Paradiso; Music and Dance

## Experimental...Jazz, Acoustic, Electric, Tribal

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Love Unfold The Moon:

Mustafa Stefan Dill (guitar, oud,compositions) is acclaimed for his fiery amalgam of Middle Eastern, free jazz, rock, and experimental elements on guitar and oud. His reputation for boundary-pushing improvisation dates back to 1988, when Guitar Player hailed his early electric work as “a maniacal tour de force of outside extremism.”

Shaped by a cross-cultural upbringing with Lebanese relatives in Mexico and formative years in Montpellier, France, Dill earned his Master’s in composition from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Joe Maneri. He went on to perform extensively across Europe, appearing at FMP’s Total Music Meeting, Nickelsdorf, Wirral Guitar Festival, Zuid Nederlands Jazz Festival, and more. He has collaborated with artists such as Cecil Taylor, Guus Janssen, J.A. Deane, former students Ava Mendoza and John Dikeman, Brahim Fribgane, and Jack Wright.

Dill’s early recordings, including Warning Clothed in Bright Robes of Dawn (1994) and *Sangre Del Rio (*1997), won critical praise for its unique convergence of early flamenco elements and modern free improvisation, establishing a continuing methodology of fusing post-modern improvisation with the traditional musical vocabularies from his cultural roots.

His work also spans film and theater, with commissions for documentaries, stage productions, and collaborations with artists from jazz to metal — including a 2022 oud feature on Nile guitarist Karl Sanders’ Saurian Apocalypse.

Currently, Dill leads the metal/free jazz /Middle Eastern mashup group Love Unfold The Sun , whose 2025 release Explode Yourself and accompanying concert short film (captured at Paradiso) continue to draw acclaim worldwide. He also performs with the jazz-funk collective Present Moment and is revisiting the post-flamenco acoustic explorations that first launched his career, in both solo performances and with the new group Love Unfold The Moon.

Ash Mattia (violin) is from Santa Fe, NM, and is currently studying his first year at Berklee College of Music in Boston MA, majoring in Jazz Performance. Being classically trained at a young age, he took these influences and went on to pursue jazz and rock styles with a new perspective. He uses guitar pedals and amps to create otherworldly sounds, lush soundscapes, and screaming distorted melodies that push the boundaries of what the violin is capable of producing.

Ash is a member of the 2-time NMMA award winning jazz-rock group Zaphica, with whom he has recorded and played live shows across New Mexico.

Ben Wright (bass) is from Dixon, New Mexico and plays double bass and sousaphone/tuba. He cut his teeth in Philadelphia punk rock, and has since been working the bass end for 40 odd years bolstered by unbridled sonic curiosity and intense spats of incidental formal training. A lover of the lowest frequencies, Ben has explored many disparate forms of music through the bass instruments, yet always returns to the wellspring of improvisation.

Currently, Ben plays with Glass Key Trio,Radio Free Bassanda, Rhyton, Irksome Trio, Jack Wright, and assorted eclectic partners locally and nationally.

**Thor Rodriguez *(drums) ***is currently based in Santa Clarita, California, pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz Drums at California Institute of the Arts. Known for his energy and versatility behind the kit, he blends musical influences from jazz, rock, and experimental music.

As a founding member of the award-winning progressive jazz-rock group Zaphica, Thor has performed and recorded all across New Mexico and contributed drumming and music to many acts all around the Southwest.

QUINTESSENTIAL - Five of New Mexico's Finest Jazz Masters and Special Guest Vocalist

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Alex Murzyn - Saxophone, Bob Fox - Piano, Russ Scanlon - Guitar, Gordy Johnson - Bass, Mark Clark - Drums, and Special Guest, Eliana Joy
Original compositions, classics and some Brazilian tunes.

Born and raised in the American Southwest, Eliana Job is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist partial to emotional, comedic performance. After a euphonium degree and a spell with the Santa Fe Opera, she moved to Brooklyn and combined her eclectic influences to explore The Great American Songbook as a medium of storytelling and connection. Now based in Santa Fe, NM, Eliana performs actively as a solo singer-songwriter, an enthusiastic bandleader, and a frequent guest with the indie/folk project Lamby–all in the outrageously southwestern setting of sculpture galleries, wine gardens, and desert trains.

Alex Murzyn has a versatility and musicianship that has made him one of the most in demand saxophonists in New Mexico. Relocating from the San Francisco area, where he played with numerous bands, including Huey Lewis and the News, Ray Obiedo, Pete Escovedo and the Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra, with a career spanning three decades. He has three CDs under his name, and is working to complete the fourth soon to be released. His music stems from traditional and contemporary jazz, soul, rock, funk and latin. He is equally accomplished on flute and clarinet.

Gordy Johnson is a bass player extraordinaire - fluid, inventive, smart, tasteful. His world tours include Maynard Ferguson, Gene Bertoncini, Roy Buchanan, the Paul Winter Consort, CBS All Stars and Chuck Mangione. He has contributed to over 150 recordings, from jazz (Jimmy Hamilton, Maynard Ferguson, etc.) to blues/R&B (Buchanan, Doug Maynard) to bluegrass (Becky Schlegel) to folk (Greg Brown, Arlo Guthrie). Network television appearances run the gamut from the Merv Griffin Show to Soul Train. He has played with scores of national artists, including Joanne Brackeen, Herb Ellis, Rosemary Clooney, Scott Hamilton, Michael Johnson, Jay McShann, Dewey Redman.
Bob Fox is an amazing pianist and composer, and was the beloved pianist at Club Legato for countless years. He is a highly respected jazz musician with a vast knowledge of many sub genres. Offering a diverse musical menu to his listeners, his writing always ignites the musical pallet of even the most dedicated jazz afficionados.

Russ Scanlon’s performance credits are far ranging and include work in the theatre, recording studio, and club dates. He was the co-founder of three award winning world music groups, Quizumba, Susanna Sharpe and Samba Police, and Tamasha Africana. He has done orchestra work with the Austin Symphony as well as stage shows with Dave Brubeck, Bernadette Peters, and Martha and the Vandellas and many others. Russell has recorded on dozens of CDs and jingles, most recently with John Mill’s Times Ten, Scarlett Olson, and the Blackbird Three.

Nosotros, the critically acclaimed 10-piece Latin music band known for their vibrant fusion of rhythms and socially conscious lyrics. They have just celebrated 30 years of playing this year, and honored with a performance at the Lensic.

Nominated Best Latin Song in 2025 NM Music Awards for their new song Esperanza, the new song’s title, reflecting Nosotros’ desire to spread hope and resiliency like a viral trend.

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Roses, Chocolates and Candlelight ~ Dance & Romance

Three of NM's powerhouse soul singers, Michael Mattison, Tony Morgan (formerly Gladys Knight & the Pips), and Stacia Abbott and band come together for a high energy Valentine's Night guaranteed to get you dancing!

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