January 2011 Newsletter Update
Friday, January 21, 2011 at 10:56AM Here's an archive of an informative newsletter that was sent out to January 20th. If you would like to receive these newsletter via email click here.
It’s been a busy start to 2011 here in snowy and blustery New York City. I’ve been busy with a couple of interesting projects and have been reflecting on a productive yet challenging 2010. I’ll dive right in with a recap of 2010:
In this issue: West Coast Tour, Reviews, Harlem School Update, Conjunto Rovira Returns, Recommended Listening
2010 Recap
Two Shades of Nude2010 saw the release of my second CD as a leader, Two Shades of Nude. It was a humble pleasure and honor to record with this sterling list of NYC cats in 2007 and it brought much relief and a sense of accomplishment to finally bring out this jazz nonet recording to the world en masse on Origin Records. The album managed to peak at #33 on the Jazzweek radio chart and continues to collect very well-received reviews. The CD release party at Yoshi’s Oakland, CA was a big hit and resulted in sold out shows.
2010 saw plenty of traveling abroad with multiple artists including Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Pete Escovedo and Don Omar. We were able to visit beautiful people and parts of the world in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Spanish Harlem is nominated for a Grammy this year and I was thrilled to be a part of their first DVD release filmed at the HOSTOS Performing Arts Center in the Bronx, NY. Look for the release later this year.
On the composition front, my symphonic tone-poem American Transgressions for Orchestra commissioned by Timothy Smith and the renowned Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra debuted last November to some great reviews. This work is actually the first movement of a planned symphony that will involve the use of a battery of latin percussionists. More to come on the progress of this work!
In the education world, my relocation back to New York in October found me saying good-bye to my post as part of the jazz faculty at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, CA, a post that I grew increasingly fond of as I witnessed the amazing development of our students in that program. As I begin my new post as Program Director for the new Harlem School of Urban Music and Recording Arts, I will continually look to the development of these students as a goalpost for my own current students. More follows below on some of the cool things we are planning for this technologically innovative program!
The year culminated with my relocation back to New York City and the burrowing in for the long winter that is currently underway. While snowed in, I’ll be doing principal composition and arranging for my next release and re-connecting with my friends and peers from this great hive of activity. Here's what's on tap in the coming weeks:
update: harlem school of urban music and recording arts
Pro Tools HD Accel 2 with C|24 Console @ Harlem SchoolCurriculum for the Harlem School is nearly completed and technology keeps on rolling in. We’ve just installed a brand new Pro Tools HD Accel 2 System (ours is pictured at right!) with a C24 mixing console in the pro recording studio, housed at Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem. We are also in the process of installing audio interfaces for each of the 27” iMac student workstations running Apple Garage Band and Sibelius First. We are slating the grand opening of the school for March 1st!
conjunto Rovira returns!
Wayne Wallace, Doug Beavers and Jimmy Bosch
Doug Beavers y su Conjunto Rovira returns to the SF Bay Area for two more hard-hitting shows:
March 9 Conjunto Rovira at Shattuck Down Low -Berkeley CA
March 12 Conjunto Rovira Titanes del Trombón (feat. Wayne Wallace, Abel Figueroa and Doug Beavers) headlines SF Salsa Festival 2011!
I’ve added a couple of new features to the website, including a new arranging section/discussion and a “Currently Digging” section, where I outline some of the things I’ve been checking out in detail over the past couple of months. (#1 on my list right now is the new Stanley Clarke recording. Freakish!)
Feel free to visit and leave a comment as to what you are checking out right now.
Wishing you a happy and successful 2011,
Doug Beavers
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