WOBEON- 2015 Austin Jazz Fusion Festival

When:
September 13, 2015 @ 3:30 pm – 10:00 pm
2015-09-13T15:30:00-07:00
2015-09-13T22:00:00-07:00
Where:
Ironwood Hall
505 East 7th Street
Austin, TX 78701
USA
Cost:
$25
Contact:
Jakes Srinivasan

Wobeon Announces 3rd Annual Austin World Music Festival and Adds Jazz Fusion Festival!
Star Power Includes Billy Cobham Spectrum 40, Vieux Farka Toure and Scott Henderson Trio
TICKETS: http://wobeonfest.com/tickets2015

AUSTIN, TX – WOBEONFEST returns to Ironwood Hall in Downtown Austin this September, marking the third year of the homegrown festival with a global reach. In addition to the World Music Festival, the organizers have added a Jazz Fusion Festival to the 2-day gathering, which will feature drum legend Billy Cobham (of Mahavishnu Orchestra fame) and guitar great Scott Henderson on Sunday, September 13th. Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure, who is fondly referred to as the “Jimi Hendrix of the Sahara,” will headline the World Music Festival on Saturday, September 12th. Festival attendees can also participate in the pre-festival conference comprised of panel discussions and individual presentations specifically designed for internationally-minded Texans. Billy Cobham brings his Spectrum 40 quartet with jazz greats Dean Brown and Ric Fierabracci to the inaugural Jazz Fusion Festival. The band celebrates the music of Cobham’s first album and performs in the spirit of the rich 1970s Fusion era. Scott Henderson and his new trio with Travis Carlton and Alan Hertz will also be featured. Henderson is best known for his innovative work with fusion band Tribal Tech, and for his role with Joe Zawinul and The Zawinul Syndicate. Festival Founder Jakes Srinivasan speaks on the event’s new extension: “We are always looking at breaking new ground with the kind of music we curate. If you see the many, many shows and artists we’ve promoted and presented over the last 3 years, you’ll see that you can’t necessarily put these bands in neat boxes.”He elaborates, “All music is world music, as they say, and there’s a huge pool of great artists – even right here in our own backyard that are incredibly exciting to watch and hear, but for whatever reason don’t get the same share of voice or airplay as we think they deserve. World Music falls in that category, so does Jazz Fusion.” Jazz fusion is a progressive amalgamation of Rock and Jazz that blossomed in the ’70s and ’80s, and continues to have a tremendous global, yet simultaneously niche, following. Fans of legendary artists like Chick Corea, Miles Davis, and Weather Report continue to harbor their passion for jazz fusion even today. Of late, bands like Grammy®-winning Snarky Puppy are bringing new fans to this exciting genre. In 2014, Wobeon introduced Dallas-based jazz fusion band Funky Knuckles to festival fans and received great feedback. Producing separately-programmed days with single-day ticketing for each of the two genres allows both audience bases to get a full sampling of music closest to their interest. Local jazz guitarist Glenn Rexach, rising fusion stars Curious Android, and local group Collin Shook Quintet round out the lineup. Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure and his quintet headline the 3rd annual World Music Festival, the most prominent festival of its kind in the capital city. The son of the legendary Ali Farka Toure, Vieux brings a fiery electric rock and blues edge to his melodic dexterity. Also confirmed are Ugandan global fusion multi-instrumentalist Kinobe and Global Junction, local Afrobeat favorite Hard Proof, Eastern Soul diva Naga Valli and Brazilian-influenced outfit Mente Clara. Austin-based Atlas Maior returns to the festival and Bollywood dance troupe Agni the Dance Company. The SunRay Project will provide tunes for the World Music Festival after party. Wobeon has featured renowned artists from all corners of the world, from Angola to Morocco to Brooklyn, and from right here in Austin. Afropop queen Angelique Kidjo, Bermuda reggae sensation Collie Buddz, Electro-cumbia party starters Bomba Estereo, and big beat bhangra juggernauts Red Baraat have all performed at the gathering, along with local favorites like Atash, Bramaya, and Maracatu Texas. This festival is made possible in part by the generosity and support of organizations such as KUTX Radio Austin, the City of Austin Cultural Affairs Division of the Economic Development Department, Texas Folklife, Ironwood Hall and others.

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