The Sister Group of The DIVA Jazz Orchestra

FIVE PLAY is a virtual United Nations of Jazz, fusing world cultures with extraordinary musicianship and a shared creative vision. This synthesis of talent, passion and global sensibility has produced a fresh, exciting quintet infused with imagination, rooted in jazz tradition and unified by a collective inspiration. FIVE PLAY‘s repertoire is comprised of innovative arrangements of classic and contemporary standards, as well as original music composed by the band’s members. The group’s library was conceived to highlight the distinctive styles of the individual musicians and also support the unique sound of the ensemble.

In keeping with a time-honored Big Band practice, FIVE PLAY was created from the world renowned DIVA Jazz Orchestra as a means to feature some of its foremost players. The quintet was formed in January of 1999 and has performed at many of the most prestigious concert halls, music festivals, universities and jazz clubs in the United States, including Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. The group has also performed at major festivals in Israel, France, Spain and Portugal. In 2004 the quintet and its members were highly ranked in Downbeat Magazine’s Annual Reader’s Poll.

Five Play’s premier recording, On the Brink (Arbors Records), was voted #1 by Nat Hentoff in Jazz Times’ 1999 Year in Review issue. Their follow-up release, Five Play…Plus (Arbors Records), was voted one of the Top 10 CDs of 2005 by Coda Magazine. The group’s newest project was spear- headed by Portuguese vocalist Maria Anadon. Their CD, A Jazzy Way, was released in the Fall of 2006.

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