Sunny Jain Collective
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Combining Jazz, Indian Music, Breakbeats & Effects
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The Sunny Jain Collective's breath of musical fresh air is entitled As Is, and features nine instrumental tracks which blend jazz, Indian music and a number of other influences to great effect. Jain, who wrote three of the cuts, is the drummer and leader, and he is supported by Rez Abbasi on guitar, Steve Welsh on saxophone and Gary Wang on acoustic bass. Welsh, for his part, is allotted a fair amount of melodic lead work, but Abbasi gets ample opportunities to display his abilities on both guitar and sitar guitar. Abbasi is a master at using space; his attention to, and interaction with, Jain's percussive forays leads to some wonderful musical results. The Abbasi-penned track "Blu Vindaloo" is a challenging work that stretches the entire band and features some creative improv. For an exotic twist to your jazz lunch, check out As Is - you won't be disappointed.
Sunny has been playing drums since age 10, and as a teenager, he performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and was a member of the 1992-93 New York State Jazz Ensemble. He has a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from Mason Gross School of the Arts. Sunny has performed with many of the world's top musicians and has been designated a Jazz Ambassador of the United States of America by the Department of State and the Kennedy Center. Rez, born in Karachi, Pakistan, was exposed to music at a young age, growing up with a father who was a semiprofessional vocalist of Indian/Pakistan popular song. He also has performed or recorded with a number of stellar musicians, and has made performance appearances at shows and venues such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Ottawa Jazz Festival and the Kennedy Center.
Coming off a recent sold-out performance at "The Concert For Peace In South Asia" in New York City with rave reviews, a world tour is in the works for the Sunny Jain Collective.
Contact Information
Sunny Jain
611 W. 152nd St., Apt. 4A
New York, NY 10031
United States
E-mail:
Sunny Jain Collective
Web site:
www.jainsounds.com
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Alastair Greene
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Applying Wisdom To Blues/Rock
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Alastair Greene's CD A Little Wiser showcases a blues/rock powerhouse, with a strong baritone vocal delivery, prodigious guitar chops and a knack for gutsy songwriting. Greene cranks his Gibson and moves from merciless guitar athleticism to whizzing slide work to achingly melodic and well-turned lines - even his acoustic guitar gets into the act on tracks such as the neo-bluegrass cut "The Long Way Home". The Albert King cover song "Love Too Strong" demonstrates Greene's ability to nail an expressive slow blues, with an ultra-tasty solo that will take your face off as the intensity peaks. With only two covers, and nine songs written or co-written by Greene, it's clear this guitarist knows that to get noticed in the blues world it takes great original tunes and a definitive style. A Little Wiser is going to open a lot of doors, open a lot of ears and help Greene land more high-profile gigs that should guarantee himself a long career in the blues.
Alastair is a guitarist/singer/songwriter based out of Santa Barbara California who has performed and/or recorded with a number of Southern California bands and artists over the years including: Scarecrow, Spitting Bull, The Pontiax, The Bomb, Preston, Wally Ingram, Mahli McGee, Morganfield Burnett and The Blues, to name a few. His guitar playing can be heard on albums by such Santa Barbara area artists as Les Benson, Bad Astronaut, Kirstin Candy, Claude Hopper and Evil Farmer. The Alastair Greene Band has shared the stage with such artists as John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Lonnie Brooks, and Robin Trower.
Greene is currently rehearsing with Aynsley Dunbar for a new project. He hopes his CD A Little Wiser will get him on the path where he can make a living from his music.
Contact Information
Doug Deutsch Publicity Services
1443 Seward St.
Hollywood, CA 90028
United States
E-mail:
Alastair Greene
Web site:
www.agsongs.com
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