Tag Archives: Outpost Performance Space

Claudia Villela and Vítor Gonçalves: Alive in the Moment

Claudia Villela

Brazilian vocalist/pianist/percussionist/composer Claudia Villela possesses several gifts rarely found together in a single person: an astonishing vocal instrument, a wide-open heart, a profound sensitivity to the present moment, and the improvisational daring to follow the music wherever it may lead her. In short, she can transport an entire room of strangers to a separate, blissful reality that leaves the everyday in the dust. My advice for anyone attending her concert with Brazilian pianist/accordionist/composer Vítor Gonçalves this week at the Outpost is to be prepared for anything and to go gladly wherever she takes you. Continue reading →

Opening the Opener: Patti Littlefield and John Rangel (With Update)

Patti Littlefield

The New Mexico jazz audience has had this Thursday night marked on the calendar for weeks: the NEA Jazz Master vocalist Sheila Jordan and her bassist Cameron Brown will be opening the spring season at the Outpost Performance Space. That’s reason enough to get over there, but be sure you’re in your seat at 7:30, because you don’t want to miss the opening act: vocalist Patti
Littlefield and pianist John Rangel. We don’t get to hear either one of them often enough, and they will do
considerably more than just warm you up for Jordan. Continue reading →

Miguel Zenón Explores Changeable Identities

Cole, Zenón, Perdomo, Glawischnig.

When saxophonist Miguel Zenón, who was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, first
encountered New Yorkers of Puerto Rican heritage, he was astonished to find that despite
being two or three generations removed from life on the Caribbean island, they were as
connected to its traditions as the people he knew back home in San Juan. This discovery set Zenón off on a three-year voyage to understand the way in which “Nuyoricans” experience their national identity.

What he learned can be summed up in the title of his new album, Identities Are Changeable (Miel Music), to be released November 4. “The idea that I had is to try to represent musically this
concept of identity being multiple and being able to change,” Zenón explained in a phone
interview from California.

In characteristic fashion, Zenón brings to bear on the project a lively curiosity, an intellectual
rigor, a supple and muscular emotionality, and a musical sophistication capable of translating his social research into an eloquent artistic statement. Backed by Luis Perdomo (piano), Hans Glawischnig (bass), and Eric Doob (drums), Zenón brings his discoveries to the Outpost this Thursday. Continue reading →

Roaming the Collective Unconscious in Songs Centuries Old

The Wandering Ballad CD Release Party

The repertoire of Johanna Hongell-Darsee and Scott Darsee includes the most popular songs of all time, though few of them have ever appeared on a Billboard chart. Their longevity and their near universal presence around the globe, however, attest to their
appeal. On The Wandering Ballad, available via iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon, the duo presents ballads that have formed the heart of their last three live productions. Some of the tunes were first written down in the 12th
century, by which time some of them had already traveled halfway around the world, accreting scores of verses from different cultures and attaching local melodies along the way.

The album presents songs in English, French, Finnish, and Swedish, in spare and beautiful arrangements that conjure a medieval atmosphere. Modern and ancient instruments weave the spell, with Hongell-Darsee on vocals, flute, clarinet, härjedalspipa (Scandinavian wooden
whistle) and Darsee on acoustic and electric guitars and bass, with assistance from Christopher A. Carlson on violin and octave violin, Sharon Berman on recorders, and Juan Wijngaard on
hurdy-gurdy. At the CD release party, presented by AMP Concerts at the Outpost this Friday, these artists will be joined by Larry Otis on guitar and saxophone and Tej Bhavsar on sitar.

Continue reading →

Rahim AlHaj Continues the Journey

It’s been a while since I’ve had a close listen to the recordings of Iraqi oud player/composer Rahim AlHaj or heard him play live. His upcoming appearance here in Albuquerque at the
Outpost this weekend and the release of a new album, however, have provided the
opportunity to do both, and I’m grateful for it.

Photo by Douglas Kent Hall.

One night earlier this week, I gave my full attention to the new album, Journey (Ur Music). I was quickly and happily reminded of his expressive virtuosity and the soulful beauty of his
compositions. So now I’m looking forward even more to this Saturday’s concert, where AlHaj, as soloist and in duets with percussionist Issa Malluf on daf and doumbek, will present
traditional and original works, including material from his current symphonic project.