BANDAGRANDE + DAVE SAMUELS at Summer Concerts on the Hudson, August 29th, 7PM!!

on July 28, 2012August 21, 2012 By hectormartignon 1 Comment

Take advantage of one of the last opportunities this summer to enjoy amazing live music in a magical open air atmosphere, with Manhattan’s skyline as a backdrop at Lincoln Harbor Park, Weehawken, NJ (one stop away from Port Authority on the 158 bus, platform 202, every 15 minutes. Driving directions at http://www.hrpac.org/directions_LHpark.htm). After a year-long residency at Nuyorican Poets Cafe, a magnificent concert at Merkin Hall and ready to release it’s first CD, The Big Band Theory, 18-piece Big Band BANDAGRANDE will be performing Latin- Brazilian- and straight-ahead Jazz compositions and arrangements, from Bach to Hermeto, Bill Evans, to Hector’s own acclaimed compositions in this spectacular venue, with guest-star vibraphonist DAVE SAMUELS . Free entrance! It will be an evening never to forget! Wednesday August 29th, 7-9:30PM (Rain day: Thursday 30th)

Hector Martignon All Star Quartet @ DIZZY’s Coca Cola, NYC

on June 25, 2012June 25, 2012 By hectormartignon

This week @ Dizzy’s Late set

Please join us this week in one of NYC’s most spectacualr venues:

DIZZY’s CLUB COCA COLA,

located in the 5th floor of the Time Warner building (entrance: Broadway and 60th Street). On Tuesday, Wednesday (11PM), Friday and Saturday (12:30) an all star quartet, with John Benitez on bass, Samuel Torres on percussion, Christos Rafalides on vibraphone and Hector Martignon on piano and accordion, will be playing a new set of Latin, Brazilian, Jazz standards and original compositions.
Enjoy the music with the best wines, excellent food and breath-taking views of Midtown Manhattan….

The BIG BAND THEORY, May 9th, 8:30PM, at Merkin Hall

on April 24, 2012February 14, 2017 By hectormartignon 2 Comments

Jazzics: from Classix to Tropix Series: THE BIG BAND THEORY, Wed. May 9th, 8:30PM, at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center. 129 W 67 Str., NYC.

After a year-long monthly residence at NYC’s famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe, BANDAGRANDE Big Band joins JAZZ CAMERATA to explore some of music’s purest forms, from Bach to Shostakovich to Hermeto Pascoal, to Bill Evans… up to innovative contemporary originals.
Hector_JAP_2010_Acrdn_Edt

Please join, on May 9th, 8PM, , some of the city’s best Jazz and classic instrumentalists while they give their best to bring this ideal world to our side of the event horizon… pure Big Band Swingularity in one of New York’s most beautiful concert venues, MERKIN HALL
A repertoire spanning 4 centuries, re-voiced through the sound-canvas of the traditional 18-piece Big Band and a muscular string-ensemble. Colombian star-harpist Edmar Castañeda premieres a dedicated Concert for Harp, Big Band and String Ensemble. J. S. Bach’s Erbarme Dich, from St. Matthews Passion will reveal a whole new set of dimensions through a revolutionary Big Band arrangement backing up Brenda Feliciano’s immaculate voice, while masterfully counter-pointed by trumpet-virtuoso Joe Burgstaller.
Established icons like bass-magician John Benitez (Chick Corea, John Scofield, Eddie Palmieri, et. al.), vibraphone-prodigy Christos Rafalides (Wynton Marsalis, Mingus Big Band, et. al.), percussion-powerhouse Samuel Torres (Richard Bona, Arturo Sandoval, et.al.), Vince Cherico, one of the most requested drummers in the New York Jazz scene form the rhythmic core of this revolutionary project, providing a harmonic-rhythmical canvas for their own virtuosic improvisation as well as for a whole sonic universe of strings, woodwind, brass and vocal painting-strokes, with up and coming stars like Alex Han, Chelsea Baratz, David de Jesus on sax, trombonists Chris Washburne, Andy Hunter, Rafi Makiel, lead-trumpet legend John Walsh and colleagues Eddie Allen, Steve Gluzband who have made an important mark of their own… Add to the mix a string ensemble of accomplished Jazz and Latin players under the guidance of Venezuelan maestro, violist Samuel Marchán and you’ll get the ideal of ALL worlds as predicted in the Big Band Theory…

Tkts: $30, $18 students; call 212-5013330

FOREIGN AFFAIR in Geneva, November 19th

on October 31, 2011October 31, 2011 By hectormartignon 3 Comments

On November 19th, 8PM FOREIGN AFFAIR Quartet will be at the Centre Robert Dunand of the Conservatoire Populaire de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland (http://www.amiando.com/JWZHHAQ.html). Hope to see you!

Hector Martignon in Germany, Switzerland, November 2011

on October 27, 2011October 31, 2011 By hectormartignon

Dear friends, November 8th-16th I will be conducting a Compact Seminar on Jazz and Jazz pedagogy, at the Ludwigsburg University of Education in Ludwigsburg, Germany with a Piano Solo Recital on the 15th, 7PM.

On November 17th and 18th I will performing with my FOREIGN AFFAIR band in Lausanne, Switzerland, and on the 19th at the Centre Robert Dunand of the Conservatoire Populaire de Geneve in Geneva, (http://www.amiando.com/JWZHHAQ.html). Hope to see my friends in those cities!

on October 17, 2011October 17, 2011 By hectormartignon 1 Comment

THIS WEEK:

Every Monday night, 7:30-9PM at WALKER STAGE, 56 Walker Street, Tribeca: THE BIG BAND THEORY. It’s an open workshop to read, practice and perform Big Band music of all kinds, including originals by anybody who dares bring one. Walker Stage is a beautiful performance space in Tribeca. There’s a Jam Session afterwards, from 9-11pm… bring your ax and your charts!

Thursday, October 20th, 9:30PM: BANDAGRANDE, my 18 piece Big Band performs at the famous NUYORICAN POETS CAFE, playing Latin, Brazilian, Jazz arrangements and some originals. Featuring great players like Chris Washburne, Christos Rafalides, John Walsh, Mike Rodriguez, Terry Greene, Vince Cherico and other fantastic musicians; special guest this week, Brazilian star-vocalist Ana Lu Pereira.

Bandagrande at ZINC BAR and NUYORICAN

on August 16, 2011August 16, 2011 By hectormartignon

Latin and Brazilian music through JAZZ’ symphonic format: the 18 piece Big Band. We are proud to welcome you to a whole new repertoire of Brazilian favorites and originals…. on Thursday, August 18th, 9:30PM…. our monthly rendezvous at the famed

NUYORICAN POETS CAFE, 236 East 3rd Street (bet. aves B and C) and on Thursday, August 25th, 9:30PM, during Brazilian Festival Month, at the ZINC BAR, 82 W 3rd Street (bet. Sullivan and Thompson)

… thanks for supporting Live Music….!!

BANDAGRANDE Big Band at Nuyorican and FB Lounge

on April 19, 2011April 25, 2011 By hectormartignon

On Thursday, April 21st at 9:30PM, Hector and Friends’ new baby-project, an 18-piece power-sound-erupting machine, BANDAGRANDE Big Band, made music history at New York city’s lower East side’s famous NUYORICAN POETS CAFE, featuring some of the best Jazz and Latin Jazz players in town, including Chris Washburne (tb) , Samuel Torres (perc) Alex Han (alto Sx), Christos Rafalides (vb), Alex Hernández (bs), Vince Cherico (dr), Mitch Frohman (B Sx), Chelsea Baratz (t Sx), Enrique Fernandez (t Sx) and many others.

On Friday the 13th (#*&@%?^!!) of May, 9:30PM this original music and arrangements of Jazz, Salsa and Brazilian standards will literally (well, almost!) blow you away at “el barrio”‘s FB Lounge, by far Spanish Harlem’s nascent culture scene’s most sophisticated and happening venue !!!

World Premiere of composition by Hector Martignon at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NYC

on April 5, 2011April 25, 2011 By hectormartignon 1 Comment

After a performance by one of New York city’s best string orchestras, Musica de Camara, at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, on Thursday April 7th. 2011,a review appeared in the New York Concert Review website. Among the compositions (all by Latin American composers) performed was Hector’s “Abre los Ojos, Cierra los Ojos” in a brand new orchestration commissioned by the ensemble; here excerpts from the review:

“Colombian Hector Martignon’s “Abre Tus Ojos, Cierra Tus Ojos” is a very difficult work that… caught the first violins off guard for a moment. Concertmaster Francisco Salazar, however, was absolutely terrific with his demanding solo part. Minimalistic, highly syncopated, and richly harmonized with 7^th and 9^th chords, “Cierra…” is a marvelous work, and the composer was present to receive the audience’s enthusiastic gratitude (photo).”

Latest Classic-Jazz crossover release

on April 5, 2011April 19, 2011 By hectormartignon

On April 20th, Hector and co-leader, Joe Burgstaller, are releasing their second album, Bach’s Secret Files, with the Summit Label. Incredible arrangements of Bach’s beautiful preludes in C minor and in F Major, the aria and first Variation of the exquisite Goldberg Variations and a daring re-inventing of Bach’s opus magna, St Matthew’s Passion’s ERBARME DICH aria, with operatic prima donna, Brenda Feliciano on vocals, are waiting to be listened and enjoyed, along with more pieces by Mendelsohn, Ravel, Satie and Debussy.