Ninety Miles at the Hollywood Bowl Aug. 24

Musicians – especially jazz musicians, whose craft is in many ways an improvised form of communication; understand the principal that all distance is relative, especially where geopolitical borders and ideologies are involved. Vibraphonist Stefon Harris, saxophonist David Sánchez and trumpeter Christian Scott cross that divide uniting Puerto Rican and Cuban jazz artists in June 2011 project, Ninety Miles. With Pianists Rember Duharte and Harold López-Nussa, the Trio set off on an adventure that will be shared in a documentary forthcoming this fall. Embrace the common speak at HOLLYWOOD BOWL – Wednesday, August 24th. Stage time is 8pm. Hollywood Bowl is located at 2301 North Highland Avenue in Hollywood. For tickets call 800-745-3000.



Released on June 21, 2011 on Concord Picante, a division of Concord Music Group, Ninety Miles was recorded entirely in Havana, Cuba, with the help of some highly talented Cuban players – pianists Rember Duharte and Harold López-Nussa, each leading their own quartets. The nine-song set is an experiment that examines the fascinating chemical reaction that takes place when musicians from different cultures come together and converse in a common language that transcends mere words. The set also includes a DVD that is a sneak peek of the forthcoming documentary of the same name that chronicles the album recording process in Cuba. It will also include two bonus live performances of “City Sunrise” and “La Fiesta Va.”



“This record is about the power of music to communicate, and break down some of the barriers that result from language and politics and culture,” says John Burk, Chief Creative Officer of Concord Music Group and producer of the album. He developed the idea for the project after hearing a number of Cuba's extraordinary young jazz pianists. "Cuba seems to have an amazing amount of incredible musicians, and I was particularly impressed with Harold and Rember," recalls Burk. "Their circumstances, a very solid music educational system with Afro-Cuban roots, coupled with the isolation of the embargo throughout their lifetimes, had created something unique and special in their music." It took about year to get permission from the U.S. Government, and then Burk, along with co-producer Chris Dunn, booked Harris, Sánchez and Scott to perform in Havana in May 2010 with quartets lead by Harold and Rember. Ninety Miles is a snapshot of the rehearsals just prior to the 2010 performance.



It took about year to get permission from the U.S. Government, and then Burk, along with co-producer Chris Dunn, booked Harris, Sánchez and Scott to perform in Havana in May 2010 with quartets lead by Harold and Rember. Ninety Miles is a snapshot of the rehearsals just prior to the 2010 performance.



Harris, a four- time GRAMMY®-nominated vibist-percussionist, contributes three tracks to Ninety Miles. New arrangements of “Black Action Figure” and “This Too Shall Pass” and “Brown Belle Blues” written especially for this project.



A native of Puerto Rico, David Sánchez has crafted a signature sound that seamlessly merges elements of Afro-Cuban rhythm with bebop. His Cuban-world groove, “City Sunrise” was inspired by music from Cameroon and “The Forgotten Ones” – written for the people of post-Katrina New Orleans – is a quieter, more subtle piece that provides a contrast to some of the more energized tracks in the set.



Both of Sanchez’s offerings are propelled by López-Nussa and his rhythm section, which provides a counterbalance to Duharte and his crew elsewhere in the set. Each of the two pianists contributes two tracks of his own, which further thickens the album’s cultural mix. “Harold and Rember are from the same generation, and yet they have two completely different approaches,” says Sánchez. “Rember is more rooted in the African sound, and he’s a little more raw in some ways. But Harold is completely different. You hear the Cuban influences in his music, and perhaps more of the western European classical piano.”



Born and raised in New Orleans, GRAMMY®-nominated trumpeter Christian Scott has been blending elements of Alt Rock, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Classical since his 2006 debut recording, Rewind That. On Ninety Miles, he taps into the Cuban roots that are not only a part of his home but his family history as well. “New Orleans is in many ways an extension of the Caribbean,” Scott explains. “There are a lot of Cuban people in New Orleans as well as Dominican’s and Haitian’s. They come to the city and become very much a part of the culture there. My great-grandmother was born in Cuba, and when I was growing up, she would sing Cuban songs to me. So while I don’t particularly think of myself as Cuban, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I was not able to pick up on and appreciate certain aspects of the culture.”



The brilliance and innovation of Ninety Miles is only part of the story. The recording is also a clear statement about the universal language of music and its power to unite in ways that politics and diplomacy can’t.