Sean Blackman
In Transit
Engineered by Grammy award winner Jerry Boys of the Buena Vista Social Club, this stunning coming together of cultures features virtuoso musicians hailing from Senegal, Armenia, Brazil & The US, performing on instruments such as the kora, kanun, & duduk.
Biography
Sean Blackman – guitarist/composer/producer/performer
Sean Blackman’s unique World Music style is influenced by Armenian folk, both South and West African music, along with Brazilian Jazz and Flamenco. And of course, growing up in Detroit -- Jazz, Blues, Rock and Soul.
Blackman works with some of Detroit’s finest musicians as well as a variety of local and internationally renowned artists. He performs over 100 shows a year in the Motor City at festivals, night clubs, corporate events and private parties.
His musical styling has refined through touring the U.S. and his travels in Brazil, Peru, Thailand, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Greece by submerging himself in the native cultures of music and dance.
Blackman has independently produced five albums of original music, including his latest CD, In Transit. This all acoustic record consists of musicians that hale from Senegal, Brazil, Armenia and the U.S. The diverse cultures within this ensemble weave a common thread through musical history that has influenced one another over time. Though, together share a unique voice in World Music.
The instrumentation is nylon string guitar, kora (21 string African harp), up-right bass, clarinet, kanun (76 string Armenian zither) and duduk (Armenian reeded flute), all backed by a six-piece percussion ensemble including four vocal tracks.
Blackman’s musical conception for this project attracted the attention of internationally acclaimed musicians from both Vinicius Cantuaria and Youssou N’dour’s group… and Detroit’s jazz legend, Wendell Harrison. As well as technical support from Jerry Boys, the Grammy award winning sound engineer of The Buena Vista Social Club, who recorded, mixed and mastered this album.
IN TRANSIT is a multi-cultural, multi-modal production, set for the theatre. This ensemble is dedicated to creating the highest quality, most entertaining, educational and enlightening performance with the goal of expanding the viewer’s knowledge and interest in music and culture throughout the world.
Blackman has been honored with six Detroit Music Awards for Outstanding World Instrumentalist, World Recording, World Artist, and Jazz Writer.
He also held position as chairman of entertainment for prominent Detroit music festivals such as Dally in the Alley and the Birmingham African Fest. He helped launch and direct Birmingham’s prestigious Armenian Fest and has worked as creative director of entertainment for corporate events for Red Bull, Chrysler and the grand opening of the McNamara Terminal at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport – one of the nations most state-of-the-art terminals.
As an established world jazz musician, Blackman continues to compose and produce new material that links different genres of music with dance and theatrical performance. Performing on the streets of Brazil, in front of thousands at a theatre concert in Detroit, or inside a smoldering hidden nightclub, Blackman's music is disciplined from a lifetime of training, yet his raw passion makes every note seemingly intimate.
World: Armenian