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Sat, Jul 30

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Location is TBD

Graham Hawthorne & The High Standards Orchestra

Time & Location

Jul 30, 2016, 7:00 PM

Location is TBD

About the Event

THE HSO came together almost by accident… In  2009, Graham Hawthorne, (Drums, Leader, Arranger), finished a year long  world tour with Art-pop legend David Byrne. Finding himself home and  without any immediate musical projects, he decided to put together a  small Big-Band just for fun. His roots were in Big Band and Jazz, and in  the early days of his career he had worked with Jazz legends such as  Ira Sullivan, Jon Hendricks, Randy Brecker, Hubert Laws. But that was  long ago, and his career took a different path as he became one of the  most in demand musicians in New York with credits as diverse as Paul  Simon, Beyonce, Harry Belafonte, Suzanne Vega. It had long been  his feeling that much of modern Jazz music had lost touch with the real  essence of early Jazz, which was above all POPULAR MUSIC –  Entertainment; music for feeling good, dancing, toe-tapping, singing  along and romancing. So, he called up a bunch of like-minded friends and The HSO was born. They  began by playing concerts once every few weeks in Hawthorne’s Harlem  NYC Townhouse - dancing, partying and booze in a NYC apartment. The  attendance quickly grew to more than 100 people, with just as many  turned away. That may not sound like a lot but with a 13 piece band in a  700 square foot furnished apartment - you can imagine the heat that was  generated! Because you had to be on the exclusive mailing list to  get an invite to the show, people around NYC (including the New York  Times) began to refer to it as The Harlem Speakeasy Orchestra, or HSO. A  few years later that gave way to The High Standards Orchestra, keeping  the HSO acronym. After a few years of growing attention for the  band, Hawthorne realized that it had become more than a fun side  project, and two significant changes were made. The first was to find  bigger venues in which to play. The second was to update the repertoire  to include ALL eras of American popular song, and to treat the material  in fresh and often surprising ways - without losing the fun vibe of the  band and the shows. In 2015, The HSO began to do some shows in  New Orleans. Finding it a welcoming place for their music, they now  appear every Saturday at the renowned Carousel Bar, and once a month at  the local's favorite music bar Chickie Wah Wah’s. They also continue to play at least twice a month in NYC. Stay tuned for announcements about shows around the country! Graham  Hawthorne is one of the most highly regarded Drummer/Percussionists in  New York City. As a top call studio musician, he has played on hundreds  of records, movie soundtracks and jingles. discography He has also  toured and appeared live and on TV with a long list of major artists,  and a great many lesser known but equally talented artists. live+tv Known  for his a funky/soulful groove, fantastic sounds, outstanding  creativity, and open/communicative approach, his work is superlative  whatever the musical situation. In 2001 he took over the drum  chair with Paul Simon from drumming legend Steve Gadd, performing on the  Grammy awards, David Letterman, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a  50 city U.S. tour which culminated in a sold out show at Los Angeles’  Greek theater with Paul McCartney. simon From late 2003 until the present he has been the drummer of choice for visionary musician/artist David Byrne. byrne Graham  has traveled extensively to other continents to study and research  music, mastering many world rhythms and styles. This has led to working  with acclaimed world music and crossover artists. world In the jazz world, Graham has toured or recorded with a number of celebrated artists and musicians. jazz More  than just a great drummer, he is also acclaimed for his work as a  visionary leader, producer and as an excellent clinician and teacher. Graham  released his first solo CD, MBALAFUNK, in 2002 – it is a combination of  all of his musical influences, underpinned by Senegalese Rhythm and  Drumming. Ahead of it’s time, it’s seamless integration of elements is  unrivaled in the short history of world-pop music.

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