(Photos ©Tali Bogen / Lifeinshuffle.com)
LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND
July 12, at 8pm
debut performance at
ARIUM Gallery & Café
31 Little West 12th Street
A/C/E trains to 14th Street; L train to 8th Avenue
Tickets: $20 at the door (appetizers will be served, and a terrific wine/beer and tea lists will await your order)
LJOVA AND THE VJOLA CONTRABAND -- is chamber-jam music for the "remix generation". As if by alchemy, Eastern-European and Gypsy melodies, Latin rhythms, Jazz-inspired improvisations, and deeply rooted Classical forms are given new meanings. Founded by the maverick film composer, arranger, and violist Lev 'LJOVA' Zhurbin --- hailed by Billboard magazine as "one of New York's fastest rising composers and instrumentalists" -- the ensemble also features his close collaborators on vocals, accordion, bass and percussion. Inspired by his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Osvaldo Golijov, the Kronos Quartet, the rapper Jay-Z and others, Ljova's compositions dazzle with intricate textures, odd rhythms and lilting melodies, creating music that is both fresh and timeless.
Ljova, viola
Patrick Farrell, accordion
Mike Savino, bass
Mathias Kunzli, percussion
Special guest:
Uli Geissendoerfer, piano
Watch videos of Ljova and the Vjola Contraband on YouTube!
Ljova and the Vjola Contraband reviewed by Justin Davidson in NEWSDAY
