Pianist returns to Boston - and to jazz

By Andrew Gilbert
Since graduating from Berklee College of Music as the youngest student ever admitted, and choosing his path at the jazz/classical crossroads, pianist Kirill Gerstein has barely looked back. Until now. He returns to Berklee on Friday for “Kirill Gerstein: Rhapsody in Blue,’’ a concert that marks his rapprochement with jazz. The program includes the world premiere of new works by Chick Corea and Brad Mehldau that Gerstein commissioned as part of his 2010 Gilmore Artist Award.
http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2012/03/30/kirill_gerstein_makes_a_return_to_boston___and_to_jazz/

Lehighton native and former McCartney drummer Denny Seiwell back in the jazz groove

By John J. Moser, Of The Morning Call
When Lehighton native Denny Seiwell left the tiny Carbon County town for a burgeoning career as a drummer in the lodges of the Poconos, then the clubs of New York City, jazz was his music of choice.

He played with greats such as Al Cohn, Zoot Sims and Anita O'Day. But then Seiwell's jazz career got sidetracked, in a great way.

After a secret audition, former Beatle Paul McCartney chose Seiwell as his drummer for his new projects. Seiwell played with McCartney on his second solo album, Ram." And Seiwell was the first musician to join McCartney and wife Linda in McCartney's post-Beatles band Wings.


For the next three years, Seiwell was a part of Wings, performing on two of his albums and the hits "My Love," "Live and Let Die" and "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." After leaving the band in 1973, he had a successful career as a sessions drummer on albums byJames Brown, John Denver and Billy Joel, and for TV shows and movies such as Disney's "Atlantis."

Now, 40 years after that fateful audition, Seiwell is back in his jazz groove.

On March 30, he performs at Mauch Chunk Opera House on the first East Coast dates of The Denny Seiwell Trio, a combo formed in 2010 with renowned jazz guitarist John Chiodini and top organ player Joe Bagg. The trio released its debut disc, "Reckless Abandon," last year. It includes jazzy renditions of a few of McCartney's songs that Seiwell was a part of — such as "Bip Bop," "Dear Friend," "Loup (1st Indian on the Moon)" and "Coming Up."

Just as McCartney is enjoying renewed popularity with his new album of standards, the Top 5 "Kisses on the Bottom," Seiwell says returning to the music that first influenced him is "probably the most exciting thing that's happened, musically, in many years for me."

"I'm really loving this," Seiwell says. "It's like one of those rare finds where you find people that just understand where we're headed and every time we play, it's awesome. I can't begin to tell you how great it is."

The Jim Thorpe show represents a homecoming for Seiwell. Except for a celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Carbon County Band — made up of the county's best scholastic players — a few years ago, he has not played in the Lehighton area since he left as a young man.

Seiwell, 68, grew up in a musical family. His father, Don, was a drummer, and his younger brother, Daryl, became a band director in the Jim Thorpe School District. Seiwell says that at 7, his father enrolled him in Lehighton Boys Band under the tutelage of director Charlie Fronheiser.

"That's probably one of the greatest things that ever happened to me," he says. "It really got my musical career off to a good start." After a stint in the Navy — he played in the Navy band — and marrying his wife, Monique, in Lehighton in 1966, he started his career in the Poconos.

While in the house band at Mount Airy Lodge, he says, a bass player named Russ Savakus who contracted musicians for New York sessions told him, "Wow — you're way above these guys, and you should be coming into the city and start recording."

Seiwell did, becoming the house drummer at the iconic jazz club The Half Note and establishing himself as one of the city's busiest drummers. That status in 1970 got him a blind audition in a basement in the Hell's Kitchensection of Manhattan, where he found himself face to face with McCartney and his wife, Linda.

The audition got Seiwell a spot among only three musicians hired for "Ram," which is set for a deluxe, remastered re-issue May 22 to commemorative its 40^th anniversary. It will be the first time it's available on CD and will include a new documentary, "Ramming," about the making of the album and narrated by McCartney, as well as original music videos for the songs "Heart Of The Country" and "3 Legs."

Then came Wings.

"Working with Paul, we had such a good working experience and an artistic endeavor that he asked me to come — to leave my position as a sessions drummer in New York — and move to England and form the band Wings with him. And we put Wings together," Seiwell says.

Through two albums — 1971's "Wild Life" and 1973's "Red Rose Speedway" — and three tours, Seiwell drummed with Wings, even getting Lehighton highlighted when a 1972 television special identified his childhood home on screen. Seiwell and McCartney even had farms near each other in Scotland.

But by 1973, Seiwell says, there were strains in Wings — mostly monetary.

"I was just there at a bad time," Seiwell says. "When [McCartney] was starting up a whole new life with Wings, at the same time, he had to sue the other Beatles and break up the band because of financial problems that they were having and their management.
http://www.mcall.com/entertainment/music/mc-denny-seiwell-jazz-jim-thorpe-20120329,0,924405.story

Hear the vocalist JazzTimes calls "a revelation"!

Hear the vocalist JazzTimes calls "a revelation"!

Washington, D.C. standout Sharón Clark has brought festival and concert audiences to their feet across the U.S. and Europe. Her 2008 release, Do it Again — My Tribute to Shirley Horn, is on its second printing, and she grabs top honors wherever she goes.

Ms. Clark won the Gold Medal and $10,000 top prize at the Savannah Music Festival's American Traditions Competition. She then took first place in the Billie Holiday Vocal Competition, which offers a $2,500 prize along with a featured appearance with the Baltimore Symphony.

Ms. Clark has headlined the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival on the National Mall and the historic Lincoln Theater. The Cape May Jazz Festival has hosted Ms. Clark three times by popular demand. She has toured Republic of Kyrgyzstan and Russia multiple times. Both the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and The Ludacris Foundation chose Ms. Clark to perform for their separate tributes to Quincy Jones.

Famed bassist Keter Betts invited Ms. Clark to be the featured vocalist for his 75th Birthday Celebration, hosted by the Smithsonian Institution. Ms. Clark also has appeared as a soloist with the Richmond Symphony. In addition, Ms. Clark performed by invitation for President William Jefferson Clinton and other dignitaries at a retreat sponsored by the Democratic National Committee. Ms. Clark also appears regularly at Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C.

http://www.chrisgrassomusic.com/sharon_clark/bio.htm

Sofia Rei Koutsovitis - Tour Calendar

Tour Calendar

Date	Location	Venue
Mar 30, 2012 Fri - 4:30 PM	Berlin, Ber GERMANY	Herzgrün –... Free - None
Mar 31, 2012 Sat - 5:00 PM	Berlin, Ber GERMANY	Herzgrün –... Free - None
Apr 13, 2012 Fri - 8:00 PM	Paris, IDF FRANCE	Banlieues Blues... n/a - None
Apr 17, 2012 Tue - 7:00 PM	Sheboygan, WI UNITED STATES	JMK Arts Center n/a - None
Apr 18, 2012 Wed - 8:00 PM	Sheboygan, WI UNITED STATES	JMK Arts Center n/a - None
Apr 19, 2012 Thu - 8:00 PM	Sheboygan, WI UNITED STATES	JMK Arts Center n/a - None
Apr 27, 2012 Fri - 9:00 PM	New York, NY UNITED STATES	Jazz Gallery First set: $15/ Second se - None
Aug 13, 2012 Mon - 7:00 PM	Washington, DC UNITED STATES	Millennium Stage... Free - None

NJJazzList.com Calendar

03/31 Sat B.D. Lenz at Stanhope House 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Style: Fusion, Cover: None, w/Geoff Mattoon (sax), James Rosocha (bass) & Abe Fogle (drums) Learn more , Hear samples , ()

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03/31 Sat Barbara Rose, Pianist & Vocalist at Oyster Point Hotel, Red Bank 7:00 pm to 12:00 am Style: Mixed,Cover: None, Barbara’s style as a vocalist ranges from Judy Garland to Janis Joplin. Her piano style is reminiscent of Thelonius Monk. Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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03/31 Sat Jerry Topinka Quartet with vocalist Jackie Jones at The Mill at Spring Lake Heights 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style: Guitar, Cover: None, Join us every week for dinner and the "Saturday Night Jazz Sessions"!Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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03/31 Sat Marty Nelson "Some Sinatra, Some Scatting, Plus?" at McLoone's Supper Club, Asbury Park 8:00 pm to 11:30 am Style: Vocal, Cover: Tickets Available, Marty Nelson (a founding member of the original Manhattan Transfer) performs an intimate evening of Jazz with some broadway and pop/rock mixed in. Learn more , (Other )

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03/31 Sat Pam Purvis & The Blue Skies Band at Salt Creek Grill, Princeton 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm Style: Mixed,Cover: None, Greg Bufford joins us with his amazing drumming. The place to meet and greet. Learn more , Hear samples , ()

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03/31 Sat Rob Paparozzi & Gerry Yoselevich Duo at 16 Prospect Bistro in Westfield, NJ 8:00 pm to 11:00 pmStyle: Mixed, Cover: None, The Good Old Boys Duo playing Randy Newman to The Beatles! Piano-Tuba with some Harmonica & Guitar!!! Learn more , Hear samples , (908/ )

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03/31 Sat Swingadelic at Swing 46 9:00 pm to 1:00 am Style: Swing/Big Band, Cover: None, Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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03/31 Sat The Todd Bashore Sextet at Zimmerli Art Museum 7:00 pm to 1:00 am Style: Mixed, Cover: Tickets Available, Band leader, saxophonist Todd Bashore featuring John Bailey on trumpet, Stafford Hunter on trombone, Xavier Davis keyboard, Alex Hernandez on bass and Chris Brown on drums. Art Within Reach: An Evening to Benefit Children's Programs at the Zimmerli Art Museum Learn more , (Unknown)

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03/31 Sat the Hub Kings at Roxy and Dukes Roadhouse 9:00 pm to 1:00 am Style: Soul/Groove, Cover: $10 or less, Our return to this very hip room. We will open for Anne Mironchik & her Swingin' Sextet. Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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03/31 Thu The Vanessa Perea Quartet at Sophie's Bistro - 700 Hamilton St. Somerset, NJ 8:00 pm to 11:00 pmStyle: Mixed, Cover: None, Jazz vocalist Vanessa Perea and her quartet. No Cover Charge Learn more , (Unknown)

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04/01 Sun Barbara Rose, Pianist & Vocalist at Molly Pitcher Inn, Red Bank 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Style: Piano,Cover: None, Her piano style is reminiscent of Thelonius Monk. Celebrate The American Songbook! "JAZZ BRUNCH" Seatings are 11am and 1:30pm. Call for reservations. 732-747-2500 Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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04/01 Sun Bob Boyd Trio at McLoones Asbury Grille 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Style: Mixed, Cover: Unkown, Jazz Brunch , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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04/01 Sun Jazz Room Series: Paquito D'Rivera w/WP Latin Jazz at Shea Auditorium, William Paterson University 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Style: Latin Jazz, Cover: Tickets Available, Acclaimed saxophonist/clarinetist D'Rivera is featured in a high-energy set accompanied by the WP Latin Jazz Ensemble led by Chico Mendoza, part of WP Cross Cultural Arts Series. Learn more , ()

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04/01 Sun Lou Volpe Jazz Guitar at The Waterside 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm Style: Cool Jazz, Cover: None, Lou Volpe plays solo at the Jazz Brunch at this beautiful waterside restaurant opposite the 79th St. boat basin with beautiful views of the harbor. Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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04/03 Tue Jam Session featuring Crossroads All Stars at Crossroads 78 North Ave. Garwood, NJ 9:00 pm to 1:00 am Style: Jam Session, Cover: None, House Band: Radam Schwartz - organ Dave Ginsberg - trumpet Kevin Hildebrandt - guitar Don Williams - drums open jam....jazz musicians welcome to sit in Learn more , Hear samples , (908/ )

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04/03 Tue The John Petrucelli Group at Tumulty's Pub - 361 George St. New Brunswick, NJ 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style: Jam Session, Cover: None, Saxophonist John Petrucelli and his group. Jam session at 9.30! Learn more , (Unknown)