Rev. Clifford Aerie - Penn West · Rev. Clifford Aerie ... including Jaki Bayard, Nadi Qamar,...
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Rev. Clifford Aerie … Is the founding director of the Oîkos Ensemble. A musician, storyteller, composer, playwright, actor, director, author, photographer and media producer, Rev. Aerie has spent a lifetime exploring the adventurous terrain of creativity. At the heart of his art and ministry he is a storyteller inviting others to embark on the spiritual journey of discovering the imaginative landscape of the soul. Until recently, Cliff was the Special Events Producer for the United Church of Christ national offices. He has pastored five congregations, founded an experimental arts ministry, and worked as a media producer and consultant. Rev. Aerie led his first jazz vesper service in 1971 and has been acknowledged as being in the vanguard of the jazz liturgical movement. As a musician, Cliff has performed throughout the U. S. and at festivals and concerts in India, Pakistan and Turkey. For the past seven years he and the Oîkos Ensemble have led innovative jazz vesper services, concerts and playshops at faith communities and multi-cultural gatherings around the country. Intersections International has called Oîkos “imaginative and inventive.” Church World Service says their music is “spirited, prayerful and engaging.” Dr. Christopher Bakriges … Combines jazz, Mediterranean elements derived from his Greek heritage, and the rich African American cultural milieu in which he grew up, into a unique form of musical storytelling. Chris draws his compositional inspiration from art (the interplay of color and form in relation to sound), diverse multi-ethnic cultural expressions, and his own spiritual journey. A Detroit native, Chris has led his own groups since the early 80s and has performed internationally since 1990, including tours in India, Pakistan, Turkey, England, France, Canada, and the Czech Republic. A published scholar, Chris earned his doctorate in ethnomusicology from York University in Toronto and regularly lecturers around the world. His singular approach to composition and performance has been influenced from study with artists who embrace the entire scope of African American and jazz history, including Jaki Bayard, Nadi Qamar, Harold Danko, Billy Taylor, Frederick Simmons, and Anthony Braxton. Bakriges has also worked with Indian classical masters Pandit Sushil Mukherjee and Tanjore Vishwanathan as well as with Indonesian gamelan composer Sumarsam. Dr. Bakriges is currently Artist-in-Residence, and Lecturer at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Together – the Rev. and the Dr. Cliff and Chris began their collaboration together more than twenty years ago with Chris’ seminal jazz ensemble, “Critical Theory.” In the early 90’s they were invited to co-direct “JazzFest” on Northeast Public Radio after its station director heard Critical Theory in concert with Bobby McFerrin and David Darling. Broadcast monthly for five years from the WAMC-FM Studios in Albany, New York, “JazzFest” became the only live jazz radio program being aired at that time in the United States. Besides performing their original compositions, Cliff and Chris were able to accompany many acclaimed artists such as Kenny Burrell, Diana Krall, Bernard Purdie, Lee Shaw, and Pat Metheny’s original rhythm section of Danny Gottleib and Mark Egan. Since being reunited three years ago they have performed at more than 150 venues around the country as the core musicians for the Oîkos Ensemble. In addition to their national performance schedule, the ensemble are Artists-in-Residence at Liberation United Church of Christ in Cleveland.
Transcript of Rev. Clifford Aerie - Penn West · Rev. Clifford Aerie ... including Jaki Bayard, Nadi Qamar,...
Rev. Clifford Aerie …
Is the founding director of the Oîkos Ensemble. A musician, storyteller, composer, playwright, actor, director, author, photographer and media producer, Rev. Aerie has spent a lifetime exploring the adventurous terrain of creativity. At the heart of his art and ministry he is a storyteller inviting others to embark on the spiritual journey of discovering the imaginative landscape of the soul. Until recently, Cliff was the Special Events Producer for the United Church of Christ national offices. He has pastored five congregations, founded an experimental arts ministry, and worked as a media producer and consultant. Rev. Aerie led his first jazz vesper service in 1971 and has been acknowledged as being in the vanguard of the jazz liturgical movement. As a musician, Cliff has performed throughout the U. S. and at festivals and concerts in India, Pakistan and Turkey. For the past seven years he and the Oîkos Ensemble have led innovative jazz vesper services, concerts and playshops at faith communities and multi-cultural gatherings around the country. Intersections International has called Oîkos “imaginative and inventive.” Church World Service says their music is “spirited, prayerful and engaging.” Dr. Christopher Bakriges …
Combines jazz, Mediterranean elements derived from his Greek heritage, and the rich African American cultural milieu in which he grew up, into a unique form of musical storytelling. Chris draws his compositional inspiration from art (the interplay of color and form in relation to sound), diverse multi-ethnic cultural expressions, and his own spiritual journey. A Detroit native, Chris has led his own groups since the early 80s and has performed internationally since 1990, including tours in India, Pakistan, Turkey, England, France,
Canada, and the Czech Republic. A published scholar, Chris earned his doctorate in ethnomusicology from York University in Toronto and regularly lecturers around the world. His singular approach to composition and performance has been influenced from study with artists who embrace the entire scope of African American and jazz history, including Jaki Bayard, Nadi Qamar, Harold Danko, Billy Taylor, Frederick Simmons, and Anthony Braxton. Bakriges has also worked with Indian classical masters Pandit Sushil Mukherjee and Tanjore Vishwanathan as well as with Indonesian gamelan composer Sumarsam. Dr. Bakriges is currently Artist-in-Residence, and Lecturer at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Together – the Rev. and the Dr.
Cliff and Chris began their collaboration together more than twenty years ago with Chris’ seminal jazz ensemble, “Critical Theory.” In the early 90’s they were invited to co-direct “JazzFest” on Northeast Public Radio after its station director heard Critical Theory in concert with Bobby McFerrin and David Darling. Broadcast monthly for five years from the WAMC-FM Studios in Albany, New York, “JazzFest” became the only live jazz radio program being aired at that time in the United States. Besides performing their original compositions, Cliff and Chris were able to accompany many acclaimed artists such as Kenny Burrell, Diana Krall, Bernard Purdie, Lee Shaw, and Pat Metheny’s original rhythm section of Danny Gottleib and Mark Egan. Since being reunited three years ago they have performed at more than 150 venues around the country as the core musicians for the Oîkos Ensemble. In addition to their national performance schedule, the ensemble are Artists-in-Residence at Liberation United Church of Christ in Cleveland.
The Oîkos Ensemble Family of Musicians Some of the fine folks we’ve had the pleasure to perform with around the country: Vocalists Arianna Aerie (St. Louis, MO) Kristin Korb (Los Angeles, CA) Ethel Lee (Berkshires, MA) Angela Lynard (Cleveland, OH) John Selders (Hartford, CT) Libbie Jo Snyder (Los Angeles, CA) Sandra Wright (VT, MA, CT) Saxophone Willie Sordillo (Boston, MA) Doug Stone (Chicago, IL) Trumpet Jack Schantz (Cleveland, OH) Gabriel Mervine (Denver, CO) Samson Robles (Denver, CO) Trombone Kegan Wood (Cleveland, OH) Guitar Dan Wilson (Cleveland, OH) Vibraphone Jay Hoggard (Hartford, CT) Violin David Bakriges (New York, NY) Cello Joshua Aerie (Minneapolis, MN) Bass Belden Bullock (New York, NY) Matt Charbaneau (Cleveland, OH) Peter Chwazik (Binghamton, NY) James Daggs (Hartford, CT) Jim Ferguson (Nashville, TN) Jeff Fuller (Hartford, CT) Henry Franklin (Los Angeles, CA) Micah Herman (Kansas City, MO) Rich Mollins (Hartford, CT)
Bill Moring (New York, NY) Bill Nichols (Cleveland, OH) Kells Nollenberger (Denver, CO) DeVere Pride (Birmingham, AL) Avery Sharpe (Arlington, VT) Louie Spears (Los Angeles, CA) Kim Stone (Denver, CO) Bryan Thomas (Cleveland, OH) Dave Troncoso (St. Louis, MO) Chris Vance (Cleveland, OH) Clayton Vaughn (Cleveland, OH) Kenneth Walker (Denver, CO) Mike Wittrien Philadelphia, PA) Drums Bill Arnold (Springfield, MA) Dwayne Cook Broadnax (New York, NY) Brandon Draper (Kansas City, MO) Ricky Exton (Cleveland, OH) Kevin Gianino (St. Louis,, MO) Paul Garretson (Nashville, TN) Scott Goulding (Boston, MA) Lou Grassi (New York, NY) Tom Killan (Binghamton, NY) Bill Larson (Denver, CO) Chris Lee (Denver, CO) Olugbala Mans (Cleveland, OH) Steve Ramos (Birmingham, AL) Kevin Sharpe (Berkshires, MA) Michael Terati (Minneapolis, MN) Tony Vacca (Berkshires, MA) Aaron Walker (Philadelphia, PA) Loyd Warden (Columbia, MO) Fritz Wise (Los Angeles, CA) Dancers Edna Duffy (Cleveland, OH) Jennifer Finn (Denver, CO) Imani Johnson (Hartford, CT) Isaiah Little (Hartford, CT) Melissa Lopez (Cleveland, OH) Susan Matheke (Hartford, CT)
