Francois and Louis Moutin © Pamela Espeland

“Evoking the patina of old-world cities and the allure of drowning memories…” --Franz Matzner, All About Jazz

On Thursday night, June 21^st, New Yorkers can celebrate the solstice by llistening to the Moutin Reunion Quartet at Sweet Rhythm—surely the apogee of internationally flavored modern jazz. The Moutin Reunion Quartet is the “reunion” of bassist Francois and drummer Louis Moutin, twin Parisian jazz artists touring in partnership with pianist Pierre de Bethmann and American saxophonist Rick Margitza.

Twin brothers Louis and Francois Moutin created the Moutin Reunion Quartet in 1999 as an outlet for performing their original compositions, a goal shared with Pierre de Bethmann and Rick Margitza. Over the past four years, the Quartet has toured throughout Europe and the U.S., generating high praise wherever they go.

Henry Grimes © Michael Jackson

Highlights of the 2007 Vision Festival include newly commissioned works by William Parker, Bill Dixon, and Roy Campbell (with support from the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors), and Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble (commissioned by Chamber Music America), as well as performances by Fieldwork, Spiritual Unity featuring Marc Ribot (with special guest Henry Grimes), Jayne Cortez and the Firespitters, Hamid Drake, Matthew Shipp Solo, Louis Moholo and Friends, T.E.C.K. String 4tet, Fred Anderson Trio, Amiri and Amina Baraka, Tim Berne, Ganelin Trio Priority, and much, much more. There will also be a special memorial tribute to the violinist Leroy Jenkins, featuring 50 violins under the direction of Billy Bang and Jason Kao Hwang. The full schedule follows.

Young alto saxophonist/composer Pete Robbins and his Centric ensemble have been garnering accolades in the Big Apple and beyond. Centric combines musical styles in a manner “that is progressive yet always engaging” (Mark Turner). A recipient of a 2006 Chamber Music America grant for jazz composition, Robbins’ new release, Waits and Measures (Playscape), has received rave reviews. This performance of Centric features Sam Sadigursky on tenor and soprano sax, Eliot Cardinaux on Nord Electro keyboard, Thomas Morgan on bass, and Dan Weiss on drums. Sadigursky and Weiss also appear on Waits and Measures, which includes keyboardist Eliot Krimsky and drummer Dan Weiss.

A Boston native, Pete Robbins studied at Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music before moving to New York in 2002. In addition to his own ensembles, he has collaborated with such innovative musicians as Mark Dresser, Randy Peterson, Daniel Levin and Mary Halvorson. In addition to appearances as New York clubs such as the 55 Bar, Tonic, Cornelia Street Café and Bowery Poetry Club, Robbins regular appears in other east coast cities and in European venues and festivals. In 2004, he curated a jazz series at Cornelia Street that earned him recognition from the Village Voice as the season’s featured jazz artist. Robbins released his first recording, Centric, in 2003. He plans to return to the recording studio this spring.