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Mysterious Traveler - Dan Nosheny
Dec 17, 2017
Mysterious Traveler 4 Concert Series
January 29th, 2018 - 7PM | Dan Nosheny
Parkway Central Library | Montgomery Auditorium
1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1189
All events in this series are FREE.
Mysterious Travelers 4: Further Investigations - a collaboration between The Free Library of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Jazz Project. Back by overwhelming popular demand! FREE concerts on Monday nights from September 2017 through May 2018; audiences will hear from veteran, as well as up-and-coming musicians who are shaping the future sounds of Philadelphia with a sharp ear to the legacies of our past. This season our artists will continue to celebrate the massive and amazing collections of the Free Library by exploring them as a source of inspiration for the creation of new musical works.
Dan Nosheny has been performing across a wide array of genres and styles for over two decades. A highly sought multi-instrumentalist in the Philadelphia music scene, he has been featured on accordion and baritone with the Balkan brass band the West Philadelphia Orchestra, on tuba with Ensemble Anomaly, and on trombone/tuba/accordion with Cuban master percussionist, Francois Zayas. His projects blend traditional jazz styles with avant-garde and pop culture elements in whimsical, dreamlike, and downright funky combos. Dan has performed with Christian McBride, McCoy Tyner, and Laurie Anderson, and has been a featured performer with the Violent Femmes since 1999.
Tuba, Euphonium, Sousaphonist and composer, Dan Nosheny will be our next guest artist in the Mysterious Traveler Concert Series. In his concert, Dan Nosheny will utilize Russian composer, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky’s, classic piano suite, "Pictures At An Exhibition" as a vehicle to examine the architecture, holdings and mystique of the 100+ year old, Central Branch of the Free Library Of Philadelphia itself.
PJP spoke with Dan Nosheny, about his music, approach and the new project that he will reveal in the Mysterious Traveler Concert Series.
PJP: Can you briefly describe your musical direction?
Dan Nosheny: My education was in classical tuba, but since graduating I have performed in almost every conceivable genre. I perform in a variety of jazz groups, I run my own polka band, I play in both a David Bowie and Johnny Cash cover band, and I perform and record with bands, such as the Violent Femmes. I love the diversity of my performing and don’t think I could ever settle down to one style.
PJP: What and whom are pivotal musical influences on your creative approach?
Dan Nosheny: In 2001 I had an opportunity to perform with the hiphop orchestra, Dakah in Los Angeles. Hearing the blend of hiphop, big band, orchestra, and less common instruments like sitar and jaw harp combine into a single entity has inspired me to be open-minded about the directions I can take in my own musical journey. It’s not as concrete as “are you a jazz musician, or are you an orchestral musician.” It’s really about imagining whatever you want to create and having the courage to bring that vision into reality.
PJP: What are you going to present at the Mysterious Traveler Concert Series?
Dan Nosheny: My concert is entitled, Impressions Of An Exposition, based on the Russian composer, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky’s, "Pictures At An Exhibition." I plan to give a musical tour of the library’s various sections, from the grand hall in the entrance, through the various rooms throughout the building. So, my concert is about the very library itself.
PJP: Why is this theme/concept so important?
Dan Nosheny: The Free Library of Philadelphia has been a part of my life since I was a child. I vividly remember, the first time I walked in, made a left, and found the music section with its turntables and scores of scores. Having been to libraries in many cities, I recognize that a library is not just a data center, but a cultural monument. The Philadelphia take on it, with its amazing facade and cavernous ceilings, is one that deserves to be celebrated.
PJP: Can you explain your process and the steps that led to this performance?
Dan Nosheny: I’m still in the early stages of it… but I plan to explore the library thoroughly across the next few months to get a feel for each of the spaces before crafting musical sketches to capture their essence.
Check out Dan Nosheny in action with the Polished Brass Ensemble
PJP: How do you manage the task of creating and encouraging fresh, new, forwarding moving musical ideas while simultaneously exploring, celebrating and documenting the past?
Dan Nosheny: I find that so much of music is blending the past with the present. We take ideas that were pivotal to us and explore them in directions, we hadn’t imagined possible. It’s built into the way we listen to music and the way our brains work.
PJP: When listening to your music what advice would you give the audience to assist with greater understanding and enjoyment?
Dan Nosheny: While certainly not necessary, take a listen to a recording of Mussorgsky’s, Pictures At An Exhibition orchestrated by Ravel. I’ll be exploring the same concept of individual sketches combined with an overarching “promenade” theme. Plus, Pictures At An Exhibition is such a great piece of music in the first place!
PJP: Why Jazz? When you could be doing anything else, Why this music?
Dan Nosheny: Oh, but I am doing everything else! Jazz is a balanced part of a nutritious breakfast. Additionally, jazz is so flexible that it’s rare to find a genre that cannot be classified, or interpreted as jazz.
Mysterious Traveler 4 Concert Series
January 29th, 2018 - 7PM | Dan Nosheny
Parkway Central Library | Montgomery Auditorium
1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1189
All events in this series are FREE.
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Mysterious Traveler 4 - Further Investigations Concert Series is produced by Philadelphia Jazz Project in collaboration with The Free Library of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Jazz Project is a sponsored project of the Culture Trust | Greater Philadelphia, with funding provided by The Philadelphia Foundation.
