CAPE VERDEAN NEWS “Coollywood-the Guide”

GUITARIST PETER HAND AND TRIO GAVE A STELLAR PERFORMANCE HONORING HORACE SILVER By Tom Lopes Editor November, 2011 New Bedford, MA

New York based guitarist/composer/bandleader Peter Hand assembled a treat of a trio for his first ever New Bedford performance, which was held at the Wamsutta Club in downtown on Saturday night, Oct. 22. Playing with Peter Hand were Santi Debriano on acoustic bass and Chris Poudrier on drums. The concert was another in the continuing series presented by Neil Weiss of Whaling City Sound with proceeds benefiting the YWCA of Southeastern Mass.

Although Peter Hand has strong New Bedford family connections, this concert was his first in the Whaling City. His resume is more than impressive, with recordings, arrangements and/or concerts with saxophonists Houston Person, Don Braden, Lee Konitz and George Coleman, pianists Richard Wyands and Helio Alves, trumpeter Claudio Roditi, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and many others. He performs with his trio, quartet and quintet in New York and New England, and has recently launched his own big band with a critically-acclaimed CD release.

The trio performed the music of legendary pianist and composer, Horace Silver. Dozens of his timeless jazz standards such as "Song for my Father," "Nica's Dream," "The Tokyo Blues," "Peace" and "Senor Blues" remain popular today. Silver's roots are Cape Verdean, and one of his most popular songs, "The Cape Verdean Blues," combines (as Horace himself put it) "Cape Verdean folk music, the Brazilian samba, and good old American blues".

Santi Debriano performs in the New York area, Paris and southern France. He has been a regular member of groups led by Freddie Hubbard, Pharaoh Sanders, Louis Hayes, Billy Hart and Larry Coryell, among others. He has several CDs under his own name, from straight ahead to fusion and hard bop and world music. Santi spent two and half years teaching at UMass Dartmouth, inspiring many young musicians now out playing, and dazzling audiences with his driving sound, virtuosic technique, inventive flights and beautiful ballad playing. This trio provided Santi with a wonderful, sympathetic frame to communicate with the audience, both as an accompanist and on his solo opportunities.

Chris Poudrier is the de facto house drummer for the SouthCoast jazz scene, and there are several sound reasons for that. He is an exciting player who always knows exactly what is appropriate at the moment and then executes it flawlessly. Andy McWain, Jim Robitaille, and Dino Govoni are just some of the names who want Chris behind them if they are doing a real jazz gig. He is one of those players who gets better every time you hear him, and there are very few musicians who love the act of playing their instruments the way Chris loves to be behind his drums.

The Wamsutta Club was an ideal setting to hear acoustic jazz. Although this was a concert, the intimacy and comfort make you feel as though you have this internationally acclaimed band in your living room, playing just for you. Peter Hand is looking to return once again to the Whaling City perhaps sometime in the Spring; however, next time he is looking to bring his quartet. —————————————————————————————————————