Album Notes

Critically-acclaimed composer/guitarist Ken Hatfield has performed extensively as a solo artist and with his ensemble at such prestigious venues as The JVC Jazz Festival, The Knitting Factory, The Classical American Guitar Show, and The North Wales International Jazz Guitar Festival.

He has also performed and/or recorded with Charlie Byrd, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Grady Tate, Bob Cranshaw, Harold Maeburn, Marcus Miller, Kenny Kirkland, Dom Salvador, Marlena Shaw, Joao Donato, Lew Tabakin, Charles Aznavour, Maurice Hines, and many others. Ken's broad compositional experience includes ballet scores for Judith Jamison, The Washington Ballet, and Maurice Bejart's Ballet of the 20th Century, as well as TV and film scores, including Eugene Richards' award-winning documentary "but, the day came," and numerous jazz compositions, chamber pieces, and works for classical guitar.

Ken Hatfield's new CD "Phoenix Rising," his fourth on the Arthur Circle Music label, contains ten of his new compositions--five with Brazilian overtones, and five firmly rooted in the jazz tradition. A classic trio made up of guitarist Ken Hatfield, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer/percussionist Duduka da Fonseca forms the core of the CD. The trio is expanded to a quartet on seven tunes, each featuring an outstanding performance by one of three guest artists: Claudio Roditi on trumpet and flugelhorn, Dom Salvador on piano, and Billy Drewes on tenor saxophone.