1 2
Blog posts
-
Jun 03, 10:03 AMNotes on a 15-city tour
After kicking off our tour playing at the very offbeat Lovelite club in Berlin (and no sleep) we took off for Rome at 6am. Great show at the gorgeous Istituo Svizzero villa, from which you can see pictures here: http://lucazamp.hostific.com/leotardinRomehtml/content/index.html
We then gave three shows in the UK: Leeds, Birmingham and Edinburgh.
Horrible sound system in Leeds, stunning train ride between Leeds and Edinburgh and a hot show at the edgy Hare & Hounds in King's Heath, Birmingham; Juice Aleem joined us for the encore. Few pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/steview/sets/72157615292974276/show/and audio streaming: http://www.birminghamjazz.co.uk/recordings.htm
We then played Maison de la Radio in Lausanne with a stellar line-up including Celena Glenn and Mike Ladd on mic. Few photos from this night: http://events.rsr.ch/galeries/jazzz/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=953
The next day it was Bern, followed by Paris, a show booked on the day of a national strike in France. After numerous unanounced stops on the SNCF train on the way to Paris we finally made it to St Ouens. The sound-check was interrupted every 10 min because of a documentary on Gainsbourg shot in the same building (our check was messing with some shots). Great show nevertheless. After another sleepless night, we took the train to a "homecoming" show in Geneva and then Milan, where we rocked La Conchetta, a historic communist bastion transformed into an indie squat. Great audience and of course delicious food in Milan.
A few days later we jetted toward Miami for a show at the Winter Music Conference. Sparkling beach, bright weather but light turn out and a totally shady promoter at the venue. The showcase at Uncle Sam to promote the DJ Spinna remix (jamming duo with Shifty on the decks) was actually the highest point of this trip. Yet another sleepless night and we exit stage Fort Lauderdale at 6:30 am.
Next it's Colorado's Boulder Theater in a packed 500 seat theater. We opened for Dr Lonnie Smith, the legendary (and very humorous) B-3 organ player. Few days later we played the two last hits of the tour: First at the famous Joe’s Pub in NYC. The drummer for this show canceled two days before we played and the great Louis Cato (also bass player for ?estlove) subbed pretty much on the spot and did a killer job. Seraphim joined us on stage. Few pictures from this show: http://gpjoespub.blogspot.com/
We ended the tour in Minneapolis with guest Mr Lif. I stayed in the Cher suite, which included a baby grand, jacuzzi and fully equipped bar (fancy, no?). The promoter of the festival vanished at the end of the show with the performance fee and the advance for the travel expenses never paid in advance! After the last night with no sleep spent on the phone with my manager James trying to hunt down the promoter, we got back to the airport at 6am, with still no news from him.
We found out later that the promoter (Patrick Scott from B-Side Prod) owes a total of over 50K USD to the various artists and managers that went through his festival over the past few weeks…
To find out about what happens next or to simply know about our next shows, join us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/GRAND-PIANORAMAX/32683523458?ref=ts or myspace: http://www.myspace.com/leotardin -
Feb 01, 03:41 PMFan page now on Facebook
Grand Pianoramax has now its official Facebook fan page. To join, visit:
-
Jan 30, 11:38 AMCanal Room Swiss soirée
Switzerland Meets New York at the Canal Room was a total success. Despite the freezing cold weather, we had a packed house and a great night.
For press coverage of the event, check out the interview on PRI's The World and the local blog JB Spinns.
If you weren’t there, here is a little recap of this Swiss soirée: vocalist Beat Kaestli started with a suave, cosmopolitan set, followed by Serena Jost’s neo-folk tour de chant. And of course Grand Pianoramax the night’s headliner, with a particularly stellar line-up with Jojo Mayer doing nothing less than tearing up the kit. Mike Ladd flawlessly delivered his salacious, soon-to-be classic “Showdown” tale which he had never performed in New York since originally recording it for The Biggest Piano in Town album in ObliqSound’s studio. Celena Glenn worked the crowd with her unique lyrics and I kept it all together with a firm hand at the Moog. Gregoire Maret even jumped up for an instrumental finale, gracing us with his supernatural harmonica.
The evening was really about the music, but guests took home Swiss-themed gift bags including Lindt chocolates, miniTissue packets, copies of Jazziz magazine, ObliqSound t-shirts, and various items from the Swiss consulate. The whole show was made possible by generous support from the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York, ProHelvetia, and ObliqSound. A big thank you again to all who helped make this event a success, including Fabio Bonguglielmi from the Swiss consulate and Stephanie Jo Klein and Jon Martin from ObliqSound.Additional photos from the night can be viewed here.
Stay tuned for more updates soon – our spring tour is just weeks away and we hope to see you there.
-
Dec 10, 08:51 AMGP feat. Mike Ladd: final notes from the trenches, videoTour over, mission accomplished.
We played at la Conchetta in Milan, a historic communist bastion downgraded into an alternative culture squat. The show was filmed by recycled security cams fixed to our instruments. See for yourself the video above. (If problem viewing the video, see it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-c0cZAg3z4
After finishing the night at a local pizzeria at 3am and not enough hours of sleep, we left two passports at the hotel and realized it only once in the train way on our way to Switzerland (I logically kept the Milan hotel key in my pocket to Switzerland).
The last show at Caves du Manoir in Martigny was cool, very nice crew and gothic atmosphere from the venue (basically the basement of a manor turned into a cute rock club).Some pictures from the tour viewable here: http://leotardinfall2008.blogspot.com/
Additonal pictures from a very talented photographer who shot us during our show in Martigny: http://www.patchographe.ch/20081115_caves_manoir/
Next stop: NYC, for a show at the Canal Room with a stellar line-up including Mike Ladd and Celena Glenn on spoken words on January 14th at 10pm. New Yorkers, save the date! -
Nov 09 2008, 08:51 AMFall 2008 tour: notes from the trenches
Mid-way through our Grand Pianoramax shows in Europe with the one and only Mike Ladd and the equally unique Dominik Burkhalter, we kicked-off the tour at the Chat Noir in my hometown Carouge, then performed at Télévision Suisse Romande for the Pacte Multimedia gala. We then plaid Fribourg (at Nouveau Monde, where the photo was taken), Vevey, La-Chaux-de-Fonds and had a Fnac showcase in Geneva to promote none other than the Biggest Piano in Town album.
So far things have been going pretty smoothly... well, apart from Mike letting me know few hours before our show in La-CHaux-de-Fonds that he would have to be at Geneva airport the following morning WAY before any trains are running in my lovely country (which would have reslulted in a 300 Euros cab ride). Luckily we found a brave and generous soul willing to drive him for a 2 hours ride at 1am right after our show. Merci Romain!
Next week we'll play one show in Duisburg, Germany, one in Milan for the release of the album in Italy and one at the one and only Caves du Manoir in Martigny. Stay tuned for more notes from the trenches...
-
Oct 20 2008, 04:38 PMBack from East Coast debut with DJ Spinna; EU tour with Mike Ladd next week
Grand Pianoramax recently completed a series of US live appearances on the west coast performing with partner in crime DJ Spinna for the digital release of "The Hook" (remixes by Spinna and german producers duo Stefan Rogall - m.path.iq)
Memorable moments included Deantoni (third of the Kudu gang) tearing up the drumkit at ESL in Washington DC and poet wizard Celena Glenn freestyling for the first time over Spinna's lethal beats at Nublu in NY. Spinna and Leo jammed on the mighty moog and decks during in-stores performances at Halcyon (Brooklyn) and DJ Hut (DC). Proof of our criminal activities are visible on the pictures sections of this page.
A few days later, Grand Pianoramax made its Philadelphia debut, with Leo playing solo and live in-studio and giving away secrets on its music-making process and ways of operating during an extensive interview on "The Bridge" on WRTI.
For more info about the remixes and links to download, go to:
http://www.obliqsound.com/releases/thehook_remixes.html
Next week, Grand Pianoramax will embark on a European tour with guest poet Mike Ladd:
Oct 25: Chat Noir, Festival Jazz ContreBand (Geneva, CH)
http://www.jazzcontreband.com/[http://www.cinema-tout-ecran.ch/
Oct. 28: Cinéma Tout Ecran festival (multi-media perfo with videast, Geneva, CH)
http://www.cinema-tout-ecran.ch/
Oct 31: Nouveau Monde (Fribourg, CH)
http://www.nouveaumonde.ch/fr/
Nov 1: Espace Guinguette (Vevey, CH)
http://www.guinguette.ch/
Nov 7: Bikini Test (Chaux-de-Fond, CH)
http://www.bikinitest.ch/
Nov 8: in-store performance at FNAC Rive (Geneva, CH, instrumental performence for this show only)
http://www.fnac.ch/rendezvous.php?shop=207
Nov 12: Steinbruch (Duisburg, DE)
http://www.steinbruch-duisburg.de
Nov 14: La Conchetta (Milan, IT, album release party for Italy)
Nov 15: Caves du Manoir (Martigny, CH)
http://www.cavesdumanoir.ch/caves/index.php -
Sep 05 2008, 04:59 PMCharting on CMJ & live show Thursday 9/11 at ESL in DC with DJ Spinna
Last week we gave our very first show with DJ Spinna at the (in)famous Nublu club in New York to celebrate the release of "The Hook (Remixes)," the new Grand Pianoramax single - with remixes by DJ Spinna and Stefan Rogall - m.path.iq. The single has been DanceTracksDigital's #1 download for three weeks running, and The Biggest Piano In Town (including The Hook remixes) is moving up the CMJ RPM charts -now at #17, after debuting at #38.
Next week, on Thursday, Sept 11 we will be heading to Washington, DC, for a free live in-store performance at DJ Hut (5-6 pm), followed by full-band live show with DJ Spinna at the Eighteenth Street Lounge (live set strating at 10pm). I'll be on keys alongside a stellar crew - the phenomenal Deantoni Parks on Drums (Kudu, Me'shell Ndegeocello), Celena Glenn (Cocorosie) on spoken word, and of course, DJ Spinna on the decks. Not to be missed.
-
Aug 12 2008, 09:51 PMWild night at Montreux, more to come with DJ Spinna
Just got back from some memorable festival gigs in Europe including a WILD night in Montreux at the Jazz Festival with Spleen and Bleubird, a gastronomic stop with the Last Poets at the Music Festvial Musicas do Mundo (seafood, seafood and more seafood) and an electrifying jam session with drummer Marcus Gilmore (watch out for this incredibly gifted musician) after our show with Mike Ladd and special guest Ambrose Akinmusire put together by our host Reza and his magical JazzMix space at the Jazz A Vienne festival. (video coming soon)
Back in NY, had a meeting with the marketing team at ObliqSound's HQ in Tribeca: it felt good to see 250+ promo CDs on their way to radio stations here in the US. Quite a process from writing this music alone on the piano in my bedroom to seeing it starting a journey on its own, including truly fantastic remixes of my single The Hook, by DJ Spinna and Stefan Rogall-m.path.iq. To give physical life to the digital remixes, we'll be performing with DJ Spinna at a release party in NY on August 26th at Nublu, followed another GPmax/Spinna show in Washinton, DC on September 11 at the 18th Street Lounge. Free in-store shows and radio appearances coming up, too.
Stay tuned for more, this is only the beginning!
LT -
Jul 09 2008, 07:41 AMTo Vienne, Montreux and back to the USA
This week we play two major festivals: tonight at Jazz a Vienne [http://www.jazzavienne.com/concert/concert?date=080709&scene=jm] in France, with guests Mike Ladd and trumpeter and Thelonious Monk competition winner Ambrose Akinmusire. Then this Saturday, we play the mighty Montreux Jazz Festival [http://www.montreuxjazz.com/concerts/artists_details_en.aspx?id=889] with California-bred/Berlin-based Bleubird and French hip hop/folk artist Spleen on the mics.
After a show with the Last Poets in Portugal, I will be back to the US for various Grand Pianoramax appearances on the east coast this August and September, as we premiere the DJ Spinna and Stefan Rogall-m.path.iq Remixes of The Hook, the single from my new album. More details to come. Hope to see you here or there... -LT
-
May 18 2008, 09:10 AMGrand Pianoramax taking Mumbai by storm
Back from Mumbai, mission accomplished. We had a grand time playing 3 nights at Blue Frog, one of India's premiere live club, which also features four state-of-the-art music recording studios, a music production house and an independent record label and artist magagement company. Check them out, they're doing great things!
Due to passport complication, we had to change rapper at the very last minute and Bluebird did a great job subbing pretty much on the spot.
Few pictures from this Mumbai stay can be viewed on the photos section of this page.
