Band - Praskin/Porter/Levi/Marcelli Encounter

Allan Praskin (as), Larry Porter (p), Yonatan Levi (b), Andrea Marcelli (dr)

Join us at the magic 4th „Desire for Spring Jazz week“, April 14th – 19th, during Easter, at the Kunstfabrik Schlot.

LARRY PORTER is an adept in the music of both East and West. As a jazz pianist, his playing pays homage to the history of the music, from ragtime through post-bop and into the future. Porter’s compositions, renditions, and improvisations portray multi-dimensional visionary soundscapes conveying the depth and breadth of emotions that encompass the human experience. He is also involved in projects integrating aspects of jazz and other Western music forms with Afghan, Central Asian, and Indian music.
Larry Porter’s jazz credentials are impeccable. His studies included stints at Eastman School of Music and Berklee College of Music. Since then he has lived and worked in New York City, Munich, Barcelona, and Berlin, where he currently lives. Over the years he has played with such major figures in the music as Thad Jones and Archie Shepp, including extended periods with Chet Baker and Art Farmer. Porter has also had wide-ranging work with such world-class singers as Sheila Jordan and Mark Murphy.

Talented bassist Yonatan Levi, from Israel, lived in New York where he played also with Jimmy Cobb & Cobb’s Mob and guitarist Peter Bernstein. He is now busy in the Berlin Jazz scene.

Drummer/composer ANDREA MARCELLI moved to the USA in 1989, spending eight years in Los Angeles and four in New York City. He has resided in Berlin since 2001. Two of his tunes are included in both “The European Real Book“ and “The Digital Real Book part 2“. He is leading an active international musical life, performing with Wayne Shorter, Don Menza, Allan Holdsworth, Mike Stern, Bob Mintzer, Eddie Gomez, Ralph Towner, Eberhard Weber, Markus Stockhausen, Palle Danielsson, John Patitucci, Mike Mainieri, Hiram Bullock, Frank Gambale, Andy Summers and others. He recorded many albums and two critical acclaimed Cds with legendary Major Label Verve/PolyGram.
John Kelman schreibt: „…Marcellis Kompositionen transzendieren simple Melodien, die den Zuhörer zu bekannten und unbekannten Plätzen entführen, versteckte Emotionen ans Licht bringen… Da ist die Reife des Konzeptes, die klare Vision, die ‚Beyond the Blue’ zu einer Art Markenzeichen Marcellis wird.“