Greg Ward (born 1982) is rapidly emerging as one of the leading virtuoso saxophone players of his generation, with a unique versatility in a wide variety of styles including Modern Jazz, Funk, Latin as well as Classical, Indian, Klezmer and African Music. Ward grew up in a musical household, singing in Gospel groups as a child before the discovery of Charlie Parker led him to dedicate his life to the saxophone. Honors quickly followed, including the Downbeat Magazine High School Jazz Soloist Award (2000), participation in the exclusive Stean’s Institute at Ravinia (2001), scholarships from the Vail Jazz Workshop in Colorado, and selection as a Jazz Mentor with the Jazz Institute of Chicago.
In 2002, Saxophone legend Fred Anderson hand-picked Ward to curate the Wednesday Night Jam Sesssions at Chicago’s Premier Jazz Club, the Velvet Lounge. Ward has performed with musical greats including Von Freeman, Frank Wess, Al Jarreau, Carl Allen, Rufus Reid, Jeff Parker, Brian McNight and Hamid Drake, touring across the world in countries such as Peru, Singapore, Guam, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, France, and South Africa, and has been featured at festivals including Ravinia, Souns d’ Hiver, Montreaux Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Fest, Vision Festival in NYC, and Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival in Montreal. He is a member of Ernest Dawkins’ Chicago 12, the Occidental Brother’s Dance Band, Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls, the Proliferation Quartet, Bindu and the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble. He also leads the experimental soul band We Tree, and co-directs the TBD Improvisation Orchestra, and has recorded for the Roguart, 482 Music, Dawk Music, and Delmark (release in 2008) labels. Ward’s diverse musical interests have led him to explore the world of Classical and Crossover music as a composer and performer.
Recent commissions include a chamber work for ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble), a new ballet for the Peoria Ballet Company, and a septet for Gallery 37’s Downtown Sound Gallery Composer’s Series. In June of 2007, he composed a quartet for sax, cello, guitar, and percussion(Infatuation With the Flame) that was performed as a part of the International Contemporary Ensemble's ICE Fest 2007 and on the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series.
Authentik Artists is proud to announce the signing of Los Angeles-based band We Are The Arsenal. Their new 13 track release entitled They Worshipped The Trees will be available on major and indie online retailers on March 31st, 2009. Check the band's Myspace page for tour updates and previews from the new release. For fans AFI, Coheed and Cambria, and Pennywise. www.myspace.com/wearethearsenal
Improvising on Ganesh Kumar's 32 quarter-note beats, Fareed Haque builds an imagery of taxis at a busy Calcutta intersection … thus the title. Kumar accentuates his kanjira beat with konnakul (a percussive vocal scatting native to South India), laying a solid subcontinental foundation for Haque. The multitalented Haque weaves rich layers of two jazz guitars and a classical guitar, creating a floating, dreamy tapestry that lumbers along while Kumar is sprinting. Listening is like watching a person on film move serenely in real time while the scenery around him is sped up. It takes a good deal of understanding music from several corners of the world to put together a song like "32 Taxis." Fareed Haque and Ganesh Kumar bring all those corners together in India's third-largest city.
Authentik Artists is proud to announce the signing of Los Angeles-based band We Are The Arsenal. Their new 13 track release entitled They Worshipped The Trees will be available on major and indie online retailers on March 31st, 2009. Check the band's Myspace page for tour updates and previews from the new release. For fans AFI, Coheed and Cambria, and Pennywise. www.myspace.com/wearethearsenal
Improvising on Ganesh Kumar's 32 quarter-note beats, Fareed Haque builds an imagery of taxis at a busy Calcutta intersection … thus the title. Kumar accentuates his kanjira beat with konnakul (a percussive vocal scatting native to South India), laying a solid subcontinental foundation for Haque. The multitalented Haque weaves rich layers of two jazz guitars and a classical guitar, creating a floating, dreamy tapestry that lumbers along while Kumar is sprinting. Listening is like watching a person on film move serenely in real time while the scenery around him is sped up. It takes a good deal of understanding music from several corners of the world to put together a song like "32 Taxis." Fareed Haque and Ganesh Kumar bring all those corners together in India's third-largest city.
