Drimala Records Press Release |
Drimala Records proudly announces the release of Naked Mirror, a debut recording by New York City pianist, John Blum |
| Hampton, VA - February 28, 2002 - Drimala
Records proudly announces the release of Naked Mirror, the debut recording by New
York City pianist/composer, John Blum. After more than a decade of performing as both a
soloist, large ensemble leader, and highly regarded side man with some of the most
recognized and respected musicians in jazz, John has developed an immediately recognizable
voice. On Naked Mirror it is immediately obvious that John is in total command of the complex language of technique and the harmonic conventions of the piano. The antecedents are apparent: late romanticism, the second Viennese School, stride, boogie-woogie, and, of course, be-bop and the voice of "free" jazz. But John has absorbed all these styles to find his own unique voice that defies classification. As Stanley Zappa writes in the liner notes, "Naked Mirror needs no qualifications, conditions, or contexts - this is music." About The Artists John Blum has performed as a group leader and soloist for the past ten years in venues throughout the world. While an undergraduate in New York City from 1987-1991 Blum studied with Bill Dixon and Milford Graves, and performed regularly in a quartet with Marco Eneidi and Jackson Krall. After college he studied and performed with Borah Bergman and Cecil Taylor, Han Bennink, Antonio Grippi, Tristan Honsinger, and Tony Scott. He has performed each year at the Vision Festival in New York City both as a large ensemble leader and soloist. In 1992 Blum became a member of the Improvisers Collective in New York City and also initiated projects as a soloist, group leader, and collaborative works with other musicians, including Rashid Bakr, Roy Campbell, and Daniel Carter. In 1995, he led a large ensemble with Karen Borca, Joe Daly, Jackson Krall, Alex Lodico, Raphe Malik, and Sabir Mateen. Along with his solo and group projects, he has worked with the Cecil Taylor Orchestra and performed piano duets with Cooper-Moore. In early 1998, he joined with Antonio Grippi on alto saxophone, William Parker on bass, and Denis Charles on drums to form Astrogeny. In another project during this period, Blum worked with members of his former ensemble, Joe Daly and Jackson Krall. During 1999, Blum performed in a quartet with Jameel Moondoc, Gerald Cleaver, and either William Parker or Sirone on bass. John is currently working on several projects with Susie Ibarra, Sabir Mateen, Matt Maneri, Michael Wimberly, and Tom Bruno. About The Label Drimala Records Turning Point Series is a new series of recordings from Drimala Records dedicated to providing increased exposure to deserving artists. Other recordings in this series currently include identity papers with poet Jeffrey Lee and percussionist Toshi Makihara and In To Conspires with Trio KGQ. Drimala Records was founded in 1998 to focus on improvisational music in all its forms. Drimala Records was the first label to bypass traditional distribution routes and go directly to the listener via the Internet. For more information Drimala Records |
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