Department of State, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and National Geographic Live Present "The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad" Free Concert
Bureau of Public Affairs
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
April 15, 2009
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center and National Geographic Live, will present a free concert featuring musicians of “The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad,” on April 16, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m., at The National Geographic Society’s Grosvenor Auditorium (1600 M Street, NW, Washington, D.C.)
This performance marks the fourth in a series of five free concerts that provide U.S. audiences the opportunity to meet and listen to these talented performers. Funded by a State Department grant, “The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad” program sends American quartets abroad to present original American roots music, including jazz, blues, urban, and bluegrass. Musicians from around the United States auditioned in New York City, and ten quartets were selected to represent American culture through concerts, jam sessions, classes, and person-to-person interaction with foreign audiences. These American musical ambassadors are following in the footsteps of legends Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, and other great American jazz performers. The April 16th concert will feature the Bryan Horton Quartet and Roseanna Vitro and the JazzIAm Band.
Bryan Horton Quartet is deeply rooted in the traditions of blues, groove, and jazz music. The Durham, North Carolina based ensemble explores multi-cultural rhythms and encourages improvisation, revisiting jazz standards with fresh ideas to craft original, spontaneous composition. The band developed through the study of masters, such as jazz greats Dexter Gordon, Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus, as well as through new, global urban grooves.
Roseanna Vitro and the JazzIAm Band is a high energy group comprised of four musicians who are powerful improvisers, composers, teachers and performers. This ensemble is a modern gumbo whose flavors include swing from Duke Ellington to Bill Evans, blues from the Ray Charles Songbook and the exotic melodies and rhythms that form world music, spanning the globe from Brazil to India. JazzIAm’s mantra is, “Music is a universal language and it is spiritually healing. Good music played with passion unifies our world and makes it a better place.” Each member is based in New York City, has toured extensively, playing in major festivals and workshops, spreading the gospel of improvisational music.
For more information visit www.exchanges.state.gov/cultural/rhythm.html and www.jalc.org/TheRoad, or contact:
David C. Grier, 202-203-7007 or GrierDC@state.gov
This performance marks the fourth in a series of five free concerts that provide U.S. audiences the opportunity to meet and listen to these talented performers. Funded by a State Department grant, “The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad” program sends American quartets abroad to present original American roots music, including jazz, blues, urban, and bluegrass. Musicians from around the United States auditioned in New York City, and ten quartets were selected to represent American culture through concerts, jam sessions, classes, and person-to-person interaction with foreign audiences. These American musical ambassadors are following in the footsteps of legends Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, and other great American jazz performers. The April 16th concert will feature the Bryan Horton Quartet and Roseanna Vitro and the JazzIAm Band.
Bryan Horton Quartet is deeply rooted in the traditions of blues, groove, and jazz music. The Durham, North Carolina based ensemble explores multi-cultural rhythms and encourages improvisation, revisiting jazz standards with fresh ideas to craft original, spontaneous composition. The band developed through the study of masters, such as jazz greats Dexter Gordon, Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus, as well as through new, global urban grooves.
Roseanna Vitro and the JazzIAm Band is a high energy group comprised of four musicians who are powerful improvisers, composers, teachers and performers. This ensemble is a modern gumbo whose flavors include swing from Duke Ellington to Bill Evans, blues from the Ray Charles Songbook and the exotic melodies and rhythms that form world music, spanning the globe from Brazil to India. JazzIAm’s mantra is, “Music is a universal language and it is spiritually healing. Good music played with passion unifies our world and makes it a better place.” Each member is based in New York City, has toured extensively, playing in major festivals and workshops, spreading the gospel of improvisational music.
For more information visit www.exchanges.state.gov/cultural/rhythm.html and www.jalc.org/TheRoad, or contact:
David C. Grier, 202-203-7007 or GrierDC@state.gov
Catherine Stearns, 202-203-5107 or StearnsCL@state.gov
PRN: 2009/331
The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.