We’re thrilled to welcome Daniel Rotem to Motivo for the April edition of the Creative Music Series, presenting the deeply inspired Yūgen project.
A Japanese aesthetic concept, Yūgen refers to a beauty that suggests rather than shows, that invites you to feel rather than define; an awareness of the universe that triggers an emotional response too deep and mysterious for words.
Yūgen is made up of two Japanese characters: the first, “yu,” means dim, hidden, or difficult to see. The second, “gen,” originally described the dark, tranquil color of the universe—something calm and deep, mysterious. Aesthetician, playwright, and actor Zeami Motokiyo described Yūgen: “To watch the sun sink behind a flower clad hill. To wander on in a huge forest without thought of return. To stand upon the shore and gaze after a boat that disappears behind distant islands. To contemplate the flight of wild geese seen and lost among the clouds…” In his new musical project, Daniel aims to evoke and draw from the depths of the Yūgen concept, searching for ways to express the beautiful magic of moments like a setting sun above the hills or geese disappearing into the clouds through sounds.
Featuring new original compositions and arrangements, and with listening at the core of the creative process, Daniel and his group reflect on the many spectrums of existence, playing music in the "now", for the "now", while embracing the intersection of their different perspectives and experiences as human beings as the starting point.
the Ensemble
Daniel Rotem: saxophones
Anthony Wilson: guitar
Vardan Ovsepian: piano
Aidan Carroll: bass
Christian Euman: drums
Tickets:
Doors: 7:45pm
Show: 8:30 - 10:00pm
One set. Open seating.
General admission: $30.00 pre-sale | $35.00 at the door
Student Price: $15.00
Limited parking on site on first come, first serve basis. Additional parking spaces available on Casitas Ave and Minneapolis St. Lots of street parking, safe and walkable neighborhood!
About Daniel Rotem
"A listener that plays", Daniel Rotem is a saxophonist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator. Growing up by the Mediterranean Sea, Daniel fell in love with the freedom and potential for expression he found in jazz and started to play the tenor saxophone as a teenager. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz (now the Herbie Hancock Institute) and had the privilege to perform or record with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Billy Childs, Stevie Wonder, Joe LaBarbera, Terri Lyne Carrington, Luciana Souza, Vince Mendoza, Jeff Parker, Mon Laferte, Larry Goldings, Anthony Wilson, Alain Mallet, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Anat Cohen, Vardan Ovsepian, and many more. He is a commissioned and award-winning composer and songwriter, and has lent his saxophone voice to many scores and recordings, including his own six albums and original score for the film 'Mentally Al'. Daniel is also a recognized educator, and has taught in renowned institutions such as Stanford Jazz, CalArts, USC, and Occidental College.