FEBRUARY NEWS

February was marked by several exciting performances by our multi-talented solos, duos and trios, celebrating some of the season’s most anticipated events as well as elegant private corporate and social events, and exciting gigs at local restaurants and bar lounges.

HIGHLIGHTS

Music:

Laurent is constantly studying and practicing music, and his learning experience with saxophonist and composer Bobby Zankel – founding leader of the Philadelphia based avant-garde big band Warriors of the Wonderful Sound – is bringing his music performances to new heights.

Laurent is also bringing his talent of multi-instrumentalist and music engineering to his solo performance by blending elements of live acoustic jazz and electronica, created by mixing and mastering sound designed electronic music from Ableton Live – a great platform for creative expression.

Mélange Jazz Collective:  Mélange’s musicians have a long playing history together; however, each performance always brings their individual and collective experience with a sense of renewed musical sensitivity and creativity. Lately, Mélange has expanded their repertoire with new interpretation of some of the greatest from the 60s, such as John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Stanley Tarrentine, among others.

Some of our performance highlights:

InLiquid Arts and Design Benefit v.13 at the Crane Building (www.inliquid.org):  One of the most anticipated social happenings in the city, the Benefit & Silent Auction showcases the artwork of hundreds of emerging and talented new artists as well as established artists from the region and an array of business donations, delicious food and entertainment.  Laurent was very happy to be part of this amazing event and support InLiquid and the Arts community by performing with LB Jazz +One during the VIP reception. http://inliquid.org/happenings/inliquid-projects/benefit/benefit-v-thirteen/
Penn Law, Mélange Jazz Collective: Penn Law “Bold Ambitions Campaign” culminated with a very sophisticated closing reception at Golkin Hall. Mélange Trio was thrilled to perform for this very special occasion.

Paris Wine Bar, Fairmount area, Bert Harris Duo with Laurent Bass: The duo is a jazz conversation between sax and bass that fits perfectly in Paris Wine Bar, an intimate venue and bar lounge that is recognized for its selective list of wines from the region’s vineyards, a great menu and a commitment to live music. Here is a very interesting article recently published on Paris Wine Bar: www.citypaper.net/cover_story/2012-11-15-paris-wine-bar-philadelphia.html?c=rTriumph Brewing Co., (www.triumphbrewing.com/Philadelphia/) Old City, with Jazz Pulse: Jazz Pulse – jazz/funk/soul, and more – a trio from Kimpedro’s Nu Groove, features Laurent on tenor & soprano sax, percussion and blues harmonica, Bert Harris on electric/upright bass and band founder Kimpedro on drums. Triumph Brewing is a very friendly establishment, known for its eclectic American cuisine and crafted beers and support of live music and local musicians.

Sunday Jazz Brunch at Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant (www.manayunkbrewery.com ), Mélange Jazz Collective:  Located in the heart of Manayunk, on the banks of the Schuylkill River, this is a great spot for  Sunday brunch and enjoy their buffet and a wide range of tasting options and live music with friends and family. Mélange’s next appearance will be on Sunday March 24^th, 10:30am to 2:30pm.

Private function at Seasons 52 (www.seasons52.com) , King of Prussia,  solo LB Jazz +One: “It could not have been more perfect”, this is how one of our clients described Laurent’s entertainment and solo performance with LB Jazz +One at a recent private reception at Seasons 52 in King of Prussia, in their private event facility. The music was a great complement to Seasons 52’s impeccable service and inspiring and fresh menu.

The upcoming months and Spring season will bring a whirlwind of Arts and cultural events, such as the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), PHS International Flower Show, art exhibitions, concerts and more, but also conventions, private corporate and social events celebrations.  We look forward to be part of this exciting season and to perform for some of these events.

www.uwishunu.com/2013/03/with-art-philadelphia-top-picks-for-march-art-happenings-in-and-around-the-city/

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD – OLD CITY NEWS

Old City recognized nationally for its arts scene by ArtPlaces:  our Old City neighborhood was named among 12 locations nationwide to be recognized as a vibrant destination that combines the arts and a striving economy.  http://www.artplaceamerica.org/articles/americas-top-artplaces-2013/

Old City First Friday Weekends: Old City will launch First Friday Weekends on March 1^st. This new initiative will expand First Friday with two new themes, Stop- in Saturdays and Brunch and Browse Sundays, adding a variety of activities, boutique shopping and dining experience.

(Photo from Philadelphia Flower Show, taken by Danielle)

Thank you for your support of live music.

Happy Spring!

Danielle

Greetings!

Warmest greetings and Happy New Year!  May your new year be filled with Happiness, Peace and Prosperity.

We wish to thank our clients, partners, musician friends, and fans for helping us make 2012 an exciting and successful year. We are excited about bringing you another year of great music and entertainment in 2013.

Musically yours,
Danielle and Laurent

GREETINGS AND WELCOME!
Fall season always brings new projects and this year is no exception: planning for holiday performances, rehearsals and recording, pursuing musical development, attending industry networking events, evaluating trends and working closely with our partners to make 2013 an exciting new year.  Fall is also the season when the city shines and celebrates with many cultural events, from music to design, film,  craft, art exhibitions, theater, dance and more.

Spotlight on multi-instrumentalist Laurent Bass

The most ambitious musicians are dedicated lifelong students: Laurent is one of these musicians.

The past 6 months have been very busy. Music and performance have become a top priority in growth and learning which will lead to expressing my musical potential. I was fortunate enough to find a two week long intensive Jazz workshop which took place at the end of the summer during the last two weeks of August. This 8-day jazz camp was sponsored by world renowned Buster Williams, Jazz Bassist. This workshop focused on rhythm section master classes as well as individual and group instruction in brass, reeds, piano, bass, guitar, percussion, vocal and improvisation. Each day, I participated in individual instrument instruction as well as improvisation and master classes which helped to hone my jazz skills.

I was fortunate to have as my reed instructor Bobby Zankel. Zankel has a history of intensive studies in tonality and rhythms with Maestro Dennis Sandole. Sandole’s instruction nurtured Bobby’s development into one of the most brilliant and original composers of the 90’s. His alto playing has been described as a unique amalgam of the precision and rhythmic intricacy of be-bop, with the soul and drive of hard bop, and the fire, spirituality, creativity and intensity of the avant-garde.

Every day’s curriculum had individual Instrument instruction, tone development, music theory development, Jazz language analysis, Jazz phrasing exercises, improvisation practice and ensemble performance practice. Each day was filled with intensive but rewarding practical music experiences. It was a great boost to my music learning career.

Since then, I have been fortunate to continue my musical studies with Zankel. I just could not give up the opportunity to study more in depth knowledge of my instrument and Jazz music with such a great instructor who agreed to continue with my instruction. I have found an incredible opportunity to learn Jazz history, jazz theory, jazz performance, new creative music composition, new, contemporary jazz movement which will boost my potential to the next horizon. My studies have already started to benefit my performance playing with The Mélange Jazz Trio  and my solo band, LB Jazz +One, as well as with other ensembles and will continue, I am sure, throughout my future performances.

Recent performances

Mélange recently performed at several venues:  the Mainline October First Friday, the Manayunk Brewery Restaurant for Sunday Jazz Brunch and for several corporate events at Loew’s Hotel, The Capital Grille and Penn Law School, among others.

LB Jazz +One & Jazz Jam at Bala Golf Club:  several talented musician members from the Club joined LB to jam and celebrate Jazz Night at the Club.

Special project on Music in the Hispanic Community in Philadelphia region on Telemundo TV:  LB performed on tenor sax along with a 6 piece band as back-up band to young singer and accomplished violinist and percussionist, Brianna Panama. The segment was aired on Telemundo TV  in early November.

LB with Mélange Jazz Trio performing at Penn Law School for a private event

LB on tenor sax jamming with musician members at Bala Golf Club

Upcoming public performances:

Mélange Jazz Collective and solo LB Jazz +One will be performing for several private and public appearances during the holiday season and beyond.  We hope that you can join us for some of their public performances.

Mélange: December 2^nd, February 10^th, March 24^th, Sunday Jazz Brunch at Manayunk Brewery Restaurant, 10:30am to 2:30pm (www.manayunkbrewery.com).

Bert Harris & Laurent Bass: December 28^th, January 19^th, February 16^th, Paris Wine Bar, 9:00pm to 12:00am (www.londongrill.com/paris-wine-bar/).

Mélange performing at Manayunk Brewery Restaurant for Sunday Jazz Brunch.

Lastly, we would like to extend our thoughts and best wishes during the recovery process to all our friends and musician community in the East Coast who have been affected by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.

Thank you for your support of live music.

Wishing everyone a joyful and grateful Thanksgiving!

Welcome to our Summer news!
Our Summer has been punctuated by a myriad of musical activities and performances, and road trips to the shore, upstate NY, Chesapeake Bay area and trips to France and Switzerland. Laurent has been very busy practicing new arrangements for his solo performances. He is currently attending a 2 week intensive Jazz workshop at the Buster Williams International School of Music (led by the legendary jazz bassist Buster Williams) at IDEA Music Performing Arts Center. The program brings together advanced musicians of different backgrounds who all share a common interest in jazz. He is very excited about the opportunity to study in such a nurturing musical environment and to further develop his individual music creativity, jazz improvisation and ensemble performance – and to integrate his new skills into his style and to his performances as a solo, or with Mélange Jazz Collective and other ensembles.

Summer is also a good time to explore and develop fresh ideas for entertainment for the upcoming Fall and Winter meeting and event planning season and engage with our clients, community members and partners.

Philly jazz scene: Bert Harris Duet with Laurent Bass at Paris Wine Bar & Lounge
Musical notes from my trip to France
I was fortunate to spend the month of June in France vacationing and visiting family on the beautiful shores of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) and experience one of its major cultural events, Fête de la Musique.
Fête de la Musique, celebrated on the day of Summer Solstice, June 21st, is a very popular festival where amateurs and professionals sing and play music in public spaces all over France, from large cities to small villages. It is a showcase for all musical genres, from traditional music to pop, rock, opera, jazz, techno, choirs, rap, world, etc., to new trends. The region hosted several free and excellent concerts.
Speaking of special events……. Renowned for its natural beauty and for its Winter and Summer activities and due to its proximity to Geneva, the area of Lac Leman attracts a number of foreign visitors and newcomers. I was delighted to be invited to a multicultural “English Apero” (cocktails) where English and French speaking guests and students mingled, sipping wine and savoring delectable hors-d’oeuvres while practicing their English and French. We were entertained by a fabulous musician and multi-lingual conteur (storyteller) performing on Celtic harp and bagpipes, Robert Amyot (www.robert-amyot.com). It was a great occasion to bring community members together, improve one’s language skills and create new friendships.

Best wishes to everyone for the remaining of Summer.

Mélange has been performing in many notable venues the past few months. Some of the noted venues are Restaurant R2L. Great place to linger and lounge, with spectacular panoramic views.

The Hub at Commerce Square was a celebration for the New Opening of a new great venue :

LB Laurent Bass performed for the Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse annual Fundraiser.

Mélange Jazz Trio performed for several corporate events during RIMS convention week: at the Grand Ballroom at the artsy and sleek Le Méridien and at the spectacular Benjamin Franklin National Memorial at the Franklin Institute.

Soloists John Ebbert (piano), Frank Strauss (keyboard), Dan Brooks (classical guitar), Lawrence Major (violin) and Walter Runge (keyboard) did a fantastic job performing for several cocktail receptions for one of our clients at the Hyatt at The Bellevue.

Bert Harris and LB Laurent Bass performed at The Paris Wine Bar Cafe in Fairmount. We look forward to performing there for the future dates of August 18th and September 15th.

February was filled with many exciting events and activities! We are gearing up to spring receptions and summer wedding celebrations and to the summer season music at the Shore. Working closely with musical artists and with creative and talented event planners in selecting entertainment and help them to deliver their vision for their events is most gratifying. This is also the season to experience the city’s vibrant art and cultural happenings for visual and performing arts. Many engaging networking events and some amazing concerts were held throughout the month. We were able to attend a few of them.

Events:
We love our new sleek logo and prints design by Studio Z (www.studiozdesign.net), our website designer. They are an amazing creative team to work with.
InLiquid ‘s Fundraiser and Benefit v.12 (www.inliquid.org/Benefit-v12/) held on February 10th at the Crane Building was a phenomenal success this year. LB Entertainment was pleased to be part of this fabulous event and be the sponsor for entertainment for the VIP Reception Party with LB Jazz +One.
STHM Event Leadership program (www.sthm.temple.edu) hosted a networking event on February 17th at Ladder 15 for current students, alumni and faculty. It was wonderful to see my professors, former classmates and meet new students and other industry professionals.
MPI-PA’s (www.pampi.org) monthly educational program – integrating Social Media as part of a business’s marketing and communication strategy, featuring speaker Joel Comm – was held at the legendary Sigma Sound Stage, one of the oldest recording studios in the country: a unique place, exciting topic and delectable food by Feastivities.
Bridal event, Horticulture Center’s Love is in the Air, was held at the Horticulture Center on February 23d.

Music news:
Mélange Jazz Trio will be returning to Manayunk Brewery Restaurant (www.manayunkbrewery.com) on Sunday April 8th to perform for Sunday Jazz Brunch.
Laurent and LB Jazz +One, his fabulous solo jazz lounge band, will be performing at several private events held at some of the most unique venues in Philadelphia: Smith Memorial Playground, The Union League, and at private country clubs in the New Jersey area. Our ensembles and solo musicians will also be performing for private and corporate events at The Franklin Institute, Le Meridien Hotel, Hyatt-Bellevue and Penn Law School.
LB will be recording a new song on alto sax for Jaja Matsimela, one of the best world music groups in the East Coast. Their new album is scheduled to be released later on this year.
Recent concerts and upcoming performances:
Network for New Music with Felyx M ( Mendelsohn Club Chamber) performed at Independence Seaport Museum. Cynthia Folio’s new piece, Music Box, was among the new compositions that were performed. Cynthia Folio is a composer and flutist and is Laurent’s flute Instructor.
Norman David and The Eleventet (www.eleventet.com) , an amazing new jazz and modern music band led by composer, jazz saxophonist and clarinetist Norman David (www.normandavid.com), Laurent’s clarinet instructor. The Eleventet performs frequently on Monday evenings at Plays and Players 3d floor studio at 1714 Delancey Place.
Art After 5 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (www.philamuseum.org/artafter5/) in the Great Stair Hall is a great opportunity to hear and enjoy an eclectic mix of international music performed by well established and emerging artists.
Neighborhood concerts organized by Jazz Bridge (www.jazzbridge.org/upcomingevents).
Music at Woodmere Museum with Friday Night Jazz series (www.woodmereartmuseum.org).
Save the date!
March 28th, ISES FRESH 2012 at the Simeone Museum (www.isesphila.com).

The Spring season is upon us bringing exciting new arts and cultural happenings to Philadelphia – Van Gogh Close Up at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Henry O. Tanner at PAFA, The Philadelphia International Flower Show, opening of The Barnes Foundation galleries – and many other vibrant activities and special events which we also enjoy.
We ended January on a high note and are gearing up for a busy and exciting Spring and Summer season, filled with a series of musical engagements for corporate and social events and public appearances.

MUSICIANS’ NEWS
LB will be performing with his solo band LB Jazz +One with a special live performance at InLiquid Benefit v.12 VIP Preview Party on February 10th at the Ice Box Project Space at the Crane Building. InLiquid’s Annual Benefit and Silent Auction is both a fabulous social happening and a showcase for the works of the region’s premier visual artists. For more information, please visit www.inliquid.org.
Pianist and composer Jack Ebbert composed the music for “Romaine”, an indie short by Robert Larkin. The film was premiered at the Ritz at the Bourse on January 7th and attracted a huge attendance from the film industry and film lovers.

SPONSORING ACTIVITIES
LBE is proud to support community and cultural/art organizations in the Philadelphia area by sponsoring entertainment and providing our musical artists for several fundraisers, award ceremonies, etc. We look forward to contributing again this year and being part of some of these amazing events.
2011 sponsored events:
Friends of Independence (www.friendsofindependence.org): Fundraiser organized by Independence National Park and Friends of Independence for the restoration of Independence Hall Tower.

Fleisher Art Memorial (www.fleisher.org): Fleisher’s Founder’s Award. The Award is presented to individuals whose commitment and efforts have made a significant contribution to expanding people’s access to the arts, supporting excellence in artistic expression and enriching Philadelphia cultural resources.

InLiquid Art + Design (www.inliquid.org): Annual Benefit and Silent Auction.

Old City Business Collective and the Creative Corridor (www.oldcitybusinesscollective.org ):
The Urban Adventure – Transforming your Urban Space through Art and Design – a panel discussion set to engage the public in creative place-making and inspire participation in re-envisioning city neighborhoods.

Welcome to our website www.lbentertainmentintl.com!

As 2011 is drawing to a close, we wish to extend our warmest thanks to everyone for their support and interest in our music and new initiatives.
2011 was filled with exciting activities, projects, and new opportunities for music performances in collaboration with our musicians’ collective.
Among our accomplishments:

Development and implementation of our new website, www.lbentertainmentintl.com , designed by Studio Z Design and complementary to Laurent’s personal music site, www.laurentbass.com.

On the recording front, Laurent completed the recording of his CD demo “Riverwalk.” This CD is a breakthrough CD using the current SAM (Synchronized Automatic Midi) technology. This innovative technique, which will be discussed in later updates, is used as the performance platform for Lb’s single “live” performances. Here you can get a great sample of Lb’s live performance as a single artist.

Also, The Mélange Jazz Quartet recorded an exciting CD demo. The Mélange Jazz Quartet CD features John Ebbert on Piano, Bert Harris on Upright Bass, Jeff Johnson on Drums, and LB Laurent Bass on Sax, Clarinet and Harmonica.

Wishing everyone the very best for 2012 and a Happy New Year!

More to come!