Cottonwood News – Join us for a unique evening on Saturday, March 19th when Max Ribner and 1st Language take the stage at the Old Town Center for the Arts in Cottonwood. A ‘concert style’ format will begin at 7:00 PM. After a short intermission, the floor will be cleared for dance, beginning at 8:30 PM. Patrons purchasing a ‘concert’ ticket have the option of staying for the dance. At a reduced ticket price, attendees can attend just the dance portion of the evening. This concert and dance evening is sponsored by ChocolaTree Organic Oasis of Sedona.
What are the common threads that bridge jazz, soul, and classical music with spiritual connection and community service? This is the question that drives international touring artist Max Ribner. The sound that answers is rich, reverent, and intimate, connecting us through the lineage of music, to the stories of our ancestors.
Max’s message as a musical artist is clear: Our musical voices can create an unshakeable oneness that when played and sung together, will crumble the walls of injustice and isolation.1st Language is a sonic calling together of our collective humanity. An evening with Max Ribner and 1st Language is more of an event rather than concert. For this special evening at Old Town Center for the Arts, ‘1st Language’ will be composed of: Max Ribner (horn and vocals), Steph Orsini (bass), Sam Frampton (guitar), and Damian Flores (drums).
Mixing his classical background with a passion for improvisational music, Max’s unique approach to flugelhorn and trumpet has led him to perform with artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Nahko and Medicine For The People, Trevor Hall, Polish Ambassador, Liv Warfield, Sol Rising, and more.
The result of years of collaboration with such a broad musical community is powerfully illustrated on Max’s debut solo album, 1st Language. The 11-song debut album brings 50+ artists together in a cross-continental collaboration for the ages. Featured artists include: Bobby Sparks II (Roy Hargrove, Snarky Puppy,) Mark Lettieri (Snarky Puppy,) Saeeda Wright (Prince,) Sharay Reed (Chaka Kahn,) to name a few.In addition, the album was mixed by Grammy award winning mix engineer, Ben Kane (D’Angelo PJ Morton and Emily King). This solidified Max’s passion for musical activism connecting him with like-minded musicians that shared his vision for community service. 1st Language is a sonic calling together of our collective humanity.
Born in a coastal town between New York City and Boston, Max was drawn into the music-rich culture of the area. This drive led Max to a scholarship at Berklee College of Music, where he found mentorship among many of Jazz’s greatest artists. Upon leaving the immersive musical experience of Berklee, Max made a pivotal move to Portland, Oregon to explore land-based environmental action with Americorps. This ushered in a chapter of community work which has culminated into ongoing projects such as working with youth music projects, bringing music to jails, and funding clean water projects in the Adzokoe Peki community in Ghana. In 2007, Max connected with Nahko & Medicine For The People and began touring internationally. This solidified Max’s passion for musical activism connecting him with like-minded musicians that shared his vision for community service.
Join us for Max Ribner and 1st Language, Saturday, March 19th at 7:00 PM. Old Town Center for the Arts Is located at 5th Street & Main in Old Town Cottonwood. Tickets for Max Ribner and 1st Language are $20 in advance, $22 at the door, and $25 for priority seating in the first three rows. Tickets for the 8:30 PM Dance Party alone are $15. Tickets are available online at www.showtix4u.com or in Cottonwood at Mysterium and In Sedona, you can find tickets at The Mary D. Fisher Theater. For ticket prices and more information about these and other upcoming events, visit www.oldtowncenter.org,