On
Friday, April 25, 2014 at 7:00 p.m., Esperanza Spalding and Kenny Werner, two
world-renowned jazz artists, will headline at Buddhist Global Relief's annual
"Concert To Feed The Hungry." The concert raises much-needed
awareness and funds to support the global fight to end hunger and malnutrition.
In
addition to their prolific output as recording and performing artists, Spalding
and Werner are firmly committed to making their music a force for positive
change in the world, and they will be joined by some of New York's leading
musicians at the Interchurch Center for a double bill.
The
concert is produced by jazz saxophonist Dan Blake (who
will also play in Kenny Werner's quartet) along with a team of dedicated
volunteers from Buddhist Global Relief.
Grammy-winning
bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding has given performances throughout the
world to such audiences as President Barack Obama, The View, and David
Letterman, where she was proclaimed "the coolest" guest in the
three-decade history of the program. She is a versatile and prolific
songwriter, having released Radio Music Society to great acclaim, garnering two
Grammy awards, adding to her remarkable win of the 2011 "Best New
Artist" award. She is no stranger to activism in her work, having teamed
up with UNESCO and Herbie Hancock for International Jazz Day. She also recently
produced and performed in a music video that advocates for the closing of the
Guantanamo Bay prison, enlisting the support of music legends like Stevie
Wonder and Harry Belafonte. Ms. Spalding will be joined by pianist, composer
and long-time collaborator Leonardo Genovese.
Kenny
Werner is a world-class pianist and composer. His prolific output of
compositions, recordings and publications continue to impact audiences around
the world. Kenny was recently awarded the 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship Award for
his seminal work, No Beginning No End, a musical journey exploring tragedy and
loss, death and transition, and the path from one lifetime to the next.
His
groundbreaking work Effortless Mastery is one of the most widely read books on
music and improvisation, helping thousands of musicians around the world unlock
their talent and potential. Mr. Werner will be joined by percussionist Richie
Barshay, Johannes Weidenmueller, and saxophonist Dan Blake.
Funds
raised from the concert will go to support BGR's projects which give vital food
aid to poor communities around the world and promote greater food productivity
at the grass-roots level, both locally and globally. One of these organizations
is Harlem Seeds (www.harlemseeds.org), an organization that helps young people
to grow food in a sustainable environment, giving them the education and
resources to develop a nutritious diet from seed to table.
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