At The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York....

The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York presents the US premiere of

ENESCU Re-Imagined

by Lucian Ban & John Hebert [for Jim: the idea is to say that it is „reimagined by Lucian etc“; is this formulation ok?]
Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, Goodman House 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 1002

Featuring:
Mat Maneri - viola
Joyce Hammann – violin
Tony Malaby - tenor & soprano saxophone
Taylor Ho Byun - trumpet
Lucian Ban – piano
Badal Roy – tablas
John Hebert – double bass
Gerald Cleaver – drums

About the concept of the project
More than a century after Romanian composer George Enescu was first introduced to American audiences, Romanian expat pianist Lucian Ban together with renowned jazz bassist John Hebert, takes on Enescu’s music legacy in this daring contemporary jazz re-imagination of some of his unique works for a stunning group of New York jazz iconoclasts.

A famous composer, an even more famous violinist, a conductor and pianist George Enescu was one of the most unique musicians of the past 20th century, one whose influence spans both Europe and America and countless musicians and fellow composers. His most renowned pupil, the great violin virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin calls him “the greatest musician I ever known and would often speak, prophetically about the 21st century as “The Century of Enescu”.

Conceived as a workshop in 2006 by Romanian born, NYC based jazz pianist & composer Lucian Ban, the project evolved today in an 8 piece ensemble that blends the music of George Enescu with jazz and contemporary music. Working at the edge of classical, jazz, downtown improv and contemporary music, the ensemble re-orchestrates and re-interprets scores from George Enescu’s impressive body of work – from the famous “3rd Sonata for Violin & Piano in Romanian Folk” Character to the unfinished “4th Symphony” to the various chamber pieces and the larger orchestral works of this amazing 20th Century Romanian composer. Although his music is present on the classical stages today, it was never, so far, been re-interpreted from a contemporary jazz angle.

The Octet features some of the most “forward thinking musicians that push the music into the new millennium”: master violist and a Grammy nominee Mat Maneri, the New York Times “contemporary master saxophonist” Tony Malaby, virtuoso violinist Joyce Hammann, trumpet player Taylor Ho Bynum, “one of the most brilliant of the new third millennial masters of his generation”, “Down Beat winner bassist” John Hebert and visionary drummer Gerald Cleaver. Add to this line-up the foremost exponent of tabla in jazz music, the legendary Badal Roy a collaborator of legends like Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, Yoko Ono and you’re sure to witness an unlike anything you’ve ever heard performance.

”I have come to truly discover and fall in love with Enescu’s music long after I moved from Romania to New York City to study at Mannes School of Music, one of the US universities where Enescu regularly taught,” says pianist and composer Lucian Ban. “I’ve found that many of Enescu’s works, some of which are lesser known, have a structure and a feeling resembling that of jazz; this was the starting point for wanting to present his music in a new light, together with an ensemble featuring some of the most daring musicians of today“.

The October 20th Merkin Hall concert marks the US premiere of this work, right after its world premiere at the George Enescu Festival in Bucharest, Romania, on September 20, 2009.