Jazz Revelation Records Presents: Ripple Effect, November 15

Berklee’s student-run label Jazz Revelation Records (JRR) presents a concert featuring artists from the label’s latest album, Ripple Effect, on Thursday, November 15, at the Berklee Performance Center. Ripple Effect, JRR’s ninth release, showcases some of the college’s top young jazz players from around the world. The featured bandleaders—Daniel Rotem, Aris Valeris, Eduardo Mercuri, and Bryce Milano—hail from Israel, Greece, Brazil and the U.S., respectively.

JRR artists speak the traditional language of jazz in a new way. Ripple Effect is rooted in jazz, while each song “ripples” out to embrace other styles, including Americana/roots, hip-hop, funk, Latin, and pop. Listen to Ripple Effect at SoundCloud.com/julianweisser.

Jazz Revelation Records Presents: Ripple Effect—A Concert Celebration takes place November 15, 8:15 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC), 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA. Tickets are $8 in advance; $12 day of show; general admission. Purchase tickets at berkleebpc.com or at the BPC Box Office. The venue is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 617 747-2261. Can't make it to the show? The event will stream live on Concert Window.

Jazz Revelation Records was formed by a group of students passionate about jazz to present the top Berklee composers and performers in the genre. Since 2007, associate professor Kevin McCluskey has shepherded the label as faculty advisor and executive producer. The label has benefitted greatly from McCluskey’s background in marketing, advertising, music production, and running his own boutique label for six years.

Dan Bui, Olivia Fortunato, and Dante Vallee are the latest in a line of students whose main responsibilities include choosing an artist roster, recording an album, and producing an annual showcase concert. “Working at JRR is a fantastic opportunity to apply everything we learn in the classroom to the running of a functioning record label,” said Bui, producer of this year’s concert. “We are all extremely excited about the artists, and we feel they each contribute their unique voices and define jazz in their own way.”

JRR promotes the careers of its student artists through performance opportunities in the New England area, offering added educational value and experience for both the artists and label staff. The label has released nine full-length compilation CDs: Rebirth, Two, Ars Nova, The New Old School, Common Ground, Dedication, Birds of a Feather, Octave, and Ripple Effect. JRR’s back catalog is available at cdbaby.com.

About the artists:

Daniel Rotem Trio is led by student saxophonist Rotem, who studied at Israel’s Thelma Yellin High School for Arts, Shtricker Conservatory, and Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music before coming to Berklee in 2011. Rotem has performed with a long list of jazz stalwarts, including Dave Liebman, Reggie Workman, Lionel Loueke, George Garzone, and Michael Blake. He was also a featured guest at a joint performance with India Arie and Israeli composer and vocalist Idan Raichel. Rotem’s group is rounded out by student Roberto Giaquinto (drums), and alumnus Yonatan Marianer (bass).

Aris Valeris Quartet is led by alumnus Valeris, a pianist from Greece. His quartet blends traditional jazz with hip-hop beats and elements of funk and electronic music. The son of theater directors, Valeris had composed music for more than 40 of his parents’ plays before he left for college. After earning several awards for classical piano, he began studying jazz improvisation. This led him to Berklee, where he studied film scoring and piano performance. Aris Valeris Quartet also features students Lorenzo Ferrero (saxophone), Tony Solis (bass), and Max Mohn (drums).

Eduardo Mercuri is a guitarist, mandolinist, composer, and arranger from Curitiba, Brazil, who earned a degree in music education from Parana College of Art before coming to Berklee. Mercuri’s latest group is the Eduardo Mercuri Quintet, mixing Brazilian rhythms with modern jazz textures. He also led the Jazz Cigano Quintet and recorded with world music groups Omundô and Bayaka, and Trio Receita de Samba. Mercuri’s quintet includes students Juan Alejandro Saenz (drums), Gustavo D'Amico (saxophone), Paul Sanchez (trumpet), and Do-Young Kim (bass).

Bryce Milano, a mandolinist from Philadelphia, PA, is a student in Berklee’s American Roots Music Program. On “Megatune,” Milano fuses folk and roots with jazz improvisation, making a unique addition to Jazz Revelation Records’ catalog. A child prodigy, Milano was mentored by Mike Marshall and has performed with Darol Anger, rising folk band Joy Kills Sorrow, and others. He has performed throughout the U.S. at festivals and radio programs, including SiriusXM, WXPN, and WGBH. Milano’s group features students Nori Shiota (bass), Diego Ramirez (drums), and Devon Yesberger (piano), and former Five Week Performance Program student Roni Eytan (harmonica).

Press Contact:
Margot Edwards
Berklee Media Relations
medwards@berklee.edu
617 747-2004