Internationally acclaimed pianist Neil Pearlman celebrates the release of his first solo piano album, Refractions. A respected improviser and jazz pianist, Neil is particularly known for bringing a fresh take to the role of the piano in Scottish folk music. On Refractions these threads come together as he gathers melodies from the Gaelic song, bagpipe and fiddle repertoires and reimagines them on the piano. “I often describe my solo piano pieces as looking at a tune through a prism” he writes, referring to the way his improvisations highlight different facets of the melody each time. In this special album release concert Neil will present the album in full along with a few other favorite selections. Some of the pieces treat the source as a springboard for improvisation, some explore the wealth of melodic variations that already exist in the tradition and others let the simple beauty of the melodies shine.
Neil grew up in the Portland area and is currently based here. He has deep ties to the jazz and folk music communities in Maine, and has long-running relationships with both Maine Jazz Camp and Maine Fiddle Camp. He tours regularly in a duo with Shetland fiddler Kevin Henderson and in several projects with fiddler Katie McNally, as well as appearing more infrequently with a host of other projects. He is also the host of the TradCafe podcast, a series of conversations and collaborations with great musicians from a wide variety of music traditions.
SPONSORED BY
Portland Conservatory of Music, 28 Neal St. Portland, ME 04102
Tickets: $5 Student, $15 Senior, $20 Advance, $25 Door
Doors at 7PM, Show at 7:30PM