More Information About Tigran Hamasyan & Jason Lindner/Mark Guiliana Duo

Website

http://highlineballroom.com/show/2012/02/21/tigran-hamasyan-jason-...

Description

Tigran Hamasyan was born in Gyumri, Armenia, in 1987. From the age of two he showed an extraordinary interest in music. At the age of three he was singing songs by Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Beatles, Louis Armstrong, and Queen, trying to accompany himself on the piano. At the age of seven he entered the world of jazz. As a music student, Hamasyan comprehended everything he learned so fast and so deeply that he rapidly attained virtuosic technique and a unique jazz sensibility. He quickly became acquainted with jazz stars Chick Korea, Avishai Cohen, Jeff Ballard, and Ari Roland, and he garnered acclaim from the jazz authorities. Studying music formally and practicing constantly, he also immersed himself in Armenia's rich folk music, which he incorporates into his jazz performances. Now based in New York, Hamasyan has released four acclaimed albums in his career, recorded with musicians such as Ari Hoenig, the Moutin brothers, and Vardan Grigoryan. He is currently preparing his fifth album, a quintet record whose release is forthcoming. Tonight he performs with a band featuring vocalist Areni Agbabian, saxophonist Ben Wendel, bassist Sam Minaie, and drummer Nate Wood.

Hailed as a "musical universe" by Chick Corea, Jason Lindner first gained acclaim for his long-running Big Band, whose raw energy earned the band a release on Corea's label. Lindner has served as musical director for Lauryn Hill and Claudia Acuña and has collaborated with Meshell Ndegeocello, who produced his recent release Jason Lindner Gives You Now vs. Now (2009). A Brooklyn native, Lindner grew up on hip-hop and learned to play jazz from elders like Barry Harris and Chris Anderson, then further expanded his musical palette to include African, Afro-Caribbean, South American, and Middle Eastern music, all informing his own compositional style. The New York Times does its best to sum up his eclectic musical voice: "Rhythm provides more than a heartbeat for the pianist Jason Lindner. It also seems to fuel his respiratory functions and digestive activity, and maybe his neurons. What matters to him is groove, however it comes."

According to Modern Drummer magazine, Mark Guiliana "may well be at the forefront of an exciting new style of drumming." The New Jersey native's unique and uncompromising approach to playing the drums has earned him international acclaim as both a leader and a sideman, prompting Time Out London to name him "possibly the best jazz drummer in the world." In 2004, he created Heernt, his experimental-garage-jazz trio based out of New York. The group's debut album, Locked in a Basement, dropped in 2006. As a sideman, Guiliana's longest partnership is with world-renowned jazz bassist Avishai Cohen. He toured all over the world with Cohen from 2003 until 2008 while appearing on six studio records and a live DVD recorded at the Blue Note in New York City. He has also recorded and/or performed with Meshell Ndegeocello, Dhafer Youssef, Wayne Krantz, Matisyahu, The Jazz Mandolin Project, Jason Lindner, Brad Shepik, Bobby McFerrin, Tigran Hamasyan, and many more.

About the Ticket Supplier: Highline Ballroom

The Highline Ballroom is a performance space inspired by High Line Park, located in the meat packing district on 16th Street (between 9th & 10th Aves). Highline Ballroom is committed to bringing music fans intimate performances by a diverse group of artists. They offer full menus of exceptional food for standing and seated shows.