TriBeCaStan

Radically multicultural and poly-stylistic, New York City’s TriBeCaStan is one of contemporary music’s most vibrantly eclectic ensembles, using diverse instruments from around the globe to create an exotic palette of sonic colors and melodies. The New York Times describes TriBeCaStan’s sound as “genre-bending jazz and world-music” and The Washington Post hails them as “an international jazz and folk festival unto itself, fusing Balkan, Middle Eastern, Indian, Latin American, and African musical elements to bold and dazzling effect”. According to The Village Voice the band embodies “New York cool, explorer energy, and outer space vibes”. Nestled in the heart of New York’s bustling urban sprawl lies a sonic oasis in which the sounds of Africa meet New York loft jazz, Balkan rhythms merge with Appalachian bluegrass, and traditional Afghan melodies mingle with good old American rock and roll. Here folk instruments from all over the globe coexist in harmony (and mayhem) alongside banjos, mandolins, wailing reeds and punchy brass. While nailing down the multifarious culture of TriBeCaStan might be challenging (especially since the band purposefully aims to tear down the barriers between American music, world, and jazz), the final result is a virtuosic and exuberant collaboration between some of New York’s finest jazz and world musicians—many of whom have played and collaborated with legendary innovators, including Ornette Coleman, Mahavisnu Orchestra, Sting, Carlos Santana, Violent Femmes, John Corigliano, James Brown, Taj Mahal, Willy DeVille, and Eddie Harris. Long-time fixtures of the band feature co-founders/multi-instrumentalists John Kruth and Jeff Greene, along with Claire Daly (New York’s baritone sax goddess), Kenny Margolis (keyboard and accordion with Willy DeVille) Premik Russell Tubbs on saxes and lap steel guitar (John McLaughlin, Sting, Carlos Santana) and Ray Peterson (bassist with jazz legend Eddie Harris), along with recording guest stars, including Steve Turre (renowned trombonist and shell master), Badal Roy (Miles Davis’ percussionist), and Bachir Attar (Master Musicians of Jajouka). Some may wonder why TriBeCaStan plays “peasant music in an affluent zip code.” Their music offers a radical diversity—not purity or homogeneity—that truly represents contemporary urban life. “Our music,” says Jeff Greene, “is ultimately about the cross-fertilization of musical idioms. Between our travels and life in New York City, we get to witness, first-hand, all the wonderful ways in which the world’s cultures combine with American traditions to create new musical forms and expressions. To us, there couldn’t be anything more exciting.” Recent live performances include high-profile New York shows at the Rubin Museum of Art, Le Poisson Rouge, and a sold-out album release show at DROM, as well as Festival and club shows in Germany, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, and a jam-packed two week tour of California. Their March 2014 showcase at Austin’s SXSW conference was hailed by the Wall Street Journal as one of the stand-out destination gigs of the entire conference. With TriBeCastan’s 4th album New Songs From The Old Country having released October 1st via Evergreene Music, TriBeCaStan continues continues their endless quest for inspiration: “Whether it’s the far-away folk and roots traditions of the world, or the blues and jazz music of our home country,” says John Kruth, “at the end of day, our sound and ethos derives from one simple construct: just play music you haven’t heard yet.” Radically multicultural and poly-stylistic, New York City’s TriBeCaStan is one of contemporary music’s most vibrantly eclectic ensembles.