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Lao Tizer

Driven by an explosive mix of jazz, rock, classical , jam band influences and Afro Cuban and world rhythms, Downbeat—the first studio album by TIZER, a multi-cultural band led by Boulder, CO native, keyboardist/composer Lao Tizer—throws down a high powered collection of 12 brand-new originals on this scintillating release of fresh instrumental music from one of today’s rising stars of the world-fusion genre. Establishing themselves in the contemporary jazz world over the past few years, TIZER has spurred comparisons of a modern twist to the 70s and early 80s heyday of jazz fusion, when trailblazing ensembles like Return To Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report set the aesthetic standard. Truly embodying the title and spirit of his 2007 solo album Diversify, Lao assembled a group of veteran world-class musicians to create a dynamic rich with new melodic, harmonic and improvisational possibilities. Co-produced by Lao and guitarist Jeff Kollman (Glenn Hughes, UFO, Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats), the eclectic set includes five original compositions by Lao and numerous collaborations with his cohorts, including the first single “World In Rhythm,” co-written with Emmy winner and Grammy nominated guitarist Chieli Minucci, best known as founder and leader of Special EFX. Over the past few years, TIZER—a 2011 nominee for “Jazz Group of the Year”—has taken their multi-faceted world fusion vibe acorss the USA around the globe, galvanizing thousands at events including the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, the Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg, the Dubai Jazz Festival, Barbados Jazz Festival, the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival and the Festival International Providencia Jazz in Santiago, Chile. In addition to their usual whirlwind of U.S. dates, their tour schedule in support of Downbeat has included the Jarasum International Jazz Festival in South Korea, four shows in Russia, KL International Jazz & Arts Fest – Malaysia, Cape Town International Jazz Fest and Martinique Jazz Fest. While Lao was a “Best New Jazz Artist” nominee in 2002 and Diversify spent many weeks on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart, TIZER has a multi-genre, multi-national appeal that expands beyond just jazz enthusiasts. Their diverse resume includes performance slots alongside Zappa Plays Zappa, Jethro Tull, Isaac Hayes, Al Jarreau, Spyro Gyra, George Benson, Soulive, Babyface, Bruce Hornsby and Robin Thicke. Those who haven’t yet experienced TIZER’s intensity, expansive arrangements and exciting soloing in concert got the next best thing with the group’s 2010 debut release TIZER Live, which captured the vibrant interaction of what Lao calls “the ultimate cultural and musical melting pot”; Italian-American New Yorker Minucci, African American violin great Karen Briggs (Yanni, Stanley Clarke, Chaka Khan) and 2x Grammy winning Cuban born drummer/percussionist Raul Pineda (Michel Camilo, Chucho Valdes), in addition to Kollman, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Nieves (Kenny Loggins, Loggins & Messina, Jagno) and Lao himself.

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75

Performance / Tour

Next to Take the Exodus to Jazz Stage ... Contemporary Jazz Artist Lao Tizer's Tizer with Karen Briggs

Next to Take the Exodus to Jazz Stage ... Contemporary Jazz Artist Lao Tizer's Tizer with Karen Briggs

Source: Jazz@Rochester

Continuing the diverse lineup of Exodus to Jazz, contemporary jazz keyboardist Lao Tizer with his band TIZER, joined by international violin star Karen Briggs, will hit the ETJ stage on October 22nd at 8:00 pm at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation. Lao Tizer is among an group of instrumentalists who are playing for diverse audiences with music tastes not easily categorized into standard jazz genres, bringing in influences from world music and other sources. In addition leading his band, ...

263

Event

Playboy Jazz Festival Gets Fans in the Spirit with Free Community Concert Featuring Oleta Adams, Sal Marquez and Lao Tizer at Warner Center Park, Sunday, June 6th, in Woodland Hills

Playboy Jazz Festival Gets Fans in the Spirit with Free Community Concert Featuring Oleta Adams, Sal Marquez and Lao Tizer at Warner Center Park, Sunday, June 6th, in Woodland Hills

Source: Michael Ricci

Playboy Jazz Festival presents free community concert Sunday, June 6 in Woodland Hills

For Southern California jazz fans, there's no better way to break through Los Angeles' annual June gloom than “Playboy Jazz in Warner Park," which returns to the Lou Bredlow Pavilion in Warner Center Park (located at 5800 Topanga Canyon Boulevard) on Sunday, June 6th from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The free concert, sponsored by the Playboy Jazz Festival as part of their annual community event series ...

139

Performance / Tour

Tizer to Perform in Support of Boulder's "Empty Places" Project

Tizer to Perform in Support of Boulder's  "Empty Places" Project

Source: Brody PR

BOULDER, CO/LOS ANGELES, CA -- Nationally known jazz fusion keyboardist and composer Lao Tizer brings his Los Angeles-based band TIZER to his hometown of Boulder for a fundraiser on May 7 at the Boulder Theater. The event will support the “Stories That Fill the Empty Places" project, a photo documentary by Boulder photographer Ralena Gordon that will capture the history of mental institutions in the U.S. TIZER features an all-star lineup including Jeff Kollman - guitar, Rufus Philpot - bass, ...

193

Performance / Tour

Lao Tizer to Perform with Chieli Minucci and Karen Briggs in Denver

Lao Tizer to Perform with Chieli Minucci and Karen Briggs in Denver

Source: Brody PR

Denver, CA - TIZER, featuring Boulder native and keyboardist/composer Lao Tizer with special guests guitarist Chieli Minucci and violinist extraordinaire Karen Briggs, brings their high-energy world-fusion sounds to Denver for one performance at The Soiled Dove on Friday, February 5, 2010 at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) Growing up in Colorado, Lao became enchanted by the sounds of a piano and was formally trained by University of Colorado professor Doris Lehnert. Lao began his professional career at age ...

114

Recording

Lao Tizer's Deliciously Diverse New Album

Lao Tizer's Deliciously Diverse New Album

Source: Great Scott P.R.oductions

Inspired, young and prodigious keyboardist-composer Lao Tizer unveiled his second full-band album, Diversify, Tuesday April 3 with his sights set on obliterating boundaries while forging his own path in popular music. The collection was released nationally by his Yse Records label, which is distributed by the ARTizen Music Group. With the urban-charged “Uptown" presently garnering radio spins from coast to coast and a bevy of follow-up singles to come, Tizer bodes to achieve great heights while bringing an invigorating new ...

85

Recording

Keyboardist Composer Lao Tizer Broadens His Jazz Muse on "Diversify"

Keyboardist Composer Lao Tizer Broadens His Jazz Muse on "Diversify"

Source: All About Jazz

By the time keyboardist-composer Lao Tizer was 17, he had already released three self-produced, self-released solo piano and keyboard albums. Being an overachiever who ambitiously strives to grow, stretch and achieve new heights comes naturally to him. Tizer is now set to release an expansive and accomplished sophomore outing with his own band. Diversify will be unveiled nationally on April 3rd via his Yse Records label, which is distributed by the ARTizen Music Group. Tizer wrote fourteen new songs for ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Downbeat

JLK Productions
2012

buy

TIZER Live

Yse Records Inc
2010

buy

Passages

Yse Records Inc
2009

buy

Diversify

Yse Records Inc
2007

buy

Golden Soul

Frat House Records
2001

buy

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