Phantom Pop official site | Phantom Pop on Facebook | Phantom Pop on Bandcamp | Phantom Pop on Twitter | Phantom Pop on Instagram | Phantom Pop on YouTube | Phantom Pop on Soundcloud

Phantom Pop is an instrumental band from Brooklyn, NY. The group combines elements of funk, soul, and R&B with the improvisation of jazz to create their own sound.

Originally formed by Dave Lowenthal simply to create an album, Phantom Pop has gone on to tour the east coast, southern, and Midwest U.S. The first self-titled album was selected by WNCW Radio as one of the Top 100 Releases of 2015.

Members: Dave Lowenthal – Bass; Josh Schusterman – Drums; Noah MacNeil – Keyboards; Atsushi Ouchi – Saxophone; Matt Giella – Trumpet; Songyi Jeon – Voice; Theo Moore – Percussion; JSWISS – MC

Phantom Pop extended family includes: Haruka Yabuno – Keyboards; Eitan Akman – Guitar; Owen Broder – Saxophone; Michael Sarian – Trumpet

Photo Credit: Gerardo Vitale

Luis D’Elias official site | Luis D’Elias on Facebook | Luis D’Elias on Soundcloud | Luis D’Elias on Twitter | Luis D’Elias on Instagram

Right at the crossroads between Venezuelan folklore and contemporary music lays the soul of the Luis D’Elias Ensemble (LEDens for short). The New York based multi-cultural ensemble has dedicated its musical craft to developing a true blend of modern jazz harmonies, classical structures, rock and roll energy and Latin grooves, having South American and Venezuelan folklore as the melodic and rhythmic anchors of the ensemble’s repertoire. Founded in 2012 within the melting pot of Boston, the group is conformed by Venezuelan composer and guitarist Luis D’Elias; pianist and composer Evan Waaramaa; drummer and percussionist Brendan Pajak; and bassist P.J. Duffy, all hailing from the New England. The ensemble is also known to feature a wide range of guest musicians from around the world, being able to expand its color palette with horns, Latin percussion, strings and vocals. This blend of American and Venezuelan musicians is integral to the unique fusion of modern jazz, rock and pop idioms with folkloric South American rhythms.

Based on Luis D’Elias’ compositions, the music is defined as a new approach to Venezuelan music, where the folklore is more than a spice added to other styles on music. Classical structures serve the purpose of Joropo storytelling, while jazz harmonies provide the backdrop for Venezuelan Merengue-themed improvisations. Pop and Rock arrangements provide a new feel to the traditional Pajarillo and Onda Nueva, crafting in this manner music that is based on the history of Venezuelan folklore, using contemporary notions as the colors and spices that paint the ensemble’s music.

In Boston, the band has had the privilege to perform in many of the trademark venues of the city, such as Ryles Jazz Club, RegattaBar, the LilyPad, Café 939 and the Berklee Performance Center. In 2013 they recorded the song Oripoto for the Jazz Revelation Records release, Catalyst, as well as performed for the current MIT president, Venezuelan Rafael Reif, at an honoring ceremony at the Museum of Fine Arts. The ensemble has been a featured artist in the roster of the Berklee Summer in the City Series for the past 2 years and recently appeared in the Boston Green Fest in 2014. Currently, the band is based in New York as twork on the follow up album to their debut, “Origenes y Destinos” which showcases a musical journey through the different styles and traditions of Venezuelan music through the point of view of contemporary jazz, rock and classical music. This album features a wide range of sonorities, orchestrations, compositions and musical genres, all under the umbrella of what defines and is at the same time transformed by The LEDens’ craft: Venezuelan music. Most recently the band has been nominated for numerous awards that honor independent music, such as The Toronto Independent Music Awards, Hollywood Music in Media Awards, and the Pepsi Music Awards 2016 to take place in Venezuela.

Racha Fora official site | Racha Fora on Facebook | Racha Fora on Twitter | Racha Fora on Instagram | Racha Fora on Soundcloud | Racha Fora on YouTube

“Don’t play the old s**t!” So says internationally-renowned composer, flutist, and audio engineer Hiro Honshuku, taking inspiration from the spiritual teacher he so reveres, the great Miles Davis. With Miles’ inspiring mixture of mischief and reverence, Honshuku founded Racha Fora to give jazz fanatics and casual music fans something fresh to groove to. “It’s a kind of music you’ve never heard before,” says Honshuku. “and because of – or despite – some complicated stuff going on under the hood, the result is immediately accessible. Even first-time listeners tell me they find themselves singing along to our melodies. And the groove… well, the groove is just undeniable.”

Racha Fora’s music has been described as a blend of Brazilian rhythms with jazz improvisation, but anyone who gives Racha Fora even a computer-loudspeakers-at-the-office listen (undoubtedly the least exciting and most biased way to experience new music) will understand that such a description says more about the limits of language than it does about the sound of the band. Sure, Racha Fora blends an outrageously tight Brazilian rhythm section (Andre Vasconcelos, guitar; Rafael Russi, bass) with violinist Rika Ikeda and flutist Honshuku’s gravity-defying solos, but one also has to consider Honshuku’s incredible song craft.

“As a composer who’s passionate about making music that is both original and artistically-irresistible, Hiro has the sensitivity of a world-class chef,” says Ikeda. “He’s not just sticking sushi on a barbeque and calling it Japanese-Brazilian fusion… he’s carefully considering ingredients and techniques and drawing on different traditions to create something entirely new and exquisite.”

Honshuku has been perfecting his craft and working with Brazilian rhythms in a jazz context since the early 1990s, shortly after he graduated with honors from both Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory. He has trained with Dave Holland, Bob Moses, George Garzone, Matthew Marvuglio, Thomas McKinley, and – perhaps most importantly – George Russell, inventor of the Lydian Chromatic Concept. Honshuku has adapted Russell’s difficult concept as the guiding structure for Racha Fora’s music, though his mastery of it makes the technique seem effortless and natural. “As I’ve worked it out, Russell’s Lydian Chromatic Concept definitely does not take the listener to the ‘puzzling wing’ of a modern art museum, where the art is all concept and no aesthetic,” says Honshuku. “The music I create for Racha Fora is grounded in an emotional connection to the listener, and – importantly – using Russell’s Lydian Chromatic Concept gives us an incredible groove!”

Racha Fora formed organically through Honshuku’s deep network of friends and alliances, which he developed over decades in the jazz and classical music scenes between New York City and Boston. “Rika, Andre, and Rafael are all top-notch musicians with excellent training and credits, and I have written all of Racha Fora’s music specifically for their talents,” says Honshuku. “Like me, Rika is trained in both classic music and jazz, and she combines a beautiful sound with aggressive solos. Andre is spontaneous and super creative when comping, and he always impresses audiences with his burning solos. Rafael is a guitar player by training, and he uses that to his advantage to create supportive but unique bass lines with strong grooves. Perhaps most importantly, we bring a lot of serious musicianship together in a way that fuses into purposeful improvisation that connects with audiences.”

Ada Pasternak official site

Ada Pasternak is a chameleon—both musically and stylistically. Projecting girlish innocence at times and the sexiest, most diabolical of divas at others, Ada’s authenticity and musical mastery always and invariably shine through—connecting with her audience from the core of her soul.

Ada is the eternal chrysalis—forever emerging from her cocoon to reveal new, exotically beautiful music. Graduating from prestigious Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship, Ada’s smoldering interpretations of jazz and pop belie her roots as a Russian-born child prodigy and classical violinist.

However and in addition to now being a world class violinist, Ada’s true passions are songwriting and singing. Her own, hit-bound compositions range from raw funk to poignantly eloquent soliloquies, including a signature country/ bluegrass-inspired ballad that fans would swear was born in the heart of Appalachia—had Ada not written its catchy melody and heartfelt lyrics, herself.

Throughout her journey, Ada has attracted the attention of, and performed and recorded with artists as musically diverse and enduring as Wyclef Jean, renowned French jazz painist Lulu Gainsbrough, Israel’s legendary Idan Raichel (India Arie, Alicia Keys), Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley) and the late Lou Soloff of the iconic Blood Sweat & Tears.

Ada disarms her audiences with her casual, ukulele-esque strumming one moment, only to amaze them with her extraordinary command of her instrument, the next—not to mention her delicate, yet powerful lyrics and vocal stylings—and the musicianship of her accompanying collaborators.

Ada’s own time has come—as her growing legions of loyal fans attest. Ada’s following of discerning listeners enthusiastically populate her performances throughout Manhattan, New York City’s surrounding boroughs, New England’s best performing venues and beyond. Hear and see Ada NOW…