For those of you downtowners who may be interested, Howard has his semiannual jazz trio residency at the swanky Knickerbocker (University and 9th Street, NYC) on March 3rd and 4th, with sets beginning at 9:45 and going till 2am nightly. Joining Howard will be Victor Lin on violin and Andrew Hall on bass.
Al Hirschfeld Tribute
The late, great Al Hirschfeld was an early supporter and huge fan of the original HFQ -- he came to see the band several times at The Algonquin, sketched us in his inimitable style and even gave us a quote "The best jazz I've heard since the 20's!" (he was 98 at the time). Following his death, Mrs. Hirschfeld invited Howard over to their home to have a look at his extensive collection of old jazz 78s, which led to the idea for this show. On Wednesday, March 15 at MAKOR (www.makor.org) members of the original Howard Fishman Quartet, (including Russell Farhang on violin and Peter Ecklund on cornet plus Andrew Hall on bass) continue their return to active duty with a very special tribute to Al Hirschfeld, playing a program of his favorite music. Don't miss it!
New Free MP3!
This month's free MP3 giveaway is a version of the Charles Mingus classic "Better Get Hit In Your Soul" performed live last year in North Bennington, VT (where the band makes its return almost a year to the date, on March 24, 2006). The track features Kevin and Ian from the current band, plus Jordan Pearlson on drums and Victor Lin on violin. Enjoy!
New Press and Pics Added!
When the website is updated this month, additions include a new review of "LOOK AT ALL THIS!" on the discography page, courtesy of VERBICIDE magazine ("This singular artist… is a musician's musician that can tickle the ivory and turn right back around with some fantastic guitar rhythms and licks. Delightfully tender ballads… effectively carry the emotional weight between the faster-paced tunes like the beams of a well-built musical mansion.") and photo galleries of the band in Paris in 2000 and the current touring band.
Al Hirschfeld Tribute Scheduled
On Wednesday, March 15, the HFQ Early Band (Howard, Russell, Peter and Andrew) will pay tribute to the late Al Hirschfeld, one of the most iconic artists of the 20 th Century and one of HFQ's earliest supporters. Mr. Hirschfeld came to see the band several times during its Algonquin run, rendering informal sketches of everyone in the quartet and boldly declaring that the quartet's music was "the best jazz I've heard since the 20's!" We'll salute Mr. Hirschfeld, an avid jazz enthusiast, with renditions of some of his favorite songs. For tickets, please call 212-601-1000.