The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York and
Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus Music Department

THE ROMANIAN - AMERICAN JAZZ SUITE
A multi-movement work by American saxophonist SAM NEWSOME
and Romanian pianist LUCIAN BAN
combining Romanian folk music with American jazz

The Romanian/American Jazz Suites brings together two points of view: Romanian culture through the eyes of an American jazz musician; and American culture through the eyes of a Romanian jazz musician having grown up under a communist regime.

From April 16 – 19, a Romanian-American Ensemble, featuring saxophonists Sam Newsome and Alex Harding, pianist Lucian Ban, drummer Willard Dyson, along with Romanian guitarist Sorin Romanescu and bassist Arthur Balogh, will present the suite in a week-long series of performances and workshops in New York City, in cooperation with New York University - Composition Program, Steinhardt School, and the Harlem School for the Arts.

Mr. Newsome and Mr. Ban first collaborated in 2004 when they performed in Romania at the 2004 Bucharest Jazz Festival and the 2004 Brasov Jazz Festival. They just recently finished a 10-day tour in Romania – which was made possible with a grant from Global Connections (Meet The Composer, Inc.) – giving performances in Bucharest, Iasi, and Brasov, as well giving a lecture at the Bucharest Music Academy.