November 2012

Dear Friends,

We’ve survived a $2 billion election cycle and two major storms (counting the nor’easter for those of us here in the, er, nor’east). I know some of our readers have just now had electricity restored to their homes. Despite all these events, this Fall has been one of the most exhilarating seasons of my career. My recent string of high profile performances was effectively wrapped up for the time being by my appearance with the USAF Airmen of Note in D.C. late last month. However, the momentum continues, and big developments for mid-late 2013 are taking shape. No need to wait for instant gratification, though — scroll down for a trove of links to new live videos and photos I just posted of some of this Fall’s activities. I’m also pleased to announce my selection as Artist of the Month on a New York state Jazz radio show.  Pictured above is a moment from my guest appearance my Sonagi Project on 10/19.

ARTIST OF THE MONTH – WICB 91.7FM Jazz Radio. I’ve been selected as artist of the month at WICB at Ithaca College. This will involve airplay of both music (already playing) and a phone interview (air date TBA). The Mulberry Street album has already been in rotation, and I haven’t been given a schedule for future plays. Feel free to give it a try — the particular show is called “Jazz Impressions” and runs weekdays from 12-1pm at www.wicb.org or at 91.7FM in Western NY.

OTHER UPCOMING DEVELOPMENTS

(Date TBD): Performance by Airmen of Note. Premiere of my commissioned composition as part of Sammy Nestico award. Washington, D.C. Most likely Summer 2013. Details forthcoming. Meanwhile, I’ll be happily hard at work composing for this top-notch band.

(Date TBD): Lecture/performance.  To culminate my composer residency at Flushing Town Hall, administered by Exploring the Metropolis, I’ll present a lecture/performance that is still taking shape. This will occur in most likely Spring or Summer 2013. Details will develop pending grant applications among other factors.  Speaking of this residency, I have logged a number of hours there now, either on the piri, trombone, or meditating.  It’s hard to stay off my piano-crutch, but so far I’ve still resisted.

NEW LIVE VIDEOS:
Nanaori: Project Hansori with Soh Daiko at Locating the Sacred Festival 9-16-12. Our epic closing piece that I arranged just for this occasion, combining the potent forces of both ensembles, against all voices of reason: http://youtu.be/ObsvEJWZMS0

Yuudachi: Jeff Fairbanks with Soh Daiko at Locating the Sacred Festival 9-16-12. A shortened piece that serves as a collaboration between the taiko ensemble and myself on trombone: http://youtu.be/pc5lzSfhalc

Cho Hon: Jeff Fairbanks as guest soloist with Sonagi Project at Flushing Town Hall 10-19-12. My favorite of this collaboration, this piece leaves plenty of room for solo trombone (and duo with vocal) expression: http://youtu.be/zWgtidRbKj8

Nine Beat: Jeff Fairbanks as guest soloist with Sonagi Project at Flushing Town Hall 10-19-12. Fun with rhythm: http://youtu.be/JQtlJqUL54c

Janggu Samba: Jeff Fairbanks as guest soloist with Sonagi Project at Flushing Town Hall 10-19-12. The upbeat, encore number: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azZF5jJjOBM

FOLLOW-UPS:

Sonagi Project (10/19, 10/21). I wrote at length last month about how much I enjoyed collaborating with Chang JaeHyo and his Korean percussion ensemble Sonagi Project. Their month-long tour of the Northeastern US included several stops at Flushing Town Hall, coinciding with my composer residency there. Performing with them was a thrill, not just because of the level of collective music making, but also the freedom and spontaneity Sonagi Project allows. For instance, we used no sheet music, and all my melodies were improvised. I joined them at Town Hall 10/19 and also the well-known Brooklyn music spot Barbes on 10/21.

Korean Culture Forum, 10/17. Flushing Town Hall. I was honored to speak on this panel about Korean music and its possibilities for the future, along with some heavy-weight arts leaders like Robert Baron of NY State Council on the Arts, and Rachel Cooper of the Asia Society, among others. An unlikely (absent) star of the evening was Gangnam Style performer Psy, whom moderator Kim Hae Joo explained has given a breakthrough for exporting Korean culture to the world via his much-watched video and song.

Airmen of Note, 10/26. Pun alert (I couldn’t help it): It was a real highlight to barnstorm Washington, D.C. for several days, working with the Air Force’s premier Jazz band (that branch’s top guns). At the concert I was presented with the Sammy Nestico Award, a proud moment in my career; a real lift. Then, with myself in the cockpit, we took off with Mulberry Street part II, the piece they had chosen for the award. Dogfights between brass and reeds were executed with an almost laser-guided precision, with rhythm section ready in the wings. During his solo the lead alto really turned on the afterburner, with the pianist pulling chords left and right, the bass diving through his range, the guitarist just flying, and the drummer dropping bombs in all the appropriate places. I tell you, the heat-seeking audience needed look no further.  After the show a squadron of us strafed a local joint to cool our jets. It was fun to hang with these (tom)cats as well as L.A. trombonist Andy Martin, who was the featured guest soloist that night. Looking forward to my commission, I’m ready to aim high and shoot for the sky!

Thanks for reading,

Jeff Fairbanks
www.fairbanksmusic.com www.reverbnation.com/jefffairbanks

…or: “Folk Forum, Follow-ups, Photos, Flushing, Fairbanks’ Fan Fun for Fall”

October 2012

Dear Creative Music Lovers,

First, welcome to the many new fans who attended Temple of Memories, the concert of Project Hansori and Soh Daiko at Locating the Sacred festival last month (pictured here)! Scroll down or click here to hear a short but fun moment from that concert. This newsletter comes in the midst of a flurry of activity this Fall. Though I’m not sure if any readers live near my D.C. appearance next week, tomorrow and especially Friday are two local NYC appearances I’m very excited about. Also read on for a new award announcement, show follow-ups, and a link to an entertaining post about my former jail cell studio.

UPCOMING APPEARANCES:
10/26/12: Jeff in D.C. with USAF Airmen of Note
8pm @ Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University. Washington, D.C. Free.
730 21st Street, NW Washington, DC 20052

I will lead the Air Force’s premier Jazz band on a performance of my original piece Mulberry Street, which won the 2012 Sammy Nestico Award (mentioned in September’s newsletter). A segment of the concert will be nationally broadcast later on NPR. Broadcast details are TBD, and it’s unclear whether my portion will be included on it. FYI, this is the venue hosting the “Rumble” between John Stewart and Bill O’Reilly on an earlier date this month, so the venue will be plenty warmed up for us.

10/17/12: Jeff panelist at Korean Culture Forum
Wednesday, October 17 @ 6-10pm. Suggested admission $10/ members free.
Flushing Town Hall
137-35 Northern Blvd Flushing, New York 11354

The Korean Culture Forum: Korean Traditional Music, Today, Tomorrow includes mini performance by Sonagi, resident Korean percussion ensemble while in tour in the U.S. I’ve been asked to appear as a a guest panelist on a discussion of the state of Korean music now and in the future. I hope to add to the discussion some insight from my experiences with fusing some of these traditions into my own music. It will be an honor to join some very notable colleagues tomorrow.  Friday I have the privilege to perform with Sonagi (see below).

10/19/12: Sonagi Project at Flushing Town Hall, with special guest Jeff Fairbanks
Friday, October 19 @ 8pm. $15/$10 members, students.
Flushing Town Hall
137-35 Northern Blvd Flushing, New York 11354

Almost every show I share in the newsletters is one where I am the band leader, whether it’s Project Hansori or Street Beat. However, this Friday is a unique chance to see me performer as a featured guest on another leader’s project. I’m thrilled to have been invited perform with Sonagi Project, the janggu-centered Korean percussion group, during their tour of the U.S. Sonagi is led by the visionary and innovative Chang Jae-Hyo, in a class of his own as an accomplished Pansori singer, ajaeng (bowed zither) player, as well as percussionist. It’s really been a musical high to work with Jae-Hyo and his group for several days earlier this month, preparing for our concert. I wish I could have a regular part of my shcedule doing this kind of music making. My portion of the concert will be about 25 minutes, and will involve just about all my Eastern and Western training and experience, including imitating the taepyeongso (double-reed instrument), Jazz inflection, and free improvisation, all within strict, complicated rhythm patterns. I love it!

ASCAP PLUS AWARD
This Fall has yielded a big harvest in terms of awards. Since learning of the USAF Sammy Nestico award in September, I just learned that I was given an ASCAP Plus Award as well. This award is meant to recognize my achievements of the last full year, 2011. Considering 2011 included my debut album release on a reputable New York label, several major grant awards, commissions and performances, it really was my career best year …until this one!

COMPOSER RESIDENCY UPDATE #2: Composing from Jail

I figured the above headline would raise some eyebrows when I wrote this post on my website on Oct 1^st. If you didn’t catch it then, read it here: http://fairbanksmusic.com/2012/10/01/composing-from-jail/

IN CASE YOU MISSED THESE SHOWS:

9/16/12 Locating the Sacred, presented by Asian American Arts Alliance

I love taking risks with creative music. That’s exactly what we did at the Locating the Sacred Festival, joining a Taiko ensemble (Soh Daiko) with a Jazz big band (Project Hansori). The sound of the two groups together was a wonderful success. I can say with some experience both positive and negative, that collaborating (between individuals, let alone bands) can be difficult, risky, scary, and the end product does not always work. That’s probably why it doesn’t happen often. But as I listened to our collaborative, closing piece I thought, “this sound is why I take these risks”. The same goes for our 45-minute Ives-ian sound collage, which made an acoustic effect better than I could have even imagined. And it’s hard to believe that the actual time rehearsing both full bands together as a unit was less than an hour! Thanks to the open-mindedness of the performers and the audiences who packed the floor (and the 2nd floor, basement, lobby, and stairways!). Everyone was willing to get out of their comfort zones to try something new, and that we did. And boy did it pay off.

10/7 Street Beat at All Nite Soul fest
If Project Hansori took us an a spiritual journey at Locating the Sacred, Street Beat reminded us to have fun at All Nite Soul. In an event that started at 7pm (or 5:30 including the Jazz service), we startled awake die-hard but weary fans at St Peter’s Church at 1am by blasting How Great Thou Art from the balcony above and behind them. I think we caught them off-guard again when we re-entered at 2am, marching through the sanctuary and winding between pews to a Calypso beat. I’m laughing as I write. Good fun. The festival organizer himself called our performance “exciting and inspiring”.

10/13 Street Beat at All Saints Church Pumpkin Fair
Street Beat added a last minute public performance last weekend at this street fair in my neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens. Too bad I couldn’t get this newsletter out in time!

Thanks for reading,

Jeff Fairbanks
www.fairbanksmusic.com www.reverbnation.com/jefffairbanks