Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Jazz Mafia redefines symphonic music



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Say the word "symphony" and you've automatically tuned out a portion of popular music lovers. Change that to "hip-hop symphony," and you may have their attention again.
"Brass Bows and Beats" was conceived as a hip-hop symphony -- one where a diverse group of about 50 musicians, led by creator and trombone player Adam Theis ­-- tips symphonic music on its side. The show includes guest artists, and the stop in Reno includes hip-hop artist Lyrics Born and DJ Qbert. Lyrics Born has performed a handful of the "Brass Bows and Beats" shows with its core collective, the Jazz Mafia. In an interview from his home in Berkeley, Calif., he said "Brass, Bows and Beats" is a great way to introduce jazz to newbies.
"Not only is it jazz, it's so much more," Lyrics Born said. "(Theis) covers so much ground. It's jazz, it's hip-hop, there's some soul in there, there's some funk, there's some musical theater. If I was at the age when I was getting into music (for the first time), this is an amazing thing to see. A lot of kids have probably never seen a string section or a horn section, let alone a string section, a horn section, two rhythm sections, rappers, singers, DJs; it's amazing."
The Jazz Mafia that created the "Brass, Bows and Beats" show is made up of several splinter groups that perform in the San Francisco Bay area. Lyrics Born is no stranger to Reno and Tahoe clubs, nor is the Shotgun Wedding Quintet, one of the Jazz Mafia groups featuring Theis that has played Moody's Bistro in Truckee a number of times. Lyrics Born figures he was a good fit for "Brass, Bows and Beats" because he's the rare artist in hip-hop who performs and records with live musicians.
http://www.rgj.com/article/J7/20100507/ENT02/5070379/Jazz-Mafia-redefines-symphonic-music?odyssey=nav%7chead

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