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The Michael Metz Jazz Ensemble
- Avg user rating:
Out of 15 votes - Similar Artists: Art Farmer, Thad Jones, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey
Out of 15 votes
- Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
- Genre: Jazz » Hard Bop
Editor's review
Ostensibly playing in the classic bop idiom, Albuquerque's Michael Metz Jazz Ensemble isn't afraid to let in some unorthodox tricks, from Latin-inflected beats to post-bop atonality. But in the lead trumpet's deft turns and the cleverly offbeat piano solos, the influences of Farmer and Powell shine through.
Biography
The concept of The Michael Metz Jazz Ensemble is basic and straight forward, to perform a music that is long in history and deep in tradition. The original idea was to perform all types of jazz, everything from Dixieland to Avant-garde, Big band to Jazz-rock, Mainstream to Instrumental Pop. Due to the limitations of funds, rehearsal time, and musicians I found that by specializing in one particular genre of jazz I was going to be able to achieve my ultimate goal: a jazz group that performs at the highest artistic level possible.
The Michael Metz Jazz Ensemble performs what is called Classic Jazz. Although all of our repertoire doesnt fall within this category most of our music brings back memories of what has been called "A Golden Age of Jazz", where Mainstream Jazz music could be heard anywhere you traveled and Art Blakey, Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, Art Farmer and countless other musicians reigned supreme. The style is solid, straight ahead jazz classics and originals that cook, with a sprinkling of sensitively played ballads all put together in a sound that will remind you of those jazz legends of the fifties and sixties but still keeps up with the trends, styles and intensity of todays jazz music. Our collective talents lend an exciting blend of open-ended improvisations, top-notch musicianship and excellent composing and arranging skills.
The other objective with The Michael Metz Jazz Ensemble is to have fun. The motto the I have always used is "If you are not having fun then why are you doing it?" The musicians that are part of The Michael Metz Jazz Ensemble are some of the best in the area and excel at the art of performing, especially jazz. That is the reason The Michael Metz Jazz Ensemble exists, to perform on a regular basis, to have fun while performing and to spread the word of jazz. As one local press release recently said "What do you get when five musicians with a passion for jazz all get together on a regular basis to perform? You get The Michael Metz Jazz Ensemble..."
