Connie Crothers and David Arner: Piano Duo
Lou Grassi curates
Connie Crothers, pianist, is known for her uncompromising spontaneous improvisation, originality, virtuosity and her wide range of expression. She has released four CDs in 2011. Writing about “Live at the Stone, NYC,’’ Grego Edwards said, “Connie Crothers is important. Important to the music.” This CD features her quartet, with Richard Tabnik, Roger Mancuso, Ken Filiano, performing with poet Mark Weber. Another band release is “Band of Fire,” the quartet plus Roy Campbell, another set from The Stone. “The Stone Set,” releases a duet performance with Bill Payne. “Kingston Tone Roads,” features a duet with Kevin Norton, with Tabnik on one track. This fall, RogueArt will produce a 4-CD box set–a duet with David Arner, “Spontaneous Suites.” Her duo CD with bassist Michael Bisio, “Session at 475 Kent,” was released in 2009. Eight of her CDs have been chosen by critics for their year’s best lists. Connie’s quartet appeared in the 2011 Vision Festival. Writing in Jazz Inside, Ken Weiss described this set as “the highlight of the Festival.” She performed with a trio, TranceFormation, with Filiano and Andrea Wolper.
With Max Roach, Connie recorded duo, “Swish.” They performed duo at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, in Tokyo, and at Harvard University, where she was honored as Visiting Jazz Artist. She has performed solo in the Vision Festival, at Merkin Hall in NYC under the auspices of Interpretations; the Berlin Jazztage; Jazz at Middleheim, Belgium; DuMaurier International Festival in Toronto; Carnegie Recital Hall. She performed with her quartet at the JVC New York Jazz Festival; De Singel, Belgium; Bim House, Netherlands; the Blue Note and Birdland, NYC. Other performances include appearances with Henry Grimes, Jemeel Moondoc, Lenny Popkin, Warne Marsh. She performed in the NYC venues Location One (Roulette), Tonic, The Village Vanguard.
David Arner is a long time proponent of innovative music and spontaneous composition. His wide interests have encompassed the avant-garde, bird song and behavior, mythology, astrology, modern dance and silent film within his musical pursuits.
While well known for his solo piano work, over the years Arner has also worked with Joe Giardullo, Lou Grassi, Francois Grillot, Rosi Hertlein, Pauline Oliveros, Susie Ibarra, George Quasha, Avram Fefer, Adam Lane, Joe McPhee, Tomas Ulrich, Charles Downs (Rashid Bakr) and David Taylor.
He has 2 solo piano albums and 3 albums of the David Arner Trio with veteran improvisors Michael and Jay Rosen. He has performed at The Stone, The Vision Festival, the Knitting Factory, the Whitney Museum and the EMPAC Theater in Troy, NY.
