THE BASSAM SABA ENSEMBLE - Debut Album "Wonderful Land" - CD-RELEASE FALL '09

Saba recorded and performs his original compositions with his sextet, the Bassam Saba Ensemble, consisting of Megan Gould on violin, William Martina on cello, Ben Street on doublebass, and April Centrone and Jamey Haddad on percussion. Saba plays the nay (Arabic end-blown reed flute), flutes (standard, piccolo and alto), 'ud (Middle-Eastern lute), buzuq (Arabic long-necked lute), saz (Turkish long-necked lute), and violin.

"Breathtaking skill meets incredible originality, depth, variety and emotion…music as complex and passionate as its composer. A child of Northern Lebanon, growing up with his father's stories of Turkey inside a house full of music, a stunning backdrop of fields of red and purple flowers and olive trees. A teenager who flees conflict and paradise, becomes a student of Paris and later Moscow, studying Russian and becoming fluent in a language and life brisk and political. A young man returning to Beirut, visiting distant lands with Marcel Khalife, playing before ampitheaters of hundreds of thousands singing against injustice. A young man with Ziad Rahbani, composing songs for his mother to sing as the bombs shook the building around them. A man who came to America … "

Saba’s debut album, ‘”The Wonderful Land,” is a masterpiece, a compilation and caliber of work that could only emerge from one of such breathtaking ability, vast accomplishment, and years and years of rich life and world experience given voice to only now. An electrifying mix of classical Arabic and gypsy Turkish tradition infused with hints of western classical arrangement, each piece of Saba’s music paints a different picture of his life's work, experience and travel. Emotion and nostalgia can be sensed in pieces like Breeze from the South, the feel and scent of the warm summer wind brushing over the fields of grain and flowers of northern Lebanon, and in Waltz to My Father, a time reminiscent of Saba's study in Moscow, living the stories he heard as a child from his father. With joy and energy come pieces such as Nirvana, a classical-contemporary Arabic suite which invites listeners to join an unfolding exploration of what could be an ancient Arabian palace, where mystery and intrigue give way to the discovery of a great celebration of music and dance.

April Centrone is one of the leading classical Arabic percussionists in America. Centrone plays riqq (Arabic tambourine), frame drum, darbakkeh ("dumbek" or goblet drum), 'ud and violin, and is also a proficient jazz/rock drummer of 15 years. Centrone has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Town Hall; lectured at numerous museums, cultural centers and universities around the country, such as Berklee, Columbia and Bucknell; directed and composed the music for plays; and has toured throughout Italy, Spain, Greece, America and New Zealand. Centrone has performed with artists such as Marcel Khalife, Daniel Schnyder with Kristian Jarvi's Absolute Ensemble, Bassam Saba, Najib Shaheen and Samir Chatterjee. Centrone has also performed as a soloist with the East Oakland Bay Symphony for the premiere of Nolan Gasser's "World Concerto." In 2007, Centrone co-founded the prestigious New York Arabic Orchestra with famed conductor Bassam Saba, and continues to manage and perform with the orchestra to this day. Centrone, as the Lead Teaching Artist for Musicians For Harmony, designs and teaches "Music of the World," a program geared towards the education of innercity high school youths. Holding an MA in Psychology from John Jay College, Centrone is presently constructing an educational and therapeutic music program for a leading children's psychiatric center. Centrone currently teaches percussion and drumset in New York.

Percussionist/Drummer Jamey Haddad, born in Cleveland, Ohio, holds a unique position in the world of Jazz and Contemporary Music. Haddad's musical voice transcends styles and trends, and the universal quality of his playing has attracted many international collaborations. Regarded as one of the foremost world music and jazz percussionists in the U.S., Haddad is an associate professor at Boston's Berklee School of Music, New England Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory and the Cleveland institute of Music. Haddad was voted one of the top 4 world percussionists in the world by the most largely read Percussion Periodical ‘Modern Drummer” (July 2007). Recent tours include, The Fez Festival of World Sacred Music U.S. and the Paul Winter Consort tour in Japan. Mr. Haddad collaborates regularly with Paul Simon, Simon and Garfunkel, Osvaldo Golijov, Yo Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Joe Lovano, Elliot Goldenthal, Brazil's Assad Brothers, Daniel Schnyder, Simon Shaheen, The Paul Winter Consort, Nancy Wilson, Dave Liebman, Esperanza Spalding, Maya Beiser, Trichy Sankaran, vocalist Betty Buckley, Steve Shehan, Leo Blanco, Nguyen Lee, among others. Most recently Haddad Performed with Paul Simon, one of America’s most respected songwriters and musicians, as Paul was the recipient of the first annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Named in honor of the legendary George and Ira Gershwin, this newly created award recognizes the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world’s culture. Haddad has been a member of Paul’s band for 9 years. He is the recipient of three National Endowments for the Arts Performance Grants and a Fulbright Fellowship. He can also be heard on more than 170 recordings and routinely has articles published internationally relating to the experiences of the contemporary world musician.

Megan Gould is one of NYC's most versatile performers of Middle Eastern, Greek and popular music. She received her violin performance degree from Indiana University, and Master's Degree in Ethnomusicolofy (with a concentration on the Middle East) from the University of London. Gould has performed rock music with John Mellencamp, Sean Lennon and Donovan, experimental music with Wayne Hortvitz, Jenny Scheinman and Eywind Kang, and recorded with Ani DiFranco, Lou Reed, Philip Glass, and the Mysteries of Life, among others. Gould is a founding member of the NoorSaazensemble, the music director of the Smadar (Levi) band, and a regular performer with MOTH storytellers. Gould's work has appeared on many and varied film soundtracks, commercials, and sound recordings. She is first violin and assistant conductor for the New York Arabic Orchestra, directed by Bassam Saba.

Will Martina is a native of Australia. Since basing himself in New York, Martina has performed on stage and in the studio with/for artists such as Dave Liebman, Ed Schuller, Josh Roseman, Idan Raichel, MuthaWit, Kyp Malone, Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber, JT Lewis, Brandon Ross, and many others inside both New York's shiniest and grimiest venues. Over the years he has also performed with many other bands and individuals across four continents. A recent recording project, 'Dry Spell', with drummer Nasheet Waits and vocalist Justice Dilla-X is currently in post-production. Martina has also recently collaborated with the artist Janet Biggs (www.jbiggs.com), composing and performing the scores for a number of works which were successfully exhibited in Barcelona, Miami, and Atlanta during 2007 and 2008. He is honored to have had the opportunity to perform and record with Bassam Saba, both as a part of his small ensemble and the New York Arabic Orchestra. Martina is a Schertler Artist.

BRIAN HOLTZ Brian Holtz is one of the most versatile and in demand bassists in New York City. He has performed across the United States, Holland, France, England, and has appeared at major festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, South-by-Southwest, and North Texas Jazz Festival. He has performed and/or recorded with Deborah Gibson, Brooke Hogan, Carlos Alomar, Kara Suzanne, David Baker, Michael Weiss, Bassam Saba, Lindsay Katt, Isiah Simmons, Tyron Cooper, Sylvia McNair, and Daniel Carter, among others. As a freelancer, he has appeared on many albums, television theme songs, commercials, and when not touring can generally be found performing nightly in the New York City area. Originally from Indianapolis, Brian grew up in a musical environment and started playing gigs locally at age eleven. He received his formal training at the Indiana University School of Music and the Ravinia Institute (Chicago). He is a student of Lawrence Hurst, David Baker, and Rufus Reid. Brian moved to New York in 2007 and continues to reside in Manhattan.