NICK MACLEAN QUARTET feat. BROWNMAN ALI - JUNO nominated modern-jazz

NICK MACLEAN QUARTET feat. BROWNMAN ALI

JUNO Nominated Modern Jazz

CONTXT Jazz Festival

www.NicholasMaclean.com/NickMacleanQuartet

"Rooted in bop, Nick Maclean Quartet is the sound of new jazz. Energy and innovation delivered with precision."

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This June, the NICK MACLEAN QUARTET feat. BROWNMAN ALI performs music from their newly JUNO NOMINATED sophomore album CONVERGENCE. Led by fast-rising piano star NICK MACLEAN -- a 10x Global Music Award winner and one of the most in-demand young jazz piano players in Toronto -- this contemplative yet thrilling quartet delivers jazz between the two poles of thoughtful introspection and powerhouse conveyance, taking influences from Herbie Hancock's primordial 1960's Blue Note era recordings. Maclean's quartet heavily features one of Canada's most provocative improvising trumpet players -- BROWNMAN ALI -- an internationally acclaimed, multi-award winning jazz iconoclast who has been heralded as "Canada's preeminent jazz trumpet player" by New York City's Village Voice and is best known globally as the last trumpet player to play in the legendary jazz-hip-hop group GURU's JAZZMATAZZ. For this show, Ali & Maclean stand shoulder-to-shoulder with 2 of Canada's top-tier 20-somethings: BENNETT YOUNG on upright bass, and MICHAEL FILION on drums (in for Jacob Wutzke).

“The quartet uses Hancock's 1960s output as a springboard for modern day exploration”, states Nick. “The goal here is never to recreate the past but to use this rich influence as a grounding touchstone for our modern day explorations of original compositions and standards, often incorporating other influences like Latin Jazz, Funk, and Hip Hop. The improvisatory group dynamic is central to our sound - we aim to make music that lives and breathes in the moment”.

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Grammy-winning trumpet legend Randy Brecker writes:
“Nick Maclean's new quartet recording "Convergence", featuring my main man Brownman Ali, is simply Jazz of the highest order! The quartet is in such deep sync! Nick shows his Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans influences, but he's clearly his own man, while my former student trumpeter Brownman Ali's rich tone and exploratory lines are reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard on all those famous Herbie recordings, but with a more modern slant. Jacob Wutzke drives and swings the band mightily from the drum chair, and the muscular sound of bassist Ben Duff is the heartbeat of the band. In short, it's a full co-operative circle of modern jazz! Definitely check this one out!”
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AllAboutJazz.com writes:
“Nick Maclean, a pianist of exceptional skill and sensitivity, channels Hancock's pioneering ethos into the quartet's original compositions, creating a sound that is at once nostalgic and forward-looking... Ali adds a layer of depth and invention to these compositions. His solos are a highlight of the album, weaving through Maclean's compositions with precision, soulfulness, and a daring spirit of exploration... The rhythm section deserves equal praise for their contribution to the album's success. Their tight, intuitive playing grounds the music, allowing the soloists to soar.”
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CKRL 89.1FM writes:
“I was a great fan of Herbie Hancock’s 60’s music. Nick Maclean Quartet is very solid. « Convergence » is one of the best Canadian albums of 2023 and should have chances to get a Juno.”.
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About Bandleader NICK MACLEAN
www.NicholasMaclean.com
Based in Toronto, the JUNO nominated NICK MACLEAN is the winner of 10 Global Music Awards as well as a Toronto Independent Music Award, and has quickly become one of the most in demand piano players in that city’s bustling jazz scene. Nick received his Bachelors of Music from Humber College in 2013, having studied with David Restivo, Bernie Senensky and Nancy Walker. He then went on to do a Masters in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto researching synthesizer pedagogy while studying under David Occhipinti, Andrew Downing, Chris Donnelly and David Braid. Braid in particular had an enormous influence on how Maclean approaches playing and composing especially as it relates to solo piano performance. Also among his list of mentors Nick has studied and performed with "Canada's preeminent jazz trumpet player" (NYC Village Voice), the highly decorated Brownman Ali who signed Maclean to his Brooklyn-based jazz label Browntasauras Records in 2016 and later brought him on board as a label manager. Additional musical influences include the likes of Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Brad Meldau, Weather Report, Branford Marsalis Quartet, Hiromi Uehara, Art Tatum, Miles Davis, Avishai Cohen (bass), Vijay Iyer, and Brian Blade. Maclean leads two award-winning groups who've received international critical acclaim - the groove-based, all-original, eclectic electric-jazz project SNAGGLE, who's 2016 release THE LONG SLOG received 3 'Gold' Global Music Awards and a Toronto Independent Music Award, as well as the exploratory, post-bop influenced modern jazz ensemble NICK MACLEAN QUARTET who's 2017 release RITES OF ASCENSION was awarded 3 Gold Global Music Awards and has performed tours across Canada and internationally. His SOLO PIANO work is his introspective jazz project who's spirit draws influences from the contemplative and thoughtful stylings of jazz piano greats like Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett and Brad Mehldau. His 2021 double-disc solo piano release CAN YOU HEAR ME? won 2 Global Music Awards and went to #7 in the Canadian national jazz charts. The future is bright for this young visionary as he continues his upward ascent in jazz artforms of all shapes and sizes.

"Maclean's creative mind and aesthetics are obvious... his piano solos both lyrical and invigorating”
-- Ivana Popovic, The Wholenote (Toronto, Canada)
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About BROWNMAN & BROWNTASAURAS RECORDS:
www.Brownman.com | www.Browntasauras.com
Born in Trinidad, NYC-schooled & heralded as “Canada’s preeminent Jazz trumpeter” by NYC’s Village Voice, multi award-winning and JUNO nominated trumpet player Brownman Ali stands at the forefront of innovation in the Canadian jazz community. A 2x National Jazz Award winner -- with a list of awards & accolades being far too long to list here -- he is the protege to Grammy-winning trumpet legend, RANDY BRECKER, and he tirelessly leads 8 unique ensembles of his own including the internationally acclaimed, Miles Davis influenced, BROWNMAN ELECTRYC TRIO. Now splitting his time between Toronto, Canada & Brooklyn, New York, he spent 4 years as the featured trumpet player with GURU's JAZZMATAZZ, doing 4 world tours, catapulting him into the hip-hop history books. He has since worked with a wide assortment of A-list artists such as Jay-z, Missy Elliot, Mos Def, Beyonce, Paul Simon and Quincy Jones. In 2009 he launched his own record label: Browntasauras Records, which saw the Electryc Trio's two now celebrated recordings garner a substantial number of awards & press. The label is not only a home to all 8 of Brownman's own ensembles, but now looks to sign the hottest 20-somethings in jazz. The Browntasauras roster includes the NICK MACLEAN QUARTET, SNAGGLE, MODUS FACTOR, SNAGGLE, NICK MACLEAN SOLO PIANO, and CHELSEA MCBRIDE'S SOCIALIST NIGHT SCHOOL. Now, using the label as a breeding ground for new and visionary talent in the modern jazz realm, Browntasauras and Brownman himself are widely regarded as vanguards for the evolution of Jazz in Canada.

"One of the next great voices in the new generation of jazz improvisers”
-- Randy Brecker, multi-grammy winning trumpet legend (NYC, USA)
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SEE N.M.Q. ON YOUTUBE:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH_nNK-F1m0QtG44hYYTnpc-IsQFebOl0&si=RlnmYL_WJoaIAg82
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NICK MACLEAN QUARTET feat. BROWNMAN ALI is:

:: Nick Maclean -- piano
:: Brownman Ali -- trumpet
:: Bennett Young -- bass
:: Michaël Filion -- drums (in for Jacob Wutzke)
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SHOW DETAILS
Sun-Jun-30, 2024
CONTXT
254 Lansdowne Ave, Toronto, ON M6H 3X9
www.ContxtByTrane.com
$15 advance
$20 at the door
3:30pm doors, 4pm show
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LINKS:
Nick Maclean
Official Website: www.NicholasMaclean.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/nickmacleanjazz
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/nickmacleanjazz
Facebook Official: www.facebook.com/NMJazz
Linktree: www.linktr.ee/nickmacleanjazz

Brownman Ali
Official Website: www.Brownman.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/BrownmanMusic
Youtube: www.youtube.com/@BrownmanMusicArchives
Facebook Official: www.facebook.com/BrownmanMusicOfficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BrownmanMusic
Linktree: www.linktr.ee/BrownmanMusic

Browntasauras Records
Official Website: www.Browntasauras.com/ (all the liner notes for all releases are available for free download here)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrowntasaurasRecords
Instagram: www.instagram.com/browntasaurasrecords

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About CONTXT Jazz Fest 2024

www.ContxtFest.Browntasauras.com
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The CONTXT Jazz Festival is a 5-day celebration of musical diversity, where the boundaries of jazz are redefined, expanded & explored. This vibrant event features an eclectic mix of jazz genres, showcasing artists both in traditional jazz & modern jazz flavours, a tribute to reggae-jazz legends, award-winning electric-jazz dynamos & multiple JUNO nominees. As these Artists push the envelope of the jazz artform, this festival is a testament to the rich and evolving nature of this music. Music lovers : join us for an unforgettable journey through the many facets of jazz at the CONTXT Jazz Festival.
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5 jazz events, 5 jazz parties, 5 unforgettable experiences!
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Wed-Jun-26 : JAZZ Film "Be Known" (Jazz movie night)
Thr-Jun-27 : PHIL JIMENEZ TRIO (Classic jazz)
Fri-Jun-28 : TRIBUTE to ERNEST RANGLIN & DON DRUMMOND (Reggae jazz)
Sat-Jun-29 : ALI BROS feat. Brownman & Marcus Ali (Electric-jazz)
Sun-Jun-30 : NICK MACLEAN QUARTET (Modern jazz)
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All events at 254 Lansdowne Ave., Toronto, Canada
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Presented by Caliban Arts Theatre, CONTXT & Browntasauras Records