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Majid Khaliq

Majid Khaliq is a violinist and composer cut from a different cloth. He has been described by legendary musician Wynton Marsalis as having “a unique blend of improvisation, groove and technical sophistication.” Although classically trained, Mr. Khaliq’s passion and musical palette ranges from the roots of American jazz music to the greats of the Progressive jazz scene. He is quickly establishing himself as a rising talent in the world of jazz. As a young boy growing up in the New York area, Mr. Khaliq demonstrated a serious interest in the recordings of Duke Ellington featuring Ray Nance on violin that he heard his father playing at home. At the age of five, his mother enrolled him in violin lessons. From that point on, music has provided Mr. Khaliq with the opportunity to play in some of the world’s most acclaimed educational institutions and concert halls. In 2002, Mr. Khaliq graduated from the Juilliard School with a Bachelor of Music and in 2010 with a Master of Arts in Jazz Performance from Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music. Mr. Khaliq has played with great musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Barron, Antonio Hart, John Blake jr., Itzahk Perlman, Isaac Stern, Mark O’Connor and Regina Carter. He has performed in numerous famed venues including Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington, D.C., and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Mr. Khaliq has also appeared in fashion magazines, film and television projects. Most notably, Wes Craven’s Academy Award nominated feature film “Music from the Heart” starring Academy Award winning actress Meryl Streep. Composition and arranging are also talents that Mr. Khaliq has worked to refine for many years. In 2008, Mr. Khaliq was the recipient of the prestigious Meet the Composer’s Edward and Sally Van Lier Fellowship Award for his work in composition. In the fall of 2011 he will release, The Basilisk, his greatly anticipated debut CD recording. The music on this record comes from an eclectic blend of styles. Influences from European classical form to the freedom of hip-hop are explored with flare and swagger. The Basilisk is a compilation of compositions that are intense, colorful and specifically tailored to allow the violin to be played with classic lyricism and cutting-edge expressionism. It is truly the next step in the evolution of jazz.

Awards

2008 Van Lier Award for Composition From Meet the Composer.


Tags

4
Album Review

Charlie Porter: Hindsight

Read "Hindsight" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Trumpeter Charlie Porter has proved himself to be an inventive composer whose works are simultaneously thought-provoking and mellifluous. His third and perhaps most immediately relevant release, Hindsight, draws inspiration from the events that came to public attention in 2020. Musically, the nine originals are fluid yet complex and are peppered with sounds from other genres such as gospel, African folk and hip hop. The result is a seamless and delightfully unique fusion which delivers its message with intelligence and panache. ...

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Album Review

Charlie Porter: Hindsight

Read "Hindsight" reviewed by Paul Rauch


Portland based trumpeter/composer Charlie Porter is back, and following the trend industry wide over the past year, has released a finely crafted collection of pieces attached to a social narrative. Hindsight examines how we act in hindsight dealing with the long term societal struggles of racism, corruption and inequality. While two of the pieces feature the lyrics of Majid Khaliq and Madelaina Piazza, Porter has namaged to weave the emotional uncertainty of daily life during the Covid-19 pandemic into bittersweet ...

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Radio & Podcasts

A conversation with Majid

Read "A conversation with Majid" reviewed by Lorens Chuno


Violinist Majid's new album, Sound of a Flower, has a solid jazz foundation, but draws heavily from soul, hip-hop, and classical music giving rise to an infectious sound that is uniquely Majid's. Majid is a classically trained violinist who has worked with a diverse range of household names in the music industry including hip-hop artist Mr Cheeks, actor and singer Keith David, and Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Join me as I talk to Majid about the album, hip-hop, ...

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Album Review

Majid Khaliq: The Basilisk

Read "The Basilisk" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose


There was once a school of thought that championed, zealot-like, the cause of the violin. To them there was no more perfect instrument than the four-stringed wonder that supports a fretless arm and offers infinite possibilities of melody; one that all but brought to life myriad human emotions via harmonic invention. Were this league of extraordinary gentlemen to convene today, and upon hearing Majid Khaliq bow as majestically as does on The Basilisk, they might be forced to revive their ...

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Take Five With...

Take Five With Majid Khaliq

Read "Take Five With Majid Khaliq" reviewed by Majid Khaliq


Meet Majid Khaliq:Majid Khaliq is a violinist and composer cut from a different cloth. He has been described by legendary musician Wynton Marsalis as having “a unique blend of improvisation, groove and technical sophistication." Although classically trained, Khaliq's passion and musical palette ranges from the roots of American jazz music to the greats of the progressive jazz scene. He is quickly establishing himself as a rising talent in the world of jazz. In 2002, Khaliq ...

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5

Performance / Tour

Ma*JiD "Sound Of A Flower" Release Performance On April 14 At National Sawdust!

Ma*JiD "Sound Of A Flower" Release Performance On April 14 At National Sawdust!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

Now! One Night Only! Ma*JiD Sound Of A Flower Saturday, April 14 Performance 7-9pm, $20 National Sawdust 80 N. 6th St. Brooklyn, NY 11249 (646) 779-8455 Three time Downbeat Rising Jazz violinist Ma*JiD ecstatically celebrates the release of his newest album, Sound Of A Flower. The culmination of an eight year journey, Ma*JiD will perform selections from the album joined by special guests Squala Orphan (Brooklyn MC/Guru's Jazzmatazz Alum), Sfumato ...

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Recording

Violinist/Composer Majid Khaliq Releases New CD Titled "The Basilisk"

Violinist/Composer Majid Khaliq Releases New CD Titled "The Basilisk"

Source: Two for the Show Media

Majid Khaliq's The Basilisk is a spellbinding and unforgettable compilation of jazz compositions. The album launches into a musical progression that moves through a series of original compositions that will surprise, inspire and intrigue. The recording is an extraordinary connection between master musicians and composition. Majid Khaliq is joined on the project by Jeb Patton on piano, Charles Porter on trumpet, Ivan Taylor on bass, Johnathan Blake on drums, & Eric “ELEW" Lewis on piano. Give a listen to a ...

"Progressive jazz violinist has captured the ears of New York insiders that know the wheat from the chaff and have declared him the wheat." CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher. Midwest Record.

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Hindsight

OA2 Records
2021

buy

Sound Of A Flower

Majid Khaliq (BMI)
2018

buy

The Basilisk

Self Produced
2011

buy

Sound Of A Flower

From: Sound Of A Flower
By Majid Khaliq

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