Tyreek McDole

what started with an invitation for a one-time duo concert, turned out to be an instant hit. meanwhile pianist ramón valle and brass player maite hontelé have toured europe and even recorded an album in havana, cuba. with the cuban musical language in their minds and bodies, they continue to challenge each other. together they experience total freedom on stage. their shared love for melody is a common thread in their collaboration. ramón valle has earned praise all over the world for his overwhelming, expressive piano playing, in which he incorporates his cuban roots as well as his classical education. dutch musician  maite hontelé has lived in colombia for many years and has released five albums, two of which were nominated for a latin grammy. with her salsa band she gave concerts all over the world. both maite and ramón always aim for the notes that reach the soul directly. that’s why each concert is a new adventure for them.

with his fluent piano playing, emmet cohen brings the tradition of jazz to the forefront while providing the modern twist needed for the current times. on his breakthrough album future stride he breathed new life into the one hundred year old style of piano virtuosos such as james p. johnson and fats waller. the title of his following album uptown in orbitreferences blues in orbit by duke ellington, as well as the new york neighborhood harlem (‘uptown’)—cohen lives there in the same street as ellington once lived. emmet cohen’s apartment has become a hotspot thanks to youtube—it is where he records the popular series live from emmet’s place, with sessions that feature illustrious guest musicians such as veronica swift, nicolas payton en christian mcbride. cohen learned vintage piano styles through his regular gigs in jazz clubs and by collaborating with veterans such as benny golson, ron carter and jimmy cobb. as a finalist of the thelonious monk international piano competition, emmet cohen was received at the white house by president obama at age twenty-one.