Sam Blakeslee Large Group - Blu Jazz, Birdland, and Album Recording
In 2023, I will be turning my attention to my jazz orchestra, the Sam Blakeslee Large Group, both in some exciting live performances at Blu Jazz (Akron), Birdland Jazz Club (NYC),, as well as recording two albums of my big band music May 8-10 at Oktaven Audio in Mount Vernon, NY. To help raise the necessary funds to make it the recording happen, I will be running a The Sam Blakeslee 2-Album Fundraiser crowdfunding campaign from Friday January 27th - April 14th.
In this newsletter, you can find more out about the crowdfunding campaign and its incentives, the recording, as well as a short backstory on the Large Group and my musical endeavors with the Large Group!
LIVE PERFORMANCES
This winter, we will be performing at Blu Jazz on Saturday, January 28th in Akron, OH to celebrate the start of the crowdfunding campaign, and I couldn’t be more excited to take the stage with some of Northeast Ohio’s finest musicians, as well as special guests Johnathan Lowery and John Lake. There will be two sets from 8-11pm for a cover charge of $25, but there will also be a special Pre-Concert VIP event for $50 (includes concert admission), where I’ll be talking with Bobby Selvaggio about composing and recording the album, my thoughts on the big band medium, as well as our observations about the various intersections of life and music.
Get your tickets here! As of Thursday January 26th, only 25 remain, so act soon!
Poster by B Side Graphics
The Large Group will also be performing at Birdland, one of NYC’s most historic venues with some of NYC’s most creative and in-demand musicians on Sunday February 19th from 5:30-7pm as part of their weekly Sunday big band shows.
You can get tickets HERE
Poster by B Side Graphics
ABOUT THE LARGE GROUP & UPCOMING STUDIO RECORDING
While I compose music across many different mediums, none is more near and dear to my heart than the instrumentation of a big band. The lineage of the jazz orchestra is one of America's cultural treasures, and I have spent the better part of 15 years dedicating my musical endeavors to learning the repertoire of those that came before me while absorbing the works of today's contemporary composers.
Since 2013, I have been the bandleader and composer for the Sam Blakeslee Large Group, an 18-piece jazz orchestra, and this project in particular has become inextricably linked to my creative purpose and musical identity over the last ten years.
The Large Group has performed at numerous jazz festivals, and also held a monthly residency at Blu Jazz in Akron, OH from 2015-2017. This February, the Large Group will be performing at Birdland Jazz Club, one of NYC's most historic venues, with some of New York's finest musicians filling out the ensemble.
Since moving to NYC in 2017, I have been heavily involved in the vibrant contemporary big band scene, and have had the chance to play some incredible music by remarkable composers. After 5+ years of refining my writing in this creative environment, the moment has come to finally step out on my own as a bandleader and record 2 albums of music for jazz orchestra in May 8-10, 2023 with some of NYC's most creative and in-demand musicians.
We will be documenting this music at Oktaven Audio, one of the NYC region's best rooms for acoustic recording on May 8-10, 2023.
Over the last 3 years, I have written 14 original compositions and two arrangements and will be taking the Large Group into the studio for 3 days of recording to document it all this Spring. These 16 songs would be split up into two separate releases, the first tentatively planned for late 2023/early 2024.
While I feel fortunate to have funded and released 4 other albums under my name as a bandleader, with the size and magnitude of such a project, to put it simply,
I need your help to make it happen.
With so many people involved, the costs expand extremely quickly. Donations would go to covering musician costs, studio time, recording engineers, mixing/mastering, and catering for the musicians. Raising the $30,000 would help offset all of these costs before I make a significant personal contribution to cover the release and distribution of the two records of music.
You can view the crowdfunding project by clicking on the link below!
SAM BLAKESLEE 2 - ALBUM FUNDRAISER
If you are interested in donating to the project, take a look through the several donation and incentive options. There are also several student incentive packages available either for yourself or someone that you know that is studying music and composition!
Thank you to all who plan on donating and making this decade-long dream a reality! Your support means the world to me, and I can't wait to share the end result with all of you!
Sincerely,
Sam Blakeslee
