GEORGE MEL - Drums,Percussion,Arranger,Composer
www.georgemel.com
George Mel has worked as a freelance drummer / percussionist in New York City since late 2000. Over the years, he has performed at various venues including Carnegie Hall,NYC;Zinc Bar,, NYC; Blue Note, NYC; The Bitter End, NYC; The Deer Head Inn, Delaware Water Gap, PA;Smoke,NYC; Smalls,NYC;55Bar,NYC and many more. While in NYC, George has played with such artists as Duane Eubanks, Bob Rodriguez, Mark Helias, Leni Stern, Valeri Ponomarev,Avishai E.Cohen, Dom Salvador, Jesse Murphy, Raul Midon, Wayne Escoffery, Nilson Matta, Lionel Loueke,Edsel Gomez,tabla grandmaster and ex- Miles Davis bandmember Badal Roy and legendary clarinetist Perry Robinson among countless other world class musicians.
George Mel (born George 'Gia' Melikishvili) originally hails from Tbilisi, Georgia where many years ago he began as a self-taught drummer, playing western rock music as an underground hobby. The collapse of the Soviet Union, and the dissolution of strict prohibitions on western culture that the regime enforced, catapulted George and his group, Limousine, to national recognition. Limousine went from performing in the basement of a local university building to playing in concert halls, participating in major rock festivals, and frequently appearing on national TV and radio.
After a short period of national fame, civil war erupted in Georgia, pushing George to immigrate to Holland, where he performed for several years with artists like Wendy Sheridan (EMI records) and Walter Trout (John Mayal's Bluesbreakers) among others. He then moved to the United States, where he received his first formal education in music as a Scholarship student at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. George is the first Georgian-born musician to graduate with a degree in jazz performance in the United States. Following his graduation, George made New York City his home where he continued working as a freelance musician and began composing in 2002.
George Mel's debut album"Winding Road" features 6 selected original compositions that are deeply personal and reflect George's view of music in general as a human expression of beauty through sound(without unnecessary stylistic labeling) and Jazz in particular as improv and interplay within a structure that can and should be
harmonically, melodically and rhythmically free from 'dogmas' of certain 'Jazz purists' of today. In George's view any true and honest art is a winding road of unknowns that require acceptance and an open mind from both the artist and the listener.
On this recording George is in a company of his good friends and unbelievable musicians who are among the best in the New York and International music scene. Lets meet them briefly.
Saxophonist Stephan Kammerer ( Copenhagen,Denmark) has performed with everyone-from jazz legend Maynard Ferguson to modern jazz/fusion star drummer Antonio Sanchez.
Guitarist Lionel Loueke is a sensational player with deep musical roots in the fascinating rhythmic language of his native Benin,West Africa. His remarkable musical voice was promptly noticed by many jazz greats and as a result Lionel has performed with legends such as Herbie Hancock,Dave Holland,Wayne Shorter,Jeff"Tain"Watts,Brian Blade,Terence Blanchard, Richard Bona and Robert Hurst among others.
Pianist Manu Koch(Zurich,Switzerland) is among the most versatile and busiest in New York.His skills are employed by large and diverse group of notable artists - from Brazilian master drummer Duduka da Fonseca and jazz drum legend Bob Moses to Afro-pop diva Angelique Kidjo.
Bassist Kevin Thomas (Las Vegas,USA) is one of the most accomplished players with gigs ranging from recent concerts with Luciano Pavarotti to those with jazz greats such as Jack Montrose and Mark Elf.
Due to such diverse musical /ethnic backgrounds ,each musician brings something unique to this blend of cultures. Even though the music can be best described as Jazz, it combines melodic/harmonic elements drawn from modal jazz, Brazilian and Georgian folk /urban music traditions with the complex rhythmic language of West Africa to create a framework for the interesting and exciting improvisations.
While the group is pushing the boundaries of jazz , this release was recorded the most traditional way history of jazz knows - capturing live performances with no editing or overdubs,to keep a true spirit of jazz and to preserve open,raw and organic character of the music presented.
Read more...