Ensembles

The Randy Armstrong Trio

Featuring Randy Armstrong, Volker Nahrmann and Jose Duque

New Acoustic | World Fusion | Jazz

Always on the absolute cutting edge of the musical world, the Randy Armstrong Trio featuring Volker Nahrmann and Jose Duque perform original World Fusion Music and Contemporary Jazz.

While some people talk about “one world” and “understanding all cultures”, the Randy Armstrong Trio lives this concept with their in-depth study and presentation of music drawn from sources as diverse as mainstream American jazz, Native American flute playing, African Drumming, and North Indian sitar motifs—all blended by the ingenious combination of acoustic, high-tech, and synthesized technology.

And this is just for starters: Armstrong, Nahrmann, and Duque will perform on over 50 traditional and ethnic World Music Instruments from around the world. Randy Armstrong, a renowned Guitarist, was signed to the Los Angeles, California-based DOMO Record label with distribution by the MVD Entertainment Group.

The trio performances will include music from acoustic Guitarist and percussionist Randy Armstrong’s solo album, “No Regrets,” featuring a stunning array of eleven songs including a new arrangement of the Miles Davis classic “Blue in Green”. The Portsmouth Herald stated, “No Regrets” is a strong musical statement from a musician whose playing has defied categorization throughout most of his career. Whether it be on guitar, sitar, wood flute, or various percussion instruments, Armstrong takes the listener on a sonic joyride from start to finish.”

Alternate Guest Drummers/Percussionists: Marty Quinn & Bertram Lehmann

Randy Armstrong World Fusion Ensemble

A collective of talented musicians featuring Randy Armstrong, Volker Nahrmann, Jose Duque, Theo Martey, and Shamou, among others.

Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, Randy Armstrong, born in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia in the United States of America, has joined forces with four great musicians from around the globe to create Randy Armstrong World Fusion Ensemble. The ensemble features the talents of long-time collaborator, bassist, keyboard player, and composer, Volker Nahrmann from Hamburg, Germany; the immensely talented drummer and Latin percussionist, Jose Duque from Caracas, Venezuela; Theo Martey, a dynamic drummer and dancer from Accra, Ghana in West Africa, specializing in African Drumming; and the sensational Middle-Eastern, Latin, and African-style percussionist, Shamou originally from Tehran, Iran.

All bandleaders of various groups, each musician brings virtuosic vitality to their performances creating music on a stage filled with a spectacular array of over 100 World Music Instruments. The Randy Armstrong World Fusion Ensemble performs percussion-driven original compositions and adaptations of traditional music from the four corners of the earth. Each musician is featured throughout the concert presentation, and the band also offers educational workshops and Artist in Residence Programs at schools, universities, and cultural institutions.

The musicians of the Randy Armstrong World Fusion Ensemble believe that music has the power to transform and uplift people from all walks of life. Recognizing the great diversity of languages, cultures, and lifestyles of people from around the world, they embrace the universal language of World Fusion Music and the belief that the Earth is One Country and All Humanity Its Citizens.

Special guest performers include: Marty Quinn, Bertram Lehmann, Henrique De Almeida, Ken Gable, Marcus Santos,  Charlie Jennison, Dana Oakes, and Steve Ferraris

Book the Randy Armstrong World Fusion Ensemble today.

GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE

• NH State Council on the Arts – Project Grants
• New England States Touring (NEST) – New England Foundation for the Arts

Beyond Borders

Featuring Randy Armstrong & Volker Nahrmann

World Fusion | Contemporary Jazz Ensemble

Randy Armstrong has been creating a fusion of Contemporary Jazz, western classical, and folk music with musical traditions and instruments from around the world for four decades. He co-founded the pioneering Do’a World Music Ensemble, which welcomed classical and Jazz Guitarist Volker Nahrmann from Hamburg, Germany on their fifth album, World Dance. This launched an enduring musical collaboration for Volker and Randy and the subsequent release of their Hand In Hand CD on the Global Pacific label as Unu Mondo in 1994.

“Ridiculously talented…”—Metroland

Inspired by their love of music and cultures, they tour and travel extensively, drawing inspiration from the world’s diversity. Their compositions take you on a global voyage, from the streets of Havana and Rio de Janeiro, the evocative traditions of India and the Middle East, to the romantic café and cinema music of France and Italy, the haunting sounds of the Native American pow wow, and the worldbeat rhythms of West Africa and the Caribbean, all blended with Contemporary Jazz, western classical, and folk music influences.

The dynamic BEYOND BORDERS OCTET brings world-class musicians to the stage for a mind-blowing global voyage in music. Their self-titled album, Beyond Borders, on the UMP Records label features several songs and tributes to Jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar, and Rock Guitarist George Harrison. The songs also feature many former members of Do’a and Unu Mondo, joined by outstanding world-class musicians from many countries. Five years in the making, Beyond Borders is a “Magnum Opus” for Armstrong and Nahrmann, a collection of songs composed over a 40-year span of creative output, dedicated to the belief that World Fusion Music has the power to uplift the human spirit and be a catalyst for change in the world.

Book the BEYOND BORDERS OCTET today.

Grant Funding Available

• NH State Council on the Arts – Project Grants
• New England States Touring (NEST) – New England Foundation for the Arts

Armstrong & Aichele

Featuring Randy Armstrong and Genevieve Aichele

 “This stunning collection of exotic tales from Ecuador, Africa, North America and India will take you and your child far from home.” –Woman’s Day Magazine

In 1992, Randy Armstrong and Genevieve Aichele began collaborating as Armstrong & Aichele, a performance ensemble that merges music, movement, storytelling, and theatre to animate timeless stories that appeal to audiences of all ages. Together they perform World Tales, with music played on traditional World Music Instruments—the Native American flute, the African djembe drum, and the North Indian sitar, just to name a few.

“The artists’ expressive delivery make this a fine, artistic piece.” – Billboard

Working as Artists-in-Residence at dozens of schools and community organizations throughout New England, Armstrong & Aichele have been the recipients of numerous grants from the NH State Council on the Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Their Artist in Residence Programs are widely recognized.

“World Tales is a beautiful example of storytelling at its best.” – Nashville Parent

Armstrong & Aichele: World Tales Volume One & Volume Two have won awards from the Parent’s Guide for Children’s Media; Parent’s Choice Foundation; National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA); and Children’s Music Web Award, among others.

“A thoroughly enchanting collection of stories from around the globe.” – New Age Retailer

Available for concerts, workshops and residencies. Catch performances on YouTube.

Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba

Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba perform South African, Zimbabwean, and Popular Songs on handmade South African Marimbas, Trinidad/Tobago Steel Pans, World Percussion, and Vocals. Their exciting collaborative concerts include performances with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops! and with choruses Voices From The Heart, Ben Baldwin and the Stairwells, Songweavers, and the WorldBeat Marimba Singers.

At a concert Voices From The Heart performed with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his family in attendance, a young group of talented and energetic South African Marimba players performed traditional songs and pop tunes that had the entire audience singing and dancing together. Even Papa Tutu got up to dance to the song, PATA PATA, made famous by South African singer, Miriam Makeba, and played brilliantly by the Marimba Band.

“Music is a great blessing. It has the power to elevate and liberate us. It sets people free to dream. It can unite us to sing with one voice.” — Nelson Mandela

At that moment, Randy, a renowned Guitarist and expert in World Fusion Music, was inspired to commission a set of South African Marimbas handcrafted by ethnomusicologist Gavin Coppenhall—African Ethos Instruments in Cape Town. The Marimbas arrived at the Port of New York on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2018, and the journey began.

Book the Randy Armstrong & WorldBeat Marimba Today.

Weekly group classes and private lessons

Join us at Beauty Hill Music Studios, Barrington, New Hampshire, for Weekly group classes and private lessons.

• For Info: 603.512.4325 or  Email: [email protected]
• Visit Us On FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldBeatMarimba

GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE

• NH State Council on the Arts – Project Grants
• New England States Touring (NEST) – New England Foundation for the Arts