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Con n ie Crothers -Bill Pa yn e Duo
475 Kent Avenue, #410 Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.302.4377www.conniecrothers.net / [email protected]
BIOGRAPHIES
received critical acclaim.She has performed with her quartet at the JVC Jazz Festival, in Birdland and Small’s in New York City, Fasching in Stockholm (with guitarist Andy Fite and bassist Ulf Ackerhielm), Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque. Singers Harry Schulz and Linda Satin performed with the quartet at Birdland.
Crothers has performed extensively as a soloist. She appeared solo in the 2008 Vision Festival. She was presented as a soloist by the Interpretations Series at Merkin Hall in 2006, New York City, also performing a duet with Roscoe Mitchell in that concert; she performed at Deep Listening Space in Kingston, NY. She has performed solo in festivals such as Berlin Jazztage, Jazz at Middleheim in Belgium, DuMaurier International Festival in Toronto, New Music America Festival, “Piano Nights” Festival in St. Augustine. Lennie Tristano produced her in three solo concerts in Carnegie Recital Hall; a fourth concert was produced by the Lennie Tristano Jazz Foundation. John Sutherland chose her solo recording, “Music from Everyday Life,” for his list of the best ten recordings of the year in Coda.
Her most recent CD--”Conversations”--is a duet recording with clarinetist Bill Payne.
She is in a newly-formed trio--TranceFormations--with Andrea Wolper, singer, and Ken Filiano. They appeared at the ISIM Conference in 2006 in Ann Arbor, MI, the ISIM benefit concert in 2008 and at the Brecht Forum in 2007, in New York City.
Other recent performances include a duo engagement with pianist Kazzrie Jaxen at Ford Piano, Peekskill, NY; a duet with Richard Tabnik at the Queens Art Museum Bullova Gallery, New York City; a duet with bassist Henry Grimes and a trio performance with Grimes and alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc at The Stone in New York City; duo with electroacoustic improviser Ben Manley at Location One in New York City presented by Roulette and trio with Manley and trombonist Jim Staley at Steinway Hall. She has performed with Moondoc at Hallwalls in Buffalo and at the Vision Festival in a quintet which included trumpet player Nathan Breedlove, Adam Lane and drummer John McCutcheon. She appeared with percussionist Kevin Norton at Location One and in Kingston, NY. She presented a two-piano concert with Valentina Nazarenko in Steinway Hall. She has performed duo with guitarists Bud Tristano, Ace Yamashita and with tenor saxophonist Bob Field at Faust-Harrison, New York City, and in a duet with Harry Schulz in the Multithon, St. Augustine, FL. She performed with singer Bob Casanova at Open Space and with Casanova and singer Dori Levine at Roulette, in New York City. She presented concerts in her loft, featuring performances with Bill Payne, Lee Konitz, bassist Jeremy Stratton, John McCutcheon, tenor saxophonist Lorenzo
Connie Crothers is recognized for her uncompromising spontaneous improvisation, originality, virtuosity and wide range of expression.
She leads a quartet, with alto saxophonist Richard Tabnik,drummer Roger Mancuso and bassists Ken Filiano or Adam Lane. In January 2007, this quartet released a CD, “Music is a Place,” New Artists. It was chosen by Stuart Broomer for his list of the top ten recordings of the year, published in The Village Voice and on the website jazzhouse.com; it received an honorable mention for best CDs of the year in All About Jazz/New York. The band’s two CDs, “Ontology” and “Live, Outpost Performance Space,” with poet Mark Weber, New Artists,
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Con n ie Crothers -Bill Pa yn e Duo
475 Kent Avenue, #410 Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.302.4377www.conniecrothers.net / [email protected]
BIOGRAPHIES
Sanguedolce, alto saxophonist Nick Lyons, guitarist Adam Caine, Bud Tristano, singer Cheryl Richards. She appeared with singer Fay Victor at a benefit concert for The Jazz Foundation. Crothers has recorded duo with Max Roach--”Swish,”--and performed duo with Mr. Roach in Tokyo, Bologna, New Orleans and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Roach and Crothers were honored by Harvard University as Visiting Jazz Artists; during the ceremony they performed with the Harvard University Band and tap dancer Diane Walker. For this concert, Anthony Braxton wrote a composition for them. She co-led an engagement at the Village Vanguard with Warne Marsh, in a quartet featuring bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Peter Scattaretico. She performed with Marsh, with Roger Mancuso and bassist Joe Solomon in Carnegie Recital Hall.
“Love Energy,” New Artists, a quartet CD co-led by Lenny Popkin and featuring Carol Tristano and Cameron Brown, was chosen #1 record of the year by Jack Cooke in Wire. Another release from this quartet, “In Motion,” as selected for the best 50 records of the year by the French magazine, Jazz Magazine. The quartet appeared at the Blue Note, Sweet Basil and Birdland in New York City, De Singel, De Werf and L’Archeduc in Belgium, Bim House in Amsterdam, the Toronto International Jazz Festival, Spoleto in Charleston, NC. When her first record, “Perception,” originally on SteepleChase, was reissued in 1983 on Inner City, it was selected as one of the ten best records of the year by Mark Weber in Coda. When it was reissued in 1986, Patrick Williams chose it for record of the month in Jazz Magazine. When it was reissued in 1995, Claude Colpaert selected it as record of the month in Jazz Hot. Her duet recording with Richard Tabnik, “Duo Dimension,” was selected by Lois Moody for her year’s ten best list for Ottowa Citizen.
Feature articles have appeared in Knack, Belgium, Jazz Podium, Germany, Cadence, The Village Voice. She was a guest on Marian McPartland’s radio show “Piano Jazz.” In the centennial issue of Cadence magazine Crothers was selected for the list of the most important and influential musicians in the last twenty-five years of the 20th century.
Known for her association with Lennie Tristano, she teaches jazz improvisation in her studio in Brooklyn.
Con n ie Crothers -Bill Pa yn e Duo
475 Kent Avenue, #410 Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.302.4377www.conniecrothers.net / [email protected]
Bill Payne, Clarinet I was raised in Harvey, Illinois. Originally wanted to be a trumpet player when I heard the Al Hirt Top 40 hit “Cotton Candy” when I was a child. My mother said that my Uncle had an old clarinet and asked me if I would play that. I didn’t know what that was but agreed to play it when I saw a clarinet player on ”The Lawrence Welk Show.” Originally studied clarinet with Don Kramer and saxophone with Frank Derrick, Jr. First road experience was with “The Young Americans” in 1969 then free-lance Chicago. Joined “The Russ Carlyle Orchestra” in 1974...barnstormed around the country in a van playing sweet big band music in long forgotten ballrooms. Highlight for that gig was replacing the Russ Morgan
BIOGRAPHIES
Orchestra at the Dunes Hotel for ten week stretches twice a year in Las Vegas while Russ Morgan went on the road.
Stayed with Russ Carlyle for two years then moved to New York City (for the hell of it) in early 1977. Ran out of money in New York. Got a chance to audition for Ringling Bros. Circus in Philadelphia and got the job...my life changed totally. Moved on to the circus train and started a whole, new and exciting life. Spent the next 5 years with Ringling. In the meantime studied with Eddie Barefield on saxophone and Lewis Wyatt on clarinet in New York, flute with Wayne Crebo of The Boston Pops and Byron Baxter of the Houston Philharmonic. I met my wife Danise, who was a performer on Ringling, in a snowstorm in Greensboro, NC when a show was cancelled in 1979...married in 1981.
Left Ringling and moved to New York City (again). While in New York did theatre work: “Sugar Babies” “Gypsy” and others. Worked with the Circle Rep Theatre...Loves Labors Lost. Free lanced around New York. Was a ticket taker at The Empire Stat e Building Observatory!!! Studied with Connie Crothers (a big turning point in my life) for six months, met and played with Richard Tabnik, Carol Tristano and others. Moved to Los Angeles in 1985. Played on cruise ships (Royal Viking Line). Toured with Margaret Whiting, Kay Starr. Worked with the Comedian Kaye Ballard, Harry James Big Band, singers Connie Haines and Art Lund. Free lance with Ringling Bros. Toured with Debbie Reynolds and Harve Presnell...others. Went to London England, played with the Gerry Cottle Circus. Was Musical Director for the LA Circus for three years. Toured with the UniverSoul Big Top Circus and other circuses. Went back with Ringling in 2002 stayed for 2 years then moved to Las Vegas.
Con n ie Crothers -Bill Pa yn e Duo
475 Kent Avenue, #410 Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.302.4377www.conniecrothers.net / [email protected]
“There’s not a wasted note on these tightly constructed, pithy duets. The precision with which (Crothers and Payne) fit together is uncanny at times. This is very passionate music, a product of intense concentration and discipline
as well as emotional openness and depth.”
Ed Hazell, pointofdeparture.org
“...intense one-on-one engagement. Their interplay is indeed conversational, albeit highly animated. . Crothers’s status as one of the most accomplished in/out
improvisers is only enhanced by this release. Payne’s rep, newly minted compared to hers, benefits even more.”
Chris Kelly, www.jazz.com
QUOTES
Con n ie Crothers -Bill Pa yn e Duo
475 Kent Avenue, #410 Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.302.4377www.conniecrothers.net / [email protected]
Conversations was selected for inclusion in the ten best recordings of 2008 by Bill Shoemaker and Art Lange.
CONVERSATIONS - Connie Crothers and Bill PayneBy Marc Medwin
Connie Crothers is one of the most versatile pianists on a scene that is so often mislabeled free jazz. Her pianism has been cultivated through long years of study and deep listening, evident in each tone, chord and gesture. Overwhelming intensity, at whatever volume, is juxtaposed with transparent beauty in a style that is as unique as it is unpredictable.
Crothers has the perfect partner in clarinetist Bill Payne, with this disc of dialogues belying a long musical relationship, as evidenced by the moment in “Conversation no. 3” when Payne plays a two-note figure, immediately following which Crothers flourishes downward to land on Payne’s E-flat. In fact, counterpoint is the duo’s MO throughout. It opens “Conversation 4” and is even more rigorous in the tenth conversation. Crothers’ Tristano association is made plain in the latter, but as the tenth track heats up, bluesy inflections and clusters pervade, leading to a surprisingly trilled ending from Payne. By contrast, there are the Messiaenic sonorities of “Conversation 12,” with Payne beginning in lower registers and with such rhythmic freedom it almost sounds like a movement left out of “Quartet for the End of Time.”
The duo’s rhythmic diversity is stunning. “Conversation 1” finds them establishing motoric rhythms in variously shifting meters seemingly without effort. If several of the improvised pieces do, in fact, invoke the high-dynamics usually associated with Cecil Taylor, such concerns are momentary and they reflect only one facet of this duo’s remarkable ability to communicate quickly and efficiently on many levels. This is improvised music at its finest.
All About Jazz: New York. November 2008
CONVERSATIONS - Connie Crothers and Bill Payneby Chris Kelsey
Clarinetist Bill Payne is the very definition of the itinerant musician—his extensive résumé lists stints with at several traveling circuses, Broadway and Vegas shows, tours with the Russ Carlyle Orchestra, cruise-ship bands, and the infrequent bad day gig. Pianist Crothers’s pedigree is a bit purer from a jazz perspective: once the protégé of Lennie Tristano, she remains one of the most exceptional representatives of his musical philosophy. Payne cites studies with Crothers as a turning point in his life. He’s now obviously her peer. This track presents the pair in intense one-on-one engagement. Payne’s non-tonal lines are classically tinged, augmented by a jazz musician’s concern with forward motion and free expression. Crothers has the touch of a first-rate Debussy interpreter, and here her lines as well possess an impressionistic strain. Each player gives as much as he/she takes. Their interplay is indeed conversational, albeit highly animated—even argumentative. Crothers’s status as one of the most accomplished in/out improvisers is only enhanced b y this release. Payne’s rep, newly minted compared to hers, benefits even more.
www.jazz.com. August 27, 2008
REVIEWS
Con n ie Crothers -Bill Pa yn e Duo
475 Kent Avenue, #410 Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.302.4377www.conniecrothers.net / [email protected]
CONVERSATIONS - Connie Crothers and Bill PayneBy Ed Hazel
There’s not a wasted note on these tightly constructed, pithy duets between pianist Connie Crothers and clarinetist Bill Payne. Each of the fourteen improvisations sprouts from an initial phrase played by each partner and grows by means of elaborations, variations, and recapitulations of the seed planted by the first notes. Throughout each improvisation, Crothers and Payne remain absolute equals, synchronizing their lines of development without there ever appearing to be a leader and a follower. But they are clearly listening to one another in these intimate dialogues. Each will pick up a hint from the other – mimic a contour, shadow a phrase – but use it only long enough to weave it into what he or she is doing. It’s a kind of a hall of fun house mirrors effect, where images are warped and reflected back and forth until they are utterly transformed. Tempos remain at slow and medium, but there’s lots of variety in other aspects of their collaboration. “Conversation #2” is full of short gestures, Crothers making brief sweeping arcs as if she were juggling scarves, while Payne dips and arcs like a dragon fly. “Conversation #4” is a braid, a macramé construction of lines and knots of chords that form beautiful patterns. On “The Desert and the City,” Payne’s clarinet moves like a leaf buffeted by the wind, tracing long peregrinations, then wafting upward in little curlicues, or using multiphonics to jump in place. Crothers under girds and enfolds Payne with a kaleidoscopic progression of chords and note clusters. The precision with which they fit together is uncanny at time. Like all students of Lennie Tristano, Crothers is often branded as cool, but this is very passionate music, a product of intense concentration and discipline as well as emotional openness and depth.
www.pointofdeparture.org. Issue 18, August 2008
CONVERSATIONS - Connie Crothers and Bill PayneBy Scott Yanow
“Rather than a high-energy blowout, these collaborations leave space, are generally thoughtful and feature close communication between the two musicians, whether they are echoing each other’’s thoughts or offering a pair of contrasting voices. Sounding very much like ‘conversations,’ the improvisations give Crothers and Payne opportunities to create new melodies and thoughts on the spot, and it often makes for an intriguing listen. It is obvious that they have played together many times before and have a familiarity with each other’’s playing even as they continually surprise each other.”
L.A. Jazz Scene, July 2008
REVIEWS
Connie Crothers - Bill Payne Duo 475 Kent Avenue, #410 Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.302.4377
www.conniecrothers.net / [email protected]
click to download digital version
photo by Marlise Momber
Connie Crothers - Bill Payne Duo 475 Kent Avenue, #410 Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.302.4377
www.conniecrothers.net / [email protected]
photo by Marlise Momber
click to download digital version
photo by Jim Seely
