Jazz Meets Rock |
Tenor and soprano saxophonist Alec Haavik, hailing from the New York
City area, is now based in Shanghai, China. His urban, yet personable
compositions fuse the multi-textured language of jazz with the raw
energy of rock. The result is an array of tunes which cause listeners
to both scream and reflect, laugh and grow quiet. This complexity is
captured on Alec's latest CD, Alec Haavik Friction Five, due out this
winter.
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Raised in the New York City area, Alec has performed internationally in
a broad array of jazz and performance groups. During his eight years on
the scene in New York City, he performed or recorded with such artists
as Jane Monheit, Ronnie Burrage, Daniel Carter, Taro Koyama, Gregory
Hutchinson, Shoko Nagai, and Eric Harland, among others. Alec's CD from
this period, entitled "Rocks," features a quintet with not one, but two
electric guitars. The video of his charged-yet-classic tune, "Instant Death, Part 2," (as
recorded by a quartet) appears on this website.
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Prior to Shanghai, Alec lived in Taipei, Taiwan, where he performed at
top jazz and Latin music venues including The Blue Note, Brown Sugar,
and The Stage. He also appeared regularly at Club 75, with local
legends Roberto Zayas and Xiao Bai. In 2003, Alec performed in Seoul,
Korea, as saxophonist and flautist for Musical: The Play, an original
theatrical production.
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During his Master's Program at the Manhattan School of Music, Alec
studied with Dick Oatts and Mark Turner. More recently, Alec has
studied with Ralph Bowen, Dave Tofani and George Garzone.
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At a benefit performance in Hangzhou.
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