Thursday, May 15 2008

Come join us for some great jazz guitar!

The trio performs jazz standard arrangements from the 1930's to the 1990's … (don't be surprised to hear a re-arranged Beatles song or Stevie Wonder tune as well!!) The Shane Wood Trio features vocals, piano, saxophone and upright bass. Please Google Asiawood music on the internet or shanewoodjazz.com to hear the mellow sounds.

Featuring Gwenn Vivian/ vocals, Molly Flannery/ piano, David Gold/ bass and special guest drummers weekly.

Formed in 2006, the Diehards include an emergency room doctor, a retired teacher, an investigative reporter and others of equally diverse backgrounds – all linked by an undying passion for the music of the Jazz Age. The Diehards cover a wide swath of musical Americana with songs from such immortals as Kid Ory, Jelly Roll Morton, W.C. Handy, Fats Waller and Hoagy Carmichael.

The DDs share a particular fondness for the music of New Orleans – the place where jazz was born – with their brassy renditions of songs like "Royal Garden Blues," "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" and "Basin Street Blues." Audiences also get their chance to join in the fun whenever the Diehards play, singing along with such favorites as "When You're Smiling," "Margie" and "Five Feet Two."

Those who feel particularly energetic might find themselves dancing The Charleston or the Black Bottom to the Diehards' whimsical Jazz favorites.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, the first masterpiece from the legendary writing team of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, exploded onto the scene in 1971 changing the world of musical theatre forever. With a score of amazing songs - “I Don’t Know How to Love Him”, “Hosanna”, “Everything’s Alright”, “What’s the Buzz”, “Superstar”, and “Heaven on Their Mind”, this original groundbreaking production starring Ted Neeley in the title role and Living Colour’s Corey Glover as Judas is as relevant and timeless as ever.

Live Jazz/Funk/Rock Featuring: Andrew Hickman - Horns, Dana Wright - Guitar, Phil Madison - Bass, Tony Dintino - Drums

The Lydian String Quartet, artists-in-residence at Brandeis University, will play the second of three concerts, each of which will feature a late Beethoven string quartet. This will be accompanied by selected readings from Natick born Alexander Thayer's magisterial biography of Beethoven, whose 19th century multi-volume work remains one of the touchstones to understanding Beethoven's heroic struggles. This concert features: Mozart, K. 421 in D Minor; Beethoven Grosse Fuga; Dvorak "American" Quartet.

Our host, singer-songwriter Dan Cloutier, (www.dancloutiermusic.com) takes excellent care of the performers and listeners alike. Piano available. Let's builds a community!

Critic Stanley Crouch cites AHMAD JAMAL's impact on the fresh form in jazz as an outstanding conceptionalist. Crouch considers Mr. Jamal's distinctive style as having had an influence on the same level as "Jelly Roll Morton, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Count Basie, Theolonius Monk, Horace Silver and John Lewis, all thinkers whose wrestling with form and content influenced the shape and texture of the music, and whose ensembles were models of their music visions."

Augmented by a selection of unusual standards and his own compositions, Mr. Jamal impressed and influenced, among others, trumpeter Miles Davis. Like Louis Armstrong, Mr. Jamal is an exemplary ensemble player -- listening while playing and responding, thus inspiring his musicians to surpass themselves. Audiences delight in Mr. Jamal's total command of the keyboard, his charismatic swing and daringly inventive solos that always tell a story.

2nd Show 10:00pm

Note: 1st Show on April 17 SOLD OUT

David Francey, accompanied tonight by guitarist Craig Werth, is an amazing storyteller who establishes a personal rapport with his audience in minutes. His wry humor and astute observations combined with his openhearted singing style have earned him a loyal following across Canada and now into the U.S.

Francey seemed to come out of nowhere when he released his debut "Torn Screen Door" in 1999. "Far End of Summer" picked up where "Torn Screen Door" left off and received a 2002 Juno Award in the Best Roots and Traditional Album solo category. His third acclaimed CD, "Skating Rink," was the 2004 Juno winner and was followed by "The Waking Hour" which was nominated for a 2005 Juno award. On December 1, 2007, Francey received a Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Singer - Contemporary and he was also nominated for Best Album and Best Songwriter. His new CD, "Right of Passage," has been nominated for a JUNO as well and David was also voted one of WUMB's top 100 Artists of the past 25 years!

"Right of Passage" is Francey's much anticipated, all original material CD. "The songs on this album address the different paths my life has taken, both good and bad. Some were written from experience gained aboard an Algoma Central ore carrier. Some were written about people I met out on the road or the places I ended up. Some are memories recalled and described. All deal with transitional moments in life, mileposts on the hopefully long march where we all earn our 'right' of passage."

Donelian's piano playing reveals a masterful command rooted in classical and jazz studies, clean articulation, a deft, swinging touch, access to a broad dynamic spectrum, a virtuosic harmonic vocabulary and a boundless source of creative ideas. Without force or persuasion, he invites the listeners to join the trio in very personal and reflective explorations.

The Trio's new CD Oasis is his 11th as a leader, featuring him in a set of six originals and two standards accompanied by David Clark on bass and George Schuller on drums, his band-mates for the past four years.

Carl Cacho has firmly established himself as one of the most talented and respected singer/songwriters in New England. Boston Music Award Nominee for Outstanding New Singer/Songwriter, winner of the Rose Garden Coffeehouse Singer/Songwriter Competition and finalist in both the Telluride Troubadour and Sierra Songwriter's Festival songwriting contests, his songs and disarming performing style have made him a favorite at venues across the Northeast. Folk legend Tom Rush personally selected Carl to perform with him at a "Club 47" show at Harvard University's Sanders Theater and Carl was invited to participate in the Fifth Annual Martha's Vineyard Singer/Songwriter Retreat, started by Christine Lavin.

"Jason's an incredibly talented lyricist, songwriter, and performer. See him live; his charisma is endearing and enchanting. Pay attention to his lyrics; they evoke imagery of things like angels who fly by your window, wet city streets after the rain on a cool night, and the introspective solitude of being awake at 4am." - Truth & Soul

Herb Alpert and Lani Hall perform a rare and intimate evening of American and Brasilian jazz featuring a trio of masterful musicians -- Bill Cantos (piano), Michael Shapiro (drums) and Hussain Jiffrey (bass). They play original arrangements from a selection of American standard songs with some spicy Brasilian music in the mix.

featuring: Armen Donelian, piano Dave Clark, bass George Schuller, drums

Donelian's piano playing reveals a masterful command rooted in classical and jazz studies, clean articulation, a deft, swinging touch, access to a broad dynamic spectrum, a virtuosic harmonic vocabulary and a boundless source of creative ideas. Without force or persuasion, he invites the listeners to join the trio in very personal and reflective explorations.

Clark is an experienced composer and professor of bass at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Schuller, the son of noted composer Gunther Schuller, is a New York City-based drummer, bandleader and record producer with a pedigree musical upbringing.

OASIS (SSC 4007), Armen Donelian's new trio CD due out May 6th, is his 11th as a leader, featuring him in a set of six originals and two standards accompanied by DAVID CLARK on bass and GEORGE SCHULLER on drums, his band-mates for the past four years.

Hosted by guitarist/vocalist B.J. Magoon, guitarist Tom Yates, drummer Mike Avery, and friends. A lively night! -- an Acton institution of blues-fed leisure time

Justin Burns has been playing music up and down the Merrimac Valley acoustic scene since 2002. Playing at everything from hootenannies and frat parties to Chinese food restaurants and open mics. He was host to the open mic at the dearly departed Evos Arts Institute in Lowell, MA.

You can often catch Justin in Lowell at the open mic at The Worthen and the singer/songwriter night hosted by Jen Kearney at Sangria's. When not playing solo he is most likely strumming a tune in Thunderpants Johnson's Hillbilly Orchestra.

This music has been explained as a must see acoustic rock act infused with rare harmonica talent. Justin's catchy original tunes make you think you know the song and you'll find yourself humming the tunes in your head 3 days later.

A five piece jazz ensemble featuring: Nick Sanders-Piano, Jason Palmer-Trumpet, Noah Preminger-Tenor Sax, Will Slater-Bass, Joe Dyson-Drums

Mark Walker is one of the finest and most versatile drummer / percussionists on the international touring and recording scene today. His musicality and imagination has earned him the respect of some of the world's greatest musicians, composers and producers.

"I was very impressed by how drummer Mark Walker, bassist Oscar Stagnaro and percussionist Pernell Saturnino worked together. It was like being in a foreign country as far as what rhythms they came up with. They would talk to each other in code--calling out the name of the beat and then proceed to burn on it." --David Liebman