Chet Doxas tenor sax, John Menegon bass, Jean-Michel Pilc piano, Jim Doxas drums

JOHN MENEGON QUARTET “SOUND EMBRACE”
SEPTEMBER 9 (2023) 7:30 PM

Community Room @ Westbeth
155 Bank Street
enter through courtyard
New York, NY

Donations Encouraged!

The intuitive, spontaneous nature of the music presented by Bassist & Composer John Menegon, in collaboration with these exceptional musicians, pushes the boundaries of today’s music on the world stage. The music is deeply rooted in the traditions that come out of the Free Bop era of Ornette Coleman, Dewey Redman, and Paul Motian, to name a few. The music is created in the “moment of now!” Some of the melodies presented on Saturday will be freely interpreted, sometimes letting the form create itself, using melodic and harmonic expression relying in the trust of each player’s deep knowledge of improvisation. The group will be exploring some odd meters and different grooves, and will include Menegon’s original compositions. The unique sounds in improvisation are unleashed by these four exceptional musicians who come from Paris, New York City, and Montreal.

“Wonderful concert last night, led by John Menegon, with Jean-Michel Pilc, Chet Doxas & Jim Doxas. Seriously swinging, very accessible yet intriguingly unpredictable.” JEAN-PIERRE LEDUC, Lunched Management & Booking @ Upstairs Jazz Club in Montreal, JAN 2023

JOHN MENEGON (Bass & Compositions)
“New York bassist JOHN MENEGON is in the line of George Mraz and Michael Moore; a harmonically sophisticated bassist with technical facility who swings hard when it’s called for.” Kirk Silsbee, DOWNBEAT
Menegon is a jazz bassist, but is also a guitarist, arranger, singer, and composer. He began his career as a musician in Montreal before moving to New York City, where he spent ten years as bassist for two legendary tenor saxophonists, Dewey Redman and David “Fathead” Newman. This experience provided a solid foundation for Menegon to continue his explorations as a bandleader, composer and arranger, and he has been composing and arranging music throughout his career. Menegon has released five CDs as a bandleader and currently plays with jazz legend Joe Lovano as well as numerous other stellar musicians. As an educator, he spent several years teaching in the Jazz Departments of SUNY New Paltz, Williams College, Bard and Bennington Colleges.

JEAN-MICHEL PILC (Jazz Pianist, Composer, Educator)
“His densely harmonic reinventions of standards you thought you knew clearly shows a musical genius at work.” Eric Brace, The Washington Post
“A dazzlingly inventive pianist.” Nate Chinen, The New York Times
Born in 1960 in Paris (France) he is now also an American and Canadian citizen, as well as a self-taught pianist and composer. An internationally renowned pianist, who has built an impressive reputation during 20 years in New York and through many tours around the globe, Pilc has been living in Montreal since 2015 and teaches jazz and improvisation at McGill University. An improviser of impressive range and deep originality, his performances are always intense, unpredictable and high-flying. He has performed with numerous jazz giants, and was musical director for Harry Belafonte. He has released 20 albums as a leader or co-leader, and is on over 40 albums as a sideman. Jean-Michel is also a virtuoso whistler, as documented on several recordings!

CHET DOXAS (tenor & soprano sax) was raised in Montreal in a musical family and now lives in Brooklyn. Chet’s love of music was fostered by his father, a professional musician, teacher, recording engineer and producer; and his older brother and drummer, Jim, with whom he regularly performs. Chet’s band, Rich in Symbols, is an ensemble whose repertoire is informed by his love of the visual arts. The music for this group is composed as Chet visits museums and stands in front of his favorite works with blank manuscript paper. Later, the music and a projection of the work are presented simultaneously with live musicians in a concert setting. He has worked with a wide range of artists including Carla Bley, John Abercrombie, Rufus Wainwright, Maria Schneider, and Oliver Jones. When he is not touring he can be found in his Brooklyn recording studio working on his next projects or producing other artists.

JIM DOXAS (drums) While studying at Montreal’s McGill University, Jim established himself early on as a versatile percussionist, and he was honored with Yamaha’s Rising Star Award in recognition of outstanding achievement as an instrumentalist. Jim has been heavily influenced by rock, jazz, Motown and World Music. What distinguished Doxas’ approach to improvisation is that he refuses to play it safe, allowing the moment to dictate the kind of framework that will contain, shape and guide the piece of music. Jim was the drummer in The Oliver Jones Trio for over a decade, and is currently a lecturer and teacher at McGill University, while also balancing an active performance schedule.