Michele Rosewoman / Michele Rosewoman's New Yor-Uba

About the Project

With support from partnering organizations, Michele Rosewoman will curate a program that explores junctions of contemporary jazz and Cuban cultural traditions, featuring her New Yor-Uba ensemble joined by Francisco Mora Catlett's Afro Horn and Roman Diaz's Rumba Ensemble for a live performance through Arts for Art (NYC) to be filmed for a HotHouseGlobal online national Cuban TV (and international) broadcast that will include a HotHouse roundtable reunion and community engagement partner Habana/Harlem (NYC) panels/interviews.

Residency Location

New York, NY

About the Artist

For 4 decades pianist/composer/educator Michele Rosewoman has expanded the horizons of jazz while remaining firmly rooted in tradition. A fearless bandleader & mentor, she’s released 10 recordings as leader on Blue Note/Enja/SoulNote/Toshiba-EMI & her own Advance Dance Disques label. Her long-standing Quintessence ensemble has consistently brought together the most inventive voices in jazz. Her New Yor-Uba ensemble presents an uncompromised synthesis of contemporary jazz & traditional Cuban folkloric music (including Yoruba/Nigeria, Arara/ Dahomey, Abakua/Calabar and rumba/guaguanco, a uniquely Cuban musical form), uniting master musicians from both worlds. She's performed with many world renowned  jazz & Latin artists including Julian Priester, Jimmy Heath, Gary Bartz, Steve Coleman, Billy Hart, Freddie Waits, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ralph Peterson, Julius Hemphill, Reggie Workman, Celia Cruz, Paquito D’Rivera and Chocolate among many others. Her innovative projects have received critical acclaim & prestigious grants. Highlights include NEA (1983), ASCAP/Meet the Composer Commission for Emerging Composers (1984) awarded by Dizzy Gillespie/Marian McPartland/Lester Bowie, premiered by the 40-piece Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra+quintet of improvisers & 25x Meet The Composer recipient. She received 4 Chamber Music America/ New Works Creation & Presentation Commissions (2015, 2008, 2006, 2003), won a 2016 Latin Jazz Grammy as pianist/composer for her contribution to an Arturo O'Farrill big band release & a 2020 Jazz Coalition Commission. She’s presented her ensembles internationally at festivals/concert halls/clubs /universities including Ravinia/Chicago/Atlanta/Montreal/Vancouver/Paris/Berlin & Warsaw jazz festivals, the Kennedy Center/Carnegie Recital & Merkin Halls/ MOMA/Museum of Natural History, Berklee College, New York/Stanford/Amherst & Temple Universities, Dizzy's Lincoln Center/Keystone Korner/Birdland/Jazz Standard & many others. She’s composed/arranged music for duo through big band & orchestra settings. She is a dedicated educator with over 45 years experience as clinician/instructor at major educational institutions & as private instructor of piano, performance and composition. She is a current Chamber Music America board member. ""No other pianist-composer in jazz brings the music of the African diaspora together quite like Michele Rosewoman. Simply put, she's one of the most creative and fully realized jazz artists on the scene today."" CD NOW