GMF Barcelona ‘19
Barcelona, 31 July–07 August 2019
July 31 Charles McPherson Quartet - "80th Birthday Tour, Celebration of a Jazz Legend"
Charles McPherson is an authentic jazz legend and one of the greatest alto saxophonists in the history of the music. He returns to Barcelona with his regular quartet to play two shows of stellar music full of passion, fire, tenderness, sophistication and the blues. McPherson grew up in Detroit, where he met renowned pianist Barry Harris, and started playing jazz professionally at age 19. He moved to New York in 1959 and performed with Charles Mingus from 1960 to 1972. He has toured the US, Europe, Japan, Africa and South America with his own group, as well as with jazz greats Billy Eckstine, Lionel Hampton, Nat Adderly, Jay McShann and others. McPherson has a long list of recordings as a guest artist with Charlie Mingus, Barry Harris, Art Farmer, Kenny Drew, Toshiko Akiyoshi, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
August 1 Bruce Barth "New York Stories" Volume II
Bruce Barth is without doubt one of the great jazz pianists of our time. Deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, his music reflects the depth and breadth of his life and musical experiences.
He has had extended collaborations with Tony Bennett, Terell Stafford, Luciana Souza, Stanely Turrentine, Steve Wilson and David Sánchez and was a long standing member of the Terence
Blanchard Quintet. He appears here with old and new friends inclduing Mark Hidgson on bass, Stephen Keogh on drums and talented young altoist from New York Nick Green.
August 2 Jean Toussaint "Remember the Messengers
Jean Toussaint, along with Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Eddie Henderson and more recently Wallace Rooney and Mulgrew Miller, was a member of one of the great editions of legendary drummer Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. This concert revisits some of the great music played by the group, and by other editions of the Messengers, as well as original pieces by Jean
August 3 Perico Sambeat - "Universal Language"
Perico Sambeat - considered one of the most important Jazz musicians Europe has ever produced, and one of the best alto saxophonists in the world today. He appears on over one hundred recordings, many of which he is the leader. His work as a performer, composer and arranger has received many awards and accolades. His artistic projects and collaborations boast a list of musicians of the very highest caliber including Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Tete Montoliu, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny and many more.
August 4 Carla Cook - "It's All About Love"
A native Detroiter, she grew up in a musically rich and diverse environment, and brings all her influences to bear within her repertoire. In her songbook you'll find elements of R&B, European classical, Motown, Blues and Gospel.
She has received many favorable reviews and received a Grammy nomination in the Best Jazz Vocal Performance category, and was awarded the AFIM Indie Award for Best Jazz Vocal.
She is a daring jazz singer/songwriter who sings standards beautifully -- but she doesn't stop there. She is willing to put a jazz spin on songs not written by traditional jazz composers. Songs that, until you hear her sing them, you'd never imagine could be interpreted as jazz.
August 5 Students Concert / GMF All Star Jam / Jamboree Jam
The students and participants attending the workshop have been working hard with their instrumental and vocal coaches for a week to refine and improve their musicianship, and this is when get the opportunity to play in public. The act of performing in front of an audience gives the students an opportunity to see for themselves the result of their work and experience the joy of music making with other musicians and listeners alike.
August 6 Pete Churchill "The Great Vocal Gathering" GMF Soul Supreme
A rich celebration of the human voice featuring two international vocal stars.
A night re-living the passion and soul of motown, gospel, jazz and the blues.
A stage full of passionate artists featuring two of the most exciting and expressive vocalists on the world scene will sweep you off your feet on to a magic carpet of song, together with a dream team of musicians to light up the place and propel you on a journey into a universe of good feeling, energy and vitality.
The Vocalists
Carla Cook, Pete Churchill (musical director).
The Global Arts Ensemble
Perico Sambeat alto sax Percy Pursglove trumpet Bruce Barth piano and keyboards Scott Edmunds piano and keyboards Mark Hodgson bass Francesco Petreni drums and percussion Stephen Keogh drums and percussion.
Plus Nel Begley, Susanna Aleksandra & the GMF Singers vocal accompaniment
Pete Churchill
Choral magician Pete Churchill, originally from Canada, has been based in the U.K. since 1985. He was a member of both Kenny Wheeler's and Abdullah Ibrahim's vocal projects and was Mark Murphy’s U.K. accompanist for fifteen years, and more recently conducted the 80th birthday tour of the Kenny Wheeler Big Band and the album, The Long Waiting. Now Professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Pete was awarded the 2007 Parliamentary Award for services to Jazz Education. He works extensively as a singer, pianist, conductor, composer, arranger, song-writer, and as a musical director in London's West End. In 2012 - over forty years after having started work on his lyricisation of "Miles Ahead" - the legendary singer and master of vocalise Jon Hendricks began to collaborate closely with Pete and his choir, London Vocal Project, who, brought his creative dream to life, with assistance from Quincy Jones, at it's sell out performances in New York and London 2017.
Carla Cook
Grammy nominated singer and composer, she has been influenced by the jazz vocal masters, but equally influenced by phenomenal instrumentalists, like Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery and The Crusaders. As a Detroit native she also finds inspiration in R&B, Motown, Pop, Gospel and Country and her band has also performed at the invitation of Aretha Franklin for her annual Christmas Party. She has performed worldwide with everyone from the Count Basie Orchestra to Wynton Marsalis to Maceo Parker. “She has sass that enlivens her impeccable diction, and tremendous soul that lets her swagger with gutbucket finesse, but it’s all buttressed with sparkling optimism and innocence.” Washington Post
Disclaimer: Global Music Foundation exists solely to promote understanding of music and the arts. Any personal views which may be expressed by individual tutors or students at GMF events do not necessarily represent those of the Global Music Foundation or its directors.