Review Fix chats with flutist and composer Lori Bell, who discusses her new album, “Brooklyn Dreaming,†as well as her creative process and goals for the future.
More About Lori Bell:
On January 15, 2016, virtuoso flutist, and world-renown composer, Lori Bell will release Brooklyn Dreaming, an homage to her familial roots with an extraordinary opus that extolls vivid memories of the vibrancy of New York City.
Her 9th album overall, Bell’s Brooklyn excursion kickstarts with a freewheeling exposition on Mingus’ “Nostalgia in Times Square,â€Â the Quartet’s cohesiveness confidently takes the Monk classic “52nd Street Theme†to exhilarating peaks and soars to dizzying heights on “Times Squared,†“A Dog on Coney,†and “Streets of New Yorkâ€. The visceral journey of the boroughs concludes with a sublime reading of “Harlem Nocturne.â€
Co-pilots on her adventurous tour du force are pianist Tamir Hendelman, known for his work with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and guest appearances on recordings by Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole and Diana Krall, bassist Katie Thiroux, a rising star with her own quartet and drummer Matt Witek (John Pizzarelli Quartet, Larry Fuller, Trio, John Clayton).
A flutist and composer of admirable depth and broad musical sympathies, Bell is a Brooklyn native who has contributed to the development of higher standards of performance while earning acclaim from both peers and critics for her artistry on stage and in recordings. With a father that was a big band lead trumpet player for 30 years and a mother that played accordion with a great ear for both jazz and classical music, Bell was exposed to the transformative nature of improvisation by pillars of the golden era of jazz at places throughout Greenwich Village and lower Manhattan. It deeply influenced her and is the indelible thread that weaves throughout the fabric of the nine tracks.
Review Fix: What do you think makes you special?
Bell: I’m multifaceted – I play jazz & classical flute, jazz piano, compose and arrange.
Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this album?
Bell: My folks and my birthplace, Brooklyn, New York.
Review Fix: What song has the best story behind it? Can you share?
Bell: 3 Deuce Blues. My father was a big band lead trumpeter in New York for over 30 years and had the privilege of living in NY during the golden years of jazz on 52nd street. He used to tell me the greatest stories about that time, one in particular about going to hear Monk at the 3 Deuces Club and how spectacular it was. I thought about that when composing this tune – with the idea of my father listening to Monk. I hope the melody conveys that image.
Review Fix: You explore classics by Mingus, Monk and Earle Hagen. What’s the thought process behind the songs you chose to cover?
Bell: The titles. “Nostalgia in Times Square,† “52nd Street Theme†& “Harlem Nocturne†all have titles of places in New York and since the album is all about trying to capture the essence and the memories of growing up there I thought these tunes, because of their titles, had significance.
Review Fix: What was it like to work with Tamir Hendelman?
Bell: Spectacular. This is our 5th time working in the studio together on various projects.
Review Fix: How would you like your music to affect people?
Bell: Inspiration, joy, passion.
Review Fix: What’s on your musical bucket list?
Bell: Blue Note Japan – Montreux Jazz Festival
Review Fix: Will you be touring to support the album release?
Bell: Yes, starting with San Diego, then New York, then Los Angeles
Jan 09 – San Diego, CA @ Dizzy’s (8pm)
Jan 13 – New York, NY @ Smoke (11:30pm)
Jan 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Drawing Room (two shows – 7 to 8pm & 8:30 to 9:30pm)
Jan 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brownstone Jazz Series (Sankofa Aban) [3-6pm]
Feb 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ A-Frame (2-5pm)
Review Fix: What’s next?
Bell: Applying for a New Works Grant from Chamber Music of America and composing a suite. Arranging music by Bill Evans for another CD project. Performing and teaching at the next National Flute Convention.
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