A large number of people enjoyed musical evenings with the renowned American Jazz band, Ari Roland Jazz Quartet, at the US consul general’s residence on Saturday and a hotel on Sunday. The musical evenings were arranged as part of the American Festival of Arts, which opened in July and would end in this spring. The performers were Ari Jon Roland (bass), Zaid Nabeel Naseer (alto saxophone), Christopher Lawrence Byars (tenor saxaphone) and Keith Gregory Balla (drums) They also produced a “Friendship” song in collaboration with the Pakistani musical band Fuzon. Welcoming the US band, the acting US consul general, Jason Knight said that they are no strangers to Pakistan, as they previously performed here in 2009.
He said that the universal language of music provides an opportunity for Pakistanis and Americans to foster cross-cultural understanding and reinforce their shared goals and values. US Consulate Information Officer Amanda Cauldwell and Cultural Affairs Officer Tony Jones were also present on the occasion. The Ari Roland Jazz Quartet is from New York City. Their music is inspired by the great masters of Jazz – Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie – and the Quartet members learned to play under the guidance of the living legends of Jazz in New York. The group always performs songs from the Golden Age of Jazz (1930’s – 1950’s), and their own original compositions have been celebrated by jazz critics from around the world.
In addition to their performances in New York and busy touring schedule, they direct international Jazz programmes bringing young musicians from across the globe together to play jazz
Ari Roland became a fully professional jazz bassist in New York City at the age of 16. Ari also received classical training for five years at The Juilliard School. He has worked with many of the most significant figures in jazz, including Barry Harris, Betty Carter, Lou Donaldson, Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts and Harry Connick Jr. His three CDS as a bandleader on Smalls Records have earned wide-spread critical acclaim in the international jazz press. As a “Jazz Ambassador” for the US Department of State, Ari has traveled to 27 different countries for 58 programmes in the past four years.
Chris Byars, a native of New York City, began his professional career singing with The Metropolitan Opera Company at the age of six, taking up the saxophone at 14. He is equally recognised as an outstanding composer and arranger, having received prestigious awards, grants and commissions from many organizations, including The Tanne Foundation and Chamber Music America. Chris has been on the faculty of Jazz At Lincoln Center, and in 2009 was awarded a major grant for an 18 part series bringing jazz and the music of Bashir Quasim into the New York City Public School System. With Ari Roland, he co-leads the continuing “Bi-Communal Jazz Futures” programme in Cyprus, sponsored by the US Embassy Nicosia.
Zaid Nasser was born and raised in New York. He is the son of jazz and blues master Jamil Nasser and learned directly from the legends of jazz themselves. At 19, he returned to Memphis, the birthplace of the blues, playing for two years with Calvin Newborn. Returning to New York, he was a featured soloist with Panama Frances’ “Savoy Sultans”, and with the pioneering jazz organist Bill Doggett. His CDs have been included on many critics’ annual “Top Ten” lists, and he performs regularly in New York City. He has also toured in Europe, The Middle East and throughout Asia as a bandleader and for the US Department of State.
Keith Balla was born in Austen, Texas. He moved to New York City in 2004. A student of master drummer and teacher Kenny Washington, Keith began working professionally in New York at the age of 17. In addition to national tours, he performs regularly in New York with many of the city’s dynamic young jazz artists. Recognised for his musical maturity, he is also sought after by the older generation for his supportive and interactive accompaniment style. He has presented jazz drum clinics to musicians of all levels in the US and internationally, tours frequently for the State Department in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and continues to record in New York.
