Frank Kimbrough on Maria Schneider

I’ve been working with Maria since March of 1993 when she began a weekly gig with her orchestra at Visiones, a small, now defunct club in Greenwich Village. The gig was originally planned to last for two months of Mondays, and ended up stretching to five years. This was a period of musical bonding that gave Maria’s music room to grow and expand, with a band that understood her objectives as a composer. There have been some personnel changes over the years, but many of us have been part of this experience for nearly twenty years now. The stability of the band makes it a family, and Maria’s unfailing musical vision, coupled with her warmth, humor, and generosity make it possible. In the past few years she’s branching out with projects such as this one with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Dawn Upshaw, and her vision is extended in a way that brings beautiful new dimensions to her music. I’m so happy to be a part of it, and look forward to our California concerts in June!

– Frank Kimbrough