Ibrahim Maalouf Quintet January 10, 2013

A pioneering figure in the world of contemporary jazz thanks to his fusion of pop, soul, electro, hip-hop, and French chansons with the music of his Lebanese roots, Ibrahim Maalouf is widely regarded as one of the most gifted trumpeters of his generation. Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, in association with The Jazz Bakery, is thrilled to present the powerful Ibrahim Maalouf Quintet on its Los Angeles stop of the international tour for the new album, Wind, released in November 2012. French-Lebanese Maalouf, on trumpet, will be joined on-stage by Frank Woeste on piano, Ira Coleman on double bass, Walter Smith on saxophone, and Clarence Penn on drums. Wind is an original score, composed by Maalouf, for the René Clair silent film The Prey of the Wind.

“We are thrilled to present Maalouf’s entirely unique sound to Los Angeles,” says Pierre Leloup, Theatre Raymond Kabbaz Director, “His music is strongly inspired by his Arabic culture, with contemporary jazz flavor added to the mix, for stunning results.”

Wind (2012) –
In 2010, the French Cinematheque commissioned Maalouf to compose a score for a silent movie in the rich Albatros catalogue. Maalouf chose René Clair's 1927 film The Prey of the Wind. The film tells the story of a pilot who is caught in a storm and forced to land on the grounds of a castle. There, he falls in love with the mistress of the castle . . . and things get complicated. Maalouf’s score for the film, the new album Wind (2012), allowed Maalouf to fulfill two wishes ­­– first to compose for a film and, second, to create a piece inspired by Miles Davis' music in Louis Malle's Elevator to the Gallows (aka Lift to the Scaffold), but with the quarter-tone trumpet. As Maalouf, himself, tells it: "I wanted to reproduce that mysteriously melancholic atmosphere, dripping with suspense, contributing a discreet yet powerful Arabic hue, blended into the typical jazz quintet, played for many years by Miles' mythical quintet.” The jazz musicians chosen for the project were selected for their ability to flirt with Maalouf’s Arabic sounds without being destabilized.

The event is supported by the French Embassy/Cultural Services. Tickets cost $35 ($25 for students). Theatre Raymond Kabbaz is at 10361 W. Pico Blvd in Los Angeles.

Official Website: http://www.theatreraymondkabbaz.com/