On April 25 at 20:30, the White Russian 5tet - a Paris-based jazz quintet led by Sandro Zerafa - will be launching a self-titled album at Warehouse no. 8, a brand new venue in Marsa. The event is organized by Fringe! Productions.
White Russian is a dynamic five-piece set-up for which he wrote the compositions, drawing on various influences ranging from folk to free-jazz, Keith Jarrett to the Beatles, Ornette Coleman to Thelonious Monk.
Sandro was born and bred in Malta and has been living in Paris since 2002. Prior to that he studied at the Lyon Conservatoire after having finished his musicology degree at the University of Malta. Since then, he has made a name for himself on the Parisian and European jazz circuit, working and associating with some of the most sought-after and names on the scene. Apart from his own band, Sandro can be heard with the Nico Gori ‘European’ 4tet ‘Alien in your head’ and Brazilian instrumental group Botafogo amongst others. He has won a number of awards, including one from the Conservatoire de Lyon (Medaille d'or jazz guitar), the third prize at La Defense National Jazz Contest (Paris) and a special Mention for Composition at La Defense National Jazz Contestat.
The award winning-band comprises much-sought after musicians including Yoni Zelnik (double bass), David Prez (tenor sax), Olivier Zanot (alto sax), David Georgelet (drums) - names that are hardly new to Maltese audiences. They have performed individually on various occasions in local jazz-haunts the likes of the Bridge Bar, Veccja, tat-Tarag and Ristorante La Rosa, as well as collectively on two occasions organized by Fringe!, namely Jazz yo Azz (2006 at MITP) and Jazz Fringe! in the Summer Arts Festival of 2007.
The launch of their debut CD comes with two evening concerts and will include a matinee aimed for secondary school children with the aim of improving informal education in the arts.
White Russian CD will be sold on the night and will be available in all leading local music stores from the launch date onwards.
DJ Danjeli will be keeping the mood alive with an inventive mix of jazz and electronic music following the concert on April 25.
Warehouse no.8 can be found off Racecourse Street, Marsa (near BOV - just follow the signs). The concert starts at 20:30 and tickets at €11 are available from St James Cavalier or at the door. For more information on the venue and ticketing call 21223216 or 79404134.
About Fringe! Productions Fringe! Productions is a subsidiary of NGO ‘il–Mahzen’. It aims to entertain its audiences with an independent calendar of music events and artistic happenings.
These activities are in increasing demand as their remain original and entertaining whilst still retaining a high artistic and cultural standard.
These events are varied and colourful and are slowly becoming established to a growing, enthusiastic and discerning audience, who are opting for quality, smaller-scale events as opposed to more commercial ones.
Fringe! was established to cater to a niche of international contemporary jazz and world music niche locally and it aims to showcase worldwide artists to Maltese audiences - artists which would otherwise be excluded from the cultural calendar.
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