“Ragmala – A Garland of Ragas is magnificent music for our times: earthy, glowing,
roving and boundless in its creativity and challenging vision for a world united by
music.” – Nelson Brill, Boston Concert Reviews
Hudson, NY – October 23, 2019: Hudson Hall invites audiences to both see and hear what a “future orchestra” might look and sound like, with the dynamic pairing of Brooklyn Raga Massive and Go: Organic Orchestra when they celebrate the release of their lively collaborative album, Ragmala – A Garland of Ragas (Meta Records) in a performance on Saturday, November 2nd. Ragmala brings together Brooklyn Raga Massive and Go: Organic Orchestra into a synergistic exploration of raga, India’s classical music and contemporary creative music. Composer Adam Rudolph’s hypnotic polyrhythmic explorations propel the improvisational musical journey. Tickets for the performance are $30 in advance/$35 at the door and can be purchased at hudsonhall.org or by phone at (518) 822-1438.
Engaging in a form of “transcultural jazz,” master percussionist, composer and bandleader Adam Rudolph of Go: Organic Orchestra leads this collective through a globe-spanning rhythmic journey that is rooted in discovery and improvisation. “This album feels like the culmination of everything I’ve been reaching for throughout my career,” says Rudolph, no small claim from someone who’s been a pioneering voice in jazz and world music for more than 40 years. The 40-piece orchestra speaks in a hybrid tongue that reflects the immigrant experience, with diverse cultures congregating and enriching one another in profound and surprising ways. This particular evening will be all the more momentous and thrilling, as it is the New York premiere of their Ragmala collaboration, which has been compared to Miles Davis’ game-changing and genre-defying album Bitches Brew.
“This double album feels like a milestone in the evolution of truly world music.”
– Fiona Mactaggart, London Jazz News
Brooklyn Raga Massive (BRM) is an artist collective dedicated to creating cross-cultural understanding through the lens of Indian classical and Raga inspired music. It is comprised of forward thinking musicians rooted in both traditional Indian and South Asian classical music, as well as cross-cultural Raga inspired music. The raga, which derives from the Sanskrit words for “passion” or “color,” originated in Hindu temples and works to inspire a trancelike or spiritual mood. Traditionally played by two to four musicians, its ascending and descending patterns form a melodic framework for improvisation and are often associated with seasons, moods and events. The culturally inclusive nature of BRM has not only built a strong community, but has become an incubator of new music collaborations with sounds indigenous to Brooklyn.
Go: Organic Orchestra is a 21st century vision of a “future orchestra”. Artistic director Adam Rudolph’s prototypical approach to composing and improvisational conducting embraces music from around the world. Using a non-linear score with his unique approach to rhythm as the seed material, Rudolph improvisationally conducts the musicians in concert. This creates spontaneous orchestrations which serve as both context and inspiration for the musicians’ improvisational dialogue. Over the past two decades Rudolph has taught and conducted hundreds of musicians in the Go: Organic Orchestra concept throughout North America and Europe. Over the years he has performed with Go: Organic Orchestra ensembles in New York, Los Angeles and Austin, Naples, Palermo and Istanbul.
The lineup features:
Brooklyn Raga Massive:
Arun Ramamurthy violin; Abhik Mukherjee sitar; Sameer Gupta tabla; Jay Gandhi, bansuri; Mari Tanaka tanpura; David Ellenbogen electric guitar; Swaminathan Selvaganesh kanjira.
Go: Organic Orchestra Performing Artists:
Adam Rudolph conductor; Kaoru Watanabe c flute, fue, nohkan; Michel Gentile c flute; Sylvain Leroux tambin, c flute; Ze Luis c and alto flute; Mariano Gil bass flute; Avram Fefer tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Ned Rothenberg bass and contrabass clarinet, soprano saxophone; Ivan Barenboim b flat clarinet; Trina Basu violin; Gwen Lasterviolin; Sara Nagono violin; Leco Reis contrabass; Stephanie Griffin viola; Graham Haynes cornet, flugelhorn kudu horn, bamboo vaccine; Stephen Haynes – cornet, flugelhorn, solo alto, pocket trumpet, didgeridoo, conch, kudu horn; Peter Zummo – trombone, didgeridoo, conch, kudu horn; Mia Theodoratus harp; Marco Cappelli acoustic guitar; Kenny Wessel electric guitar; Alexis Marcelo keyboards; Damon Bankselectric bass; Rogerio Boccato caxixi, mineiro, temple blocks, bells, wood box surdo and percussion.
Hudson Hall is a cultural beacon in the Hudson Valley, offering a dynamic year-round schedule of music, theater, dance, literature, workshops for youth and adults, as well as family programs and large-scale community events such as Winter Walk. Located in a historic landmark building housing New York State’s oldest surviving theater, Hudson Hall underwent a full restoration and reopened to the public in April 2017 for the first time in over 55 years. The newly restored Hudson Hall reflects Hudson’s rich history in a modern facility that welcomes residents and visitors from throughout our local community, across the nation, and around the globe.
Programs at Hudson Hall are funded, in part, by New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. |
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