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The Story

.. THE STORY

"Music is not only a collection of sound/It is a collection of thought/but not only is it a collection of thought/It is the story of our lives"

The Story is an exciting and unique band that consists of an international core ensemble of five talented musicians performing in New York City, Canada, and Europe.

Lars Dietrich , a renowned alto saxophonist from Amsterdam, has many accolades in the jazz world including competition awards in Holland and for Down Beat Magazine. He has also performed with the likes of Herbie Hancock and Joe Lovano.

Samir Zarif is an extraordinary tenor saxophonist hailing originally from Houston, Texas. Samir made his debut as a jazz artist in New Orleans and moved to New York City shortly thereafter. Zarif's discography ranges from Jill Scott's "Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol.2" to his debut as a Fresh Sounds recording artist on his CD entitled "The Paislies."

John Escreet moved from London to New York in September 2006 and is already making waves in the jazz scene. In addition to being an active member of "The Story" he performs regularly with many of today's greatest jazz musicians, such as David Binney and Ari Hoenig, and has also worked with the likes of Wayne Krantz, Adam Rogers and Seamus Blake, whilst also leading and touring with his own group, 'The John Escreet Project.'

Zack Lober, a native of Montreal, is a distinguished bassist with many recordings and international perfromances under his belt. Zack has performed with many jazz greats including Donny McCaslin, Kenny Werner, Dave Binney, Ben Monder, and Dick Hyman.

Greg Ritchie, an exciting drummer to listen to and admire. He hails from the East Coast of Canada. Greg has performed with many notable musicians including Dave Liebman, Seamus Blake, Vic Juris and Ingrid Jensen, to name just a few.

As a group, The Story is an unconventional group of composers/musicians that perform an extensive collection of original compositions. The focus of The Story is to create and/or recreate stories that are illustrated through music. It is a collaboration of music enhanced by thoughts and images that correlate to the full experience of "the story." The group's music has been proclaimed as "a great soundtrack without the movie...the images are seen directly through the music they performed!" It is their collective goal that this group will contribute in taking Jazz music in a whole new direction!

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316
Album Review

The Story: The Story

Read "The Story" reviewed by Terrell Kent Holmes


From its opening notes to the stop-on-a-dime ending, this debut album is an exhilarating shot in the solar plexus. A talented quintet serves up a diverse roster of tunes daring in both imagination and execution. Pianist John Escreet uses his repeated eight-note figure in the song “Misconception of Life and Death" as a starting point for more dazzling and emotional playing. Tenor saxophonist Samir Zarif plays flowing, deep-voiced riffs while altoist Lars Dietrich passionately throttles the upper ...

237
Album Review

The Story: The Story

Read "The Story" reviewed by Mark F. Turner


The Story is the real life debut of an exciting new collaborative that is set to make its mark on the jazz world. Invigorated by a young quintet of extremely talented international members--saxophonists Lars Dietrich (Holland) and Samir Zarif (United States), drummer Greg Ritchie, bassist Zack Lober (Canada), and pianist John Escreet (United Kingdom), this eponymous debut is filled with kinetic energy and forward thinking. Earning individual accolades, awards, and grants, the rising musicians have performed with ...

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1

Music Industry

Early Salsa: The Story of Ghetto Records

Early Salsa: The Story of Ghetto Records

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

If you plan on discussing the origins of salsa, you'd better make a large pot of Café Rico coffee. You're going to be arguing late into the night. There are multiple definitions of the music as well as a raging debate over its roots, starting point and how it evolved. To me, as a former resident of Washington Heights, the definition is rather simple: salsa began at the dawn of the 1970s and followed the boogaloo as a popular style ...

1

Recording

Toronto Guitarist-Composer James Brown Returns To Recording After Decade-Plus Break On "Song Within The Story," Due March 18 On NGP Records

Toronto Guitarist-Composer James Brown Returns To Recording After Decade-Plus Break On "Song Within The Story," Due March 18 On NGP Records

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity

Guitarist-composer James Brown returns from a 13-year recording hiatus with the fetching Song Within the Story, set for a March 18 release on NGP Records. Brown’s fourth album, and his first since 2009’s Sevendaze, finds him helming his Toronto-based working trio featuring bassist Clark Johnston and drummer Anthony Michelli. Respected tenor saxophonist Mike Murley joins the band on three of the album’s 10 tracks—eight of which are original compositions that document Brown’s ongoing intermarriage of jazz and classical music, while ...

1

Interview

The Story Behind 'Quiet Now'

The Story Behind 'Quiet Now'

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

I have known and admired pianist-composer Denny Zeitlin for many years. My admiration dates back to the early 2000s, after I heard for the first time his four albums for Columbia recorded in the mid-1960s. I was blown away. Our friendship dates back to 2009, when I did a multipart JazzWax interview with him. We've been email penpals ever since. Last week, Denny sent along an email urging me to give a listen to vocalist Suzi Stern sing his composition ...

6

Recording

Singer Songwriter Phillip Brandon Debuts With A Genre-Defying Musical Gift For The Planet: "The Story Begins"

Singer Songwriter Phillip Brandon Debuts  With A Genre-Defying Musical Gift For The Planet: "The Story Begins"

Source: Inque Public Relations

Proud Morehouse Graduate Steps Out Making a Profound Musical Difference Springing forth following eight years of tours as “Narrator” with platinum selling rock band Trans Siberian Orchestra to a feature role in the life story of Gospel legend BeBe Winans, “Born For This: The Musical,” singer-songwriter Phillip Brandon is making good on the promise of his purposed and abundant gifts to share songs of love and optimism all his own via his powerful debut album, The Story Begins—a warm wraparound ...

3

Recording

Jennifer Gasoi Releases The Storybook-Music CD "Blue And Red Make Purple" On October 1, 2016

Jennifer Gasoi Releases The Storybook-Music CD "Blue And Red Make Purple" On October 1, 2016

Source: Roland Stringer

This new book with CD, published by The Secret Mountain, offers young listeners a musical journey through the different colors of Jennifer Gasoi’s multi-layered and playful jazz-infused music. The colorful picture book, featuring original illustrations by Steve Adams, highlights the history, instruments and unique characteristics of each musical genre along with listening suggestions accompanying each song. Along the way, Gasoi offers readers a chance to create their own sounds, and discover more about the songwriting process itself. Full lyrics are ...

Book / Magazine

2013 Special Edition eBook "Power, Passion And Beauty - The Story Of The Legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra"

2013 Special Edition eBook "Power, Passion And Beauty - The Story Of The Legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra"

Source: Walter Kolosky

2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the tumultuous break-up of the greatest band that ever was, the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The group, founded by British guitarist John McLaughlin, was the first to fuse jazz, rock and world music into critical and commercial success. In a remarkable feat, its strictly instrumental albums were able to find their way into the Top 20 of the Billboard rock charts. The Special Edition eBook “Power, Passion and Beauty - The Story of the Legendary Mahavishnu ...

Opinion

The User is the Story

The User is the Story

Source: HypeBot

Guest post by Kyle Bylin of sidewinder.fm I have become convinced that one of the major voices missing from the conversation about the future of music is the user. We cite studies and various data points, but when it comes to talking about Spotify and Pandora, we concern ourselves only with the views of experts. This seems like an oversight to me, because experts, while frequently offering valuable insights into business models and competitive landscapes, don't typically get into what ...

Radio

The Story Of Clarence Williams This Week On Riverwalk Jazz

The Story Of Clarence Williams This Week On Riverwalk Jazz

Source: Don Mopsick

This week, Riverwalk Jazz looks at both sides of the Clarence Williams legacy. New Orleans’ Topsy Chapman and Broadway’s Vernel Bagneris lend their acting and vocal talents to this week's show as they join The Jim Cullum Jazz Band for Gulf Coast Blues: The Clarence Williams Story. The program is distributed in the US by Public Radio International, on Sirius/XM satellite radio and can be streamed on-demand from the Riverwalk Jazz website. Did he make a significant contribution as a ...

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TV / Film

CBC Radio And Sirius - Finding Carlton - Uncovering The Story Of Jazz In India

CBC Radio And Sirius - Finding Carlton - Uncovering The Story Of Jazz In India

Source: Susheel Kurien

Susheel Kurien, the filmmaker of FInding Carlton—the documentary film that uncovers the story of jazz in India was interviewed on CBC Radio One—Dispatches with Rick McInnes Rae. The film follows Carlton Kitto , a guitarist in Calcutta, India and through his and other musician's stories, tells a remarkable and fascinating tale of how African-American musicians brought jazz to India. Through Carlton's world we hear of how jazz transformed a whole generation. The film features Dan Morgenstern as a historical narrator ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Story

Self Produced
2010

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The Story

Self Produced
2009

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