East Side Arts Alliance For Immediate Release:
2777 International Blvd. January 6, 2016
Oakland, CA 94606
510-533-6629
www.eastsideartsalliance.org
Contact:
Elena Serrano
elenas@mindspring.com
510-508-9173
Greg Morozumi
gjungmorozumi@gmail.com
510-384-5119
Press Release
Eastside Arts Alliance presents a concert and workshop with
Ethnic Heritage Ensemble on
Sat & Sun., January 30-31, 2016
EastSide Cultural Center – 2277 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94606
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2016 – CONCERT
Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
Featuring Kahil El’Zabar, Hamiet Bluiett, and Craig Harris
8:00PM – $10-25
EastSide Arts Alliance is excited to kick-off the Legendary Ethnic Heritage Ensemble All Star 2016 Tour with an evening concert on Saturday, January 30 and a community discussion with members of the band on Sunday, January 31.
Internationally acclaimed percussionist, composer, and band leader Kahil El’Zabar will premier a brand new Ethnic Heritage Ensemble featuring two masterful icons of the modern jazz idiom: Baritone sax giant, Hamiet Bluiett, and trombone titan, Craig Harris!
While these three giants have worked together in various collaborations for more than 40 years, they have never come together as Kahil’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble until now. The coming together of these three historical and impactful figures at this particular juncture in history, will take us beyond the current trends of predictable mediocrity. Hamiet Bluiett, Craig Harris and Kahil El’Zabar are the real deal and are always ready to make real music!
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 – COMMUNITY CONVERSATION – 3-5pm – FREE
Black Cultural Organizing – Context, Vision, Plan
A roundtable discussion with three legendary artists who have been active leaders in connecting the power of the music to community organizing and efforts toward self-determination. Kahil El’Zabar will speak on the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians – the oldest Black arts organization in the country – http://aacmchicago.org/
Craig Harris has been a key figure in Harlem arts and community for many years and will be able to discuss the future of Harlem as the Black cultural center of the U.S. Hamiet Bluiett has seen and done it all and will provide insights about what influences the music and his thoughts on where we are now. EastSide will be co-facilitating these discussions with invited Oakland artists and organizers.
Following a conversation with these artists we will reserve time for the community to look forward and share ideas that are being developed for a Black Arts resurgence in Oakland.
EastSide is working to respond to the urgent crisis that gentrification is wrecking on our communities. We are facilitating these discussions in the spirit of Amiri Baraka – his understanding that we must build institutions, organize, and embrace the connections between culture and movement building.
SOS
Calling black people
Calling all black people, man woman child
Wherever you are, calling you, urgent, come in
Black people, come in, wherever you are, urgent, calling
you, calling all black people
calling all black people, come in, black people, come
on in.
• Amiri Baraka
The Legendary Ethnic Heritage Ensemble All Star 2016 Tour launches at the EastSide Cultural Center. Internationally acclaimed percussionist, composer, and band leader Kahil El’Zabar, will premier a brand new Ethnic Heritage Ensemble featuring two masterful icons of the modern jazz idiom. Baritone sax giant, Hamiet Bluiett, and trombone titan, Craig Harris.
While these giants have worked together in various collaborations for more than 40 years, they have never come together as Kahil’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble until now. The coming together of these three important players is indeed musical history in the making!
Craig Harris has worked with such luminaries as Sun Ra, Lena Horne, Dollar Brand, David Murray, Henry Threadgill, and Lester Bowie.
Hamiet Bluiett has worked with the greats like, Aretha Franklin, Fontella Bass, Charles Mingus, Sam Rivers, Max Roach, Andrew Cyrille, and also founded the World Saxophone Quartet.
Kahil El’Zabar has worked with musical giants such as Nina Simone, Dizzy Gillespie, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway, Eddie Harris, as well as founded the Ritual Trio and the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. There is so much history in music that lies between these pivotal players, who between the three, is a discography of more than 200 acclaimed recordings.
The new EHE is music endowed with authentic pedigree that urges to push the boundaries of creative music into the soulful heart of fresh expression! After 43 plus years of eventful music making, the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble is still reinventing itself while forging innovative pathways upon the African American musical pantheon. This coming together of these three historical and impactful figures at this particular juncture in history, will take us beyond the current trends of predictable mediocrity. Hamiet Bluiet, Craig Harris, and Kahil El’Zabar are the real deal and have always been ready to make real music!
