Metisse Music

Pianist/composer Myra Melford is the winner of the 2012 Alpert Award in the Arts for Music presented by The Herb Alpert Foundation and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). The Berkeley-based musician and educator has received the award and its $75,000 prize on Sunday, May 13, at the Herb Alpert Foundation in Santa Monica. This is the 18th annual edition of the award, which recognizes the “past performance and future promise” of artists working in five disciplines: dance, film/video, music, theatre and visual arts.

The world music label Jaro will be in town in Paris on May 24, presenting two great bands from New York:

Hazmat Modine, whose last CD release was “Cicada”, impresses with their original mix of afro-american roots, blues and swing, integrating sounds from Eastern Europe, Jamaican rock steady and music from Hawai. A long interview with their leader Wade Schuman on Paris DJs website and a DJ mix by Wade Schuman.

Red Baraat, whose first album “ Chaal Baby” is just on release now, associates the wild percussion rythms of Bhangra with funk, a touch of hip hop and other seductive beats, integrating a great brass section.

Big Sir (Lisa Papineau and Juan Alderete) will support Pony Pony Run Run on May 2 and 3 for their Paris concert at Trianon. The opportunity to hear their new album, Before Gardens After Gardens, live.

American, Europe based blues artist Tino Gonzales will play in France, at the Paris New Morning, to celebrate the release of his first album in 8 years, “The Right Time”. For more information on this unique guitarist and composer and the event: TinoGonzales.com and Facebook

Loads of brass bands concerts:
Hazmat Modine at festival Musiques Métisses in Angoulême on May 25.
Mahala Raï Banda on May 13 and Red Baraat on May 17 at “Jazz sous les Pommiers” festival in Coutances.
Boban i Marko Markovic Orchestra will share the stage of the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme with klezmer trumpet player Frank London (from Klezmatics) on June 21.

Big Sir “Right Action”
(electronic, pop)
Actress “Caves Of Paradise”
(electro)
Sister Nancy “Bam Bam”
(reggae)
Jun Miyake “All Names”
(avant-garde)
Nomo and Shawn Lee “Upside Down”
(indie pop)
Sylvain Chauveau “Dernière Etape Avant Le Silence”
(minimal classical)
Maurice El Medioni “Ahla Ouassala”
(Andalousian)
Michael Wollny’s [em] “Wasted & Wanted”
(contemporary jazz, rock)
Orchestra Baobab “Bul Ma Min”
(African rumba)