French Fingerstyle Guitar Master ~ Pierre Bensusan

40th Anniversary World Tour

Monday, March 17, 7 p.m.

Jazz In The Vineyard, Paschal Winery

Cost $25/$20 for SMP Members, $10 for Full Time students

Reservations: by Email or 541-488-3869 or by Paypal:


Reservations



Siskiyou Music Project welcomes back for his third visit to southern Oregon, guitarist and vocalist Pierre Bensusan for an intimate concert at Paschal Winery in Talent.

If “World Music” is music that pays tribute to the spirit of a collection of human beings through distinct rhythms, traditional instruments and harmonic colors, French-Algerian guitarist, singer and composer Pierre Bensusan can be recognized as one of the most eloquent and diverse world musicians of our time.

Born in Oran, French-Algeria, in 1957, when France was decolonizing its Empire, Pierre Bensusan’s family moved to Paris when he was 4. He began formal studies on piano at the age of 7 and at 11 taught himself guitar. Influenced in those early days by the folk revival blooming in Britain, France and North America, Bensusan began first to explore his own diverse musical heritage and then moved to the horizons beyond.

At 17 he signed his first recording contract, and one year later his first album Pres de Paris won the Grand Prix du Disque upon his debut at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland.

Described by the L.A. Times as “one of the most unique and brilliant acoustic guitar veterans in the world music scene today,” Pierre Bensusan was voted “Best World Music Guitar Player in 2008” by Guitar Player Magazine Readers Choice. His name became synonymous with contemporary acoustic guitar genius, long before the terms New Age, New Acoustic Music or World Music were invented. He has the ability to make a single guitar sound like an entire band as he brings the audience on a mesmerizing musical journey. And yet, Bensusan is more than what any musician or music lover expects from a guitarist. He is a composer as well as a bilingual and a brave improvisational vocalist, melding whistles and resonant low notes with something like his own scat technique.

There is a sense of something both playful and serious in his work, an unparalleled sense of freedom in his compositions and his improvisations. His “manner” of playing defies classification — crossing world, classical, jazz, traditional, folk and more. None can be isolated as simply “Brazilian,” “Arabic” or “French”; rather, they represent our world in its current state, a world sharing itself, fusing cultures together in ways we have never experienced. Not to be missed!

Bruce Forman and COWBOP

Thursday, March 13, 7 p.m.

Jazz In The Vineyard, Paschal Winery, Talent

Cost $25/$20 for SMP Members, $10 for Full Time students.

Reservations: by Email or 541-488-3869 or by Paypal:


Reservations



Siskiyou Music Project welcomes bebop guitar master Bruce Forman and CowBop to southern Oregon on Thursday, March 13 for a performance at Paschal Winery in Talent. Mix swingin’ grooves, thrilling riffs, sweet and hot vocals, western sensibilities and tons of fun and you have only begun to describe Cow Bop. Formed in 2003 by internationally-acclaimed guitarist Bruce Forman, the cowboy jazz and western bebop band has toured extensively throughout the world, exciting audiences with their unique brand of music.

The bands’ collective experience crosses the spectrum of American music, from the hottest jazz and the coolest swing to the most down-home honky-tonk. Comfortable in diverse settings, from Carnegie Hall to roadside taverns, the band always hits the stage with an electrifying and entertaining assortment of music and frolic. Along with Bruce Forman on guitar, the band features Pinto Pammy on vocals, whose talent and experiences range from big band swing, old-time country and musical theater, and multi-instrumentalist David Wise, whose sax and trumpet playing takes you from the streets of New Orleans to the hottest and coolest jazz. Put that on top of a rhythm section of Alex Frank, bass, and Jake Reed, drums, that are as swingin’ and rockin’ as rodeo bronc, but as sure-footed as a prized pack mule and you get Cow Bop.

Along with numerous appearances at esteemed nightclubs and concert venues throughout the world, Cow Bop has also been featured at the Montreal & Monterey Jazz Festivals, the Sisters Folk Festival, as well as the Elko, Heber City, Monterey and Santa Clarita Cowboy Gatherings. For an extra treat, check out Bruce’s guitar work featured in Clint Eastwood’s Academy-Award winning film, Million Dollar Baby.

Geoffrey Keezer ~ Heart of the Piano, Solo Performance

Live At The Artistic

Artistic Piano Gallery, Medford

Saturday, March 1, 7 p.m.

Cost $25/$20 for SMP Members $10 for Full Time Students

A SATURDAY MORNING CLINIC WITH GEOFFREY KEEZER

“JAZZ: A WAY OF LIFE” A CONVERSATION WITH GEOFFREY KEEZER

Join us on Saturday morning March 1st for an informal clinic and talk by pianist Geoffrey Keezer at the music building at Southern Oregon University at 11 a.m. Over the past 20 years Geoffrey Keezer has traveled the world performing with the top bands in jazz including Art Blakey, Ray Brown and Chris Botti. In this dialogue,we’ll discuss both the practical aspecs of surviving as a jazz musician, as well as the deeper spiritual reasons for choosing music as one’s life path.

FREE for full time students and ticket holders for the evening performance. $20 for the general public. Call or email to register or for more info.

Reservations: by Email or 541-488-3869 or by Paypal:


Reservations



Siskiyou Music Project presents one of the finest jazz pianists on the scene today, Geoffrey Keezer on Saturday, March 1 at the Artistic Piano Gallery in Medford. With his highly regarded discography, unique compositions, and acclaimed performances in a variety of configurations, pianist Geoffrey Keezer commands the attention typically reserved for the living legends of jazz. Whether recording with jazzy chanteuses Diana Krall or Dianne Reeves, touring with trumpet king Chris Botti, or collaborating with pop icon Sting, sax legend Wayne Shorter, guitar wizard Jim Hall, star bassist Christian McBride or vibes master Joe Locke, Geoffrey “has more than enough virtuosity and sheer musical wit and intelligence to weave all of his apparently disparate strands of influence into an original and compelling whole” (Time Magazine).

A native of Eau Claire, WI, Keezer was playing in jazz clubs as a teenager, holding down the piano chair for Art Blakey at age 18, and touring in the company of Joshua Redman, Benny Golson and Ray Brown in his 20s. More recently he has toured with David Sanborn, Chris Botti, Joe Locke and Christian McBride; worked with vocalist Denise Donatelli on projects garnering three GRAMMY® nominations, and released a series of albums drawing influences from Hawaiian, Okinawan and Afro-Peruvian folk traditions. Perhaps the most exciting turn in Geoffrey’s career is his recent focus on solo piano and his first solo release in thirteen years, Heart of the Piano (2013, Motema Records). On a mission to redefine solo jazz piano as a personal and interactive showcase of melody, energy and groove, Keezer brings to Heart of the Piano his most direct and focused artistry to date.

Barely into his 40s, Geoffrey Keezer’s singular style of intellectually abstract lyricism woven over exotically complex rhythms and harmonies makes him one of the most sought-after artists on the modern jazz scene. Regardless of the nature of his projects, from solo to duo to quartet, from bandleader to big band, from post bop jazz to electronica to global fusion, from composer to arranger, Geoffrey delivers music from the heart of the piano to the ear–and heart–of the listener.
“In the universe of piano players that I have been exposed to over the years, Geoffrey has proved himself to be not only a superb technician and improviser, but also above and beyond this, a composer and conceptualist who can maintain the overall line and the DNA of the song in everything he plays. A musician’s musician.” – Sting

“Beautiful playing! I love your improvised pianisms together with your wonderful compositions. Very inspiring!” -Chick Corea

Brazilian Jazz Guitarist Diego Figueiredo

Jazz In The Vineyard, Paschal Winery, Talent

Wednesday, February 19, 7 p.m.

Cost $25/$20 for SMP Members

THIS SHOW IS NOW SOLD OUT

CALL TO BE ADDED TO THE WAIT LIST

The Siskiyou Music Project kicks off it’s 2014 concert series with a solo performance by Brazilian guitar master Diego Figueiredo (pronounce fig-a-reed-o) on Wednesday, February 19 at Paschal Winery as part of our Jazz In The Vineyard Series. Diego is one of the most amazing guitarists on the scene and this will be his first time in southern Oregon.

Diego is considered one of the most talented guitar players in the world today. He is the winner of several important competitions including the Montreux Jazz Competition and the VISA Prize. Diego has released over nineteen albums to date, three DVD’s, and several instructional books. His music is a fusion between Jazz, Bossa Nova and Classical. Diego’s unique interpretations, along with his phenomenal technique and emotion, has created an explosion of adoring fans and concert goers. Diego has performed in over forty countries around the world. He has played and shared the stage with Hermeto Pascoal, Larry Coryell, Geraldo Azevedo, Sebastião Tapajós, Demônios da Garoa, Vanusa, Renato Borghetti, Osvaldo Montenegro, Jair Rodrigues, Elomar, Toquinho, Tunai, Paulinho da Viola, Nando Cordel, Moraes Moreira, Fafá de Belém, Amelinha, Los Hermanos, Zeca Baleiro, Miyazawa and others.

Besides being a guitar player, Diego is a producer, arranger, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist and has recently produced and arranged the double album “As várias caras de Drummond” for which Belchior wrote the music for Drummond´s poems, and which was released in CARAS magazine. With a variety of works already released, Diego is doing shows on the most important stages around the world enchanting and charming the public wherever he goes with his unique touch.