Tim Armacost – one of the most distinctive saxophonists on the New York jazz scene, performing in Bulgaria for the first time.
New York has a rhythm of its own – fast, demanding and restless. It is a city where musicians cannot rely on ready-made solutions, and where every conversation on stage is new and exciting.
For the first time in Bulgaria, In The Mood Jazz Club welcomes Grammy-nominated saxophonist, composer and educator Tim Armacost – established as one of the most distinctive voices on the international jazz scene. Over two exclusive concerts, Armacost will present an international quartet featuring outstanding musicians from the Bulgarian and European jazz scenes: pianist Milen Kukosharov, Italian double bassist Daniele Febbo and drummer Atanas Popov.
Acclaimed American jazz critic Britt Robson of JazzTimes describes him as “a quintessential musician’s musician” — an apt description of an artist whose strength lies not only in his impeccable technique, but also in the way he listens, responds and creates music with those around him on stage. Tim Armacost’s improvisation always has direction: it can be subtle and lyrical, yet remains alert, daring and full of character.
Over the years, Tim Armacost has worked with artists including Al Foster, Jimmy Cobb, Kenny Barron, Tom Harrell, Billy Hart, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Peter Erskine, Roy Hargrove and Randy Brecker. He has released 16 critically acclaimed albums as a bandleader, appeared on more than 60 recordings as a sideman, and published over 100 original compositions and arrangements.
He is a recipient of the prestigious Doris Duke/Chamber Music America New Jazz Works Award, while his composition and arrangement The Repose in All Things was commissioned by Wynton Marsalis and recorded by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Alongside his international performing career, Armacost is a respected educator and a member of the faculty at Queens College in New York.
“His rich, authentic hard-bop tenor saxophone playing, once heard, is never forgotten.”
— Lance Liddle, Bebop Spoken Here
When four musicians of this calibre come together on one stage, the written score is merely a point of departure. This is the kind of jazz heard in the programmes of the world’s leading clubs — music that commands the attention of even the most discerning critics.