Beirut - Future Steps at Jazzaar Festival 2014

Featured Artists: Randy Brecker (tp), Mike Mainieri (Vib), Christian Jacob (p), Alphonso Johnson (b), Rodney Holmes (dr), Kevin Bryan (ltp), Markus Hauser (s,fl) and Christian Kramer (btb) Beirut (Mike Mainieri, Michael Brecker, Chuck Loeb, Victor Bailey and Peter Erskine) Arranged by Fritz K Renold Chris Sommer-ss, Markus Hauser-ss, Christoph Huber-fl, Felix Piringer-ewi, Frederik Baatz-bs, Kevin Bryan-tp1, Benjamin Lindner-tp2, Silvan Schmid-tp3, Randy Brecker-tp4, Marco Leibach-tb1, Sebastian Wey-tb2, Christian Kramer-btb, Claude Stucki-g, Mike Mainieri-vib, Christian Jacob-kbd, Ani Wollstein-p, Sharon Renold-b, Rodney Holmes-dr, Marcio de Sousa-perc. Soloists: Felix Piringer - ewi and Mike Mainieri-vib INTRODUCING FUTURE STEPS The Swiss Youth Jazz Orchestra 2014 plays primarily original music written by Fritz Renold in the style of the acclaimed Jazz-fusion band Steps Ahead first known as ‘Steps’ in the early 1980′s. The production also showcases several of ‘Steps Ahead’s’ initiator and vibraphonist Mike Mainieri’s compositions from the old recordings now set in a jazz orchestra formation. Directing the ensemble is Fritz Renold, Jazzaar Festival’s music director. The Future Steps production presents the wonders of young talents working closely with professionals, some of whom were actual members of ‘Steps Ahead’ (‘Steps’). By so doing the young musicians were handed down a legacy and a musical heritage, raising their own levels of musicality and proficiency in the process. The tunes were written by Fritz Renold and Mike Mainieri while arranged and orchestrated for the Swiss Youth Jazz Orchestra by prolific writers such as Gil Goldstein, Christian Jacob, Jamshied Sharifi, Fritz Renold, Corey Allen and Bob Freedman. Future Steps is a ‘Bandstand Learning with Role Models’ production premiered at Jazzaar Festival, Aarau, Switzerland.