Jamey Haddad’s World Ensemble Under One Sun Debuts on Oberlin Music

Jamey Haddad met saxophone player Billy Drewes when both were music students in Boston. Nearly 45 years later, the longtime friends have made their first recording together: a collection of nine tunes written by Drewes and performed by Under One Sun, eight musicians who represent five countries and whose ages span five decades.

“As my musical journey led me from one continent to another, and as I experienced a planet crying out for understanding, this team of players cosmically came forward,” says Haddad, a longtime professor of advanced improvisation and percussion at Oberlin Conservatory. “The sheer joy of every member experiencing their bandmates’ artistry truly exemplifies the human capacity to celebrate what makes us unique.”

Joining Haddad and Drewes are Michael Ward-Bergeman (hyper accordion), Luisito Quintero (congas, timbales, and percussion), Roberto Occhipinti (acoustic bass), Leo Blanco (piano), Ali Paris (qanun and voice), and Salar Nader (tabla). 

Also included are performances by fellow Oberlin faculty trombonists Jay Ashby and Lee Allen, Oberlin Conservatory brass students, and Hadra des Femmes de Taroudant, an all-female vocal ensemble from Morocco. The accompanying booklet includes reflections from each musician and notes by legendary songwriter Paul Simon, with whom Haddad has performed for two decades.  

Distributed by Naxos of America, Under One Sun is available through select retailers and digital music channels worldwide. 

Oberlin Music is the official label of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, with titles spanning classical, jazz, world music, and other sounds. Under One Sun is the fourth release on Oberlin Music in 2017. It follows Mozart Among Friends, a collection of Mozart sonatas featuring pianist James Howsmon and violinist Marilyn McDonald; Groove Dreams, which consists of tunes for solo bass performed by Peter Dominguez; and Myth & Tradition, three contemporary cello concertos performed by Darrett Adkins '91. Learn more at oberlin.edu/oberlinmusic.