STR Digital Records

Brazil usually attracts jazz musicians via bossa nova, which was intertwined with jazz harmony from its beginnings. But the pianist Tom McDermott, who lives in New Orleans, is more fascinated by choro music, the polyphonic, harmonically sophisticated two-beat style that flowered in Rio in the 1870's. Choro has obvious connections with early New Orleans jazz and ragtime, which Mr. McDermott also loves, and on an excellent new album, Choro do Norte (STR Records), he makes the connections clear, playing his own choros as well as pieces by Jelly Roll Morton, Scott Joplin and Louis Moreau Gottschalk. Mr. McDermott's "Santa Teresa" and "Lizinha," with their bewitching changes, suggest that he's deep inside this style of music; this is not some sort of dry re-creation. He's accompanied by a half-Brazilian, half-New Orleans cast, with guitar, trombone, flute, sousaphone, bandolim (mandolin) and pandeiro (tambourine); the clarinetist is Evan Christopher, whose solos are thirsty, driving and passionate.

Gambit Weekly reviews Tom McDermott's Choro do Norte

Tom McDermott, one of the great musician/theorists in New Orleans, has deconstructed the deep history of the city's piano music over the years and arrived at some interesting conclusion regarding the transition of Scott Joplin's rags into Jelly Roll Morton's early jazz. McDermott took this evolution a step back, into Brazilian choro music, some of which predates ragtime. McDermott saw an architectural relationship between all these forms, forms he has experimented with on his own recordings. After making seven trips to Brazil to study and play with choro musicians, McDermott has assembled a masterpiece, Choro do Norte.

Clarinetist Evan Christopher, a frequent collaborator with McDermott, and trombonist Rick Trolsen, who lead his own Brazilian music project, "Gringo do Choro," are joined by members of the Brazilian group Tira Poeira -Sergio Krakowski on pandeiro, Henry Lentino on bandolim and Caio Marcio on seven-string guitar. The result is a true synthesis of New Orleans music, with the complex, undulating rhythms of McDermott's compositions contrasting with the lush reading of Morton's "Sweetheart of Mine" and Joplin's "The Chrysanthemum," which exfoliates into a gorgeous new form. The recording ends with a stirring rendition of the 1845 composition "Bamboula" by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, who lived in New Orleans and died in Rio.

—John Swenson, Gambit Weekly, published: July 17, 2005

Tom McDermott releases Choro do Norte

In April 2005, McDermott released a Brazilian-music masterpiece, Choro do Norte, his most ambitious work to date, the album was recorded in Rio de Janeiro in August 2004 and New Orleans in 2004-05. In Brazil, McDermott recorded with three members of one of Rio's hottest choro groups, Tira Poeira. Returning to New Orleans he added two fantastic players: clarinetist Evan Christopher and trombonist Rick Trolsen. Read more about Choro do Norte in the press release.

Ricky Sebastian releases The Independent Drummer

STR Digital Records recording artist Ricky Sebastian has held clinics in universities and music stores throughout the United States. He has also held clinics and masterclasses at venues in Europe and Japan. He has recently been appearing as guest artist with university percussion ensembles throughout the world. Ricky is currently performing with Los Hombres Calientes and has just released a new drum method book entitled The Independent Drummer (click image at left to order your copy).

Evan Christopher is featured in New York Times article on JazzFest called Closing the Hipness Gap at New Orleans Jazzfest

by Jon Pareles

Clarinetist in Demand

"Evan Christopher, a clarinetist with a growing reputation in New Orleans and beyond, was surrounded by well-wishers when he came off stage after letting loose some sweet and swooping solos at Jazzfest on Friday afternoon. He had been sitting in with the Newport All-Stars, the hand-picked group led by George Wein, who heads Festival Productions (which produces Jazzfest) and is an occasional jazz pianist. New fans wanted to know where Mr. Christopher could be heard over the weekend.

But Mr. Christopher's regular Thursday night engagement at the club Donna's was already past, and Saturday's gig was private, a wedding. "I'm playing in a burlesque show on Sunday," he told them, echoing past generations of New Orleans musicians; it's a recreation of an old-fashioned revue at the Shim Sham Club. Mr. Christopher also sat in on Sunday at Jazzfest with musicians from Martinique.

Mr. Christopher, who was born in California, moved to New Orleans because it was the home of his favorite music, and it offered plenty of work. When he got here, he found that everything from the climate to the working conditions made a difference to the sound of the music. "You're walking in the footsteps of ghosts," he said."—New York Times

John Rankin wins 2003 Big Easy Award for Best Folk Artist

New Orleans' weekly entertainment magazine, Gambit Weekly, recently presented the 2003 Big Easy Awards and STR Digital Records recording artist John Rankin took home the award for the Folk/Country category. Additionally, Joe Krown, who won the 2001 Big Easy Award for Blues, was again nominted for the Blues category.

Tom McDermott & Evan Christopher's Danza is featured on All Songs Considered NPR's Online Music Show

NPR's online Music Show, All Songs Considered, recently featured the song "Garoto" from Danza by pianist Tom McDermott and clarinetist Evan Christopher. The audio/video was featured on episode 30, which originally posted on November 25, 2002. You can still LISTEN & WATCH this feature by visiting NPR's site.

Tom McDermott wins 2002 Big Easy Award for Traditional Jazz

New Orleans' weekly entertainment magazine, Gambit Weekly, recently presented the 2002 Big Easy Awards and STR Digital Records recording artist Tom McDermott took home the award for the Traditional Jazz category.

Tom McDermott's The Crave receives rave review from
the Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times
Sunday, September 30, 2001
by Howard Reich

* * * * TOM MCDERMOTT, , STR Digital Records

"New Orleans has given the world more than its share of groundbreaking pianists, from Jelly Roll Morton to Professor Longhair, from James Booker to Henry Butler. The noted Crescent City pianist Tom McDermott explores this remarkable legacy on The Crave, an excursion into the solo piano music of several New Orleans giants, as well as those who influenced them. By articulating the distinctly Iberian dance rhythms of Ernesto Lecuona's 'Gitanerias,' the gently rolling blues sensibility of Dr. John's 'Dorothy' and the relentless syncopations of Morton's 'The Crave,' McDermott vividly shows the intermingling of African, Cuban and Spanish cultures that long has powered music in New Orleans. Yet he goes further, as well, reinventing Scott Joplin's 'Maple Leaf Rag' with a party-time, Louisiana fervor and revivifying the old Brazilian choro 'Tico Tico' with an avalanche of fast-flying chords and running octaves.

Joe Krown wins 2001 Big Easy Award for Blues

New Orleans' weekly entertainment magazine, Gambit Weekly, recently presented the 2001 Big Easy Awards and STR Digital Records recording artist Joe Krown took home the award for the Blues category.

Updated on May 6, 2003