Tag Archives: project hansori

Five Fabulous Forthcoming ‘Formances; Film; Festival: Final Fall (December) ‘Fore Fourteen (’13) Fanfare (Newsletter)

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"Testimonial Gateway". Can you guess where it is?
“Testimonial Gateway”. Can you guess where it is?

Dear Friends:

I hope this holiday season finds you well.  There are a number of special upcoming performances I’m involved in that you’ll want to know about, detailed below.  Oddly enough, I’ll be performing on these much more with the piri than the trombone.  Also for those who missed it, I’ve linked below the just-released short film Temple of Memories which documents our exhilarating Jazz-Taiko collaboration at last year’s Locating the Sacred Festival.  Finally, see what in the world the image on the right is, at the end of this newsletter.


Saturday, December 7, 2013
 at 12pm Rami Seo’s World Music Ensemble Public School 3: 490 Hudson St Manhattan Admission TBA The core of the World Music Ensemble is leader Rami on kayageum (zither) backed up by bass, piano, and percussion.  I’ll join as a guest on piri (Korean oboe), as will a guest on haegeum (2-string fiddle), and Rami’s Korean percussion ensemble, Seven Heaven.  With a mix of Eastern and Western instruments, the group plays a mostly contemporary international pop-ish repertoire.

Thursday December 19, 2013 at 7pm
“New Sounds of East and West”: Project Hansori with guest Satoshi Takeishi All Saints Church 43-12 46th St Queens, NY.  FREE admission; donation suggested Project Hansori will perform a grant-funded program of new original music, “New Sounds of East and West”.  Centered on East Asian-infused Jazz, including a mind-warping take on an ancient royal ancestral shrine ritual piece.  Beautifully set in a quaint, Gothic style church.  Also featuring the in-demand Satoshi Takeishi on his unique array and style of Eastern percussion.  Link: www.facebook.com/events/277163692408571/
Funded in part by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Greater New York Arts Development Fund,  administered by Queens Council on the Arts.

Sunday, January 5, 2014 at 12-2:15pm
Project Hansori at the Asian American Arts Festival Children’s Museum of the Arts: 103 Charlton St Manhattan Admission TBA I’m thrilled to be invited to this festival aimed at sharing both traditional and especially contemporary manifestations of various Asian arts to new audiences, both children and adults.  Project Hansori’s mission and repertoire make it a perfect vehicle for this.  We’ll perform two sets, split by a workshop I’ll give about how I approach East Asian traditions from a Western Jazz context. Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/222776964559853/

Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 6-8pm
Asian American Arts Alliance Town Hall meeting Alwan for the Arts: 16 Beaver St 4FL Manhattan Admission free (potluck food offering suggested) I’ll make a brief appearance as a duo with myself on piri and Karen Kriegel on dance.  Town Hall meetings are monthly gatherings of members of “A4″, and are also open to the public.  They include short performances, discussions of member artists’ current projects, and an informal potluck.  Link: http://www.reverbnation.com/show/12085376

Saturday, January 11, 2014 at 12-2:15pm
East Wind at the Asian American Arts Festival Asian American Arts Festival at Children’s Museum of the Arts: 103 Charlton St Manhattan Admission TBA I’m putting together a small group of Eastern instruments for my second-week appearance at the Asian American Arts Festival.  The program “East Wind” aims to demystify Korean and various Eastern music and arts, and disseminate them to the audience.  I will play piri and trombone, in a mix of traditional and my original songs.  Also features Rami Seo on kayageum, Satoshi Takeishi on percussion, and Karen Kriegel on dance/choreography.  Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1403774713193969/

New Documentary Film Released about Fairbanks, Project Hansori:
The Temple of Memories In case you haven’t seen it yet, please check out The Temple of Memories, the new documentary short film by Rene Sing and OwlSpring Media, about my experiences performing at the Asian American Arts Alliance’s 2012 Locating the Sacred Festival.  Entertaining and informative, it takes viewers behind the scenes of an epic and unlikely musical collaboration between Japanese Taiko and Big Band Jazz, set in NYC’s oldest Buddhist temple.  We get up close to the Taiko group Soh Daiko and my Jazz band, Project Hansori, interwoven with my close, candid interviews. Watch: https://vimeo.com/67056594.

Other News…
…Jin Yunkyong, of the National Gugak Center’s Traditional Orchestra, gave a performance of my composition Duduk for solo piri during her November 24 recital at Seoul Culture Station 284.  …I can’t share it with you, but I did get to review the rough mix of the Band of Bones recording of my arrangement of Manteca.  It’s infectiously funky, and the congas and flute really compliment the rhythm and eight screaming trombones.  Looking forward very much to its eventual release on what will be the band’s second album.  …Frequent ‘Hansorian’ Paul Nedzela embarks on an extensive US tour with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra… …And Linda Oh releases new album on Dave Douglas’ label Greenleaf…

Enough already— the image…? I’m running a little contest.  The arch pictured is part of what is called the Testimonial Gateway, which my family recently visited.  It was built for a specific meaning, but its striking symbolism can evoke a different doorway imagery for any individual gazing through it.  I’d love to hear what path it makes you think of taking.  –Ah yes, the contest…  If you can name the town it’s in, there’s a free download card of my music, courtesy of the IMA Awards, waiting for you at any of the above performances.  (Limited to first four winners, so email me here first).  Hint: the town rhymes with Blue Waltz.

Feel free to reply here on comment on Vimeo with any feedback you have about the film — I’m curious to hear it.  Also I hope to see many of you and say Hi at one or more of my upcoming shows.  They’re all very different!  Have a happy, safe Christmas or Holidays, hopefully surrounded by friends and family.  Or… Hopefully have happy, healthy, hilarious, high-quality, whole-hearted, home-cooked, hunger-hindering holidays (harmonious households, holding hands, hobbies held high wholly heighten history’s hallowed hiatus).

Thank you,

Jeff Fairbanks Composer, Performer, Bandleader

New Film and Concert of Project Hansori, and Other Announcements

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Temple of Memories JF still shot

Dear Friends,

In the five months since my last newsletter I’ve racked up quite a few noteworthy announcements. I hope to re-connect with many of you when my big band, Project Hansori, saddles up for an entire evening of my brand new music in a beautiful setting in my own neighborhood (details below). But first, enjoy this newly-released video featuring yours truly, embedded above and linked here.

FEATURED IN FILM: I’m thrilled to announce the release of The Temple of Memories, a new documentary short film by Rene Sing and OwlSpring Media, about my experiences performing at the 2012 Locating the Sacred Festival. Entertaining and informative, it takes viewers behind the scenes of an epic and unlikely musical collaboration between Japanese Taiko and Big Band Jazz, set in NYC’s oldest Buddhist temple. We get up close to the Taiko group Soh Daiko and my Jazz band, Project Hansori, interwoven with my close, candid interviews. Link: https://vimeo.com/67056594.

Project Hansori and Soh Daiko performing at the Locating the Sacred Festival.
Project Hansori and Soh Daiko performing at the Locating the Sacred Festival.

UPCOMING SHOW: Thursday, December 19th at 7pm
Project Hansori performs “New Sounds of East and West All Saints Church 43-12 46th St Sunnyside, Queens NY 11104 Ph: 718-784-8031 Admission free (donation suggested).
Project Hansori will perform my brand new music in a grant-awarded program called “New Sounds of East and West”. It’s centered on new East Asian-infused Jazz, including our mind- warping take on an ancient ritual shrine ceremony piece — or as I like to call it, Americanized, Koreanized, Chinese music. The concert will feature Satoshi Takeishi on his unique array and style of Eastern percussion. It’s happening right in my neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens, in the handsome setting of a Gothic style Episcopal church. I’m proud to say “New Sounds of East and West” is funded in part by a competitive grant from the Queens Council on the Arts. Link: www.facebook.com/events/277163692408571/

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS:
Monday November 4th at 7:00 PM
Hora Decima Brass Ensemble performs a program including my composition Three Dances Christ & St. Stephen’s Church 120 West 69th Street, Manhattan, NY (bet. Bway & Columbus) Admission by Contribution ($20 requested)

Sunday November 24th at 7:00PM
“Now, Here”: a solo recital including my composition Duduk for solo piri (Korean double-reed instrument) Seoul Culture Station 284 in Seoul, South Korea Jin Yunkyong, soloist

ASCAP AWARD: I was just awarded a 2013 ASCAP Plus Award, for my artistic achievements during this year. This makes two years in a row of receiving this honor. Thanks, ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers)!

ALBUM APPEARANCE: David Chamberlain’s Band of Bones recorded my arrangement of Manteca last month as part of a session for their next album. It has fully eight trombones, flute, and rhythm section with Latin percussion, set in a funky salsa groove. I got plenty of great comments from band members and I can’t wait to hear it myself. I’ll pass on any announcements about the album’s release.

SINCE LAST TIME: It’s been awhile since my last newsletter, written just before I left for my traditional music workshop in Korea over the Summer. There I was saturated in the world of Gugak (Korean traditional performing arts) for two weeks, learning from incredible world-class artists, meeting sixteen extremely motivated (and fun-loving) fellow participants from ten countries, and taking in the streets of Seoul as well as a side trip to the mystical, muse-full Jindo Island. –An amazing time that surely planted artistic seeds for years to come. …The day after returning to NYC I jumped, fully jet-lagged, right into an intense conference of the International Society for Improvised Music. The three-day event just happened to center on cross-cultural improvisation, with two Korean guest artists (go figure!). There I worked with globe-trotting piri soloist Gamin, and Shin Hyunsik, founder of Ensemble Sinawi; as well as Elliot Sharp, Jin Hi Kim, and other icons of this progressively broad improv scene …My world brass band Street Beat returned to the famous All Nite Soul 43rd annual(!) Jazz festival at St Peter’s Church in Manhattan. This band also did a string of off-the-wall private gigs over the Summer and Fall, such as leading a wedding procession march through Central Park and halfway down the length of the C train; and parading three-year-olds around a hedge fund manager’s estate on an island inaccessible by car (we attract these things). …I’m still laboring away at my commission for the USAF Airmen of Note, acquired by my winning the Sammy Nestico Composition Prize last year.

READ MY REVIEW: In a turn of the tables, I played the role of music critic, in authoring a review of Human Alien, the debut album of Ryan Pate released just last month. Read the review here, and check out Pate’s new album here.  …Incidentally, you’ll have a good chance to see him play live, too, as he’ll join us on Project Hansori’s upcoming concert.

Thank you for your continued interest. Please come say Hi and hear our new program on December 19th!

Thank you,

Jeff Fairbanks
Composer, Performer, Bandleader

Interview with Independent Music Awards

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IMA logo bigMy recent interview with the Independent Music Awards just went live on the IMA site.  They asked for my thoughts on a wide range of subjects, so you’ll definitely learn something new about me.  If you’re a new reader, this follows my recent selection as a an IMA nominee.  Read the interview here.
…Of course, when you visit our page, Project Hansori needs your vote for our IMA-nominated song, Bi Bim Bop, nominated in the Jazz Song category.  Along with an industry panel-determined Winner, fans choose their own Vox Pop Winners via voting.  Polls close July 19th, so vote now!  Note: Once you register, you must vote on this page, rather than on my profile page (the one with my interview and big picture).  Thank you!

Independent Music Award Nomination!

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IMA logo bigThis just in — I’ve been nominated for an Independent Music Award in the Jazz Song category for my composition Bi Bim Bop!

In addition to industry-determined Winners, music fans from around the world have until Friday, July 19, 2013 to cast their votes at The IMA Vox Pop Jukebox to determine the fan-selected IMA Winners.  In other words, you can help us win!  Click here to vote: http://www.independentmusicawards.com/imanominee/12th/Song/Jazz

I owe a debt of thanks for this honor to all who had a part in the recording and production of this track on my 2011 debut album Mulberry Street: especially the 17 wonderful musicians of Project Hansori who really earned this, producer Darcy Argue and assistant John Guari, Paul Wickliffe of Skyline Pro Studios, and BJU Records.  This news comes among a series of doors opening for me and I thank my Creator (couldn’t find an internet
link), for allowing all this.

Adding to the honor is having the IMA Jazz judging panel lend their ears to this track, including heavyweights McCoy Tyner, Arturo Sandoval, John Medeski, and Chris Wood.  I haven’t seen word of an announcement date for the winners, but assume this will be sometime soon after July 19.  Stay tuned and, if you please, vote!  Thanks, JF

QCA Grant Awarded

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QCA logoI’m pleased to learn I’ve just been awarded an Individual Artist grant from the Queens Council on the Arts for my new 2013 project New Sounds of East and West.  This project will further my work in fusing elements of certain East Asian musical traditions with those of modern Jazz and Western orchestral composition, using as a vehicle my 17-piece Jazz ensemble, Project Hansori.  Its performance component will take place in Queens later in 2013, and I’ll make more details public in future announcements.  This is the second such
Community Arts Fund grant I’ve received from the QCA, aside from being selected for their Individual Artist Initiative a few years back, so I must acknowledge a lot of support the council has given me over the years.  New Sounds is funded by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Greater New York Arts Development Fund.