BEST JAZZ WORD FUSION OF 2009

30 October 2009 at 8 PM
5 C Cultural Center & Cafe
68 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009
(212) 477-5993

Chris Bakriges: Piano
Ken Filiano: Bass
Harris Eisenstadt: Percussion
Namaya: jAz Poet- Improvisation Artist

Four outstanding improvisational and avante garde performers join together for their first collaborative show: Chris Bakriges on piano, Ken Filiano on Bass, Harris Eisenstadt on Percussion, Namaya the jAZ poet & guest artists. The show largely improvised with themes suggested from the audience, created with the band, and sound tapestries like Jazz in a Key of Ku.

Internationally hailed for his jazz improvisational piano genius, Chris has led his own groups since the early 80s and has performed throughout the world including tours in India, Pakistan, Turkey, England, France, Canada, and the Czech Republic. He has performed with Bobby McFerrin, David Darling, Kenny Burrell Pat Metheny, and other innovators of jazz fusion. http://www.bakriges.com.

A veteran NYC jazz bassist and leader in the improvisational jazz performance scene. Critics have called Ken a "creative virtuoso," a "master of technique" . . . "a paradigm of that type of artist . . . who can play anything in any context and make it work, simply because he puts the music first and leaves peripheral considerations behind." Filiano has performed around the world and one of the luminaries of jazz bass and improvisation. http://www.myspace.com/kenfiliano

"Eisenstadt is strong proof that jazz is still young and growing," (Greg Burk, L.A. Weekly). Critics have called him "a rising presence as a composer of note" (Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz.com), "vital and increasingly influential" (Glenn Astarita, jazzreview.com) The Village Voice's Jim Macnie adds, "He's perpetually building new ensembles to suit the variety of music he hears in his head—that's what composers do." His latest CD, Guewel (Clean Feed, 2008), was named one of the year’s best in AllAboutJazz.com, Time Out New York and the Village Voice. http://www.harriseisenstadt.com/index.html

Internationally known performance artist has toured in Europe, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, throughout the US, and began 2009 with performances in Australia. Described as, "The high wire performance artist of the spoken word." Namaya can create stories, poems from the suggestion of jazz or ruminate in the key of Ku... A master improvisation jazz poet. www.thejazzpoet.com and www.vermontpoet.com. Namaya is the author of the Beatnik Café a musical revue.