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AMBIENT JAZZ DUO are Dr. Michael Yoder - Bass & Rogelio Montemayor - Trumpet. They are a performing and recording duo based in Laredo, United States. Original compositions by Dr. Michael Yoder, based on a linear-chordless harmonic philosophy, are featured in art gallery and coffee house performances. Some can be heard on the upcoming CD. For live performances in coffee houses, restaurants, and private parties, carefully selected jazz standards (ballads, post-bop, and bossas) are among the duo’s repertoire. Yoder’s compositional style is influenced by the “post-Shorter” trends in progressive jazz, as well as European chamber jazz, such as that heard on the ECM, Black Saint, Hat Art, Enja, and Resonant Music labels.
THE CHORDLESS DUO PHILOSOPHY: Often, the harmonic dimension of jazz is “defined” for the listener by the chords of a piano, guitar, or electronic keyboards. By contrast, “chordless” jazz, music stripped to its essentials that includes a melodic/lead line and a bass line, presents a subtle challenge to the listener to discover for herself/himself the harmonic context of the music. In the case of AJD, counterpoint between bass and trumpet suggests a spacious harmonic, or "spartial" pattern that does not overpower the audience/listener, but invites the listener into the expressed subtleties of the performance.
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AJD finished recording their first CD, tentatively entitled "Tree Rings: Live in the Studio" on Grazing Pigeon Records. It features six original jazz compositions with extended improvisation sections. Check back to this site for updated information including release date and how to order a copy.
AJD are available for performances in coffee houses, at jazz festivals, and in art galleries, in addition to private functions. Call (956) 725-9494 or (956) 725-6781 for bookings, or contact AJD by internet at [email protected].
The recording philosophy: AJD prefer to record “live in the studio” to two-track analogue. Both the trumpet microphone signal and the direct bass signal are routed to optical compressors, pre-mixing desk. Their respective signals are then routed to digital reverb in the mixing desk before the final output goes to tape. The simple mastering process involves nothing more than producing consistent gain from song to song.
The performance philosophy: Michael and Rogelio prefer to perform acoustically to a room, to capture the essence of a room’s aesthetics, as opposed to artificially amplifying and colouring the music through a public address (PA) system. The duo’s small but audiophile PA system, however, can be utilised for venues in larger rooms and/or with larger audiences.
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Acoustic
