Musical Style: Jazz, Acoustic
Fareed Haque, guitars
Paul Wertico, drums
John Christensen, bass
This acoustic quartet is an homage to the OPAQUE record put out on Blue Note Records in 1995 and re-released digitally this year.
Fareed Haque is a modern guitar virtuoso. Steeped in classical and jazz traditions, his unique command of the guitar and different musical styles inspire his musical ventures with tradition and fearless innovation.
Haque has toured and recorded with Joe Zawinul, Billy Cobham, Dave Holland, Paquito D'Rivera, Sting, Zakir Hussain, Bob James, Joe Henderson and many others, in addition to co-leading groups with Tony Monaco, Paul Wertico, Goran Ivanovic, Garaj Mahal, and The Chicago Immigrant Orchestra. Haque has released numerous albums as a leader, in jazz, classical, world music and fusion styles, and is the recipient of numerous accolades and awards including Best World Guitarist, Guitar Player Magazine 2009, 2004 Acoustic Album of the Year, 2007 Independent Music Award, and Best New World Music Group in Chicago Reader Poll 2020.
In addition to a busy touring schedule, Haque is Professor Emeritus of jazz and classical guitar at Northern Illinois University, where he taught for 30 years, and has released 13 best selling video courses thru Truefire.
Hailed in the press as “One of the most versatile and musical drummers in music today,”
Paul Wertico was a member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1983 to 2001. During that
time, he won seven Grammy Awards (three for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, three for
Best Contemporary Jazz Performance, and one for Best Rock Instrumental
Performance), won numerous magazine polls, received several gold records, and
played drums & percussion on David Bowie’s hit recording (with the Pat Metheny
Group), “This Is Not America.”
He has played with countless artists and has performed in all 50 states and in over 60
countries. Paul has also played drums and percussion on hundreds of recordings,
including Paul Winter’s Grammy nominated release, Earth: Voices of a Planet, and on
four of vocalist Kurt Elling’s Grammy nominated releases. He also hosted his own
weekly radio show, Paul Wertico’s Wild World of Jazz, from 2010 to 2012.
Paul is also extremely active in the field of education. In addition to teaching drums
privately for over 50 years, Paul is an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at Roosevelt
University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and before becoming a full-time faculty
member at CCPA for 20 years, he served on the wind & percussion faculty of
Northwestern University for 16 years. For over five decades, he’s conducted drum
masterclasses, clinics, and workshops around the world and has written educational
articles for numerous magazines. He also serves on the Advisory Board and the Pro-
Panel of Modern Drummer magazine, the Education Committee of the Jazz Institute of
Chicago, and he served five terms on the Board of Governors of The Recording
Academy Chicago Chapter.
Award winning bassist, composer and Shifting Paradigm recording artist John Christensen supplies an open-hearted solidity and adventurous spirit to all of his music endeavors. With an appetite for expressing in many musical genres and situations, John has found a unique compositional voice, as demonstrated on his highly acclaimed debut album as a leader, Dear Friend.
While an ardent student and practitioner of improvised Black American Music, John’s music also has deep roots in Rock, Folk, and Americana. Content to have his bass playing compared to Charlie Haden’s lyricism, as in reviews for Johannes Wallmann’s latest album Precarious Towers, he’s also happy to have comparisons difficult to find. His compositions strive toward a hopefulness and appreciation for the beauty and awe of life, and the wonder of small, important things.
AND Make any night special with our Date Night Package. $45 for a delightful bottle of wine and a decadent dessert to share. Add it to your evening by emailing [email protected].
For more information go to https://www.dazzledenver.com/dazzle-date-night-package/
