Check out the 12/12/08 entry at http://blog.myspace.com/tangriajazzgroup for details on a special December 2008 sale!
Tangria Jazz Group is a straight ahead jazz trio with lots of fresh ideas to share.
Band Member Bios:
Justin Hellman has a bachelor's degree in music from UC Berkeley. He has played alongside Bay Area greats at countless venues.
Sheryl Mebane plays with inventive Bay Area and North Carolina bands. Her jazz novel, Lady Bird, and her postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley in environmental chemistry education and action have helped to inspire her jazz compositions.
Simon Rochester, playing professionally since age 15, played most notable Bay Area clubs and on three albums over 10 years with the funk band !Tang. Simon routinely plays with top musicians and is a physics doctoral student at UC Berkeley.
Mebane’s Eleven: Tunes for Two, Tangria's second album, explores many facets of Tangria. The CD is great to share with someone special.
Intimate & playful takes on Money Time both exemplify a multiplicity of Tangria’s moods and highlight the album's pair motif.
On Warm’s 2nd version and beyond, guest artists move Tangria into new soundscapes.
The newest creation, Gemini (an interlude) features a range of percussive voices and pulses.
Continuing with pairs, the lush jazz waltz Ethan’s Song is a great tune to share with someone special.
A lively version of Teach Yourself to Live Elsewhere echoes its languid twin from Songs from Lady Bird.
Beloved standards Solar and funky Freedom Jazz Dance honor Tangria’s muses.
Reactions, inspired by molecules from Sheryl’s doctoral studies, & the
double-metered Breathe Easy complete the album.
Samples of Reviews of Mebane's Eleven:
“From the hands of a set of Bay Area grad students (in chemistry and physics, no less) comes this set of forward looking jazz..." --Adam Greenberg, All Music
“…Mebane's Eleven is an interesting and thoroughly entertaining album. Sheryl Mebane and the other two members of Tangria Jazz Group make this album a nice addition to my jazz collection…” --Bruce Von Stiers, BVS Reviews
“…The band is a piano trio, with a lot of sparkle…" --Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz
"The Tangria Jazz Group is ostensibly a jazz piano trio made up of brainiacs from all over the map…" --C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz
"…All of them are brilliant players, and together they deliver an album that delivers a romantic vibe, or at least to create a place where two minds can unite and become one, in whatever way you want that to be. They do so by creating the soundtrack to that unity, and it sounds like they were having a hell of a time in the studio..." --Music for America
"Hailing from the Bay Area with female drummer Sheryl Mebane as its leader, the Tangria Jazz Group bases its sound in classic bebop jazz with a modern twist. The approach is laid-back with a light soul jazz groove, at times reaching towards acid-jazz in rhythmic flavor and attitude…The group is tight, and it is obvious that they have found the true spirit of jazz in their midst." --Mish Mash Music Reviews
"Acclaimed as one of the up and coming jazz bands of the Bay Area jazz scene, Tangria Jazz group’s latest recording is sure to be noticed by critics and jazz fans alike. Containing light straight-ahead jazz in the rich tradition of a Bill Evans, Ellington and other greats, the music flows quite well with sparks of energy..."
--Edward Blanco, Editor of eJazzNews
"…It's inspired playing that deserves to be heard."
--Chris Spector, Editor and Publisher of Midwest Record
"…Their music is fresh like the early AM bird calls to which you attend before you get distracted by the sounds of the arrival of workaday world."
--Peter Poses, Host of "OverNight Jazz: The Soundz Of Surprize", KRFC Ft. Collins, Colorado
"The trio sounds excellent. I like the playing here all around…." --TAXI A&R (taxi.com)
See http://karionpresskits.com/sherylmebane/sherylmebane.html or http://www.tangria.net/media.html for the latest reviews and full reviews.
Tangria's Band Bio:
The Tangria Jazz Group is acclaimed as one of the future jewels of the Bay Area jazz scene. This group’s unique blend of fire, intensity and sensitivity sets them apart, moving audiences to new heights and drawing them in to the closest confines of intimacy. Formed in the spring of 1997, the Tangria Jazz Group has developed a rich, captivating sound that brings new contributions to bear upon the genres of Latin and straight-ahead jazz.
Each player brings an individual style — and impressive talent — to the group, always keeping Tangria’s sound interesting and dynamic. Their influences range from Ellington to Jobim, from Miles Davis to Joe Henderson. Simon Rochester on Rhodes piano draws upon the intricate and lush contributions left by Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans; the intensity and explosiveness of Tony Williams and the delicateness of Billy Higgins are apparent in drummer Sheryl Mebane’s playing; and the melodic and soulful contributions of bass players Ray Brown and Rufus Reid are brought forth in Justin Hellman’s playing. Despite their influences, you’ll also hear freshness, personal expression, and a unique identity, especially in their original compositions.
The Tangria Jazz Group is soon to become a fixture in the Bay Area jazz scene. Their playing, their sound, their remarkable music is an important addition to our jazz community and is rapidly finding a place in the hearts of jazz aficionados throughout the area. We hope you enjoy the music and sounds of the Tangria Jazz Group and all that they have to offer.
tangria jazz group’s 2008 tour
Jan. 24: Burlingame, CA
Feb. 2: Columbia, SC; Sumter, SC; Pittsboro, NC
Feb. 3: Wilmington, NC
Feb. 4, N. Wilkesboro, NC
Feb. 5: Hickory, NC
Feb. 6: Monroe, NC, Polkton, NC
Feb. 7: Knoxville, TN
Feb. 8: Atlanta, GA; Columbia, SC
Feb. 9: Rocky Mount, NC; Bynum, NC
Feb. 11: Kenansville, NC
Feb. 12: Berkeley, CA
Feb. 16: Indianapolis, IN
Feb, 17: Cincinnati, OH
Feb. 19: Austin, TX
Feb. 20: Washington, DC
Feb. 21: Asheboro, NC
Mar. 16: Benicia, CA
Mar. 19: Saratoga, CA
Mar. 22: Friday Harbor, WA
Mar. 24: Talent, OR
www.tangria.net
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