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A carnival of music, joy and danceable tunes with host Toni Basanta. www.cubanbridge.wordpress.com Part 3 of Toni's trip to the Montreal Jazz festival, featuring Laila Biali and more.

From Toni: The Montreal Tapes Part 3, features unreleased material of my filming during the Montreal International Jazz Festival 2018, plus four new acts: Laila Biali, Marilyn Lerner, El Trabuco Habanero de Montreal and Dawn Tyler Watson. Laila Biali, a highly acclaimed pianist, singer and songwriter, winner of the 2019 Juno Award for Best Vocal Album of the Year, is one of my new discoveries.

Although the last few years have been a roller-coaster for this great artist, she has had a highly acclaimed return to jazz, and the result is her album Out of Dust; a masterpiece released with 20 of the finest musicians of North America. The 11 songs are a celebration of life.

Laila Biali has headlined festivals and venues spanning 5 continents, and supported international artists like Sting, the Michael Gardin Big Band, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. In addition to her 2019 Juno Award win, Biali was awarded Top Prize at the Canadian Songwriting Competition in the jazz category, and was also the youngest-ever Double Winner at Canada's National Jazz Awards, where she was named Socan Composer of the Year and Socan Keyboardist of the Year. The opening of this episode is a response to the saying that music is made by and for people who have chosen to feel good in spite of conditions: Revival is the word !

The novelties and uniqueness of this new episode result from a rupture with expectations. We seek to bring them together in a fresh new way that resonates with our path and current perspective, sharing the flavor of Cuban dancing music with El Trabuco Habanero de Montreal; a band led by bass player Alex Bellegarde sided by a Troupe of top level immigrants like tres guitar player Lázaro Leyva, singer Jesús Cantero, pianist Joel Díaz, percussionists Kiko Osorio and Diomer González.

Another outstanding Canadian born pianist and composer is Marilyn Lerner, a staple of the jazz scene since the 1900s. I met Marilyn in Havana, when she went to record her album Birds Are Returning in 1997, the emotions I have felt since then, are unforgettable and indescribable. All I could do was surrender. I feel that her album Miss Overboard is constantly calling to us, yearning to connect to a new age.

The two final pieces of our new episode, feature the mantra of another multi-award winning singer and songwriter based in Montreal, Canada. Her name is Dawn Tyler Watson with her album Mad Love. Joy - unbounded, infectious, irresistible singing and playing - that's what Dawn and her bandmates deliver every time they climb onto a bandstand or step into a recording studio.

Enjoy the result of our international journey striving to expand modern music sound palette and expressiveness.

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A carnival of music, joy and danceable tunes with host Toni Basanta. www.cubanbridge.wordpress.com Featuring the Laura Dubin Trio.

Pianist-composer Laura Dubin's journey into jazz expression began at the age of 10 with the discovery of a Charlie Parker album in her parents’ record collection. Already studying classical piano since she was 6, Laura began studying jazz piano formally at 13. Her teacher’s suggestion to listen to Canadian jazz master Oscar Peterson set in motion her unbroken path of self-discovery and musical growth.

A lesson from the renowned Fred Hersch three years later, was profoundly influential, and his recommendation that she takes part in the exemplary music program at Western Michigan University laid the foundation for her professional career.

Studying piano with the eminent Dr. Stephen Zegree on her way to attaining her Bachelor of Music Degree in Jazz Studies in 2011, Laura became one of the most active and respected student-musicians at the University.

Due to her fierce dedication to acoustic, straight ahead jazz, predominantly in the classic trio format, solo performances and the classical European pianists and composers, Laura was invited to perform in a pair of Duets with Fred Hersch at his Kalamazoo Concert, Fred Hersch & Friends.

Leading and participating in a variety of higher level ensembles, Laura also performed at a Western Michigan University Concert with jazz singer Kurt Elling, and at such major venues as Lincoln Center and the Detroit International Jazz Festival alongside such outstanding artists as saxophonists Mark Murphy and Bobby Watson, and singer Janis Siegel.

In May 2011, Laura performed solo and in a trio with bassist Noriko Ueda and drummer Sylvia Cuenca at the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Shortly afterwards, Laura began a 15-month stretch in a jazz trio on three Holland America Line Cruise ships, where she met and performed with her drummer and partner Antonio Guerrero.

In November 2012, Laura moved to Mexico City, where she and Antonio worked non-stop, including major venues such as Anfiteatro Simón Bolivar, Palacio de Bellas Artes and La Fiesta de la Música “CoyoFest.”

Since 2008, Laura has created more than 40 pieces for solo piano as well as small and large ensembles.
In 2013, LAURA released her 1st CD, Introducing the Laura Dubin Trio feat. husband-drummer Antonio and bassist Sam Weber performing 10 of her original compositions.

Laura and Antonio relocated to her hometown of Rochester, NY, also known as the Flower City, in March 2014, where her music continues to evolve with performances at the Xerox Rochester International Festival in 2016. Our selection for this new episode.
For more information, visit www.lauradubin.com

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