Laura (Van Nostrand) Caviani '84
 |
Going There. Compact disc, 2005. In Your Own Sweet Way. Compact disc, 2001. Angels We Haven't Heard. Compact disc, 1999. As One. Compact disc, 1998. Dreamlife. Compact disc, 1995. |
Web site: lauracaviani.com
Laura Caviani is one of the Twin Cities' most in-demand pianists, and with good reason. Her musical acumen and versatility make her an easy choice whether the setting is small group, big band, full orchestra or solo. Going There (Caviani Music, 2005) is the new CD from Caviani, and it finds her in the setting where her talent shines brightest. Backed by Bob Bowman on bass and Todd Strait on drums (both long-time members of Karrin Allyson's rhythm section), Laura Caviani leads this jazz trio through nine original compositions and one rare cover, displaying a soulful and sympathetic style that is distinctly her own. Whether it is the contemplative title track, the hard swinging shuffle of "Watching the Game," the shimmering and meditative "Paper Cranes," or the bluesy boogie woogie of the CD's sole vocal track "Between the Lines," this trio presents a program that explores a wide range of musical personalities. Laura Caviani will be joined by Bob Bowman and Todd Strait at the CD release concerts.
Going There is Laura Caviani's fifth release as a leader over her 15+ year career. The Minneapolis Star Tribune hailed her debut recording Dreamlife as "in a word, outstanding." Her second release, As One, was touted as "stunningly fresh" by JazzTimes magazine. Caviani's holiday album, Angels We Haven't Heard, was considered that "season's finest new jazz CD of holiday music" by the St. Paul Pioneer Press. In Your Own Sweet Way (2001) was described in the Minneapolis Star Tribune as a CD "poised right where the salon meets the saloon, with as much spunk as serenity."
As a "sideman," Caviani's long list of credits includes tours and recordings with Grammy nominated vocalist Karrin Allyson. Caviani appeared on three Allyson releases on Concord Records during the 1990s, which began the relationship with Bob Bowman and Todd Strait (the rhythm section on Going There). Karrin Allyson, a standout on the ivories in her own right (who chooses her pianist carefully), contributed the liner notes to Going There. Caviani joined Allyson on the 2004 and 2005 Concord Jazz Festival tours, where she also accompanied Oleta Adams, Diane Schuur and hot new talent Sara Gazarek. Other jazz luminaries with whom Caviani has performed include Toots Thielemans, Stan Getz, Bob Mintzer and Dave Liebman. In the Twin Cities, Caviani has appeared on many recordings, including: Where's When?, featuring Pete Whitman's X-tet, which received a 4-star review from Downbeat magazine, and Lucia Newell's Steeped in Strayhorn, an inspired tribute to the distinguished composer/pianist.
As a composer, Caviani has been commissioned by jazz ensembles (published/available at www.increasemusic.com), chamber groups (published/available at www.reallygoodmusic.com) and both the Central Wisconsin and the Kansas City Symphony Orchestras.
Caviani's long-standing association with the Going There rhythm section pays off throughout the CD. Andrea Canter (Jazz Police) notes that "the interactions among the musicians fall somewhere between telepathy and mutual admiration." In addition to their work with Karrin Allyson dating back to the early 1990s, Bob Bowman (bass) and Todd Strait (drums) are both veteran players with top-notch credentials. Bowman, based in Kansas City, toured with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band in the 1970s. He has toured internationally with Carmen McRae and taken gigs with names like Bud Shank and Freddie Hubbard. Portland, OR-based Todd Strait has kept the beat for greats including Marian McPartland, Tal Farlow, Woody Herman's 50th anniversary "Thundering Herd," vocalist Kevin Mahogany and many others. Bowman and Strait were also members of the highly acclaimed band Interstring with guitarists Danny Embrey and Rod Fleeman. Bowman, Strait, Embrey and Fleeman, along with Allyson, all appear on Caviani's 1998 release As One.
Going There was recorded, mixed and mastered by Matthew Zimmerman at Wild Sound Studios in Minneapolis. On Caviani's vocal recording debut, "Between the Lines," her trio is joined by Twin Cities horn aces Pete Whitman (tenor saxaphone), Dave Jensen (trumpet) and Jeff Rinear (trombone).
"This very personal and soulful album is a great example of who Laura is as a
person...I love this CD and know you will too."
Karrin Allyson, from the liner notes to Going There.
"...Bowman and Strait couldn't be more creatively supportive or impressive when in the solo spotlight, which is often, thanks to the generosity of their leader. Together - and they are very much so - they give us piano trio jazz of the highest order."(br /> Bob Protzman, host of "Everything Jazz" on WQLN FM in Erie, Pennsylvania and contributing writer for Downbeat and other publications.
Laura Caviani's new CD Going There is available at select retailers including the Electric Fetus and Applause and on the web at www.lauracaviani.com and www.cdbaby.com.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune hailed her debut recording, Dreamlife, as: "...in a word, outstanding." Marian McPartland found it "...sparkling and inventive." Her second release, As One, nominated for a 1999 Minnesota Music Award, was touted as "stunningly fresh" by Jazz Times. Her holiday album, Angels We Haven't Heard, is considered "this season's finest new jazz CD of holiday music" by the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Caviani has also recorded and toured with the 2002 Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson and has shared the stage with other greats such as Toots Theilemans, Bob Mintzer, and Dave Liebman.
Locally, Caviani has recorded with numerous groups, including Pete Whitman's Xtet, recently picked as one of the top 20 locally produced recordings of 2003 by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She has also performed and recorded with many local groups including Voice Trek, JazzMN and vocalists Lucia Newell and Prudence Johnson.
As a composer, her commissions include numerous works for jazz ensembles, the Sax Quartet JazzAx, as well as orchestral works for both the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra and the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra.
Caviani earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition from Lawrence University, where she studied with Fred Sturm and Rodney Rogers. She completed her Master of Music degree in Improvisation from The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1995, where she co-taught and studied with Ed Sarath and bass legend Reggie Workman. She has taught at a number of schools, including St. John's University, the Universities of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and Stevens Point, The University of St. Thomas, and many middle schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul through the "Harman How to Listen Program," an outreach program co-founded by Wynton Marsalis.
Return to Alumni Compact Discs