ORQUESTRA ANGRAJAZZ

Formed in 2002, Angrajazz Orchestra is a training/work-in-progress project held by the Cultural Association Angrajazz, with musical direction by the professors Pedro Moreira and Claus Nymark.  Promoting regular working sessions and workshops, Angrajazz Orchestra became the main “jazz school” in the Region, contributing for Angrajazz to be considered as the main and most important means of unveiling the jazz music in the Azores.

The Orchestra has played with many well known Portuguese jazz musicians such as Paula Oliveira, Mário Laginha, Zé Eduardo, Afonso Pais, Mário Barreiros, Hugo Alves, Luís Cunha, Paulo Gaspar, Ricardo Toscano and Carlos Azevedo.  Apart from numerous concerts in Terceira Island, the Orchestra has played in the islands S. Jorge, Graciosa, Faial and S. Miguel.  Outside the Region, the Orchestra has performed in the cities of Funchal and Lisbon.

In 2015 the Angrajazz Orchestra participated in the cultural program “Lisboa na Rua” as part of the cycle “The Art of the Big Band – 5 Jazz Orchestras”.

At the 18º Angrajazz, the Orchestra performed, for the first time in Portugal, the integral of “The Far East Suite” written by the great jazz musician Duke Ellington.  In that occasion the Orchestra featured two very important Portuguese jazz musicians – clarinetist Paulo Gaspar and saxophonist Ricardo Toscano.

The Orchestra has released two CDs –”Angrajazz Orchestra with Paula Oliveira” (2006) and “Angrajazz” (2018).

In this 23° Angrajazz, the Orchestra will present a repertoire entirely dedicated to the Hard Bop.  This subgenre of Jazz is an extension of Bebop or “bop” music. Journalists and record companies began using the term Hard Bop to describe a new current within Jazz that incorporated influences from Rhythm n’ Blues, Blues and Gospel, and is characterized by slow and medium rhythms, simple, lyrical and memorable melodies.  It had its prime time between the mid-50s and mid-60s of  last century, and some of its most notable musicians were Charles Mingus, Benny Golson, Sonny Rollins and Lee Morgan, whose themes will be part of the Angrazz Orchestra’s repertoire.