Past Events
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents We begin our 10th season with a very special collaboration featuring piano virtuoso Alexander Tutunov, vocalist Christine Williams and jazz guitarist Ed Dunsavage, performing some of the better (and lesser) known compositions of George Gershwin, including such songs as Embraceable You, Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Man I Love and Rhapsody in Blue. This will be the first in a series of performances each season that will celebrate the composers of the Great American Songbook. Alexander Tutunov is widely recognized as one of the most outstanding virtuosos of the former Soviet Union. First Prize winner of the Belarusian National Piano Competition and winner of the Russian National Piano Competition, Tutunov's playing was described by Soviet Culture, Moscow, as "exhilarating and inspired, and which demonstrated a unique talent". Dr. Tutunov maintains a busy performing schedule in Europe, China, Mexico, and the United States as a recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and on radio and television. Dr. Tutunov is also in demand as an adjudicator for piano competitions. Alexander Tutunov now lives in Ashland, where he is Professor of Piano and Artist in Residence at Southern Oregon University. A successful piano pedagogue, he continues to prepare award-winning students. Dr. Tutunov is Artist in Residence at the University of Alaska Southeast, Artistic director of the SOU International Piano Institute, and was recently named the Director of the Chinese-American International Piano Institute in Chengdu, China. Christine Williams is a singer and actor based in Ashland OR. Her performance credits include productions at regional theatres and on concert stages across the country and around the world, from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Barbican Centre in London, to the Aspen Music Festival and the Grotowski Institute in Poland. With eclectic tastes and a wide stylistic range, Christine is a frequent collaborator with jazz, folk and classical musicians, experimental theatre and movement artists, and has developed her own form of “Concert Cabaret.” In addition to eight seasons at OSF, locally Christine has also performed with the Oregon Cabaret Theatre, the Rogue Music Theatre, the contemporary classical ensembles Syzygy and Cabballito Negro, and is a member both of the Celtic folk group, Thistledown, and the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers. A passionate teacher, Christine is on the voice faculty of Southern Oregon University, has been director and vocal coach for numerous high school and college musicals, and frequently runs workshops specializing in acting for singers and singing for actors. Christine is a narrator of audio books and is a member of the Actors’ Equity Association. Guitarist Ed Dunsavage has been performing all around the Pacific Northwest for over 20 years. He has performed at many venues and festivals in the area including the Upper Sacramento River Jazz Festival, The Umpqua Jazz & Wine Festival, The Newport Oregon Jazz Party, Jacksonville Celebrates the Arts, A Taste of Ashland, The Britt Festival, The Craterian Theatre, The Jazz Project in Bellingham,Washington, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival and many others. Ed has shared the stage with many wonderful artists including vocalists Bernadette Peters, Greta Matassa, guitarist Mimi Fox, multi reeds player Paul Mcandless and Charles Neville. He also works as artistic and education director for the Siskiyou Institute. |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents THE CLEVELAND DUO AND JAMES UMBLE, classical saxophonist, have performed together to the major acclaim of audiences and critics alike since the 1993-94 season. Comprising two members of The Cleveland Orchestra known as The Cleveland Duo and internationally-acclaimed saxophonist, James Umble, this ensemble has been blazing trails in the world of classical chamber music with its unusual instrumental combination. Their appealing programming consists of original repertoire for their combination, commissioned works by nationally acclaimed composers, and more traditional music transcribed by them for which they have exclusive performance rights as granted by composers and/or publishing houses. The ensemble has appeared throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico in major chamber music venues, festival sites, universities and conservatories of music, temples, in special informative presentations for school children, over the airwaves of both National Public Radio and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and at national and international conferences. Their recent and upcoming concert seasons have taken them to New York City, Florida, South Carolina, California, Oregon, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Kansas, throughout Ohio, and to Ontario and Quebec, Canada. A tour to Australia is in the planning stages for 2012. A competition for the membership of The Cleveland Composer’s Guild was created in 2006 for the trio for a series of premieres by the artists in the 2007-2008 season. Their collaborative CD, entitled “Dejeuner sur l’Herbe” , was the recipient of a 1993 Grammy nomination citation in five categories, including best chamber music disc. |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents "Howard Alden may be the best of his generation," writes Owen Cordle in JazzTimes. George Kanzler of the Newark Star Ledger proclaims that he is "the most impressive and creative member of a new generation of jazz guitarists." And Chip Deffaa of the New York Post observes that he is "...one of the very finest young guitarists working today." Born in Newport Beach, California, in 1958, Howard began playing at age ten, inspired by recordings of Armstrong, Basie and Goodman, as well as those by guitarists Barney Kessel, Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt and George Van Eps. Soon he was working professionally around Los Angeles playing in groups ranging from traditional to mainstream to modern Jazz. In 1979, Alden went east for a summer in Atlantic City with Red Norvo, and continued to perform with him frequently for several years. Howard can be heard on the soundtrack to the 1999 Woody Allen movie “Sweet and Low Down”, starring Sean Penn, who was also nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the legendary(but fictional!) jazz guitarist in the ?30s, “Emmett Ray” . Howard not only played all the guitar solos, but also taught Mr. Penn to play the guitar for his role in the film. The London Observer has this to say about Alden's solo guitar CD, “MY SHINING HOUR”; “If there is such a thing as a complete jazz guitarist, then Alden is it. Only a real virtuoso can sustain a whole CD of solo guitar with the aplomb he displays here.” An established bandleader and prolific composer, idiomatically conversant with modern and traditional jazz, classical music, Brazilian choro, Argentine tango, and an expansive timeline of Afro-Cuban styles, Anat Cohen has established herself as one of the primary voices of her generation on both the tenor saxophone and clarinet since arriving in New York in 1999. In September 2008, Anat Cohen released Notes From The Village, her fourth album as a leader. Recorded at Avatar studios in New York City, the album builds on Cohen's acclaimed 2007 releases, captures the thrilling energy of her live shows, and proves her to be an artistically adventurous writer and performer. Notes From The Village finds Anat leading a quartet of some of the most sought-after, engaging young performers in New York, including pianist Jason Lindner, bassist Omer Avital, and drummer Daniel Freedman, with accompaniment from guitarist Gilad Hekselman on three tracks. The album features compositions written by Cohen as well as her interpretations of songs by Fats Waller, John Coltrane, Sam Cooke and Ernesto Lecuona. Anat has performed for audiences in New York’s Village Vanguard, Jazz Standard, Iridium, The Jazz Gallery, and the JVC Jazz Festival. She has also appeared at the Chicago Jazz Festival, Washington DC’s Kennedy Center, San Francisco’s Yoshi's, Boston’s Regattabar, the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and the Montreal Jazz Festival. Anat’s July 2007 engagement at the Village Vanguard in New York was a historic one; Anat is the first female reed player, and the first Israeli to headline at the club. Ms. Cohen’s accomplishments have been recognized in a flurry of awards and distinctions from critics and fans alike; She topped the Rising Star-Clarinet category in DownBeat Magazine’s critics poll in both 2007 and 2008, and placed prominently in a total of four categories including Rising Star Jazz Artist - where she ranked second and was the only female artist to make the list. Anat was also mentioned on DownBeat’s readers poll in 2007 and 2008. The Jazz Journalists Association named Anat Cohen Clarinetist of the Year in 2007 through 2010 – the first time in the history of the awards that an artist has earned top clarinet honors four years running. Noir and Poetica both appeared on many year-end best-of summary lists, including those of Paste magazine, The New York Sun, Slate, JazzTimes and others. |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents The Siskiyou Institute is pleased to present New York based Le Boeuf Brothers Quartet as part of their west coast fall tour on Sunday October 2. We presented them here last summer and they were such a hit that we're happy to have them return. Remy and Pascal Le Boeuf (saxophone and piano) are part of a growing New York jazz scene characterized by odd time signatures, alternative rock, and the influences of artists such as Radiohead, Brian Blade and Kurt Rosenwinkel. What makes the Le Boeuf Brothers sparkle among other jazz musicians is their uncanny ability to communicate with each other using their own secret musical language. This isn't surprising when you discover that Pascal and Remy Le Boeuf are identical twins. Their latest album, “House Without a Door” has been praised by the New York Times as, “an impressively self-assured new album… which reaches for the gleaming cosmopolitanism of our present era.” In their short musical career, the Le Boeuf Brothers (pronounced "le buff") have garnered an impressive tally of national and international awards and accomplishments, the most notable being the ASCAP/IAJE Commission honoring Quincy Jones, which premiered at the 2004 IAJE conference and featured tenor saxophonist Chris Potter. The Le Boeuf Brothers have also received awards from Downbeat Magazine, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, and dominated the 2006 Independent Music Awards, winning Best Jazz Album and Best Jazz Song for their prior release “Migration”. Most recently, the track "Code Word" from their new album "House Without A Door" received 1st place in the International Songwriting Competition. Upon graduating from the Manhattan School of Music in 2007, Remy and Pascal maintained their primary identities as modern jazz musicians with strong roots in the jazz tradition, while concurrently indulging individual alternate musical identities. Remy, a closet oboist, has a deep understanding and passion for classical music and has a secret life as a contemporary classical composer. Pascal, a working singer songwriter and electronica composer collaborates with various artists for a soon to be released rock/electronica album under the alias "iPascal".. When these vectors converge in the twins’ creative cauldron what emerges is an inspired synergetic perspective that is fresh, competent, and enticing. The Le Boeuf Brothers have recently collaborated on their most recent album "House Without A Door." Described by the New York Times as an “impressively self assured new album… which reaches for the gleaming cosmopolitanism of our present era.” And by All About Jazz as “one of the most engaging and original albums to emerge in 2009.” "It showcases their evermore-confident composing. While half of the album features a tough, young rhythm section of their musical peers, the other half finds the twins keeping company with stellar New York cats like drummer Clarence Penn, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland." (Monterey County Weekly). Pascal describes "House without a Door" as “an attempt to create the perfect balance between intellect and emotion. After spending time apart working on contemporary classical composition and rock/electronica individually, it made sense for us to combine forces on this album." These influences shine on tracks such as Remy's "Tabula Rasa," a thru-composed maze of colorful saxophone arpeggios, and Pascal's "Wetaskiwin," a dreamlike hymn clearly influenced by Radiohead. "Our hope is that by connecting with our own personal emotions through music, we can connect with our audience." To learn more about Le Boeuf Brothers and to hear audio clips, please visit their website at: www.LBjazz.com |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents The Siskiyou Institute is thrilled to present guitar phenomenon Francesco Buzzurro from Sicily with guitarist Richard Smith. We presented this dynamic duo in April of 2010 to a sold out crowd and are happy to have them back again in southern Oregon. Born in Taormina, Italy in 1969, Francesco Buzzurro started to play guitar at the age of 6. He graduated from the Conservatory of Trapani and studied with Stefano Palamidessi. He has participated in master classes with David Russell, Hopkinson Smith, John Duarte and Alberto Ponce at The International Arts Academy in Rome. As a classical guitarist he won three national competitions in Savona Alassio and Caccamo in Sicily where he currently lives. Francesco Buzzurro’s passion for classical music is also strongly linked to a deep activity of research in the field of jazz, in fact the guitarist has developed on his own a particular way of improvising on the nylon-string guitar mixing the elements of bossa-nova, flamenco and latin music. Francesco has played with some jazz giants such as Toots Thielemans, Arturo Sandoval, Diane Schurr, Bob Mintzer, Frank Foster, Bill Russo, and many others. He is currently the leader of a quartet and plays at many jazz festivals in Europe. His first recording, entitled “LATINUS”, had numerous reviews in some of the most important Italian newspapers and guitar magazines. His second CD is entitled “FREELY…” and contains original arrangements of famous standards for solo guitar like for example Granada, Brasilerinho, Summertime, a suite from The Rhapsody in Blue etc. Richard Smith was born in Detroit, raised in Eugene, Oregon. Attending a Chick Corea concert at the age of 14 changed his life. "I was so blown away by that concert that I rode my bike home, picked up the phone and promptly broke up with my girlfriend, and tried to stay up all night practicing…come to think of it, I have been working pretty hard at it ever since." Making music has played the central role in Smith’s life since that fateful night. "I soon was playing flute in the school band, string bass in orchestra, singing in the choir and guitar in the jazz band." Eugene had a very active music scene, and a year after that Chick Corea concert Smith was playing in the clubs and teaching in the local music stores. Education has also played a central role in Smiths life, coming fom a big family of professors, Smith entered the University of Oregon, by playing a Vivaldi guitar concerto to a boombox. Since then he has attended Oregon, then North Texas State University, but quit after one semester to join Dan Siegel’s band at the age of 19. Smith recorded two albums with Siegel, which became some of the top discs in the early contemporary jazz genre. At age 23 Smith received a teaching fellowship to USC, in Los Angeles, an event that changed his life and his music forever. USC, one of the top Music schools in the world, was also where Lee Ritenour, Paul Jackson Junior, Larry Koonse, Christopher Parkening and the entire L.A. Guitar Quartet went to school. His first break came when guitar legend and USC instructor Joe Diorio recommended him for a gig with contemporary jazz pianist Billy Mitchell. Introducing Smith to R&B jazz, a style that has become an indelible part of Richard’s sound. “I fell in love with all of the beats that were kicking around, and when compared to the music in Eugene, it was such an amazing tapestry of sounds, I wanted to jump into everything head-first”. In short order, Smith started playing with the many L.A. Based groups of the day – Siegel, Richard Elliot, Rick Braun, Guitars and Saxes, Max Bennett. He joined Richard Elliot’s group and stayed for 10 years and 6 number one albums on the Blue Note label. At the same time, Richard was rising in the ranks of the professorate at USC, making professor and department chair in the Studio/Jazz Guitar department before the age of 30. |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents The Siskiyou Institute welcomes back the Gonzalo Bergara Quartet on Friday, October 21 at Paschal Winery in Talent. We've presented this wonderful group in 2009 and 2010 to sold out houses and we're happy to finish our fall season with this fine group of musicians. Gonzalo is one of the hottest Gypsy Jazz guitarists on the scene today and you won't want to miss this. The all acoustic Gonzalo Bergara Quartet plays a modern variant of 1930's Django Reinhardt-inspired Gypsy Jazz. Composer and lead guitarist Bergara mixes cascades of arpeggios with the sounds of Paris and his native Argentina and is supported by an ace clarinetist and a honed rhythm section. Bergara is fiery and focused, while the hard-swinging band takes the audience for a ride they won't soon forget. His new CD Porteña Soledad was Editor’s Pick in Guitar Player Magazine, and Vintage Guitar Magazine called it “a masterpiece,” and he was picked as the “Best Jazz Group” in Los Angeles by Los Angeles Magazine in their Best of LA issue. The music is heavily influenced by Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France, traditional Jazz and hints of his native Buenos Aires. In his review on DjangoBooks.com, Jeff Fiskin writes "Gonzalo Bergara’s music exists in a way that very little music does. He has lavished such care on every phrase, built each arrangement with such lapidary precision and pared away anything extraneous, the music becomes sculpture. It has weight, density, gravity. This is serious. And deeply moving.” Gonzalo has performed all over the world including Croatia, Italy, France, Germany, Hungary, Argentina, Brazil, England, Scotland, The Montreal Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Sweet and Hot Jazz Festival, Django Reinhardt Fest in Germany, Suave Guitar Fest in Italy, Merle Fest, Strawberry Fest, Django Fests throughout the US and lots, lots more. The Gonzalo Bergara Quartet is formed by Gonzalo Bergara on Lead Acoustic Guitar, Jeffrey Radaich on Rhythm Guitar, Rob Hardt on Clarinet and Tenor Saxophone, and Brian Netzley on Upright Bass. Click here to view some video of the quartet on Youtube. Editor's Pick - Guitar Player Magazine April 08 A Masterpiece - Vintage Guitar Magazine June 08 Best Jazz In Los Angeles - Los Angeles Magazine Best of Issue Django Reinhardt Artist of the Year - Djangofest.com |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents On Wednesday August 10 2011, Rochester NY based guitarist Kinloch Nelson will present a guitar concert at Paschal Winery using a handmade guitar built from 100 year old redwood timbers salvaged from Ashland's historic Tunnel 13 of the Siskiyou Train Lines and of "the last great American train robbery" fame. Guitarists take note: Nelson will be performing on an instrument hand built by award winning luthiers Bruce and Matt Petros of Kaukauna Wisconsin. Petros Guitars picked up the coveted Players Choice Gold Award from Acoustic Guitar Magazine in 2008. That same year Nelson met Petros at the Newport Guitars Festival and within a few months they began collaborating on what would become a full length CD featuring Nelson's guitar playing and Petros guitars, particularly a number of instruments featuring wood from the famous Tunnel 13. Nelson will have copies of the new CD as well as a few autographed books about the Tunnel 13 Guitars project. Both Petros and Nelson will be at the long running Healdsburg Guitar Festival Aug 10-12, 2011 For more info on Kinloch please visit his website at www.kinlochnelson.com |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents The Siskiyou Institute brings back one of it's most popular artists, guitarist Mimi Fox for a fundraising event to support the Siskiyou Institute's Artists-In-Schools Program. Internationally renowned guitarist/composer/recording artist Mimi Fox has been named a winner in 6 consecutive Downbeat Magazine international critic's polls and has been recognized by writers and colleagues alike as one of the most eloquent jazz guitarists on today's scene. In one of many feature stories, Guitar Player Magazine hailed Mimi as "a prodigious talent who has not only mastered the traditional forms but has managed to reinvigorate them." Mimi has performed/recorded with some of jazz's most commanding players, including fellow guitarists Charlie Byrd, Stanley Jordan, Charlie Hunter, and Mundell Lowe, Grammy-nominated saxophonists Branford Marsalis, David Sanchez and Houston Person and the late Don Lanphere, vocalists Abbey Lincoln, Diana Krall, Kevin Mahogany and Janis Siegel (Manhattan Transfer), B3 organ masters Joey DeFrancesco, Barbara Denerlein and Dr. Lonnie Smith, and powerhouse drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. She has also performed outside of the jazz world with legends Stevie Wonder and John Sebastian and with Patty Larkin's Vanguard Records-produced La Guitara project. Visit www.mimifoxjazzguitar.com for more info. |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents The Siskiyou Institute finishes it’s spring concert series with two rising stars from the New York jazz scene with vocalist JD Walter and pianist Jim Ridl. JD Walter is a Jazz singers singer-a purist and an innovator. Although his style has been compared to many vocal Titans, it is in the same breath, uniquely his own, and he has become a singular phenomenon on the music scene. Respected and lauded by the great musicians of the contemporary circuit, J.D. has shared the stage and recorded with many legendary artists. J.D. has currently recorded 5 CD's. "Sirens in the C-House", "Clear Day", a collaboration with master musician Dave Liebman, "Dedicated to You", "2Bass, a Face and a little skin", and "Live in Portugal". J.D. has been a featured artist at countless American jazz festivals and clubs, performed at numerous festivals in Europe, the Middle East, Central America and toured Russia 25+ times, performing in over 100 cities. J.D. is in demand as a clinician at schools and universities. He has performed numerous clinics for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Music Educators National Conference, and has taught at the prestigious Sebelius Conservatory in Helsinki Finland, Jazz Palau De Valencia in Spain, The University of North Texas (invited back as the first vocalist ever on their lecture series), The Moscow Music Consort, and the Kazan Music Conservatory in Russia. JD is a regular on the Music Scene in New York having headlined at such venues as, Lincoln Center, The Jazz Standard, The Jazz Gallery, Joe's Pub, The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Sweet Rhythm, Smoke, and can be seen frequently at the famed 55 Bar. He was also formerly on the faculty of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Currently resides in New York City, teaches at The Aaron Copeland School of Music, The New School, and can be heard at many major jazz clubs and events. Pianist Jim Ridl is also a composer, arranger and teacher in the New York City area. He performs internationally and nationally with the Jim Ridl Trio and Quintet, vocalist JD Walter, guitarist Sheryl Baileythe Dave Liebman Big Band, the Denis DiBlasio Quintet, and the Antfarm Quartet. Jim has 5 critically acclaimed cd releases: Your Cheatin’ Heart and Other Works on the Dreambox Media Label; Door In a Field (DBM); Jim Ridl Trio/Live (DBM); Blues Liberations - Solo Piano (DBM); and Five Minutes to Madness and Joy (Synergy Music). Jim’s tenure with jazz guitar legend Pat Martino received many critically acclaimed reviews of performances around the world and produced 3 outstanding recordings Interchange, Night Wings and The Maker. Jim is a member of the Dave Liebman Big Band, whose recording Beyond the Line is on the Omnitone label. (Jim also can be heard on vocalist JD Walter's collaboration with Liebman, Clear Day on Doubletime.) Additionally, Jim has performed and/or recorded with Randy Brecker, Marc Johnson, James Moody, Slide Hampton, Clark Terry, Mickey Roker, Billy Hart, Mark Murphy, Ravi Coltrane, the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Bill Stewart, Matt Wilson, Sherman Ferguson, Tyrone Brown,.. To see some video of JD & Jim in performance check out his website at http://www.jdwalter.com/video.html Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents The Siskiyou Institute celebrates the tenth Pearl Django CD entitled System D and introduces their new guitarist, Troy Chapman. This CD is dedicated to Neil Andersson, who has retired from Pearl Django after 16 years. Now in their sixteenth year of performing Pearl Django continues to be one of America’s most respected and busiest Hot Club style groups. Though still strongly influenced by the music of Django Reinhardt, Pearl Django’s repertoire now includes many original compositions. Their music reaches out across the divides of taste to a wide variety of audiences. The band's fervent followers include Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli fans, guitar enthusiasts (and guitarists!), lovers of string music, including bluegrass devotees, who relish nimble, clean, intricate picking, "world music" fans drawn to French and Gypsy accents, plus jazz buffs and aficionados of the new swing music. Transcending simple categorization, Pearl Django packs in enthusiastic audiences at dancehalls and nightclubs, at folk music festivals and jazz festivals alike. The group’s inception was as a trio in Tacoma, Washington in 1994. The focus of Pearl Django was, and is, to incorporate the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with American swing music. They quickly expanded to a quintet, adding a violinist and a third guitarist. An interview on NPR’s All Things Considered in 2001 brought the group to national attention. In June 2002, Pearl Django performed at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine, just outside of Paris, France. As of 2007 Pearl Django is working as both a quartet and a quintet (with accordionist, David Lange) All of the members are contributing original compositions to the band’s expansive repertoire. They have released 10 CDs to date. Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. . |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents The Siskiyou Institute presents Castlebar, Ireland Native, John Hoban. Musician, singer, songwriter, poet. John has traveled all over the world with his music. The ultimate multi-instrumentalist, John plays fiddle, accordian, mandolin, mando-cello, harmonica etc ... He writes, composes his own songs and music. It has been said that "he could make music from a sheaf of oats". Behind the talent and enthusiasm of John is a caring, wise artist. A simple man, unfettered by much of the clutter we deem so important in modern society, John Hoban's music brings us back to the source. He searched out music from old masters, showing deep respect for the social contexts in which music was played for generations. John is highly regarded in Ireland and elsewhere, for the deep and personal nature of his music. He has performed with some of the best musicians worldwide, including Johnny Mulhern, Wally Page, Sharon Shannon, James O'Malley to name a few and bands like Archady, General Humbert, The Bumblebees, Big City (Australia) etc. John is best described as a "Wandering Minstrel" or Troubadour. For this performance, John will be joined by James Keigher from the Celtic music duo Men of Worth. Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. . |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents The Siskiyou Institute presents, world renowned acoustic bass player and composer Glen Moore along with Portland piano phenomenon Dan Gaynor on Friday May 6 at the Old Siskiyou Barn. Glen Moore is well known as the bassist and co-founder of the group Oregon along with Ralph Towner, Paul McCandless and Collin Walcott. The group's most recent recording, "Prime" is a celebration of 40 years of performing and recording together. Moore has worked with many great jazz artists including pianists Paul Bley, Larry Karush, Jan Hammer, Bill Evans and John Taylor; saxophonists, Zoot Sims, Benny Wallace, Lew Tabakin, Sonny Fortune, Nick Brignola, Rob Scheps, Charlie Mariano and Michael Brecker; flutist Jeremy Steig; violinists Stuff Smith, Zbigniew Seifert, Rob Thomas, Hollis Taylor and Jim Nolet; vibraphonists Gary Burton and Michael Mainieri; drummers Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Beaver Harris, Peter LaRoca and Jimmy Cobb; bassists Anthony Cox, Charlie Haden, Gary Peacock, Dave Holland, Jamie Faunt, Steve Swallow, David Friesen, Mark Dresser and Barre Phillips; and tap dancer Peg Leg Bates. His compositional flair for romantic piano songs, flamboyant and robust bass songs is well known to his audience. In the last ten years, he has co-authored 15 songs with lyrics by his wife, Samantha Moore. Glen has a studio in Portland, Oregon where he gives private lessons to musicians from many stylistic backgrounds. He participates extensively as an instructor and as a student in bass conferences (Hawaii, Brazil, Minneapolis and Iowa), and is active in the International String Bass Institute. Glen is the father of three sons and is living and teaching in Portland, Oregon For the past 30 years, Glen has played a Klotz bass fiddle crafted in the Tyrol circa 1715 on which he has made extensive use of a unique tuning with both a low and high C string. Pianist Dan Gaynor has been working with bassist Glen Moore in both duo and trio settings for the past several years, performing original compositions written by himself, Glen Moore, as well as music by Ralph Towner, Steve Swallow and others. Dan has also worked with vocalist Nancy King, saxophonists Rob Scheps, Ralph Bowen and guitarist John Stowell among others. He also performs and records with his group Chopslaughter, an eclectic improvising trio of trombone, piano and bass, including original material by band members, classical works in open improvising format such as Mahler Kindertotenlieder, Bach arias, and obscure poppish songs by Angelo Badalamenti, Pete Townshend, etc. Dan has studied piano with both Darrell Grant and Randy Porter and in 2004 he received his degree from Portland State University. Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents "Absolutely beautiful. Great work..., It's so nice to see and hear this.” - Steve Vai The Siskiyou Institute kicks off its Spring concert season with a wonderful vocal/guitar duo from the San Francisco area. Scheherazade Stone and Brian Gore of "The Sing Strings" bring insightful and imaginative original songs and arrangements to Paschal Winery on April 9. Their music blends two unique styles for voice and guitar into one mesmerizing melange of soul, blues, folk, jazz, and finger-style guitar influences. The evening will feature their duo work and innovative solo guitar pieces from Gore. The music of the Sing Strings is harmonically rich and lyrically deep, while catchy melodically and easy on the ears. “Scheherazade Stone is a superb musician and a stunning singer with a magnetic stage presence” (Robert Hurwitt, SF Examiner). "Tunesmith and solo guitarist Brian Gore is an “exceptional musician,” (Alex Varty, Vancouver Straight). Together, they forge two high caliber eclectic musical styles into a powerfully emotive duo for voice and guitar. Scheherazade Stone got her first name from her parents who raised her in a musical way. She’s collaborated with players ranging from Don Cherry, Chico Freeman and Omar Sosa to Jai Uttal and Cheb I Sabbah. She even appeared on a Grammy nominated tune from the Hieroglyphics Ensemble. “I love Scheherazade Stone and it’s always interesting to hear her sing,” proclaims JH Tompkins of the SF Guardian. Julia Chase of the SF Weekly says, “Vocalist Scheherazade Stone is the scene stealer, a vision of Josephine Baker in vintage gowns, she drifts effortlessly between her character Paulette and her place in the band.” Known as a “poet of the guitar,” Brian Gore’s emotive, expressive style combines influences from folk, jazz and classical music. Ron Forbes-Roberts of Acoustic Guitar Magazine says, “Gore’s finely crafted poetic ’songs without words’ take the listener on a spellbinding, emotional ride. He has great facility as a player, but it’s the depth and range of moods his pieces evoke that makes his music such a pleasure.” Gore performs as the founder of International Guitar Night (IGN/USA). He can also be found touring solo, as well as in double bills, in concert halls and festivals around the world. He’s been featured on NPR’s nationally syndicated Echoes Radio and performed live on many NPR affiliate stations in the US. To see a video of the String Sings visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JIMjf2KSqw&feature=relmfu Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents The Siskiyou Institute presents Grammy Award winning multi-reeds player Paul McCandless and harpist Motoshi Kosako in an intimate performance at the Old Siskiyou Barn on Friday, April 22. They will be celebrating the release of their first recording together, Places in the Heart and will performing music from the new CD. Paul is known to many as a member of the groundbreaking group Oregon which is celebrating it’s 40th year together. While they are in southern Oregon they will also be participating in the Artists-In-Schools Program. Here is what each of them have to say about this collaboration. From Paul: The first time I thought about the harp and the oboe together was when I heard the Sonata for Oboe and Harp by Jacques Hotteterre. The second time was when Motoshi Kosako backed his truck up to my back porch and off loaded a beautiful full sized classical harp into my studio. I thought, “OK, this is going to be different.” The harp’s exotic and resonant tones and vibrations woven with the lyrical melodies and dark timbre of the oboe and English horn gave voice to Motoshi’s vision of a harp that could play jazz, and jazz and improvisation that could be found through the blending of the harp and the woodwinds. We discovered a jazz style both original and personal. A member of the next generation of musicians, Motoshi is inspired and influenced by the group Oregon as well as Western classical music, Japanese traditional music, rock and contemporary jazz; but in the end his music can’t be reduced to a sum of influences. Playing his compositions gives voice to my own language and I find myself very much at home. Motoshi’s achievements should do for the harp what so many virtuosos efforts have done: create new possibilities for the instruments and establish, for these unexpected arrivals, a home in the world of jazz. From Motoshi: This project is definitely one of “My dream come true”event! I have been a big fan of Mr. Paul McCandless and his fellow musicians, such as Ralph Towner, Pat Metheny , Eberhard Weber, Jaco Pastorius, Carla Bley . I feel so close to their European Jazz style (or ECM Jazz style) and have been wanting to play with the musicians who started that style of Jazz, like Mr. McCandless. We are musicians from different generations but we still feel very close to each other through our common musical language. The sound of my harp and Paul’s rich and delicate voice from his oboe, English horn, soprano sax and bass clarinet creates such a deeply touching transparent color in music. I almost feel it is my mission to deliver this totally new sound to the world. I hope you will enjoy it! To hear sound files from this new collaboration, visit http://harpmusician.com/Motoshi_Kosako/Collaboration_with_Paul_McCandless.html Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. |
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Men Of Worth From Scotland's outer islands and Ireland's West, some of America's most authentic musical heritage is coming to the Rogue Valley! The folk duo, Men of Worth, who position themselves firmly at the extreme, traditional end of the Celtic music spectrum, will perform at Paschal Winery in Talent Oregon on Saturday, March 19th at 7 p.m. Men of Worth’s tunes and songs are so authentic, so closely connected to their heritage, that Scotsman Donnie Macdonald sings some in his native Gaelic; while Irishman James Keigher includes time-polished pieces saved from the oral traditions of his native County Mayo. "Our music has its history in the crofting life of my Hebridean homeland and James’ western Ireland. It was a part of the fabric of everyday life and it came to America with the immigrants a century ago", explained Macdonald. "Now, we’re playing it again, to audiences for whom it could only be a generational memory". "For us, the irony is we were brought up in Scotland and Ireland, and as boys we listened most eagerly to the music of America, and not especially to the music of own areas. On our radios, we heard Hank Williams Sr. and Jim Reeves. We wanted to see the Arkansas River, not Loch Lomond, and Reeves’ hometown of Carthage, in east Texas, had more romance for me than did the Isle of Lewis”. "Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Crosby, Stills and Nash influenced me greatly”, admitted Keigher, who as a teen was already performing his own songs in the Irish pubs where he learned his wit and humor. "But now I have returned to my own musical bloodlines, too." The pair could not escape the emotion and tradition of their homeland song heritage. "We could not grow away from those sounds", said Macdonald, "so we have preserved them as accurately and authentically as we can, in our performances". "We entertain people with the real music of our regions; we have an ancient yet fresh musical story to tell". Sometimes that music comes from prosaic sources – Keigher wrote one song after overhearing two old ladies gossiping about him in a village market – and sometimes from traditional music passed down the generations. Several of Macdonald’s songs come from his mother’s own poetry and from Hebridean crofters’ airs. The musicians, who met in California in 1988, each play a handful of instruments, among them mandolin, guitar, concertina and bodhran, a handheld drum. They are both married to Americans and live on the west coast. Keigher lives in Ashland, Oregon and Macdonald lives near Sacramento, California. They have played concerts across the US, from Alaska to Texas. They also take guided tours to their own musical roots: leading folk fans to the western isles of Scotland and to Ireland’s heartland to hear the real music of the isles in its own home. If you can’t make that journey, you can hear the music when these talented troubadours bring it to you, Saturday, March 19th. Don't Miss It! |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents If “World Music” is music that pays tribute to the spirit of a collection of human beings through distinct rhythms, traditional instruments and harmonic colors, French-Algerian guitarist, singer and composer Pierre Bensusan can be recognized as one of the most eloquent and diverse world musicians of our time. Born in Oran, French-Algeria, in 1957, when France was decolonizing its Empire, Pierre Bensusan's family moved to Paris when he was 4. He began formal studies on piano at the age of 7 and at 11 taught himself guitar. Influenced in those early days by the folk revival blooming in Britain, France and North America, Bensusan began first to explore his own diverse musical heritage and then moved to the horizons beyond. At 17 he signed his first recording contract, and one year later his first album Pres de Paris won the Grand Prix du Disque upon his debut at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland. Described by the L.A. Times as "one of the most unique and brilliant acoustic guitar veterans in the world music scene today", Pierre Bensusan was voted "Best World Music Guitar Player in 2008" by Guitar Player Magazine Readers Choice. His name became synonymous with contemporary acoutsic guitar genius, long before the terms New Age, New Acoustic Music or World Music were invented. He has the ability to make a single guitar sound like an entire band as he brings the audience on a mesmerizing musical journey. And yet, Bensusan is more than what any musician or music lover expects from a guitarist. He is a composer as well as a bilingual and a brave improvisational vocalist, melding whistles and resonant low notes with something like his own scat technique. There is a sense of something both playful and serious in his work, an unparalleled sense of freedom in his compositions and his improvisations. His "manner" of playing defies classification - crossing world, classical, jazz, traditional, folk and more. None can be isolated as simply “Brazilian”, "Arabic" or “French”; rather, they represent our world in its current state, a world sharing itself, fusing cultures together in ways we have never experienced. Not to be missed! Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents The Siskiyou Institute welcomes back NY based pianist Robert Piket and her trio. This presentation will be a collaboration with the Artistic Piano Gallery in Medford. The concert will be preceded by a pre-show talk at 6:30 p.m. by Roberta and is open to anyone with a reservation for the concert. In the time since Roberta Piket returned to her native New York, the pianist/composer has played professionally as a sidewoman with David Liebman, Rufus Reid, Michael Formanek, Lionel Hampton, Mickey Roker, Billy Mintz, Harvey Wainapel, Eliot Zigmund, Benny Golson and the BMI/NY Jazz Orchestra and has twice been a featured guest on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz, on National Public Radio. It is in her work as a composer and bandleader, however, that the depth of Roberta's talent becomes most evident. Roberta, who holds a B.S. in Computer Science which she earned concurrently with her music degree, turned away from a future as a software engineer after a year in that field to pursue an inevitable path in creative music. A gifted composer, Roberta was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk BMI Composers' Competition. Roberta's trio has toured Japan and Spain as well as the U.S. She has performed her music at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., at the Earshot Festival in Seattle, at the Rochester (NY) Jazz Festival, and in New York at Small's, the Blue Note Club, Birdland, the Knitting Factory and the Kitano. Roberta's CDs frequently make the "best of" lists of the major jazz magazines. Whether performing her original compositions or highly personalized reworkings of standards, Roberta's daring rhythmic modulations and vast harmonic expansiveness set a new standard for the piano trio. "September of Tears", released in Japan, finds Roberta joining forces with Rufus Reid and Billy Hart for an adventurous program of originals and reworked standards. The recent release, Love and Beauty, features the virtuosic gifts of bassist Ratzo Harris and drummer Billy Mintz. During its three-year incarnation, this working group toured the West coast three times and performed regularly in New York. A confessed "closet singer", Roberta also makes her vocal debut on Love and Beauty. Roberta maintains an active schedule as an educator. She has held master classes at the Eastman School of Music (where she performed solo and in duo with Marian McPartland), Rutgers University, Cal Arts, Duke University, the Northwestern University Composers' Colloquium, and many others in the U.S., Europe and Japan. She has coached ensembles at Long Island University, has several private students, has served as a panelist for the Queens Council on the Arts grant review process and has taught at the Litchfield Jazz Camp and the Vermont Jazz Center. She is also the author of the Jazz Piano Vocabulary series of workbooks, published by Muse-Eek Publishing. For information, reservations and directions please all 541-488-3869 or e-mail info@siskiyouinstitute.com |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents The Siskiyou Institute Welcomes back bassist/composer David Friesen on Friday October 15. He will be performing with a wonderful trio featuring L.A. based guitarist Larry Koonse and Portland based pianist Greg Goebel in the intimate setting of the Old Siskiyou Barn. David Friesen has recorded over 70 CD's as a leader/ co-leader and appeared as a sideman or featured artist on more than 100 recordings. He has performed and/ or recorded with many of the great names and legends of jazz including: Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Sam Rivers, Michael Brecker, Bud Shank, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Freddy Hubbard, Art Farmer, Clark Terry, Joe Venuti, Mal Waldron, Jaki Byard, Kenny Drew Sr., Chick Corea, Milt Jackson, Slim Gaillard, John Scofield, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Paul Motian, Jack Dejohnette, Airto Moreira, and many others. He has performed in concert as a soloist (Friesen is one of two or three bassists in the world that is able to play a solo concert and keep an audience riveted) and with his own groups throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Turkey, Poland, Japan, Australia, China and South America. "Everything the trio plays is colored with a pronounced individuality. The harmonic depth, intense rhythm and subtle interaction they employ mesmerizes an audience." - D. Ramsey/Downbeat, Jazz Times "Bassist David Friesen is a phenomenon, a player whose musicianship, tone, time and imagination are uncategorizable." - Nat Hentoff Guitarist Larry Koonse was born into a musical family, and has been playing the guitar since the age of six. At the age of fifteen he recorded an album with his father, guitarist Dave Koonse, entitled “Dave and Larry Koonse; father and son jazz guitars.” In 1984, Larry was the first recipient of a BM in Jazz Studies at the University of Southern California. Since his graduation, Larry has toured extensively as a member of the John Dankworth quartet, backing up Cleo Laine. He has also toured with Mel Torme, Terry Gibbs, Bob Brookmeyer, Billy Childs, David Friesen, and Warne Marsh and was a featured performer with the Percy Faith Orchestra on a tour of Japan. At the invitation of Nelson Mandela and UNICEF, Larry traveled to South Africa to perform for the first annual SAMIX festival with the Steve Houghton quintet. He also performed with Gary Willis in Sao Paulo for a government-sponsored concert at SESC Ipiranga. In his travels, he has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Academy of Music, the Sydney Opera House, and has been a featured soloist with the L.A. Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and many other orchestras throughout the world. Larry has recorded with Cleo Laine, Al Hirt, Jimmy Rowles, Lee Konitz, Alan Broadbent, Ray Brown, Bob Brookmeyer, Bill Perkins, Mel Torme, Toots Thielemanns, David Friesen, Warne Marsh, Bob Sheppard and many other jazz artists. "Guitarist Larry Koonse is one of the great players who has the ability to become as big an influence in today's jazz scene, in a similar fashion as pianist Bill Evans." - 20th Century Guitar Magazine Born in Oregon, Greg Goebel began piano lessons at the age of four. Though improvising and composing music from an early age, it wasn’t until high school that he became seriously interested in jazz and improvisation. Greg graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies from the University Of Oregon School Of Music where he studied composition and improvisation with Gary Versace, Randy Porter and Steve Owen. Throughout his high school and college careers, Greg has received numerous awards for excellence in musicianship and composition. Upon graduation he received the University’s award for Outstanding Undergraduate Performer in Music. The University said of his achievements, “[he] has personally done more to elevate the performance level of our jazz students than any other person, graduate or undergraduate, who has attended the U of O in at least the last fifteen years”. Greg has been recognized in Down Beat magazine with an award for Outstanding Original Composition. He has consistently been given top honors at music festivals including, most recently, Best Overall College Performer and three times Best Overall College Pianist at the Reno International Jazz Festival. The Oregonian mentioned Greg as one of Portland’s up-and-coming pianists. Greg continues to perform with musicians such as Alan Jones, David Friesen, Gino Vannelli, Bob Magnusson, Dick Oatts, John Handy, Gary Hobbs, Peter Epstein, John Stowell, Rebecca Kilgore, Ron Steen and Ed Bennett. Greg now lives in Portland, OR where he works as a freelance musician, travels internationally and teaches privately. JAZZ, COFFEE & CONVERSATION Join us for a casual gathering at the Old Siskiyou Barn with the Dave Friesen Trio. We'll supply the coffee & tea. This will be a rare opportunity to meet and interact with the artists, ask questions, learn how they do what they do, listen to them demonstrate their individual approaches to improvising and performing. An informative and educational exchange of thoughts and ideas. Open to everyone and anyone interested in the art of making music $10 donation goes to the S.I. Artists in Schools Program. (Free to Siskiyou Institute Members & k-university students) For information, reservations and directions please all 541-488-3869 or e-mail info@siskiyouinstitute.com |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents The New Almaden Trio features Renata Bratt on cello; Scott Sorkin on guitar and Kristen Strom on saxophone and flute. All three are active performers in the San Francisco Bay area music scene, performing in symphonies, jazz bands, Celtic, Latin and chamber music ensembles. Inspired by Jobim, Gershwin and Bach, the members of the Almaden Trio – all composers and arrangers – balance improvisation and composition in every performance. The group plays their own arrangements of jazz, classical and Americana music. Cellist Renata Bratt writes books for Mel Bay as well as string orchestra and quartet arrangements for Alfred Publishing and String Letter Publishing. She is a founding member of the American String Teachers Association Alternative Styles Advisory Committee. She has taught classical styles, jazz improvisation and fiddling at national string workshops for children and adults including Alasdair Fraser’s camps, New Directions Cello Festival, the Mark O'Connor String Conference, the National Cello Institute, Wintergrass, the Mandolin Symposium, ASTA, MENC and Suzuki institutes. In addition to concertizing with various jazz and fiddle groups, Renata has played back-up with luminaries such as Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, David Sanborn, Lyle Lovett, and Dionne Warwick. Rolling Stone dubbed her an "ace performer" for her work recording and touring with alternative rocker Cindy Lee Berryhill's Garage Orchestra. She received her Ph.D. in Music from the University of California at San Diego and is a former president of the Suzuki Music Association of California. Kristen Strom is a sought after Bay Area performer, a member of the sax ensemble, the Nuclear Whales, saxophone instructor at Santa Clara University and is on the faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop and is Education Consultant for the San Jose Jazz Society.
Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. |
Guitarist Scott Sorkin has also taught for the Stanford Jazz workshop and the San Jose Jazz Society, in addition to performing over much of the world and working as a top producer/arranger and recording engineer in the Bay area.|
The Siskiyou Institute Presents The Siskiyou Institute is proud to present Grammy nominated vocalist Nancy King and pianist Steve Christofferson for their third appearance at the Old Siskiyou Barn. Nancy King has been performing with pianist/composer Steve Christofferson since 1978. In 1993 they released a duo album “Perennial”, featuring guest appearances by Leroy Vinnegar, David Frishberg and Ralph Towner. In 1998 Nancy was reunited with her old friend, bassist Ray Brown on his cd “Some Of My Best Friends Are Singers” (Telarc) which also featured vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kevin Mahogany, Marlena Shaw, Etta Jones and Diana Krall. The recording peaked at #1 on the Gavin Jazz Chart in January 1999 and she toured Europe with the Ray Brown Trio in the summer of 1999. In 2001 Nancy was inducted into the Oregon Jazz Society’s Hall of Fame. Nancy was featured this past year on Karrin Allyson's latest recording (also featuring Jon Hendricks) and Nancy's latest recording with pianist Fred Hersch, Live at the Jazz Standard was recently nominated for a Grammy Award. “She is, I think, one of the best singers that ever walked the planet.” "...her singing FLIES between our ears with a certainty of inevitable rightness that is at least... simply thrilling." "King is one of America's top jazz singers...the scat-singing heiress apparent to Ella Fitzgerald." JAZZ, COFFEE & CONVERSATION Join us for a casual gathering at the Old Siskiyou Barn with Nancy & Steve. We'll supply the coffee & tea. This will be a rare opportunity to meet and interact with the artists, ask questions, learn how they do what they do, listen to them demonstrate their individual approaches to improvising and performing. An informative and educational exchange of thoughts and ideas. Open to everyone and anyone interested in the art of making music. $10 donation goes to the S.I. Artists in Schools Program. (Free to Siskiyou Institute Members & k-university students) For information, reservations and directions please all 541-488-3869 or e-mail info@siskiyouinstitute.com |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents The Siskiyou Institute welcomes back the Gonzalo Bergara Quartet on Friday, September 17 at Paschal Winery in Talent as part of our New Artist Series. We presented this group in 2009 to a sold out house. Gonzalo is one of the hottest Gypsy Jazz guitarists on the scene today and you won't want to miss this. Make your reservations early! The all acoustic Gonzalo Bergara Quartet plays a modern variant of 1930's Django Reinhardt-inspired Gypsy Jazz. Composer and lead guitarist Bergara mixes cascades of arpeggios with the sounds of Paris and his native Argentina and is supported by an ace clarinetist and a honed rhythm section. Bergara is fiery and focused, while the hard-swinging band takes the audience for a ride they won't soon forget. His new CD Porteña Soledad was Editor’s Pick in Guitar Player Magazine, and Vintage Guitar Magazine called it “a masterpiece,” and he was picked as the “Best Jazz Group” in Los Angeles by Los Angeles Magazine in their Best of LA issue. The music is heavily influenced by Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France, traditional Jazz and hints of his native Buenos Aires. In his review on DjangoBooks.com, Jeff Fiskin writes "Gonzalo Bergara’s music exists in a way that very little music does. He has lavished such care on every phrase, built each arrangement with such lapidary precision and pared away anything extraneous, the music becomes sculpture. It has weight, density, gravity. This is serious. And deeply moving.” Gonzalo has performed all over the world including Croatia, Italy, France, Germany, Hungary, Argentina, Brazil, England, Scotland, The Montreal Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Sweet and Hot Jazz Festival, Django Reinhardt Fest in Germany, Suave Guitar Fest in Italy, Merle Fest, Strawberry Fest, Django Fests throughout the US and lots, lots more. The Gonzalo Bergara Quartet is formed by Gonzalo Bergara on Lead Acoustic Guitar, Jeffrey Radaich on Rhythm Guitar, Rob Hardt on Clarinet and Tenor Saxophone, and Brian Netzley on Upright Bass. Click here to view some video of the quartet on Youtube. Editor's Pick - Guitar Player Magazine April 08 A Masterpiece - Vintage Guitar Magazine June 08 Best Jazz In Los Angeles - Los Angeles Magazine Best of Issue Django Reinhardt Artist of the Year - Djangofest.com |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents Ths Siskiyou Institute kicks off it's Fall season with the Real Vocal String Quartet on Thursday September 9 at Paschal Winery as part of our New Artist Series. The group features Irene Sazer, violin and voice, Alisa Rose, violin and voice, Dina Maccabee, viola and voice & Jessica Ivry, cello and voice. RVSQ was formed in 2003 by premier San Francisco violinist/composer Irene Sazer. Since then, the quartet has performed to sold out audiences around the Bay Area, and is currently putting the finishing touches on their first studio album. RVSQ’s influences range from traditional American string band music to contemporary improvisation, from Brazilian folk rhythms to hypnotic meditations from West Africa. Through it all, the threads of spine-tingling vocal and instrumental harmony and fearless, inspired improvisation weave a web of original acoustic music played with a deep groove. Irene Sazer is a violinist, composer, arranger and singer. Irene has developed a unique style of putting world and roots music together with her classical, jazz, and pop sensibilities. It’s rare to find such a fine instrumentalist so diverse as a musician. Known best to international audiences as one of the founding members of The Turtle Island String Quartet, Sazer has also served as concertmaster with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra as well as the Bay Area Women’s Philharmonic, and has performed with The Oakland Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She has performed as soloist with The Peninsula Orchestra, The Rohnert Park Chamber Orchestra, and at the Cabrillo Music Festival. Educated with a performance degree from the Peabody conservatory, she became fascinated with improvisation, and furthered her evolution at the Banff Centre of Fine Arts where she worked with Frank Foster, Slide Hampton, and the Vancouver Ensemble of Improvisation. Her violin expertise has made her an in demand genre-hopping player as well, recording and/or performing with, to name just a few, Jai Uttal, Ali Akbar Khan, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Frank Sinatra, Kitaro, Smoky Robinson, David Grisman, Linda Rondstadt, Bjork, Maria Marquez and Billy Joel. Irene’s CD of original songs is entitled “First Things First.” Violinist Alisa Rose is a member of the Picasso Quartet, the Real Vocal String Quartet, Homespun Rowdy, Forty-Nine Special, and A.J. Roach and the Strange Pilgrims. Alisa performed recently at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Strawberry Music Festival, the Olympic Music Festival, Blue Highways Festival in Utrecht, Netherlands, Reinberger Chamber Hall, and in Carnegie Hall. She has also recorded and/or performed with Mars Arizona, Matt Bauer, Rachel Ries, Nels Andrews, Anais Mitchell, ALO, Train, and Bauhaus. Alisa’s chamber music collaborators include Jean-Michel Fonteneau, Martha Katz, Jodi Levitz, Bettina Mussumeli and Ian Swensen and she has premiered works for the 5C Composers Collective, David Graves, and David Garner. Alisa received her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Chamber Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Camilla Wicks and Bettina Mussumeli. She currently teaches privately, at the SF Friends School, and runs a San Francisco Conservatory of Music outreach program for young disadvantaged violinists. Bay Area native Dina Maccabee performs with many Bay Area ensembles on violin and viola. In 2007, she toured in Russia and Europe with Beth Custer’s live film score project, “My Grandmother,” and songwriter Vienna Teng. In addition to her own songwriting group Ramon and Jessica, she performs with The German Projekt (songs of Kurt Weill), Howard Wiley’s Angola Project (contemporary spiritual-inspired jazz), the Japonize Elephants (circus-klezmer-bluegrass), Evie Ladin’s Evil Diane (original old-timey folk), and the Middle-Eastern psychedelic ensemble Khi Darag. Her interest in traditional fiddle styles has led her to study with Bay Area fiddle hero Chad Manning, fiddle lessons in Ireland, as well as forays into Cajun and French Canadian styles. Performance highlights include appearances with Donovan, Sufjan Stevens, and Tin Hat Trio, and her playing is featured on numerous successful records with artists such as Vetiver, The Cuts, Vienna Teng, Spencer Day, the Shotgun Wedding Hip Hop Symphony, and Carla Bozulich. She has also composed and recorded scores for Shotgun Players, Just Theater, and several San Francisco filmmakers. To learn more about the group and to listen to samples of their work as well as videos, please visit http://www.rvsq.com/ Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents Once again VIVA VOCE, the sing-along band of the Rogue Valley, comes to Pascal Winery for a summer community concert to benefit music in the schools. This is a great way to introduce family and friends to an evening of music where the audience is a part of the show!! The evening summons the innocent energy of a time past, but well remembered, that puts a smile on the faces of our audience. As a bridge to those pleasant memories we perform audience sing-alongs featuring tunes from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. All ages enjoy this night of singing old favorites; songs we grew up to, fell in love to, grew stronger by, were empowered by, humored by, touched by, and awakened by. You will be familiar with many, if not all, of them. The music is contagious and familiar, the joy of community singing fills the air, the inclusiveness of the evening is heartwarming, and the backgrounds of the musicians on stage are varied and unusual. VIVA VOCE includes: Tish McFadden, Don Harriss, Mike Vediner, Steve Fain, Lynn Fain, Rick Soued and Joanne Soued. VIVA VOCE sing-along concerts guarantee a great time for all ages. Quotes: "Much appreciation for Viva Voce's grand gift to the community. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time from grand kids and teens up through boomers--whole families at times feeling uninhibited and filled with an irresistible and infectious feeling to get up and dance. It's a great tradition to carry on--late spring seems to have worked. Everyone's voices and instruments were in fine form indeed!" “Just wanted to write and tell you how THRILLED I was to be at the Viva Voce sing-along on Friday night. WOW, I was in a little slice of heaven (along with everyone else!) and I couldn't keep my hands and feet, or the rest of my body, for that matter, still. You all are just plain awesome and I can hardly wait to hear where you might pop up next. do you have such a thing as a schedule or are you just pretty loose these days going when/where you feel like it? Blessings on all your wonderful, musical heads. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT MUSIC!” |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents The Siskiyou Institute is pleased to present New York based Le Boeuf Brothers as part of their west coast summer tour on Sunday August 8. Remy and Pascal Le Boeuf (saxophone and piano) are part of a growing New York jazz scene characterized by odd time signatures, alternative rock, and the influences of artists such as Radiohead, Brian Blade and Kurt Rosenwinkel. What makes the Le Boeuf Brothers sparkle among other jazz musicians is their uncanny ability to communicate with each other using their own secret musical language. This isn't surprising when you discover that Pascal and Remy Le Boeuf are identical twins. Their latest album, “House Without a Door” has been praised by the New York Times as, “an impressively self-assured new album… which reaches for the gleaming cosmopolitanism of our present era.” In their short musical career, the Le Boeuf Brothers (pronounced "le buff") have garnered an impressive tally of national and international awards and accomplishments, the most notable being the ASCAP/IAJE Commission honoring Quincy Jones, which premiered at the 2004 IAJE conference and featured tenor saxophonist Chris Potter. The Le Boeuf Brothers have also received awards from Downbeat Magazine, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, and dominated the 2006 Independent Music Awards, winning Best Jazz Album and Best Jazz Song for their prior release “Migration”. Most recently, the track "Code Word" from their new album "House Without A Door" received 1st place in the International Songwriting Competition. Upon graduating from the Manhattan School of Music in 2007, Remy and Pascal maintained their primary identities as modern jazz musicians with strong roots in the jazz tradition, while concurrently indulging individual alternate musical identities. Remy, a closet oboist, has a deep understanding and passion for classical music and has a secret life as a contemporary classical composer. Pascal, a working singer songwriter and electronica composer collaborates with various artists for a soon to be released rock/electronica album under the alias "iPascal".. When these vectors converge in the twins’ creative cauldron what emerges is an inspired synergetic perspective that is fresh, competent, and enticing. The Le Boeuf Brothers have recently collaborated on their most recent album "House Without A Door." Described by the New York Times as an “impressively self assured new album… which reaches for the gleaming cosmopolitanism of our present era.” And by All About Jazz as “one of the most engaging and original albums to emerge in 2009.” "It showcases their evermore-confident composing. While half of the album features a tough, young rhythm section of their musical peers, the other half finds the twins keeping company with stellar New York cats like drummer Clarence Penn, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland." (Monterey County Weekly). Pascal describes ‘House without a Door’ as “an attempt to create the perfect balance between intellect and emotion. After spending time apart working on contemporary classical composition and rock/electronica individually, it made sense for us to combine forces on this album." These influences shine on tracks such as Remy's "Tabula Rasa," a thru-composed maze of colorful saxophone arpeggios, and Pascal's "Wetaskiwin," a dreamlike hymn clearly influenced by Radiohead. "Our hope is that by connecting with our own personal emotions through music, we can connect with our audience." To learn more about Le Boeuf Brothers and to hear audio clips, please visit their website at: www.LBjazz.com Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents: The New West Guitar Trio is an innovative jazz guitar trio which is based in southern California. The group recently released their second CD, "Wide Awake" on Artsong Music. This new release showcases the group's signature alternative jazz style. NWGT combines the improvisational elements of jazz with the performance standards of a chamber group. By utilizing all the colors of the guitar, New West Guitar Trio creates a new medium of chamber music. Guitarists John Storie, Perry Smith and Brady Cohan established New West when they were all students at the University of Southern California. As music majors, New West collaborated with USC to become the first group to receive the coveted Thornton Protégé Grant. It was during this time that the Los Angeles Sister Cities Committee honored the group as musical ambassadors of LA. This honor gave them the chance to perform at the 2005 World Exposition in Nagoya, Japan and the 2007 German-American Volksfest in Berlin, Germany. The group has continued to perform in major venues throughout Canada, Japan, Europe, and the United States. In August 2009 New West performed at the Britt Festival in Southern Oregon as the opening act for Diana Krall. Recently, New West has collaborated with Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Gretchen Parlato and world-class acoustic guitar luthier Jeff Traugott to produce their third album, "Sleeping Lady." Over the years, they have developed music that combines the different timbres of acoustic and electric guitars to create their signature sound. Their performances and recordings have received critical acclaim and while the members are still only in their mid-twenties, New West looks forward to a bright future. • “…one of the premier guitar ensembles in the country.” - Anthony Wilson, Guitarist for Diana Krall • "New West is comprised of three of the brightest stars among a new generation of guitarists...I have a feeling that they are just at the beginning of a long and wonderful journey that will bring much joy to the global music community. - Larry Koonse, Jazz Guitarist, California Institute of the Arts Faculty • ". . .a breakthrough for jazz guitar. Utilizing all the colors of the instrument, they are unique, not unlike a string quartet, but with the addition of three outstanding individual jazz voices. . " - John Pisano, Legendary Jazz Guitarist For more information about New West including sound clips and video, please visit their website at http://www.newwestguitar.com/live/ Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. |
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Larry Vuckovich ~ Solo Piano The Siskiyou Institute presents San Francisco Bay area pianist Larry Vuckovich in his second appearance at the Old Siskiyou Barn on Friday June 4 at 7:30 p.m.. The theme of Larry’s performance will be A History of Jazz Piano. This presentation will cover the styles of ragtime/stride/boogie, swing, bebop, post-bop, modal, contemporary, and free-style jazz piano. Some of the pianists and composers highlighted will be: Jelly Roll Morton, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Teddy Wilson, Bud Powell, Tommy Flanagan/Hank Jones, Red Garland, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, and Cecil Taylor. Larry will continue this topic in much more detail in his Saturday morning workshop. Details are below. For more info on Larry, please visit his website at http://www.larryvuckovich.com/ Larry Vuckovich has won acclaim from critics and jazz audiences for his deeply imaginative style and repertoire heard at prestigious North American and European jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals. He is equally at home in world music/classically influenced modal jazz as he is with hard-swinging bebop, post-bop, contemporary jazz, and down-home blues. The New York Times notes that his unique outlook and collection of influences “set him apart from most pianists who are heard regularly in New York”. The Village Voice comments on his “book of piano gems that will keep you guessing.” The Toronto Globe and Mail calls him “a musician who sits apart from the rest by virtue...of his taste for both the exotic and the exquisite.” Cited by piano legend Barry Harris as “one of the premier West Coast pianists", Mr. Vuckovich brought his Jazz-Latin Trio/Quartet, featured on his two current piano trio/quartet CDs, to Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club in New York on a recent East Coast tour. On the same tour, he performed with Marian McPartland on her Piano Jazz show, broadcast to national and global NPR affiliates. Mr. Vuckovich has appeared as soloist at the Fazioli piano series in San Francisco, New York and Chicago, and also leads an 18-piece band that sold out the 600-seat 2007 Jazz at Filoli show in Woodside, CA. His two latest recordings, High Wall: Real Life Film Noir and Street Scene, on his Tetrachord Music label, placed in the Top 10 of the JazzWeek national radio reporting charts, and are heard regularly on XM Satellite Radio. They have won praise from top critics: “He’s a passionate exponent of what most people call straight-ahead jazz ... there is a consistently tasteful quality to his music that makes it very appealing to the ear. " – Leonard Maltin, Movie Crazy “… he creates an earthy post-bop style of richly varied improvisational expression.” - Jazz Podium (Germany) "... a pianist whose evocative touch and poetic (but unsentimental) sensibility convey the wisdom of deep musical life experience" – Thomas Conrad, Jazz Times "A true musician's musician...originality, elegance, dexterity and most of all great sense of swing, time, space and phrasing. For those who are keen on a superior jazz trio, Street Scene is highly recommended." - Gilbert Mathieu, Jazz Improv "... any discussion of the best jazz piano players in the world must now include Larry Vuckovich!" -Brad Stone, Music Director, KSJS, San Jose, CA Seating for this concert is limited and advance reservations are suggested. Call 541-488-3869 or email info@siskiyouinstitute.com for reservations. Jazz Improvisation Workshop Pianist Larry Vuckovich will combine two of his popular workshops, Bebop & Post-Bop Styles & The Art of the Ballad in this informative lecture and demonstration. Some of the topics that he will touch on will include chord voicings and harmony, rhythmic phrasing and substitute changes in the styles of the masters of bop and post bop musicians. He will also discuss finding a balance in ballad playing, to express its romantic expression, as well as its creative intellectual element and how to develop a personal/original style of ballad playing. Call 541-488-3869 or email info@siskiyouinstitute.com for reservations. |
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The Siskiyou Institute New Artist Series Presents Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. 2008 International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion Tim Thompson is a Nashville-based guitarist and singer songwriter. Most recently he and his son, 16 year old fiddle phenomenon, Myles Thompson performed at Wintergrass in Washington and opened for Bluegrass favorites, Mountain Heart in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Last summer, Tim performed in concert with Tommy Emmanuel, Muriel Anderson, John Knowles, Pat Kirtley and Stephen Bennett in a kick off show for the annual Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Conference. He was named the 2008 International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion at the prestigious Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield Kansas. His music and arrangements have been used in movie soundtracks and for a variety of other commercial uses including a track in the movie, Casper's Haunted Christmas, and one of his compositions, "Six String Ramble" is being used as part of the software for the Flip Video Camera. Thompson has played guitar for Crystal Gayle and country hit makers Highway 101. Tim has been touring with his 16 year old son, Myles, who is a home schooled student, for the past three years while out on the road. With Thompson’s latest self-produced release, FACES, his thoughtful arrangements of such contemporary jazz classics, Naima (Coltrane), and Tones For Joan’s Bones (Chick Corea) are innovative and inspiring. This new collection also includes some of Tim Thompson’s own distinctive instrumental compositions. Here are a couple of video's of Tim and his son performing. |
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The Siskiyou Institute Presents: This event will benefit the Siskiyou Institute’s Artists In The Schools Program Entering their sixteenth year of performing Pearl Django continues to be one of America’s most respected and busiest Hot Club style groups. Though still strongly influenced by the music of Django Reinhardt, Pearl Django’s repertoire now includes many original compositions. Their music reaches out across the divides of taste to a wide variety of audiences. The band's fervent followers include Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli fans, guitar enthusiasts (and guitarists!), lovers of string music, including bluegrass devotees, who relish nimble, clean, intricate picking, "world music" fans drawn to French and Gypsy accents, plus jazz buffs and aficionados of the new swing music. Transcending simple categorization, Pearl Django packs in enthusiastic audiences at dancehalls and nightclubs, at folk music festivals and jazz festivals alike. The group’s inception was as a trio in Tacoma, Washington in 1994. The focus of Pearl Django was, and is, to incorporate the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with American swing music. They quickly expanded to a quintet, adding a violinist and a third guitarist. An interview on NPR’s All Things Considered in 2001 brought the group to national attention. In June 2002, Pearl Django performed at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in Samois sur Seine, just outside of Paris, France. As of 2007 Pearl Django is working as both a quartet and a quintet (with accordionist, David Lange) All of the members are contributing original compositions to the band’s expansive repertoire. They have released 9 CDs to date. Reservations can be made by calling the Siskiyou Institute at 541-488-3869 or by emailling info@siskiyouinstitute.com. |
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Alexander Tutunov Presents The Siskiyou Institute is proud to kick off it's 2010 Spring concert & workshop season at the Old Siskiyou barn with an event which will feature Dr. Alexander Tutunov and two of his star piano students, Daniel Swayze and Joseph Yungen, both students at Southern Oregon University. Some of the pieces that will be featured in the evenings performance will be from J.S. Bach, Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Prokofiev, and William Bolcom. Daniel and Joseph will perform during the first half of the evening and then Dr. Tutunov will perform the second half of the concert after an intermission. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Chinese-American International Piano Institute which was founded by Dr. Tutunov. The Chinese-American International Piano Institute (CAIPI) is a project assembling outstanding young pianists from China, North America and other nations, with some of the most recognized, respected piano professors from the United States and China. Proceeds will also support the Siskiyou Institute Artists In The Schools Program which gives opportunities to students in the Rogue Valley to hear and study with professional musicians from all across the globe. Piano Technique Master Class Alexander Tutunov will present a master class open to piano students and teachers of all styles. He will be addressing a very broad spectrum of performance-related problems, including some tips on technical development without injuries, tone production on the piano, efficient practice, healthy habits and other topics of interest. Call 541-488-3869 or email info@siskiyouinstitute.com for reservations. |
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New Artist Series The Siskiyou Institute is thrilled to present guitar phenomenon Francesco Buzzurro from Sicily with special guest guitarist Richard Smith. This will be a rare treat to fans of classical and jazz guitar. Born in Taormina, Italy in 1969, Francesco Buzzurro started to play guitar at the age of 6. He graduated from the Conservatory of Trapani and studied with Stefano Palamidessi. He has participated in master classes with David Russell, Hopkinson Smith, John Duarte and Alberto Ponce at The International Arts Academy in Rome. As a classical guitarist he won three national competitions in Savona Alassio and Caccamo in Sicily where he currently lives. Francesco Buzzurro’s passion for classical music is also strongly linked to a deep activity of research in the field of jazz, in fact the guitarist has developed on his own a particular way of improvising on the nylon-string guitar mixing the elements of bossa-nova, flamenco and latin music. Francesco has played with some jazz giants such as Toots Thielemans, Arturo Sandoval, Diane Schurr, Bob Mintzer, Frank Foster, Bill Russo, and many others. He is currently the leader of a quartet and plays at many jazz festivals in Europe. His first recording, entitled “LATINUS”, had numerous reviews in some of the most important Italian newspapers and guitar magazines. His second CD is entitled “FREELY…” and contains original arrangements of famous standards for solo guitar like for example Granada, Brasilerinho, Summertime, a suite from The Rhapsody in Blue etc. You can learn more about Francesco at his website which is: http://www.francescobuzzurro.it/index.html
You can learn more about Richard at his website which is: http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/artists/Richard-Smith/ |
Francesco will be joined by L.A. based guitarist Richard Smith, who is organizing this tour of the west coast for him. Richard was raised in Eugene, Oregon and is the chair of the Studio/Jazz Guitar Department at the USC Thornton School of Music, in Los Angeles, CA. one of the top music schools in the world. He started the first Doctorate of contemporary guitar styles in the world, and several graduates are now professors themselves.|
The Siskiyou Institute Presents A Spring Fundraising Concert The Siskiyou Institute presents a very special evening with Grammy Award Winners, Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel at Paschal Winery on Thursday, March 18. Well-known for their beautiful compositions and innovative treatment of popular standards, Grammy award winning artists Eric Tingstad (guitar) and Nancy Rumbel (oboe, English horn and ocarina) with a world style ensemble, create Classically inspired music from America, the British Isles, Asia and Spain. A mix of original and covered tunes including Tex-Mex stylings, Caribbean rhythms, Americana fingerpicking and devotion to the American songbook. This performance is part of their 25th anniversary tour of performing and recording together. As part of their visit to the Rogue Valley, the group will present an educational presentation for schools in Central Point. Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel have performed, recorded and touring together for over 24 years with 19 albums to their credit. Traveling to as many as 50 concert venues a year, they are friends who enjoy each other's company and truly love making music. Eric and Nancy began their collaboration in1985. Their debut album, The Gift, quickly became a holiday classic. The next 20 years saw countless reviews including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Billboard and number one debuts on radio charts. In 1998, American Acoustic was honored as "Acoustic Instrumental Album of the Year." A Carnegie Hall appearance in 2000. And in 2003 they received a Grammy Award for "Acoustic Garden." Nancy grew up in San Antonio, Texas and continued her musical education at Northwestern University where she became interested in ethnomusicology, improvisation and dance. She was a member of the Paul Winter Consort for several years prior to her move to the Pacific Northwest. Eric grew up in Seattle and attended Western Washington University where he was trained in the Segovian classic guitar tradition. He is a product of influences like Led Zeppelin, Hawaiian slack key guitar, Ravi Shankar and Martin Denny. For more information Tingstad & Rumbel, visit their website at http://www.tingstadrumbel.com/ |
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New Artist Series The Siskiyou Institute kicks off its first concert of the Spring featuring two new artists to the Rogue Valley, pianist Mike Strickland and bassist Clipper Anderson for an evening of jazz duets at Paschal Winery in Talent. Pianist Mike Strickland has resided in Seattle, Washington since 1981, and has built a solid career as a performer, composer and recording artist. In 1987, he formed Mike Strickland Productions, Inc. and recorded “Floating”, his first album of original music. This upbeat, creative album attracted the attention of CBS Sports PGA Golf producer, Frank Chirkinian, and Mike continued to write music for CBS Sports PGA Golf telecasts for the next 7 years. To date, Mike has recorded 20 albums, including the most recent 2007 recording, "Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas". He has sold over 300,000 CDs in the USA alone. Clipper Anderson is one of the most popular bassists in the Northwest. He was described by Seattle's "Earshot" jazz magazine as "a player for the connoisseur to savor." A native of Polson, Montana, Clipper played both french horn and bass in high school. He graduated from the University of Montana, having studied bass with Frank Diliberto. After a professional stint in the Spokane area, he moved to Seattle. Cipper has toured and played with a number of internationally-known jazz artists, including Randy and Michael Brecker, Toots Thielmanns, Herb Ellis, Bob Mintzer, Diane Schurr, Freddie Hubbard, James Williams, and many others. As a seasoned educator, Clipper has taught privately at Spokane Falls Community College, Eastern Washington University in Cheney, and numerous clinics and festivals at schools and colleges. |
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