Participates:
Donnie McCaslin (USA), saxophone; Jason Lindner (USA), piano; Latvian Radio big band
At the “Saxophonia” festival, Latvian Radio’s big band will meet two heavyweights of the jazz world from the USA – saxophonist Donny McCaslin and keyboardist Jason Lindner.
Saxophonist, composer, multiple Grammy Award nominee Donny McCaslin is one of the most sought-after musicians in New York and has performed with countless jazz stars during his career, including the famous Maria Schneider Orchestra. 2016. In 2016, Donnie McCaslin’s Jazz Quartet, which also includes fellow Saxophonia guest Jason Lindner, played an important role in the creation of David Bowie’s last album, Blackstar, which got its jazz-infused sound largely thanks to Donnie McCaslin’s saxophone and Jason for Lindner’s keyboard playing.
Jason Lindner is one of the most interesting New York keyboardists and producers of the moment, a “sculptor” of electronic sounds, who has always been fascinated by working with large ensembles, searching for new musical paths and experimenting with sound, instrumentation and rhythm.
The Latvian Radio big band will also take part in the festival concert. Every big band performance is like a special exchange of energy between the musicians and the audience. This collective is an integral part of Latvian cultural life and under the leadership of artistic director Kārļas Vanagas is ready to surprise with new and interesting projects.
The concert will feature excerpts from Donnie McCaslin’s albums made in recent years, arranged for the big band by Jason Lindner, as well as new, unreleased compositions.
The concert in Ventspils is organized by SIA “Kurzemes Philharmonija”, financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the municipality of Ventspils.
Tickets are available in the ticket sales network “Bilešu paradīze”.
At the “Saxophonia” festival, the saxophone music festival in Ventspils will continue on February 11, when the Ventspils Big Band will take the stage at the “Latvija” concert hall under the direction of the artistic director and saxophonist Renārs Lāčas and the soloists: musicians-saxophonists of the Latvian Radio big band saxophone section Kārlis Vanags, Dāvis Jurka, Jānis Puķitis, saxophonist Toms Rudzinskis, vocalist Undīne Rolava and pianist, composer Ritvars Garoza. The soloists are high-level professionals, several of them are excellent composers and arrangers, participants of international projects, which is why original music was chosen for the concert – compositions created by soloists, as well as popular pieces of music for the big band composition.
The music festival Saxophonia is the largest saxophone music festival in Europe, where world-class saxophone stars meet. Saxophonia is one of the most visited and popular music festivals in Latvia. It is an opportunity for listeners to hear jazz, popular, classical, contemporary and world music together in an excellent performance. Concerts are held in Latvian concert halls and jazz clubs. www.saxophonia.lv
