San Francisco, September 1, 2013: Fresh from a success in Paris, Lua Hadar brings her cosmopolitan jazz ensemble Twist back to Yoshi’s Oakland to celebrate the Official Release of their DVD, “Like A Bridge.” A 70-minute Live Studio Concert directed by Emmy award-winner Lawrence Jordan, “Like a Bridge” was shot at the legendary Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, and was nominated in the Long Form Video Category by the Independent Music Awards. On September 30, clips from the DVD will be shown on Yoshi’s new screen as the band rolls out some fresh new tunes live on stage. Music Director Jason Martineau on piano, Dan Feiszli on bass, Celso Alberti on drums, Ian Dogole on Global Percussion, Larry De La Cruz on reeds, and Hadar on vocals in seven languages.
“Why do I sing such an eclectic song list?” Hadar asks.“I want the audience to get the feeling that humanity shares common struggles and joys, that we are all united. As a group, these songs in languages of five continents are bridges from us to our audience. We hope that we can each be to one another ‘like a bridge.’”
Lua Hadar with Twist, Official DVD Release of Like A Bridge, Monday, Sept. 30 at 8pm. Yoshi’s Jazz Club and Japanese Restaurant, 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakland CA 94607. Phone 510-238-9200. Tickets $14. http://www.yoshis.com/oakland/jazzclub/artist/show/3515
Media representatives may obtain a review copy of Like a Bridge CD or DVD by contacting info@luahadar.com.
DVD Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQQmh7j-XRc
Hi res photo downloads: http://www.luahadar.com/downloads.html
Photo Credit for band collage (above): Jack Schow; Graphics: Martineau Arts
Websites:
www.luahadar.com
www.likeabridge.net
Press Kit: http://bit.ly/LikeABridgeCDPressKit
Emmy-winning Director Lawrence Jordan: http://bit.ly/LawrenceJordanIMDB
CALENDAR: Yoshi’s presents Lua Hadar and cosmopolitan jazz ensemble TWIST, with the Official Release of their Indie Music Award-nominated DVD, Like A Bridge. Live on stage at Yoshi’s Oakland, Monday, Sept. 30 at 8pm. Yoshi’s Jazz Club and Japanese Restaurant
510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakland CA 94607 Phone 510-238-9200
Tickets $14. http://yoshis.inticketing.com/evinfo.php?eventid=313056
TWEET: Yoshi’s Oakland presents Lua Hadar with Twist Official DVD Release Sept 30, 8pm, $14. http://www.yoshis.com/oakland/jazzclub/artist/show/3515
MORE INFO
ABOUT LUA HADAR with TWIST and Like A Bridge DVD:
Cosmopolitan jazz ensemble Lua Hadar with Twist performs international standards with a different ‘twist’ on style; also presenting original and rarely performed songs in several languages.
The DVD Like A Bridge includes a full length concert with the 13-piece ensemble directed by Emmy-winner Lawrence Jordan, plus in-depth backstage material about the making of the project.
Songs of hope, courage and our common humanity in seven languages (English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Malagasy) weave the theme of world unity throughout this passionate, fun and eclectic performance by vocalist Lua Hadar and her band of top international musicians. Music Director Jason Martineau on piano, Dan Feiszli on bass, Celso Alberti on drums, Ian Dogole on Global Percussion, Larry De La Cruz on reeds, Emil Miland on cello, Fumiko Ozawa on koto, David Miotke on jazz accordion, and featuring South African performer Gideon Bendile and members of his Kalahari Experience Zulu Choir.
ABOUT YOSHI’S JAZZ CLUB
Yoshi’s Jazz Club and Japanese Restaurant is one of the world’s most respected jazz venues and has won a reputation as the San Francisco Bay Area’s premier location for great food and the best jazz. Yoshi’s has hosted hundreds of legendary jazz greats such as Betty Carter, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, Diana Krall, Branford Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Harry Connick Jr. and Oscar Peterson, who said, “Yoshi’s Oakland is the greatest jazz club in the world.”
ABOUT THE INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS:
Cosmopolitan jazz ensemble LUA HADAR with TWIST joined more than 300 exceptional self-released and independent label artists, as well as former major label acts named by Music Resource Group as Nominees in The 12th Independent Music Awards. Representing the broad spectrum of today’s global independent music scene, the Nominees in over 80 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories were culled from thousands of submissions from North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia, Greenland and Europe. http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima/Lua-Hadar-with-Twist
BIOS
LUA HADAR, Vocals, Executive Producer.
A unique and original vocalist with a soaring range, Lua interprets an eclectic song list with a charming, swinging delivery, as well as passionate commitment and humor. She has been molded by cultural exchange experiences in places as diverse as Bali, Russia, Switzerland, Japan, Thailand, France and Italy. Since its inception in 2007, Hadar’s band TWIST has developed a reputation for twisting the style of international standards, performing original numbers and expressing our common humanity through songs in 7 different languages. Lua has charmed audiences at such noted jazz clubs as Yoshi’s and The Iridium to Bangkok’s Thailand Cultural Center and the Swan Bar in Paris, where she just appeared in a June return engagement. www.luahadar.com
JASON MARTINEAU, Musical Direction, Arrangements, Piano.
Dr. J is the cornerstone of TWIST, as music director, principal arranger, pianist and bandleader. He’s also an award-winning composer, instructor and author, holding graduate degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory and Manhattan School of Music. Jason works in many different idioms and styles, and since 2005 has recorded three albums with Lua Hadar, performing with her in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and at the 10th International Festival of Dance and Music in Bangkok, Thailand. www.jasonmartineau.com
DAN FEISZLI, Bass, Mixing Engineer.
Experienced on both upright and electric basses, in styles of music ranging from jazz and Latin to pop and rock, Dan Feiszli anchors TWIST with versatility and panache. As a recording engineer, he has mixed albums reaching as high as #4 on the U.S. Top 40 Jazz Radio Charts. Dan did the mixing for Like A Bridge at his studio in El Cerrito, California, employing both his fine musicianship and his excellent technical skills. www.studiorhythm.com
CELSO ALBERTI, Drums.
Celso was born in Curitiba, Southern Brazil. The driving rhythms of his country’s music led him to develop an early interest in the drums and by the age of 17, he was performing regularly as a professional. In 1982 he expanded his musical horizons with a move to the U.S., where he has been living since, working with top performers both as a drummer and as an audio engineer. Celso’s dynamic drumming style blends traditional Brazilian music with World and Rock influences, providing TWIST with exciting flair and a rock solid base. www.celsoalberti.com
IAN DOGOLE, Global Percussion.
As a major in Ethnomusicology at Brown University, Ian delved deeply into the indigenous music cultures of the planet, while maintaining his fascination with the evolution of Jazz and began to crystallize his vision of Global Fusion Music, blending the forms and instruments of Jazz with those of the non-Western world. Ian has released six audio recordings as a leader/producer and has recorded and performed widely with artists from Peru to the Sudan with his band Hemispheres. He brings an authentic world beat to TWIST with percussion including udu, cajon, shakers and dumbek. His new double CD, Outside the Box, was released in April 2013. www.iandogole.com
LARRY DE LA CRUZ, Reeds.
Recording artist, composer, teacher and reed man extraordinaire, Larry’s energetic style and musical sensitivity provide TWIST with color and variety whether he solos on tenor, alto, soprano or flute. His dynamic soloing can range from Coltrane-esque runs on up-tempo tunes to soulful wails on slower ballads. www.larrydelacruz.com
CANDACE FOREST, Co-Producer-Pianist-Singer-Composer. Candace has co-produced three CD’s, the Like A Bridge live recording project and numerous live concert and educational events with Lua Hadar. Candace’s own compositions range from works for solo, ensemble and orchestra to full-length dance and theatre pieces including Viva Concha! Rose of the Presidio and All In This Together, a symphonic program premiered by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Her song, Come Back To California, dedicated to French bassist Albin Suffys, received it’s U.S. premiere with Lua Hadar and Twist at Yoshi’s in March 2012 and appears in the Building Bridges Documentary. www.candaceforest.com
LAWRENCE JORDAN, Video Director.
Emmy Award winner Lawrence Jordan is an internationally acclaimed producer/director who has filmed in every corner of the world with some of the music industry’s biggest stars. From Chile to China, South Africa to North Korea, the Grand Ole Opry to the Palais de Versailles, a rainforest in South America to an ice floe in the Artic Circle, his 3D film, television specials and live broadcast events have won Grammy, Emmy, Ace, Telly, and Clio Awards. His work has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, HBO, PBS, TBS, DISNEY, A&E, BBC, MTV, VH-1, and in theaters worldwide. He has worked with such artists as Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Izzard, Mariah Carey, Cristina Aguilera, Santana, Dave Matthews Band, Jay-Z, The Who, Phish, Rush, Elton John, Chicago, Pink Floyd, The Bee Gees, Vanessa Williams, John Fogerty, Lyle Lovett, Barry Manilow, BB King, Boz Scaggs, Billy Joel, John Mellencamp, Duran Duran, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Neil Diamond, K.D. Lang, Tony Bennett, Shania Twain, Johnny Mathis, Michael Bolton, James Taylor, and many more. Lawrence directed the long running music series Live By Request, numerous Farm Aid concerts, 3D concert films, and many live television specials. His upcoming project is a peace concert with the Dalai Lama, Dave Matthews, and an array of music stars. http://bit.ly/LawrenceJordanIMDB
GUEST ARTISTS ON THE DVD
DAVID MIOTKE, Jazz Accordion . Dave brings his unique jazz accordion sound to the band’s French songs, such as La Mer, with authentic color and skilled playing. He is a multi-talented singer, pianist, accordionist and composer, performing solo and with musical groups in styles as varied as jazz, cabaret, tango, Italian, strolling strings and classical. Dave holds music degrees with honors from Northwestern University and was a founding member and high lead singer/keyboardist with the well-known 60’s rock band, H. P. Lovecraft.
FUMIKO OZAWA, Koto. Educational collaborations with Japan have introduced Lua to koto player Fumiko Ozawa, who this past year made her koto orchestra debut at San Francisco’s Herbst Theater. Fumiko started studying koto in 2004, with Mrs. Masazuka Sato, Head Master of Seiha Music School of Japan and USA. Fumiko obtained her teaching credential for koto music (Jun-Shihan, associate level) from the Seiha Music School in Tokyo, 2009. She guests with TWIST on their interpretation of the Japanese 1963 pop classic Ue o muite aruko, honoring the dignity of the Japanese to “walk with their heads up’” after the devastating earthquake and tsunami of March 2011.
EMIL MILAND, Cello. Emil made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2010 with Frederica von Stade in her farewell recital. In the same week he made his jazz debut with TWIST at New York’s Cornelia Street Café, and has contributed to Like A Bridge on the mystical Tom Jobim song, Imagina. A champion of new works for cello, he has given premieres of music written specifically for him by such composers as Ernst Bacon, David Carlson, Andrew Imbrie, Lou Harrison, Jake Heggie and Dwight Okamura. As a member of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra since 1988, he has collaborated with many famous singers in recital.
GIDEON BENDILE and KALAHARI EXPERIENCE, Zulu Choir
Patience James, Ron van Leeuwarde, Moeketse Gibe
Gideon Bendile’s group Kalahari Experience is a South African a cappella ensemble featuring members of the BAMMY award winning Zulu Spear Band and other talented artists. They perform African and world music influenced by jazz, Soweto pop, and a wide range of traditional African styles, carrying the message of forgiveness, freedom, and peace. Gideon has performed with legendary artists including Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dave Brubeck, Redd Foxx and the Neville Brothers. Kalahari Experience joins with TWIST in the Zulu chorus of the French pop song about immigration rights, Né Quelque Part (Born Somewhere.)
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