and the release of drummer Nagarsheth’s new book, Music & Cancer: A Prescription for Healing, with a very successful fundraiser at Sushi Samba in NYC. Thanks to the generous donations of attendees, we raised $2,294 for N.E.D. Fund of the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation. Look out for Dr. Nimesh Nargarsheth’s guest blog on iVillage’s “Your Total Health” section as part of a feature on the band. Check out pics from the party below.

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The Lifetime Television Network has been  airing an N.E.D. Public Service Spot throughout September to coincide with Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month.  Take a look at the PSA below.

Motema artists Jana Herzen and Charnett Moffett performed at this year’s Harmony Festival in California. Take a look at some select photos from the event. Charnett and Jana were joined by Will Calhoun on drums and Angela Moffett on the tambour.

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With Obsession, due for release with Motéma this August 11th, the New York City-based, Anglo-Trinidadian rising star Tessa Souter delivers a sultry mix of jazz, flamenco, Indian classical, and Middle Eastern stylings. From unlikely covers (”White Room” & “Eleanor Rigby”) to moving originals, the CD is sexy, intelligent, romantic and redemptive. If you’d like to be one of the first to get your copy, pre-order Obsession now at the Motéma store.

Tessa will be holding her release party at Blue Note on August 3rd at 8pm featuring Jason Ennis on guitar, Gary Wang on bass, Conor Mehan on drums, and Victor Prieto on accordion. Click here to make a reservation.

Rochester City Paper said of Souter’s recent performance at Christ Church: “To say that [she] enchanted the audience would be an understatement. At most of the Club Pass concerts I’ve been to, dozens of people leave before the end so they can make it to the next show. With 10 p.m. approaching (starting time for four venues) only a few people in the capacity crowd left. Everyone else seemed to be transfixed by Souter’s gorgeous voice and wonderful personality.”

More about Tessa Souter at Motema

On Tuesday, June 9th, Jana Herzen and Charnett Moffett gave a deeply moving performance at the Concertino studio in Manhattan.

Concertino is a unique venue constructed by Steve Haas of SH Acoustics. Haas’ design eliminates the visual obstruction of amps and microphones, creating an unimpeded flow between musicians, and presenting the audience with a very natural and intimate musical experience.

Jana Herzen and Charnett Moffett’s Concertino show featured songs from their upcoming duo recording project, titled Here with You. Herzen and Moffett performed a variety of jazz classics, including “ ‘Tis Autumn” and “My Baby Just Cares For Me.”  They also treated the audience to a reggae arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now,” and a sensual and virtuosic version of Herbie Hancock’s “Spain.”  Herzen wowed listeners with original tunes “Night Blooming Jasmine,” “Bali Holiday” and “On The Outside,” which ranged between meditative jazz ballads and world music flavored folk-rock anthems. Her poignantly phrased lyrics called to mind Joni Mitchell’s Mingus album.

Throughout their two forty-five minute sets, Jana radiated a palpable sense of contentment and trust in the process of music making: never forcing, just allowing each sound to find its home in her intricate arrangements. Charnett supported Jana with the elegance and effortlessness that can only come from years of playing with the finest musicians in jazz.  He also captivated the audience with a pyrotechnic solo bass composition from his new CD The Art of Improvisation. The duo shared playful glances from behind their bass and guitar, challenging each other each moment to new levels of connection and improvisation.

Motéma has begun hosting regular events at Concertino, and will be featuring a different artist on their stage each month. To reserve your tickets for the next performance, sign up to receive the Motéma Muse (our monthly newsletter).

To buy The Art of Improvisation and to receive updates about Charnett and Jana’s upcoming duo project, please visit the Charnett Moffett and Jana Herzen artist pages.

Til next time…

Peace & Love,

Melissa

Melissa Guttman is a singer/songwriter and graduate of Berklee College of Music. She has worked at Island Def Jam and SPIN Magazine, and is now participating in marketing and live music promotions for Motéma.

In the above photo, L-R: Makane Kouyate, Oran Etkin, Joe Sanders, Balla Kouyate

The Oran Etkin CD release party at the Knitting Factory was a huge success! Special guests Lionel Loueke, Abdoulaye Diabate, and Bobby Sanabria joined Oran, Balla Kouyate (balafon), Joe Sanders (bass), and Makane Kouyate (calabash and vocals) onstage for an unforgettable evening filled with high-energy performances from the band’s self-titled June 9th release, Kelenia.

Throughout their set, Group Kelenia epitomized the meaning of synchronicity: every sound, breath, and movement seemed to occur in tandem. The musicians were so clear in their sense of purpose that their faces displayed looks of pure joy, and their melodies danced with unharnessed creativity. Etkin effortlessly lead his group through complex rhythmic patterns and a wide range of stylistic modes.

Jazz sensation Lionel Loueke integrated seamlessly into Group Kelenia’s rhythm section. The packed audience was spellbound by Abdoulaye Diabate’s otherwordly vocals, and cheered enthusiastically for Afro-Cuban legend Bobby Sanabria’s contribution to “Yekeke”.

Above, L-R: Lionel Loueke, Oran Etkin, Balla Kouyate, Bobby Sanabria, Jana Herzen

If you missed your chance to see Group Kelenia’s June 3rd release show, be sure to catch the next one at Barbés on June 12th in Brooklyn. Oran will also be guest-starring with virtuosic bassist Charnett Moffett in Santa Rosa at the Harmony Festival on June 13th & 14th, will be appearing in LA at Gallery 2023 on June 19th, and will have a his final release party in Boston on June 28th at Johnny D’s.

Don’t forget we have a free download of “Nama” available (right click on the link and select “save as”) and a video up on YouTube of Oran’s live recording for NYC’s WKCR radio that was featured on Flavorpill’s Daily Dose on June 4th! To view it, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUkyhZWEeXo

Peace & Love, Melissa

Clarinetist and saxophonist Oran Etkin, whose Motéma Music debut, Kelenia, will be released on June 9th, will perform at several venues to celebrate the CD’s release.

The official CD release event in Manhattan will be held on June 3rd at the Knitting Factory in NYC. Joining Etkin will be the four members of his Group Kelenia - Balla Kouyate (balafon), Makane Kouyate (calabash/djembe/vocals) and bassist Joe Sanders, along with possible special guests. The Knitting Factory show will begin at 7 PM, and is part of a three day Afrobeat Festival.

Click here to reserve tickets for this event!

ABOUT ORAN
The music that Oran Etkin creates with his Group Kelenia is an aural reflection of the new global landscape, painted by a young clarinetist and saxophonist born in a small town in Israel, now living in New York and leading a band comprised of Malian and American musicians.  Etkin’s distinctive sound is honest and unforced, infused with the constant presence of ancient influences - reverberations from the Malian Empire and the ages-old cry of the Jewish prayer.  At the same time it resonates with an urban vibe and the energy of the modern New York jazz scene.  “I love the contrast of old and new: of a tradition that has evolved over centuries and the creative individual expression of one man playing his own approach, in his own way, against that tradition and toward it,” states Etkin.

Kelenia is Etkin’s debut recording for Motéma Music as well as the name of his working band, comprised of Balla Kouyate on balafon, Makane Kouyate on calabash and vocals, and bassist Joe Sanders. The CD also features guest appearances by vocalist Abdoulaye Diabate, percussionist Mohamed ‘Joh’ Sidi Camara, a string section on one track, and Grammy® award winning artists Lionel Loueke and John Benitez.  The resulting collection of eleven tracks pays true testament to the essence of “kelenia,” which is the Bambara word for love between people who are different from each other.

Be one of the first to get your copy of Kelenia. Pre-order your copy now!

Guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, whose lyrical style and impeccable swing has earned him critical and popular acclaim through a series of six CDs, has most recently been performing with guitar legend Gene Bertoncini in support of the duo’s most recent Motéma Music CD, Smile.  On June 4th & 5th, the virtuoso guitarist, composer and educator will return to the trio format for a performance at the Kitano, where he will be joined by bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Victor Lewis.

Also a Motema recording artist, Reid is a recent Guggenheim Award winner. The first-call bassist’s Motéma debut, Live at the Kennedy Center, was lauded by Bass Player magazine as “simply wonderful… a classic recording.”

The internationally acclaimed drummer Victor Lewis has performed as a leader and has provided strong rhythmic support for a wide array of artists including Kenny Barron, Art Farmer, Mike Stern, John Stubblefield, Grover Washington Jr., Bobby Hutcherson and Bobby Watson.

The trio will perform two shows, at 8 and 10 PM. The Kitano is located at 37 St. & Park Avenue in NYC.  For more information, visit www.kitano.com.