Pianist Eric Olsen is “an expert in the art of musical transfiguration” (Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz.com), and has “created his own form of classic jazz” (Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz). His career is marked by his unique ability to re-imagine familiar melodies so that they are “truly born anew” (Bilawsky).
This concert will feature the Eric Olsen ReVision Trio, playing Eric’s imaginative jazz transformations of easily recognizable melodies by classical and popular composers. Eric’s jazz arrangements pay homage to the originals, while incorporating his distinctive jazz voice and ability to generate “head turning solos”(Robert Rusch, Cadence Magazine). Melodies will include Waltz in c# minor by Frederic Chopin, In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg, and contemporary melodies like My Man’s Gone Now by George Gershwin, Something by George Harrison, and operatic arias by Puccini, Mozart, Verdi, and Bizet.
The Eric Olsen ReVision Quartet features Eric Olsen on piano, Ratzo Harris on bass, and Tim Horner on drums.
The music for this concert has been featured on Eric’s many critically acclaimed albums. Sea Changes, rated “Best Jazz Arrangements of 2015”, was called “a stunning rainbow bridge between the worlds of Classical and Jazz” by Travis Rogers of Jazz Times magazine. The magazine placed Eric’s album Dyad Plays Puccini in the top 50 Jazz Albums of 2013, and Brent Black of CriticalJazz.com called it “perhaps the most amazing transformation of cultural enlightenment in the last quarter century”. Eric’s latest album, Dyad Plays Jazz Arias, featured veteran jazz artists Randy Brecker and Ted Nash, and was hailed as a “visionary recording” by Dr. Zlokower, of Roberta on the Arts.
More quotes about Eric Olsen’s music:
“Eric Olsen is an elegant stylist with a gifted ear for texture and tension.”
(Brian Zimmerman, Downbeat)
“…retain(s) the beauty of the classical melodies but the jazz soloing is done with real abandon and flair.” (Jerome Wilson, All About Jazz.com)
“…magical music for your ears that will never get old.” (Bob Nicosia, Music Man Blog.com)
“…a terrifically creative album!” (Lynn René Bayley, The Art Music Lounge)
“Dyad Plays Jazz Arias will simply blow your mind! Real playing for real ears on the lookout for hot new sounds.” (Chris Spector, Midwest Record)
“DYAD fearlessly and imaginatively bebop these formidable operatic themes, each taken with improvisatory flair and soaring musicianship.” (Mike Jurkovic, Elmore Magazine)
“High quality music, inspired improvisations! Beautiful music, reinvented with taste and respect.” (Bruce Crowther, JazzMostly.com)