artists

Romanian Jazz

 
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+Badila, Decebal

Nascut la Constanta la 19 februarie 1968, Decebal Badila se inscrie intr-o importanta pleiada de basisti si contrabasisti romani de muzica simfonica, jazz si rock. Initial atras de pian, a devenit curind, un admirator fara rezerve al fratelui sau mai mare, regretatul contrabass-ist virtuoz si profesor de renume international Ovidiu Badila. Astfel, a invatat de timpuriu a stapini tainele acestui instrument, dobindind la virsta de 11 ani primul premiu ca solist la bass-ul acustic, in cadrul Festivalului National de Muzica.

Din 1984 a adoptat ghitara bass; s-a perfectionat in scurt timp, definindu-si o maniera proprie de interpretare. Drept recunoastere a talentului sau, a fost invitat a sustine la Televiziune recitaluri solo. In 1986, topurile de jazz il desemnau deja drept cel mai bun instrumentist la contrabass acustic si bass electric din Romania, motiv pentru care i s-au propus numeroase colaborari cu artisti de jazz si de muzica pop. Intre 1987 si 1990, Decebal Badila a urmat – in paralel cu activitatea sa muzicala, studii de matematica si fizica la Universitatea din Bucuresti. Din 1990, s-a stabilit in Germania, mai intii ca student la Colegiul de Muzica din Köln, pe care l-a absolvit cu titlul „Master Degree with honour”.

L-a cunoscut pe virtuozul pianist Eugen Ciceu - Cicero in Germania dar in august 1994, a colaborat pentru prima oara cu el, in cadrul unui concert sustinut de pianist la Bucuresti. A fost inceputul unei conlucrari neintrerupte intre Decebal Badila si Eugen Cicero, pina la trecerea acestuia in nefiinta, in 1997.

Gratie disponibilitatilor sale de exceptie – tehnica instrumentala surprinzatoare, simt ritmic, memorie si fantezie improvizatorica, subtilitate armonica, cariera lui Decebal Badila atit ca muzician de studio cit si ca performer live a insumat un mare numar de participari la inregistrari, concerte, emisiuni TV si festivaluri de jazz in Europa,  Asia, America Latina alaturi de Clark Terry, Sammy Nestico, Bob Mintzer, Larry Coryell, Chaka Khan, The  Temptations, The Supremes, Bireli Lagrene, Marc Russo, Brandon Fields, Graham Haynes, Shirley Bassey, Maria Schneider, Koono, Horst Jankowski, Markus Stockhausen, Tony Lakatos, Wolfgang Haffner, Peter Weniger, desigur Eugen Cicero si multi altii.

Discografia proprie cuprinde pina in prezent doua interesante albume de autor: „Nothing But Bass” (1995) care s-a bucurat de o recunoastere internationala pentru harul melodic si imaginatia dovedita in compozitiile sale, si „Archibald’s Dance” (2001), CD de bass solo apreciat pentru putin comuna virtuozitate si muzicalitate, ca si pentru ineditul si modernismul creatiilor.

Din 1997 este membru  al Big band-ului „SWR” din Stuttgart. O dimensiune noua venind sa intregeasca in anii din urma portretul artistului, a constituit-o pentru Decebal Badila descoperirea si cunoasterea de la sursa a muzicii braziliene, bass-istul activind adesea in Sao Paolo.

Aparitiile sale la editiile 2004 si 2005 la Festivalul International de Jazz de la Bucuresti au venit sa reconfirme si in tara incontestabila consacrare a artistului pe scenele lumii.

+Balanescu, Alexandru

Alexander Balanescu (born June 11, 1954 in Bucharest, Romania) is a violinist, composer and visual artist. He was born in Romania, raised in Israel and studied violin at London’s Trinity College of Music and the Julliard school in New York. He returned to London where he worked and cooperated with many of the major contemporary music groups.

With his Balanescu Quartet he has acquired a reputation as one of the world’s leading contemporary artist. His quartet has commissioned over 25 works to date beginning with Michael Nyman, Gavin Bryars, Kevin Volans and Balanescu himself, before going on to include the non-classical writers John Lurie, David Byrne, Keith Tippett, Carla Bley, Rabih Abou Khalil, Michael Nyman, Gavin Bryars, Ornette Coleman, Peter Greenaway, David Byrne, the Pet Shop Boys, Spiritualized, Kate Bush and Kraftwerk.

Collaborations as a composer/performer include in dance with Merryl Tankard, Pina Bausch, Rosemary Lee, Suzy Blok, Johann Ulrich, Phillipe Saire and Virgilio Sieni and in Theatre Productions at Theatre de la Place, Liege, Belgrade State Theatre, Cabaret Dromesko, Rennes, and Watford Palace Theatre. Balanescu’s credits as a composer of film and TV music include the feature films Angels and Insects, Le Poulpe, Il Partigiano Johnny and Eisenstein, (TV) documentaries Dancing through Darkness and Spinoza and over 20 animated films… Alexander Balanescu is considered as one of the most visionary and exciting violinists of our time.

http://www.balanescu.com/

+Balogh, Arthur

Currently a doublebass player at the Würtemberg Chamber Orchestra, Arthur Balogh started studying music - piano- at the age of six, at the "Ion Vidu" Music College in Timisoara. At the age of fifteen, he started his doublebass studies with the professor Marian Utanu. During his studies at the National University of Music in Bucharest (where he eventually became an assistant for the jazz class), Arthur Balogh was an employee of the radio national Orchestra. throughout the seven years he spent in Bucharest, he was a notable presence on the national jazz scene, within different formulas (Mircea Tiberian, Aura Urziceanu, Nicolas Simion and many others), and he contributed to the production of 8 discs, namely: Ensemble Raro & Friends – “The Seasons”, Sam Newsome & Lucian Ban – „Romanian - American jazz suite”, Teodora Enache - „Radacini". 
Arrived in Germany in 2007, he continued his studies at the Music University of Nurnberg, in the class of professor Dorin Marc. After having obtained his Master Diploma, Arthur Balogh played for six months in the National Theater Orchestra in Stuttgart. In 2010, he became doublabass player on in the Würtemberg Chamber Orchestra, Heilbronn. His passion for jazz remains present in the artist's life, whose first album as a band leader will be launched at the end of 2013. 


Awards:
2007 – “The best jazz quartet” toghether with Cristian Soleanu, Vlad Popescu, Sorin Romanescu awarded by National Radio Society Romania
2004 – “The best jazz quartet” as side man by Garbis Dedeian Quartet awarded by National Radio Society Romania
2003 – “The Best New Artists” with New Academic Jazz Quartet. "N.A.J.Q." awarded by National Radio Society Romania
2002 – “Great Prize” for the best jazz group with N.A.J.Q. at “Napocensis” Jazz Festival, Cluj, Romania
1998 – First Prize - classical solo double bass – National Music Copetition, Romania

+Ban, Lucian

Twice nominated in 2005 & 2006 for prestigious Hans Koller “Best European Jazz Musician Preis“Award, pianist, bandleader, composer & arranger Lucian Ban (b.1969) is
originally from Cluj, Transylvania, Romania. He currently lives in New York City where is part of the next generation of performers & composers at the forefront of contemporary modern jazz.  He leads several projects and writes innovative music that reinvents the idiom of jazz music. His compositions are performed & recorded by other musicians and  ensembles.

Mr. Ban leads the super group ELEVATION featuring world renowned tenor sax Abraham Burton, Eric McPherson on drums and bassist John Hebert, the ASYMMETRY Quartet feat. Jorge Sylvester (alto sax), Brad Jones (bass) and Derrek Phillips (drums), and The TUBA PROJECT a group featuring the famous Bob Stewart on (tuba), Alex Harding (bari sax), Bruce Williams (alto sax) and Derrek Phillips (drums). He co-leads with renowned bassist John Hebert the acclaimed project “Enesco Re-Imagined” an ensemble that presents a radical re-interpretation of 20th century classical genius George Enesco. An all star group featuring Badal Roy, Tony Malaby, Ralph Alessi, Mat Maneri, Albrecht Maurer and Gerald Cleaver the group toured extensively performing at London Jazz Festival, Barcelona Jazz Fest, Jazz d’Or, Guimaraes Jazz Fest, Glenn Gould Hall, Le Poisson Rouge & Merkin Hall among others. The album was released on Sunnyside Records in 2010 to rave reviews and won several “Best of 2010 Lists” He also co-leads with soprano sax great Sam Newsome “The Romanian-American Jazz Suite” group, a project that presents Romanian Folk music from a jazz perspective. In 2008 their CD bearing the same name was released to great success by Jazzaway Records, followed by successful tours on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2003 the Lumination Ensemble featuring drum legend Barry Altschul was voted "One of the best shows of 2003 " by the All About Jazz Magazine NYC along with Cecil Taylor and Joe Lovano groups.

http://www.lucianban.com/

+Burneci, Sebastian

 

Sebastian Burneci is a young musician with a thorough training in both classical and jazz music. Born in Constanta, Romania, in a family of musicians, Sebastian started his musical education at the age of 6 with piano and trumpet. Besides the love for classical music inherited from his mother, Sebastian discovers the fabulous world of jazz, by listening to his father’s LP’s. 

 

Upon graduating the “Regina Maria” Music Lyceum in Constanta, he moved to Bucharest in 2001. In the Romanian capital he studied classical trumpet with Iancu Vaduva at the Romanian National Music University and started collaborating with both Romanian National Radio Symphonic Orchestra and the Romanian National Philharmonic. He soon became one of the most important figures of the trumpet business. The Romanian National Radio Society offered him the lead trumpet chair at the National Radio Big Band led by Ionel Tudor. To support him self through school, Sebastian also started playing with several pop-rock bands, soon to become a “professional side-man”.

 

Still his goal was to become an international jazz trumpet player and this is why, upon graduating in 2006, he moved to The Netherlands. He is currently living in Amsterdam and is studying the second major in jazz trumpet at the Prins Claus Conservatorium in Groningen with Alex Sipiagin, Kurt Weiss, Peter van Soest and had previously studied with Brian Lynch (2007).

 

As a big band member he played in the youth orchestra conducted by Peter Herbolzheimer. Sebastian is also playing with several dutch big bands such as “Jumpin Jazz Orchestra” led by Jelle Visser , “Stage Band” led by Bert Pfeiffer, “West Coast Big Band” led by Kurt Weiss, among others. Sebastian also continues to be involved in the classical music scene with a piano duo together with the Romanian pianist and conductor Simona Strungaru.

 

http://www.sebastianburneci.com/

+Butoi, Liviu

Liviu Butoi este un muzician roman de jazz. In perioada 1970 - 1972 a facut parte din formatia Phoenix, cantand la oboi si flaut. In 1983 a infiintat formatia Crepuscul. A mai cantat la saxofon si flaut in formatia Bega Blues Band, dupa 1989, formatie din care face parte si Bela Kamocsa, alt fost component al trupei Phoenix.

 

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