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Saturday, July 11, 2009, 8:00 p.m. "3 Leg Torso is just about as creative as a group can get... music that is evocative, varied, non cliché" Joe Natoli, Jan Press Three Leg Torso formed in 1996 as a violin, cello and accordion trio that came together with the humble goals of creating a passionate and new sound for their instrumental trio and having fun. Fun was had early on with a number of street performances that the trio termed "Meestering". Over the following years the band expanded, the principal composers, founding members Béla Balogh (on violin and trumpet) and Courtney Von Drehle (on accordion) were joined by veteran percussionist-mallet player Gary Irvine, the fastidious mallets-percussion of Kyle MacLowry and the fiery upright bass player Michael Papillo. Their original repertoire evolved into a combination of Modern Chamber music, Tango, high energy Middle Eastern and Eastern European folk music, that, coupled with a cinematic sense of musical storytelling, bridged the worlds of serious art and popular culture. The group has been profiled on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" and on Oregon Public Broadcasting's "Artbeat." A high-energy, foot-stomping show that you don’t want to miss. "Daring, intelligent music!" Lauren Ruth Wiener, Mongrel Music |
"3 Leg Torso's classically tinged combination of gypsy folk and whirling tangos is both devilishly clever and damn beautiful." - Willamette Week "Impassioned and idiosyncratic music" MP3.com Music Video
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uksY4DCdB8kWebsite: http://www.3legtorso.com/ |
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Los Pinguos
Back by popular demand!!
Their last concert with us blew the roof off! This is a wonderfully
entertaining show, you'll want to stand up or dance the whole time. Don't
miss this high energy show!
Their exciting, passionate live shows will bring you to your feet in response to the irresistible and intoxicating Latin sounds.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction
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Saturday, August 8, 2009, 8:00 p.m. They came to the US from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a mixture of Latin rhythms, performed with Spanish guitars, a Cuban Tres, Peruvian cajón (box-drum) and harmonizing vocals. Vivacious and infectious, the sound of Los Pinguos has claimed fans worldwide, from their hometown to the streets of Los Angeles. The story began in 1999 when Adrián Buono, José Agote, Juan Manzur and Juan Manuel Leguizamón formed the band to play in clubs, bars, and private parties throughout Buenos Aires. Their exciting, passionate live shows garnered a devoted fan base, inspiring the talented ensemble to pursue global attention. So they packed their bags and headed north to the Californian shores. Newly arrived to the City of Angels in early 2001, Los Pinguos began playing at local bars such as The Latin Lounge, The Knitting Factory, Key Club, Temple Bar & Little Temple. As their popularity grew, they were invited to perform at the end-of-season party for the hit FOX show "Dharma & Greg". It was when they started to perform for the crowds at Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade (a Los Angeles shopping/restaurant hot spot) that the band realized their potential to reach a wide and diverse audience. While performing, they were spotted by a talent scout who urged them to audition for a new television show, "The Next Big Star", hosted and produced by Ed McMahon of "Star Search" fame. In spite of fierce competition from more seasoned groups, and being the only Latin band to perform, Los Pinguos won the audience vote and rightly claimed the Grand Prize. Soon after this, new bassist Santiago Lee joined the group, giving Los Pinguos a strong backbone and groove to the music, new and old. Currently the band can be found touring throughout the U.S. and beyond, including Mexico, Canada and most recently were invited to play at the renowned Blue Balls Music Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. |
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Saturday, October 17, 2009, 8:00 p.m. Friesen and Kropinski were a shade beyond spectacular as they delighted a crowd of nearly 250 with some breathtaking musical sounds. – Lynn Matthews/The Columbian
Anyone acquainted with David Friesen's exceptional music quickly thinks of his creative universe. Ocean-deep in his sensitivity to the human spirit, Friesen is compassionate and his music founded on integrity and the pursuit of excellence.He began playing the ukulele and the accordion at 10, and a guitar professionally at 16. Born in Tacoma, Washington May 6, 1942, he was raised in Seattle. Friesen's first exposure to jazz was Slim Gaillard in an L.A. club when he was underage and playing guitar. David Friesen has recorded over 65 CD's as a leader/ co-leader and appeared as a sideman or featured artist on more than 100 recordings. He has performed and/ or recorded with many of the great names and legends of jazz including: Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Sam Rivers, Michael Brecker, Bud Shank, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Freddy Hubbard, Art Farmer, Clark Terry, Joe Venuti, Mal Waldron, Jaki Byard, Kenny Drew Sr., Chick Corea, Milt Jackson, Slim Gaillard, John Scofield, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Paul Motian, Jack Dejohnette, Airto Moreira, and many others. Friesen's music, which is imbued with certain ingredients of jazz, is also characterized by folk-flavored things and classical and Jewish veins with substantial spontaneity, lyrical strength, warmth and creative discoveries in the musical wilderness.Uwe Kropinski was born in Berlin in 1952. He began playing guitar at the age of 14. By the age of 20 he had played in various rock bands. In 1973 he began his studies of classical and Jazz guitar at the Berlin "Musikhochschule Hanns Eisler" By 1977 he started performing, playing jazz and improvised music both as a soloist and with various groups. He became a teacher at the Musikhochschule. He has toured most of Europe and performed with some of the great jazz musicians on the continent. |
…remarkable…totally original. David Friesen and Uwe Kropinski, the technique is astonishingly multi-dimensional and multi-rhythmic, but that’s just the beginning. They tell stories, creating images of memory as well as sound. – Nat Hentoff
"Together, Friesen and Kropinski range beyond the typical boundaries of their instrument and even the usual concept of a duet. There are moments in their performances when simultaneously, Friesen is playing both Shakuhachi flute and bass, and Kropinski is playing both percussion, chords, and lines on his guitar; the duo becomes a virtual quartet." - Derk Richardson/San Francisco Bay Guardian
Friesen and Kropinski are "heart musicians." Their excellent technique allows them to create their music with no noticeable limitations, freely and from their own spirit. -- Martin Volgger/Innsbruck, Austria
For those with open ears and open minds, the scrapbook of sonic tapestries spun out by Friesen and Kropinski is nothing short of startling. And though the music and duo format evoke resonances of chamber-music settings, the sheer intensity, not to mention virtuosity, of the duo sets the Friesen-Kropinski project apart. –Chuck Berg/Jazz Times
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