Café Noir, a Dallas-based, all-acoustic ensemble that blends elements of classical, jazz and world music with an emphasis on Eastern European Gypsy music will return to perform at The University of Texas at Dallas next month with two performances. The award-winning ensemble will perform Jan. 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. in the University Theatre.
The majority of Café Noir’s material is original, although the group commands a repertoire that ranges from Bud Powell to Paganini, and from straight-ahead swing to Stravinsky. Detour Magazine has described Café Noir’s performances as leading “to a seductive state of mind, where time stands still.” L.A. Weekly has called the group’s music “a gypsy-jazz-blue-grass-folk-classical hybrid,” and the Dallas Observer has said that its selections are “simultaneously joyous and tragic, creatively daring and passion-filled … creating emotion from the thinnest and rarest air.”
Café Noir received National Public Radio’s “Top Album of the Year” in 1988 for All Things Considered. The group also has been the recipient of many awards from the Dallas Observer including “Best Jazz Group” for five years in a row and “Best Release of 1993” for its CD Window to the Sea. In 1994 and 1998, Café Noir was named both “Best Classical Ensemble” and “Best Experimental/Avant Garde Group.” According to The Dallas Morning News, “Window to the Sea represents a brilliant leap forward by a band that refuses to be bound by the things it has done before.”
For information about the many musical, arts, theatre, dance and other performances and exhibitions held throughout the year at UTD, please call 972-UTD-ARTS (972-883-2787) e-mail utdarts@utdallas.edu, or visit the School of Arts and Humanities’ web site at www.utdallas.edu/ah/. Persons with disabilities needing special accommodations may call 972-883-2982. Texas Relay Operator: 1-800-RELAYVV.
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 7,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s web site at www.utdallas.edu.