http://www.coopradio.org/content/world-poetry-café-36
Ariadne’s Notes: Christopher Jentsch ‘s new CD was previewed on the WP Café Radio Show last week. Topics in America History CD traces historical points focusing on seven points in American History, ranging from European entry in 1491 and the weariness and hope from the statue of liberty as the huddled and weary masses make their way in Tempest –Tost among others. He is a Brooklyn –based composer, bandleader and guitarist whose main ensemble is Jentsch Group.
Topics in American History by Christopher Jentsch and Jentsch Group No Net has been made possible with support from Chamber Music America’s 2015 New Jazz Works Program funded through the generosity of the Doris Duke Foundation.
Poems:
Fight the Fray – by Chris Jentsch
What is which, and why is who?
Take the names. Submit to you.
Where is when? Yet why is now
before there’s after anyhow.
Take the hit, not fit to quit.
Held together with dirt and spit.
How’s this feeling in my bones –
no escaping from this jones.
Why is what, so fight the fray,
which is where I had to say.
My poem for the day:
Done ran the dharma down.
I’ve neither lost nor won.
Don’t even want nothing.
A peanut weighs a ton.
Christopher Jentsch (C) All rights reserved by the author.
Christopher Jentsch has fellowships from American Composers Forum (3), New Music USA, Meet the Composer, New York State Council on the Arts (3), Ucross Foundation (2), and most recently, Chamber Music America. Doris Duke New Jazz Works, which commissioned his new work Topics in American History. The work had its world premiere on Friday, December 2 at ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, NY, and was also performed on Sunday, January 8 at IBeam, 168 7th St., Brooklyn. It was performed by Jentsch.
Group No Net, a nine-piece chamber jazz ensemble conducted by JC Sanford with Jentsch on guitar, Michel Gentile on flute, Mike McGinnis on clarinet, Jason Rigby on saxophone, David Smith on trumpet, Brian Drye on trombone, Jacob Sacks on piano, Jim Whitney on bass, and Eric Halvorson on percussion.
As a bandleader and sideman Jentsch has performed in clubs and concert halls throughout the East Coast, and has worked with such diverse musical personalities as George Russell, John Cage, Maria Schneider, and Chris Wood. He appears as a guitarist on the CD John Cage, Volume 11 (Mode Records 41). He is also featured in Scott Yanow’s book The Great Jazz Guitarists (2013 Hal Leonard). Jentsch has released five CDs as a leader.
Jentsch attended Berklee College of Music and has liberal arts and jazz guitar degrees from Gettysburg College, New England Conservatory, and the Eastman School of Music. He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Composition from the University of Miami in 1999 and is published by the University of Northern Colorado Press, Advance Music, and Fleur de Son Records.
2017 Chris Jentsch Events
April 7, 2017 – Fractured Pop CD/DVD release on the Fleur de Son label.
June 9, 2017 – Jentsch Group Quartet at IBeam, Brooklyn NY (8:00 PM) – CD/DVD Release Concert (Jentsch, Matt Renzi, Jim Whitney, John Mettam).
Ongoing – Last fall was the debut of Jentsch’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/
Six hours of content including an entire 2012 set from Jentsch Group No Net (HQ),selections from a 2015 trio date, two jazz orchestra records, live modified aleatoric music for two mixed chamber quartets, and more.
Go to ChrisJentsch.com for more information and to buy CD’s.
Source: Braitwaite and Katz and Christopher Jentsch.
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