Internationally acclaimed jazz trumpet player BROWNMAN ALI returns again to Trinidad for 2 exclusive and intimate concerts at Port Of Spain's LIVEART BISTRO on March 1st & 2nd. The shows will feature the BROWNMAN ELECTRYC TRIO - TRINIDAD EDITION -- a special Trinidad permutation of his award-winning electric-jazz trio, which will feature Trinidad's own top-shelf jazz artists Sean Thomas on drums and BJ Saunders on bass.

Born in Trinidad, schooled in New York City named a “Distinguished National of Trinidad & Tobago” by Trinidad’s Consulate General - the award-winning jazz trumpet virtuoso BROWNMAN ALI returns to Trinidad for a recording session and 2 intimate concerts.  Now based in Toronto, and just off from touring with the legendary Paul Simon, he is heralded as “Canada’s preeminent jazz trumpet player” by New York’s Village Voice magazine and is an iconic name in the Canadian jazz community.

Ali was just in Trinidad last month on a writing retreat funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, to use the island of his birth as inspiration for new compositions for his record label Browntasauras Records.  His time in Trinidad led to new connections to the island and a recent return for recording sessions in Tobago.  The Jazz Alliance of Trinidad & Tobago leapt at the chance to present Brownman again (having presented a masterclass and jam session with him last month), so moved quickly to assemble 2 concert nights for his last 2 nights in Trinidad. 

Drummer Sean Thomas states, “Brownman is an incredible force to work with.  His trumpet skills are awe inspiring, but so is his sense of connecting with people.  That combination is rare.  His energy is so strong and his spirit so infectious, we’re pushed to be the best we can be.  BJ and I can’t wait!”

The 2 shows will be held March 1st & 2nd at LIVEART BISTRO, 8:30pm, 5 Albion St., 10 minutes west of the National Academy for Performing Arts (NAPA).  This intimate venue only holds 40 people, Brownman calling the club "the 55 Bar of Trinidad", referencing the legendary New York jazz club known for it's small size and world-class programming.  www.tt.brownman.com for all info.

The original Brownman Electryc Trio is a modern NYC electric-jazz outfit capturing the essence of the later years of Miles Davis' electric output, without imitation.  The trio echoes with the sounds of "Bitches Brew" and "In a Silent Way", right down to Ali’s use of electronics on the horn, while still managing to stay grounded in the sounds of today & paying apt tribute to his mentor Randy Brecker.

This will be a rare opportunity for Trinidadians to see this celebrated artist and who spent 4 years touring the world as the featured soloist with hip-hop legend GURU (of Gangstarr fame).  Regarded as a vanguard for the evolution of jazz in Canada, as a session musician, he played with the likes of Paul Simon, Quincy Jones, KRS-1 & Mos Def.  In 2012, the Consulate General for the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago announced Brownman to be a "Distinguished National Of Trinidad & Tobago".

ABOUT BROWNMAN -- Heralded as “Canada’s preeminent Jazz trumpeter” by NYC’s Village Voice, Brownman Ali - born on the small Caribbean island of Trinidad, & schooled in NYC - is a multiple award-winning NYC-schooled protégé to his teacher, Grammy-winning trumpet legend, Randy Brecker.  He tirelessly leading 7 unique ensembles of his own including the internationally acclaimed BROWNMAN ELECTRYC TRIO, n high demand in the the studio world with over 300 CD appearances to date, Brownman delivers authentic horn playing over a wide range of styles from bebop to hiphop.  He is considered to be one of the most unique and provocative improvising trumpet players on the scene today and is widely regarded as a vanguard for the evolution of Jazz in Canada.  A highly decorated player, his accolades include several National Jazz Awards, a CBC Galaxie Rising Star award, a SOCAN composers award, a Toronto Independent Music Award, an induction into the WHO'S WHO IN BLACK CANADA, a BRAVO! channel documentary n his life, NOW magazine naming him "Jazz Artist of the Year", CBC Radio Canada named him "one of the most recorded trumpet players in Canadian history", the Trinidad & Tobago Consulate General awarded him with a citation for being a "Distinguished National of Trinidad", and is listed by Air Canada as one of the "Top 10 reasons to visit Toronto".
:: Brownman.com / Facebook / MySpace / YouTube :: 

ABOUT BJ SAUNDERS -- One of the most in demand electric bassists in Trinidad, his impecable time & groove sensibilities have made him the backbone of recordings for several acclaimed artists on the island including Celia Downes, Mission Epistle, Broadway Boys, Delamo, The Mighty Stalin, Lutha, Brian London and many other Trinidadian luminaries.  Trained in the church, he initially spent 2 years with the Police Band of Trinidad & Tobago, before embarking on a studio career.  As a 6-string electric bass specialist he is heavily influenced by influenced by Abe Laboriel, Fred Hammond, Louis Johnson, Marcus Miller and Jaco Pastorius, making him a highly sought after bassist in the West Indies.  In the jazz circuit he has performed with Darren Shepard, Kenny Phillips, Sean Thomas, Errol Ince, Anslem Douglas, Brownman Ali and has has been a featured performer in The Darren Shepard Project, Brownman Electryc Trio - Trinidad Edition, Jazz on the Greens, Jazz on the Hill and Tobago Jazz Festival.

ABOUT SEAN THOMAS -- A graduate of the Thelonious Monk Institute for Jazz, Sean Thomas is considered one of the premiere jazz drummers in Trinidad having played with the likes of Ron Carter, Thelonious Monk Jnr., Barry Harris, Max Roach, Lewis Nash and Wynton Marsalis.  He toured India and Thailand with the Thelonious Monk Jazz Ensemble under the direction of distinguished Jazz Masters: Carl Atkins, Thelonious Monk Jnr., Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter and performed both drums and steel pans at the Snowmass Jazz Festival in Aspen Colorado.  He is currently the drummer for the Trinidad Edition of the Brownman Electryc Trio, as well as leading his own group - Sean Thomas Jazz Fusion Quintet.  He is also a tireless advocate for jazz education in the Caribbean and the President of the JAZZ ALLIANCE OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (JATT), an organization dedicated to the evolution and growth of Jazz in Trinidad and throughout the Caribbean.  As President of JATT, Thomas believes that the organization will help to strengthen and broaden the musicians’ knowledge via its workshops, clinics, nightly performances and jam sessions.  Thomas has performed and led his own trios, quartets, quintets and septets all over the world, recently with the “JATT All Stars” headlining the St. Lucia Jazz Festival in the south 2010.  As a producer he has mounted such shows as “Jazz Artists on The Greens”, “Jazzang”, “Jazzolypso”, “Summer Holistic Jazz Workshop”, “Common Wealth of Sounds”, “In The Realm of Masters”, “International Jazz Day”, “Jazzup The Runway”, “Trinidad and Tobago Jazz Festival introducing Chutney Jazz and “Jazz Artists Workshop”. 

Here's a taste of the original Brownman Electryc Trio :

We at LiveArt Bistro believe that one of the important ways to correct this decline is to provide young persons with information and mentorship from persons with proven track records in their fields.

From its inception, the Bistro has been keen on developing its schedule of live musical performances to bring to young persons an appreciation of music which is critical for personal development and refinement.  We have collaborated with musicians and organizations such as Clive Zanda quartet, Sean Thomas, President of Jazz Alliance (JATT) of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Gregory Pataysingh quartet. In addition, several young performers have used LiveArt’s stage as a proving ground for their budding talents. 

We believe that the development of the art of performance is critical to the success of our talented young people whether they are self-taught or whether they are enrolled in music programs.  Under the mentorship of seasoned performers, young performers benefit from the stewardship of persons with experience in stage performance.