Tarik Hassan

Tarik Hassan's debut, self-titled album was nominated for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in OffBeat Maagazine's annual Best of the Beat Awards. - OffBeat Magazine

For his debut album, bassist Tarik Hassan assembled an outstanding quartet that features Rex Gregory (saxophones), Austin Johnson (piano, Rhodes) and Simon Lott (drums). Vocalist Johnaye Kendrick also joins the ensemble, lending her impassioned stylings to three of the nine originals on Hassan’s self-titled endeavor. The album, while cool on the surface, uncovers a warm, emotionally charged core driven by Hassan’s profound composition and the group’s expressive, improvisational interplay.

Akin to a contemporary version of the legendary Modern Jazz Quartet, this band plays with an understated intensity, a deep connection to one another, and a subtle mastery of the jazz lexicon that speaks not of their virtuosity as individual players, but to their strength as a collective. Together, the tandem of Gregory and Lott shapes the album’s contours and impels its melodies while the rhythmic playing of Hassan and Johnson colors its contrasts and enlivens its phrases.

The tune “Colorblind,” with its chilled theme and funky, creeping groove, sizes up both hard-bop and hip-hop as it shifts into an air of modern-day cool. Gregory’s brisk flights and Johnson’s radiant soaring on the mysterious “Slinga” provide some of the album’s best moments, but it’s the vibrant pulse, energetic rush and organic interaction found on “Mid-Citizen” that truly showcases the unique synthesis of sounds coming out of the Crescent City today. Hassan’s two ballads, the poignantly melancholy “Malene” and the soulfully somber “That Long Brown Hair” highlight his depth as a composer as well as the band’s as an ensemble. As the album settles onto the serene, uplifting “St. John’s River,” Hassan’s subtle touch and the group’s elegant rejoicing leave a lasting imprint.
- OffBeat Magazine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TARIK HASSAN

Proudly Announces the release of his
self-titled debut album on July 25, 2010.

Contact:
Tarik Hassan
904-226-4481
www.tarikhassan.com
tarik@tarikhassan.com

Tarik Hassan, the talented and versatile bassist, composer, and arranger, released his debut album on July 25, 2010. With this release he is set to make his unique mark on the jazz community.

Already an in-demand and sought after bassist in New Orleans and the southeast, with this album Tarik establishes himself as a serious composer and bandleader in the modern jazz scene. He has been living in New Orleans for the past three years, during which he has played and studied with some of the greatest musicians in the area. When listening to this album it is easy to hear the benefits that he has gained from these musical experiences.

The music on this new album consists of nine original compositions stretched across 12 tracks. In these compositions Tarik calls upon the influences of culture, people, and the places he has lived to create a musical tapestry that reflects his life. While the compositions are eclectic in nature, exploring everything from swing to hip hop to drum and bass, they are unified in their compositional integrity, honesty, and devotion to the jazz tradition.

For this album Tarik is joined by some of the finest musicians in New Orleans. The band at its full size is a quintet consisting of vocalist Johnaye Kendrick (Nicholas Payton Sextet, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, The Thelonius Monk Institute), saxophonist Rex Gregory (Jason Marsalis trio), pianist Austin Johnson (Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet), and drummer Simon Lott (Charlie Hunter). Each member of the ensemble adds their own unique approach to the compositions, which creates a powerful and memorable performance. In addition to enlisting a stellar cast of players, Tarik also enlisted world renowned bass Roland Guerin to produce the album. It was recorded by Misha Kachkachishvili at Axistudio in Metairie,LA on January 26 and 27, 2010.

For more information please email tarik@tarikhassan.com, call 904-226-4481,
and visit www.tarikhassan.com - Tarik Hassan