Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Trumpeter, Educator Jim Rotondi Dies at 61
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Urban(e), a new recording from the Mike Fahie Jazz Orchestra due out Aug. 28 on Greenleaf Music, grew out of a singular notion: the marriage of the classical and jazz idioms.
(Photo: Courtesy of Artist)Trombonist-composer Mike Fahie—a prolific bandleader and in-demand sideman on the New York scene—is serious about his twin passions for jazz and classical music. Urban(e), a new recording from Fahie’s steadfast large ensemble due out Aug. 28 on Greenleaf Music, grew out of a singular notion: the marriage of the classical and jazz idioms. Fahie’s arrangements celebrate the cross-pollination of these two styles, fusing them into one cohesive sound.
Urban(e) represents more than 200 years of musical invention, interpreted through a jazz lens and including subtle undertones of blues, rock and soul in its seven tracks, all well-known works from the classical repertoire.
The album features a tender rendition of “Nessun Dorma”—one of the best-known arias ever written—from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot. Fahie’s arrangement features tenor saxophonist Chet Doxas and brings harmonic intrigue and thoughtful dynamics to Puccini’s masterwork, calling upon night sounds to enhance its beautiful melody.
The track premieres as a single below, accompanied by a time-elapsed video of Fahie creating a watercolor painting that portrays fireworks exploding over a glimmering cityscape.
“I was challenged to make my own videos during the coronavirus lockdown, so I started thinking of things I could do at home,” Fahie said. “During this period of extended time, I’ve been learning to paint, and one of the things I like to do is watch painters work. I thought, why not turn my new hobby into a music video? ‘Nessun Dorma’ means ‘none shall sleep,’ and it’s a victorious song. What is majestic and victorious at night? Fireworks! Once I decided on that, I wanted to time the appearance of the fireworks with the final glorious chorus. And now, it’s ended up with a double meaning, because fireworks and ‘none shall sleep’ are a major theme of the last couple of months. Sometimes, art just works out like that.”
Appearing alongside Fahie on Urban(e) is a winds section consisting of saxophonists Aaron Irwin, Anton Denner, Chet Doxas, Quinsin Nachoff and Carl Maraghi; trumpeters Brian Pareschi, David Smith, Sam Hoyt and Brad Mason; and trombonists Matthew McDonald, Nick Grinder, Daniel Linden and Jennifer Wharton. Guitarist Jeff Miles, pianist Randy Ingram, bassist Pedro Giraudo and drummer Jeff Davis make up the ensemble’s rhythm section. DB
Jim Rotondi was acclaimed for his wide, round trumpet tone, remarkable virtuosity and assured swing.
Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Charles Lloyd, seen here at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, makes DownBeat Poll history!
Jul 11, 2024 12:23 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
“Being president of Blue Note has been one of the coolest things that ever happened to me,” Was said. “It’s a gas to serve as one of the caretakers of that legacy.”
Jun 4, 2024 12:21 PM
Sitting with Don Was is a comfortable and unhurried exercise. He may seem slightly reserved at first, but ideas and…
“She reminds me of my childhood and makes we want to cry,” Cécile McLorin Salvant, pictured here with writer Ashley Kahn, said of Dianne Reeves.
Jun 11, 2024 12:31 PM
Italy’s Umbria Jazz Winter is one of those rare annual festivals that not only coincides with a major holiday —…
Maria Schneider said of Decades, her new compilation release: “I just wanted to create something, put it in a beautiful box and say, ‘Look at what we did.‘”
Jun 18, 2024 12:00 PM
Maria Schneider opened the sleek black box and placed it on a coffee table in her Manhattan apartment. Inside lay the…
