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The Times Argus
September 10, 2004

‘MediterrAsian’ jazz comes to the Capital

MONTPELIER — The 35th Parallel MediterrAsian Jazz Ensemble will appear in concert on Friday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m., at the Unitarian Church, 130 Main St.

The group takes the listener on a sinuous journey around the globe, weaving a tapestry of sound that fuses jazz arrangements with the music of the Middle East, North India, North Africa, and the Mediterranean.

35th Parallel began as a duo in 2001 with Mac Ritchey (Middle Eastern oud) and Gabe Halberg (Indian tabla). The MediterrAsian Jazz Ensemble features Todd Roach on Middle Eastern percussion and former viperHouse horn players Michael Chorney on baritone sax, Brian Boyes on trumpet and Zach Tonnissen on tenor and soprano sax.

The Montpelier show reunites this six-piece ensemble that had its debut earlier this year at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts.

The band will perform a combination of its own original compositions, traditional pieces from the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and contemporary works by Lebanese composer Rabih Abou Kahlil and Nubian oud player Hamza El Din. The evening will also blend free exploration and improvisation with grooves firmly rooted in the rhythms of India and the Middle East.

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