Lucian Ban
Encyclopedia
Biography
Raised in the tiny farming village of TeacaTeaca
Teaca is a commune in Bistriţa-Năsăud County, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Archiud, Budurleni, Ocniţa, Pinticu, Teaca and Viile Tecii....
, (Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
), Ban grew up listening to folk songs performed at weddings, birthdays, holidays and other celebrations.
At age seven, Ban moved to Cluj
Cluj
Cluj may refer to*Cluj-Napoca, county seat of Cluj County, named Cluj until 1974*Cluj County, Romania*Cluj-Napoca International Airport*U Cluj, a Romanian sports club*U Cluj, a Romanian football club*CFR Cluj, a Romanian football club...
, where he started classical piano and composition training.
He studied composition at Bucharest Music Academy from 1992 to 1995. He establishes the group Jazz Unit in 1995 and releases two albums as a leader for the green records label in Romania.
In 1999 he moves to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where he studies for two years at New School University. His American debut recording “Somethin" Holy” in duet with bari sax Alex Harding was awarded 4 stars by Allmusic, and was followed by the critically praised quintet album "Premonition” (2003), "Tuba Project" (feat. Bob Stewart, 2006) and "Playground" (feat Jorge Sylvester, 2006).
The Lumination Ensemble co-lead with Alex Harding and featuring drum legend Barry Altschul
Barry Altschul
Barry Altschul is a free jazz drummer who gained fame in the late 1960s with the pianists Paul Bley and Chick Corea.-Biography:...
was nominated “One of the 10 best shows of 2003” by All About Jazz
All About Jazz
All About Jazz is a leading jazz music website for enthusiasts and industry professionals based in Philadelphia in the United States.Founded by Michael Ricci in 1995, the Web-Site is maintained by a volunteer staff of writers, editors, and musicians, and provides coverage of all genres of jazz from...
. Since then he has played/recorded with: Alex Harding, Reggie Nicholson, Art Baron
Art Baron
Art Baron is an American jazz trombonist. He also plays didgeridoo, conch shell, penny-whistle, alto and bass recorder, and tuba.Baron is an alumnus of the Berklee College of Music...
, Sam Newsome
Sam Newsome
Sam Newsome is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. His music combines an eclectic mix of straight-ahead jazz, world music and extended techniques...
, Barry Altschul
Barry Altschul
Barry Altschul is a free jazz drummer who gained fame in the late 1960s with the pianists Paul Bley and Chick Corea.-Biography:...
, Jorge Sylvester, Brad Jones, Bruce Williams, Damion Reid, Chris Dahlgren, Pheeroan AkLaff
Pheeroan akLaff
Pheeroan akLaff is an American jazz drummer. Pheeroan akLaff began playing in his hometown of Detroit, and Ann Arbor, Michigan with Travis Biggs, Ars Nova, The Ebony Set, The Last Days, and Rod Lumpkin, recorded with Major Lansky. Moved to New Haven, Connecticut and formed DejaVu with Dwight...
, J.D.Allen, Bruce Cox, Hill Greene, Carlo DeRosa, Curtis Fowlkes
Curtis Fowlkes
Curtis Fowlkes is an American jazz trombonist. In 1987 he founded, together with saxophonist Roy Nathanson, The Jazz Passengers, an eclectic group dedicated to putting entertainment and humor back into jazz. The two had met performing in John Lurie's The Lounge Lizards, a group that shares a...
, Mark Helias
Mark Helias
Mark Helias is an American jazz double bass player and composer born in New Brunswick, New Jersey.He did not begin playing the double bass until the age of 20, graduating from Yale University's School of Music with a Masters degree in 1976. He has also studied at Rutgers University...
, Gene Jackson, Ron Horton, Nasheet Waits
Nasheet Waits
Nasheet Waits is an American jazz musician who plays drum set.Son of legendary percussionist Freddie Waits; Nasheet is a New York native who has been active on the jazz scene since early in his life. Before pursuing a music career, he studied psychology and history at Morehouse College in Atlanta....
, Bob Stewart, Gerald Cleaver
Gerald Cleaver (musician)
Gerald Cleaver is an African-American jazz drummer from Detroit, Michigan. He joined the jazz faculty at the University of Michigan in 1995...
, Derrek Phillips, and many more.
Honors and awards
2006 – Nominated for the 2nd time for the “Best European Jazz Musician” by the Hans Koller Foundation and the Austrian Government.2005–2006, Music Curator for Kavehaz Jazz Club, NYC.
2005 – Original Score for the play “Philosopher Fox” nominated for both Outstanding Sound Design and Best Score at the New York Innovative Theatre Awards.
2005 – Nominated for the “Best European Jazz Musician” by the Hans Koller Foundation in Austria.
2003 – album “Something Holy” by Lucian Ban & Alex Harding Duet Awarded 4* Stars by Allmusic.
2003 – Ensemble Lumination co-led by Lucian Ban & Alex Harding and featuring drum legend Barry
Altschul voted “One of the Best Shows of 2003” by All About Jazz Magazine NYC.
2000 – The theater show “Azi ma Ubu ” after Alfred Jarry wins the Great Prize at the Bucharest Humoror Theatre Festival in Bucharest, Romania.
1999 – the album “From now on” by Lucian Ban wins the “Best Jazz Album of 1999” in Romania.
Performance
PERFORMANCE2006 - release as a leader of the album “Tuba Project” for the US Cimp Records featuring the acclaimed tuba virtuoso player Bob Stewart.
2006 – release at Jazz Standard Club in NYC as a leader of Asymmetry Quartet the album “Playground” for the Norwegian Jazzaway Records.
2006 – release as a pianist member of renowned bari sax player Alex Harding Blutopia Group “The
Calling” at Jazz Standard, NYC.
2005 – 3 week tour with Blutopia throughout Romania with the support of the US Embassy Cultural
Services.
2002–present, various tours in Europe with Sam Newsome, Hill Greene, Derrek Phillips, Carlo DeRosa, Bruce Cox, Alex Harding, Cristian Soleanu, Alex Harding, etc.
2001–2006, hundred concerts with various projects throughout NYC metropolitan area at such venues as Jazz Standard, Dizzy’s Coca Cola Club at Lincoln Center, Jazz Gallery, Kavehaz, Cornelia Café, etc., and yearly European tours as leader and co-leader of various jazz ensembles.
1994–1999 founder of the Jazz Unit, one of the most important jazz Ensembles of the Romanian 90’ scene. Performances & Tours throughout Romania and Europe