This is first call New York jazz musicians - Bruce Barth, Ugonna Okegwo, Billy Hart, Eddie Henderson, Ray Spiegel, playing cutting edge original compositions influenced by Indian Classical Music.

10 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Progressive Jazz, JAZZ: World Fusion



Details:
TIM ARMACOST has led a life of constant motion. He has gathered knowledge and experience around the globe, which forms the foundation of his passionate brand of jazz. After landing in New York in 1993, Armacost quickly established his presence as a leader, releasing his first two albums, âFireâ (Concord) and âLive at Smallsâ (Double Time) to critical acclaim. His hard hitting third release, âThe Wishing Well,â (Double Time) announced the arrival of Armacostâs working unit, featuring Bruce Barth, Ray Drummond, and Billy Hart. The group has completed six successful tours in Europe and Asia, working with sponsors Northwest Airlines, Marriott Hotels and Volkswagen, and followed up with an inspired second recording, âBrightly Dark.â (Satchmo Records). Armacostâs current release, âRhythm and Transformation,â (ArtistShare 0064) features the quartet augmented by Ray Spiegel playing Tabla, and the great Eddie Henderson on trumpet. Working with his quartet, the cooperative group Hornz in the Hood with fellow saxophonists Craig Handy and Ravi Coltrane, Ray Drummondâs âExcursion Band,â and co-leading the Brooklyn Big Band with Craig Bailey, Armacost is now seriously in the mix.

Armacost's career is already distinguished by performance and recording credits alongside the likes of Al Foster, Jimmy Cobb, Kenny Barron, Tom Harrell, Billy Hart, Victor Lewis, Jeff âTainâ Watts, Peter Erskine, Ray Drummond, Roy Hargrove, Paquito D'Rivera, Claudio Roditi, Bruce Barth, Dave Kikoski, Don Friedman, Lonnie Plaxico, Robin Eubanks, Charlie Shoemake, Pete Christlieb, Randy Brecker, Akira Tana, Valery Ponomarev, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, and the David Murray Big Band. He has toured throughout East and West Europe, Japan, India, and the United States.

Armacost describes his early upbringing as a pendulum swing between his hometown of Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Washington D.C. He began his musical training on clarinet in Tokyo at the age of eight. By sixteen he had switched to tenor saxophone, and was working in big bands around Washington. The turning point into a jazz career came back in LA at eighteen, where Armacost met his two primary teachers, Bobby Bradford and Charlie Shoemake. Through them he learned the fundamentals of melody and harmony, and was exposed to the giants of modern jazz, who would give shape to Armacost's early development. Among them were: Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Ornette Coleman, Freddie Hubbard, Tom Harrell, Sonny Stitt, Pete Christlieb, Harold Land, and Clifford Brown.

Armacost graduated Magna Cum Laude from Pomona College with a major in Asian Studies in 1985. His restless spirit took him to Amsterdam later that year, where he established himself on the jazz scene, attained fluency in Dutch, and became the head of the Sweelinck Conservatory's saxophone department. After gaining seven years worth of extensive performing, teaching, and recording experience in Europe, Armacost raised his stakes once again and headed for India. Having studied melody and harmony for twelve years, Armacost arrived in New Delhi with the goal of concentrating on rhythm. He had the good fortune to become a student of the tabla master Vijay Ateet. Under Mr. Ateet's guidance, Armacost explored the rich rhythmic tradition of Hindustani classical music.

With the sponsorship of The United States Information Service, and the Delhi chapter of Jazz India, Armacost performed frequently with Indian jazz and classical musicians. He returned to India to play at the Jazz Yatra, Bombayâs international jazz festival in 1998. Indian rhythmic concepts continue to be a source of inspiration in Armacost's development as an improviser. As evidenced by his recently recorded pieces "The Tabla Master," âIndian News,â and âAfro Pentameter,â Hindustani music has also profoundly influenced Armacost's compositional style.

Throughout twenty-five years of frequent traveling to Japan, Tim Armacost has developed a deep and special relationship with its people. He is a fluent speaker of Japanese, which he studied as an exchange student at Waseda University, and is an active student of Japanese culture and religion. His performances there have included such great musicians as Terumasa and Motohiko Hino, Fumio Karashima, Nobuyoshi Ino, Fumio Itabashi, Shingo Okudaira, Benisuke Sakai, Kiyoto Fujiwara, and Yutaka Shiina.




SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY


Tim Armacost
âRhythm and Transformationâ ArtistShare AS0064
Featuring Eddie Henderson, Billy Hart, Bruce Barth,
Ugonna Okegwo, Ray Spiegel
âBrightly Darkâ Satchmo Records SJRCD 00055
Featuring Bruce Barth, Ray Drummond, Billy Hart
âThe Wishing Wellâ Double Time Records DTRCD-163
Featuring Bruce Barth, Ray Drummond, Billy Hart
"Live At Smalls" Double Time Records DTRCD-131
Feat. Tom Harrell
"Fire" Feat. Kenny Barron, Billy Hart Concord Records CCD-4697
"I Mean You" Timeless Records CDSJP-282

Brooklyn Big Band Candid Records Sept 2007 release
âLive at Sweet Rhythmâ

With Don Friedman
âHot Houseâ Chiaroscuro Records CRD 376

With Bill Moringâs Way Out East Apria Records
âWay Out Eastâ Feat. Jack Walrath, Steve Johns

With Jim Donica
âStepping Upâ Apria Records
Feat. Randy Brecker, Peter Erskine

With Intercontinental Jazz Trio
"Live at the Bimhuis" Via Records Via 9920402
Feat. Joris Teepe, Shingo Okudaira

With Shingo Okudaira
"Kilifi" King Records KICJ-252
"Maconde" King Records KICJ-292

With Steve Altenberg Via Records 992.020.2
"Dig Deep" Feat. Darrell Grant

With Shozo Okuda
"In New York" Fine Notes Records KS-9693
Feat. James Williams, Billy Drummond

With Ugetsu
"Live in Athens" Mons Records MR 874-779
âThere is Something on the Wayâ Mons Records MR 874-806
âLive in Shanghaiâ Mons Records MR 874-303
âCape Town Bluesâ NAXOS Records 86052-2

With Christian Brun Pee Wee Records PW-007
"Brun in Brooklyn" - Feat. Dave Kikoski

With Rick Hollander Quartet
"Private Ear" Yvp Music YVP-0013
"Out Here" Timeless Records CDSJP-309
"Accidental Fortune" Concord Records CCD-4550
"Once Upon a Time" Concord Records CCD-4666

With Klaus Ignatzek
"New Surprise" - Feat. Claudio Roditi Timeless Records CDSJP-324


With Hendrik Meurkens
"Sambahia" - Feat. Paquito D'Rivera Concord Picante CCD-4474

With David White
"All Stories Are True" Cadence Records CJR-1057
"Object Relations" CIMP Records CIMP-0017 âDouble Doubleâ Feat. George Garzone CIMP Records CIMP-0168