6th Annual Westbeth Music Festival

WESTBETH COURTYARD, WESTBETH COMMUNITY ROOM, BRECHT FORUM, MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE STUDIO

155 BANK STREET between West Street and Washington Street

ALL EVENTS FREE

CLICK HERE to download the complete program
of the 2012 6th Annual Westbeth Music Festival

Friday, September 21
Brecht Forum: 7:00 – 11 PM

Saturday, September 22
Courtyard: 12 noon – 6:30 PM
Community Room:  6:30 – 10:00 PM
Martha Graham Dance Studio: 10 – 11 PM

Sunday, September 23
Courtyard: 12 noon – 6:30 PM
Brecht Forum: 7:00 – 11 PM

CLASSICAL: Pulitzer Prize, Guggenheim, Woodrow Wilson fellow David del Tredici, pianist and composer of American art songs for voice and piano Richard Hundley, internationally acclaimed soprano Beth Griffith, vocal accompanist and chamber musician Jeffrey Middleton

JAZZ: Downbeat’s Best drummer 2010 Nasheet Waits with Rock, Blues and Flamenco guitarist Gabriel Abularach, composer/reed player Michael Moss with Zone, Bo Diddley’s band leader Jim O’Donnell, trumpeter John Eckert with New York Jazz Nine, Steve Berger Quartet, Michael Holover’s Brass Quintet, The Eve Zanni Quintet, bassist and composer John Menegon, pianist and composer Francesca Tanksley, Matt Levelle with Gil Evan’s drummer Bruce Ditmas, and Ras Moshe

SINGER/SONGWRITER/CABARET: Val Hawk and 3Spirit, Ken Wade, Alexandra Leff, Hal Miller, Janet Parrish, Teri Roiger, and Alec Stephen

RHYTHM & BLUES/BLUES: “New York’s Soul Man” Bobby Harden and his New York City Soul Band, gospel singer Arlene Gottfried, guitarist Dave Mann, guitarist Barry Temkin and The Raytones, and Valerie Ghent

BEYOND CLASSIFICATION:  Julian Maile with Mitra Sumara, Matt X Feldman,  Madeline Yayodele Nelson, and DJ/turntablist turned electronic music composer Isaac Basker aka Prez Ike

Now in its sixth year, the Music Festival has become a major event at Westbeth Artists Housing Complex.  Westbeth, the world’s largest artist community, has a prestigious, professional and vibrant music community.  Each year crowds gather in Westbeth’s iconic outer Courtyard to hear the excellent musical offerings.

This year Westbeth is honoring the late Gil Evans, a long-time resident of Westbeth.  Appearing on the three day program are a mix of musicians from a wide range of disciplines.  Drummer Nasheet Waits, son of the late, great Freddie Waits, is working with virtuoso guitarist Gabriel Abularach and friends.  Michael Moss returns with his group Zone. Vocalist Eve Zanni and her quintet will charm and enchant you.  Matt Levelle’s D3 features Gil Evan’s drummer Bruce Ditmas.  A rich classical tradition is represented by David del Tredici, Richard Hundley, Beth Griffith, and Jeffrey Middleton.  Beth appears in the new Martha Graham Dance Studio singing an hour long piece by Morton Feldman and Experiences No. 2 for unaccompanied voice by John Cage.  And you can get up and dance to the rhythm and blues of Bobby Harden and his New York City Soul Band. This year the Festival will add evening programs to the schedule.  As usual, all events are free, children are welcome, and live music fills the air.

PROGRAM

Friday, September 21^st The Late Show at The Brecht Forum

8pm: Music Now Unit (Jazz)
9pm: D3 (Jazz)
9:45pm: The James Brandon Lewis Group (Jazz)
10:10pm: D3 (Jazz)

Saturday, September 22^nd in the Westbeth Courtyard

12noon: Richard Hundley (Classical)
12:40pm: David del Tredici – Pulitzer Prize-winning composer
1:05pm: Arlene Gottfried (Traditional Standards)
1:25pm: The Hip Waders Trio (Jazz)
1:50pm:The Jim O’Donnell  Band (Jazz, Blues)
2:35pm: Eve Zanni Quintet (Jazz)
3:25 pm: Michael Moss and Zone (Jazz)
4:15pm: 3Spirit
5:00 pm: Dave Mann Band (Blues, R&B)
5:45pm: Mike Holover  & The Village Brass (Jazz)

Saturday, September 22^nd Late Show in the Community Room

6:30pm: Jeffrey Middleton and Susan Schweisky (Classical)
7:30pm: The Miles Evans Tribute Film presented by Anita Evans
8:30pm: The Marya Zimmet Quartet (mix of Jazz , Folk & Pop Classics)
9:25pm: Paul Collins – vocals, guitar

Sat. Sept. 22^nd Late, Late Show in The Martha Graham Dance Studio
(11^th floor from the Main Lobby)

10:15 pm: A Tribute to Morton Feldman with Beth Griffith (Classical)

Sunday, September 23^rd in the Westbeth Courtyard

12noon: Madeleine Yayodele Nelson and Egbe Omo Shekere
12:40pm: Bobby Harden & The New York City Soul Band (Originals & Soul Classics)
1:35pm: Val Ghent  & GROOVETIME (R&B/Pop Originals)
2:35pm: Mitra Sumara (Persian eclectic, from Pop to Folk to Jazz, Electronic)
3:25pm: The Bob Dorough Trio
4:20pm: The Raytones (blues, jazz, rock, rockabilly & country)
5pm: Nasheet Waits and Gabriel Abularach

Sunday, September 23^rd Late Show in the Brecht Forum

7:00pm: Alexandra Leff (Singer-Songwriter)
7:45pm: Stan Satlin (Original Songs)
8:25pm: The Hal Miller Band (Jazz Standards)
9:10pm: Teri Roiger & John Menegon Duo (Jazz Standards and Original Music )
10:00pm: NYJazz9 (Jazz)

Westbeth MusicWorks, the festival organizer, is dedicated to promoting the cultural life of the West Village through producing high quality music festivals, concerts, events, and workshops throughout the year. Westbeth MusicWorks is the music division of Westbeth—a vibrant center for the arts and the largest artists community in the world.

WESTBETH MUSIC FESTIVAL MUSICIANS’ BIOS

Gabby Abularach

Rock, Blues and exquisite Flamenco, this young but legendary touring and studio guitarist, played and recorded with Cro Mags, Phillip Boa’s Voodoocult, and recorded with Everlast, Carlos Santana, John Spencer’s Blues Explosion and Korn.  Guitarist with over 20 years of professional experience in live performance and studio, Gabby Abularach’s work includes arranging, composing and recording his own original material as well as contributing in these capacities to other musical projects.  Gabby studied jazz at LaGuardia Arts high school and William Patterson College.  Recently he has taken on an intensive study of flamenco guitar.   He will be performing in the Festival with drummer Nasheet Waits. http://gabbyabularach.com/home/

Isaac Basker aka Prez Ike

Isaac Basker–a DJ/turntablist turned electronic music composer–has recorded music with hip-hop legends Public Enemy, as well as DJ’d around the United States and Europe with artists such as Grand Wizzard Theodore and Jake The Rapper.  A former violin player and singer in the Metropolitan Opera, Isaac now produces electronic dance music, influenced by Chicago House and Detroit Techno geared for melodic craving ears on the dance floor.  Isaac’s recordings and DJ mixes can be found at http://soundcloud.com/isaac-basker or under his Prez Ike alias at http://www.prezike.com.

Steve Berger

Guitarist Steve Berger, born in Orange, New Jersey, attended both the City College of New York and New York University and studied with Barry Harris and Tal Farlow.  He has worked as an accompanist, sideman and leader in New York for two decades, appearing at the Blue Note and other clubs with such groups and artists as the Buck Clayton Band, David Allyn, The Ink Spots, and Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks.  Berger has performed and toured as member of the Bob Dorough Trio for the past seven years.  Berger was house bandleader for 16 years at Arturo’s in Greenwich Village.

Paul Collins

Paul Collins attended Juilliard Music School as a composition major involved in modern and avant-garde music.  Rock icon and cult favorite Paul Collins got his start with Peter Case and Jack Lee in 1974. Their band The Nerves toured with The Ramones and Mink DeVille. His next group, The Beat, a high energy rock group in the style of The Ramones, Blondie and The Dictators, released two albums on CBS and under the guidance of manager Bill Graham toured extensively playing with top acts like The Jam, Pere Ubu, The Police, Eddie Money, The Plimsouls, and Huey Lewis. A new version of the band surfaced more recently and resulted in an album of new material entitled Flying High. Considered to be their best to date, Flying High is a solid record, done half acoustic and half electric. The album gets back to the classic sound of The Beat, while combining the raw energy of Collins’ solo works. With his latest release, King of Power Pop, Paul set up The Beat Army an online Facebook community of people connected by their love of power pop and melodic guitar driven rock n roll. Now some 3000 members strong, Paul books shows all over the United States, Canada and Europe. “This is a model for the new DIY,” says Paul.  “I am touring all over the world with new bands that feature the sound I helped to invent.”

David Del Tredici

Generally recognized as the father of the Neo-Romantic movement in music, David Del Tredici (http://www.daviddeltredici.com/) has received the Pulitzer Prize in addition to other numerous awards.  Works have been commissioned and performed by nearly every major American and European orchestral ensemble.  “Del Tredici,” said Aaron Copland, “is that rare find among composers — a creator with a truly original gift.  I venture to say that his music is certain to make a lasting impression on the American musical scene.  I know of no other composer of his generation who composes music of greater freshness and daring, or with more personality.”  March 2007 marked David Del Tredici’s 70th birthday, with concerts given throughout the year, including the premiere of Magyar Madness, a chamber piece for clarinet and string quartet, commissioned by Music Accord for clarinetist David Krakauer and the Orion String Quartet.  Another premiere was S/M Ballade for solo piano which was commissioned and performed by Marc Peloquin.  Distinguished Professor of Music at The City College of New York, Del Tredici makes his home in Westbeth in Greenwich Village.

John Eckert’s New York Jazz 9

John Eckert studied with Ed Treutel from the Julliard School of Music, graduated from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in 1961, and continued his graduate studies at Columbia University Teacher’s College. Eckert is one of the busiest freelance trumpet players on the East Coast.  He can play it all:  jazz, latin, pop, classical, even opera.  John juggles his engagements, often working one or two recording or rehearsal sessions during a day followed by a bebop big-band gig or an evening at the Carlyle with Bobby Short later that same night.  The bands with whom Eckert has worked and recorded over the last thirty years reads like a Who’s Who in jazz.  The short list includes the bands of Toshiko Akiyoshi, Louie Bellson, Benny Carter, Buck Clayton, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Heath, Woody Herman, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Lee Konitz, John Lewis, Gerry Mulligan, and Stan Kenton.

The NY Jazz 9 is a troupe of nine veteran jazz masters whose cohesion and virtuosity support an eclectic repertoire.  “Veteran jazz masters whose cohesion and virtuosity support an eclectic repertoire, each members’ bio is truly a Who’s Who of jazz…not to be missed!  The rhythmic charge of the Nonet soared…the set wound up with the audience on its feet.” Nick Catalano, ALL ABOUT JAZZ.

VALERIE GHENT

Powerhouse recording artist VALERIE GHENT reaches deep into her NYC roots on her fifth self-produced CD, Day to Day Dream.  Weaving together blues, soul, R+B, jazz and pop with her smoky 3 and 1/2 octave range, critics rave: A fantastic new record from a groovy singer-songwriter, and Awesome songcraft and performances…a perfect showcase for Ghent’s chops as a pianist and for her tremendous vocals” and Valerie Ghent is the Queen of Blues, Funk and Soul…every track on this album is a keeper. An outstanding live performer, Valerie has worked with music legends Ashford & Simpson for over 20 years, continues to tour and record with Valerie Simpson, toured with Debbie Harry (Blondie), and shared the stage with artists as diverse as Dr. Maya Angelou, Billy Preston, Iggy Pop and Defunkt.  With a gift for encouraging music in others—literally a whirlwind of musical energy—in addition to her own music career Ghent is the founder of NYC’s long-running Songwriter’s Beat and Feel the Music!, the 9/11 inspired nonprofit music/arts education program for children and families impacted by trauma, loss and illness.  Valerie has received multiple awards, grants and commissions including the Betances Award for Service to the Arts.  Her song Love Enough for a LIfetime is now in the Top 10 at iHeart radio for six weeks. http://www.iheartradio.com/new2/featured/f/3665, website: valghent.com, facebook: facebook.com/valerieghentmusic, twitter: @valerieghent

Arlene Gottfried

Arlene has performed in a wide variety of venues. As a soloist and leading the choir, Arlene’s large voice and potent voice can take you places you never knew existed.  She has performed at Look 3 Photography festival 2012 to a background of her projected photographs and was backed up by a local choir from Charlottesville, Virginia, Powerhouse Book’s Holiday Book Signing Extravaganza, Westbeth Music Festival, and the Jerriesse Johnson East Village Gospel Choir–Middle Collegiate Church, and their Gospel Choir Tour – New Orleans, Louisiana and the Annual Spring Concert.  Arlene has sung for National Crime Victims Week – Queens District Attorney Richard Brown’s Courtroom, Temple Shaaray Tefila, the Rehab Institute of New York, the Fire House on Great Jones Street in Remembrance of Victims of 9/11, the Holy Apostle Community Chorus, the Henry Street Settlement, Mount Moriah Baptist Church Gospel Choir, and with Selwyn Rawls and the Eternal Light Community Choir.

Beth Griffith

Internationally acclaimed soprano Beth Griffith’s virtuosity and amazing repertoire are nothing short of astounding.  Griffith has collaborated with composers such as John Cage, Morton Feldman, Mauricio Kagel and Karlheinz Stockhausen.  Her recording of Feldman’s Three Voices won the German Record Critics Prize.  Peter Korfmacher writes Ms. Griffith performs with such intensity and tenderness that while listening the goose-bumps run up and down the one’s spine over and over again.  The evening will begin with the presentation by composer/performers Bill Hellermann and Rob Voisey of Morton Feldman Says by Robert Ashley and will be followed by two solo voice works, Morton Feldman’s Three Voices and Experiences No. 2 by John Cage, performed by Beth Griffith, soprano.
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Bobby Harden and his New York City Soul Band

Bobby Harden, New York City’s finest singing Soul sensation, is thrilling audiences all across the planet as lead singer of the world-famous Original Blues Brothers Band. From Morocco to Munich, Tokyo to Toulouse, Hong Kong to his home in New York, Bobby shows the world what it means to be a true “Soul Man.” As lead singer for The Uptown Horns Revue and elsewhere, Bobby has shared the stage with Soul legends like Solomon Burke, Eddie Floyd, Ben E. King, Lionel Richie, Robert Cray, Delbert McClinton, and Howard Tate. But now Bobby is becoming a Soul legend in his own right.  Bobby has released a solo CD entitled Soul Purpose. Back from his four week tour of Russia & Siberia, Bobby will release his new single & video of Pure and Simple Love this September, followed by his New CD.  Bobby appears with his own band, the New York City Soul Band:  Ron Thompson on keys, Gene Torres on bass, Herbie Maitlandt on guitar, Richie Gonzales on drums, Cliff Lyons on sax, Reggie Pittman on trumpet, and Joyce Stoval and Carol Sylvan on background vocals.  For more information, contact: (212)620-0493 or bharden888@aol.com, www.bobbyharden.com.

Val Hawk and 3Spirit—Vicki Doney, Nancy Reed, and Val Hawk

3Spirit is three accomplished vocailsts/instrumentalists.  Their original compositions and arrangements of standards run the gamut from jazz, blues, R n’ B to pop and express the human range of emotions from sexy, to sardonic, to the sunshine of maternal love.  3Spirit can be heard on a diverse array of recordings, from “Tony Caruso’s Final Broadcast” a modern opera recently released on the Naxos label, to ABC’s Schoolhouse Rock with Bob Dorough, for whom they sing backup in their first incarnation as The Bobettes.  This last year, they were featured on Public Radio’s Homegrown Music and most recently appeared at the COTA Jazz Festival.  Vicki Doney can be heard Monday nights at The Garage with the Howard Williams Orchestra.  Nancy Reed sings with The Edward Ellington Legacy Band. Val Hawk, when not writing or arranging for 3Spirit, is working on the completion of her long awaited jazz CD, Dream.

Richard Hundley

Richard Albert Hundley, born September 1, 1931 in Cincinnati, Ohio, is an American pianist and composer of American art songs for voice and piano.  When Hundley was seven years old he moved to his paternal grandmother’s home in Covington, Kentucky and began piano lessons.  At the age of ten, he attended his first opera, Il trovatore by Guiseppe Verdi.  Hundley began piano lessons at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with Madame Illona Voorm at the age of eleven. At age fourteen, Hundley performed a Mozart piano concerto with the Northern Kentucky Symphony Orchestra.  Two years later he soloed with the Cincinnati Symphony.

Hundley moved to New York City in 1950 and enrolled in the Manhattan School of Music but dropped out shortly after.  In 1960, Hundley was selected for the Metropolitan Opera Chorus. In preparation for this position Hundley learned to sing ten operas in four different languages.  Hundley shared his original songs with some of the singers at the Metropolitan.  As a result, Anneliese Rothenberger, Rosalind Elias, Anna Moffo, Teresa Stratas, Lili Chookasian, John Reardon and Betty Allen began performing his songs on stage.  In 1962 when soprano Eileen DiTullio sang two of his songs, Softly the Summer and Spring, in a concert at Town Hall in New York City.  Paul Kapp, Director of General Music Publishing Company was in attendance and he scheduled a meeting with Hundley to discuss publishing the two compositions.  During the period of 1962-1964, General Music Publishing Company published seven of Hundley’s songs.  The American art song specialist, Paul Sperry began performing and advocating Hundley’s music in the late 1960s.  In 1982 the International American Music Competition included his Eight Songs set in its repertoire list. The 1983 and 1984 Newport Music Festivals also performed his work.  In 1987, Hundley was declared one of the standard American composers for vocalists by the International American Music Competition. www.richardhundley.com/

Alexandra Leff

Alexandra Leff is a musician (singer songwriter—guitar and vocals).  She has been playing guitar and writing songs in the folk tradition for many years.  Leff is also a visual artist and illustrator, a director of an arts education organization and has created a citywide public art program for young people.

Matt Lavelle and D3 with Jack DeSalvo (guitar), Tony DeCicco (contrabass) and Bruce Ditmas (drums)

With over ten appearances as a sideman on record, Lavelle has released four records as a leader:  Handling the Moment (2002), Trumpet Rising, Bass Clarinet Moon (2004), Spiritual Power (2006), and Manifestation Drama (2009).  Lavelle released Goodbye New York, Hello World (2011) and his first book New York City Subway Drama and Beyond, also in 2011.  Lavelle has played and collaborated with Ornette Coleman, William Parker, Warren Smith, Eric Mingus, Sabir Mateen, Roy Campbell, Daniel Carter, Jemeel Moondoc, Mat Maneri, Ras Moshe, Hilliard Greene, Steve Swell, Matana Roberts, Bern Nix, and William Hooker.  Lavelle began study with jazz legend Ornette Coleman in 2005 which has had a huge impact and transformational impact on him that resulted in the addition of the alto clarinet as another voice.  Matt is playing with D3.

D3, with Jack DeSalvo on guitar, Tony DeCicco on contrabass and Bruce Ditmas on drums, creates an atmosphere of intimacy with the harmonic and rhythmic nuance and power of the greatest piano trios in jazz.  Bruce Ditmas founded D3 along with with Jack DeSalvo and Tony DeCicco in 1988.  Early on, drummer Bruce Ditmas played with Ira Sullivan and accompanied Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand, Della Reese, Leslie Uggams, and Sheila Jordan. In the 1970s Ditmas played with Gil Evans (Bruce Ditmas was Gil’s drummer for many years!), Enrico Rava, Paul Bley, Lee Konitz, Pat Metheny, Chet Baker and Stan Getz.  The 80s found Ditmas in Europe playing with Dino Saluzzi, Rava (recording on the ECM label), Rita Marcotulli, and Pietro Tonolo.  In the 90s Ditmas orchestrated the music to an opera by Patricia Burgess, The Dream of Four Directions. He also composed prolifically for film and television; among his credits is the film Deathscape.  DeSalvo has performed and recorded with a quartet featuring Karl Berger, Anthony Cox and Tom Tedesco. Their recording, Transparencies, is on the German Belaphon label.  He has played with The Chris Braun Trio, Tony Malaby, Drew Gress, Chris Kelsey, Melvin Gibbs, Pat Hall, Jorge Sylvester, the alternative rock outfit They Might Be Giants and in Europe with Peter Brotzmann and with Miles’ band.  Bassist Tony DeCicco is known both for his fiery, orchestral-like playing on the 5-string, upright vertical bass and for his swinging counterpoint on the more traditional acoustic upright.  He has played with Lenny Breau, Larry Willis and poet Amiri Baraka.  His first recording as a leader, Delusions of Grandeur, featured Tony along with James Cox on saxophone and Casey Jones on drums.

Julian Maile with Mitra Sumara

Julian Maile is a NYCentric musician and composer.  He has played with a panoply of theater and music artists too many to mention here… You may have heard his music on such diverse places as Sesame Street, The L Word, and the world of Competitive Eating. He regularly appears at Joe’s Pub in NYC.

Dave Mann Blues Band

Dave Mann is most widely known as the front man on guitar and vocals for the New York’s longest running jam, the well-known “Mann Made Jam,” held at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village, NYC.  As a studio musician, Dave has recorded a variety of parodies for AM and international radio and has appeared on numerous recordings for musicians in the Tri-state area.  In addition to his extensive repertoire ranging from soul, R&B, rock, Latin and everything in between, Dave writes his original music and performs statewide.  Despite being self-taught, Dave’s passionate guitar playing and soulful singing have always inspired other performers and audiences young and old.  His electrifying performances led New York’s famous Alleva-Coppolo Guitars to endorse him in 2005. Appearing with Dave are Bill Foster on bass – played with Larry Coryell, Billy Cobham, Kenwood Dennard, Rod Gross on drums – played with Bo Diddley, Grant Green, Marc Shulman on guitar – played with Suzanne Vega, Chris Botti, and other special guests.

Hal Miller with his group The Famous with Dick Griffin on trombone, Paul Odah on piano, Steve Wipple on bass, Mike Camola on sax, and Yuiro Nakamura on  drums

Hal Miller has been singing & performing in europe and asia from 2006 to present in Hong Kong, Taipei, Ireland, Mui Wo China, Paris, Shanghai, and India.  international actor/director Harold Miller is active in film, television, and theatre.  “Since 2005 to present, I have traveled the world: China and India many times, Europe: Paris, France, Germany, England, Ireland, Holland, Japan, Switzerland, doing my craft.  The one thing I have learned from my experiences is that all peoples have their dreams but only a few follow them …so follow your dreams, don’t give up, love all people, be your Brother’s Keeper and live in the moment!!!”

Ras Moshe Music Now Unit

Ras (formally known as Theodore Burnett III) was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1968.  Ras comes from a musical family.  He studied music in public school and throughout college in addition to studies with his father (Ted II) who plays alto sax, flute and bass clarinet.  His grandfather, Theodore Burnett, played tenor and alto saxophones in the bands of Earl Bostic, Lucky Millender, Jimmy Mundy, and Don Redman and led small group combos with Shadow Wilson after arriving here from Jamaica.  Ras Moshe has also been writing and reciting poetry since childhood.  He was a side man in Reggae groups and began leading his own ensembles in 1987.  Ras has performed his compositions at Roulette, The Knitting Factory, Sanctuary For Independent Media, The Brecht Forum, Zebulon, The Local 269, Galapagos, The Brooklyn Lyceum, Hallwalls Gallery (Buffalo), Deep Listening Space, The 119 Gallery, WBAI, WKCR, St. Marks Church, The Vision Festival, and The Fridge in Washington, DC.  He is currently a member of Bill Cole’s Untempered Ensemble.  He is the founder of the Music Now Festival, going on for 11 years mostly at The Brecht Forum.  Moshe has learned from Billy Bang and William Parker and is a member of the ensembles led by William Hooker, Bill Cole, Kali Z. Fasteau, Dafna Naphtali, Dom Minasi, Lou Grassi, Matana Roberts, Butch Morris, Kyoko Kitamura, Steve Swell, Matt Lavelle, Marc Edwards, Raphe Malik, Burton Greene, Roy Campbell, Daniel Carter, Sabir Mateen, Saco Yasuma, Rashid Bakr (Charles Downs) and other original artists.  He believes in the positive effect that Jazz will have on social and personal change. Ras has recorded extensively:  you can get his recordings at rasmoshe@yahoo.com;  check him out at www.myspace.com/rasmoshe.

Michael Moss and Zone—Mel Nusbaum (keys), Billy Stein (guitar), Robert Edwards (bass), Lou Selmi (drums), and Yogui (congas/percussion)

Reed player and composer Michael Moss has been actively involved in the downtown music scene for many years leading 4 Rivers, Free Energy, and Zone. Moss has performed with William Parker, Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach, Greg Kogan, Sam Rivers, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Paul Bley, Cal Massey, Grant Green, Burton Green, Wilber Ware, Mike Mahaffay, Sabir Matin, Ras Moshe, Jackson Krall, Mark Hennen, Dan Rose and led the JCOA Jazz Composers Orchestra as well as the Free Life Communication Jazz Orchestra in his own compositions.  Moss is following a life-long passion for expanding jazz improvisation to include musical traditions from around the world and has written original music to reflect these different ethnic traditions.  Follow him at www.m2-Theory.com

Mel Nusbaum (keys) on guitar worked with drummers Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Philly Joe Jones, pianists Harold Mayburn, Billy Taylor, Toshiko Akioshi, Joanne Brackeen, Richard Wyands, and Sir Roland Hanna, and bassists Reggie Workman, the great Jimmy Garrett (musical director of the Supremes), and Wilbur Bascomb (Aretha’s bassman).  Billy Stein’s (guitar) highly acclaimed CD Hybrids has been described as A self-proclaimed organic coalescence of the straightahead and avant -garde worlds; Stein straddles freeform improvisation and structured composition with remarkable consistency, Troy Collins, All About Jazz. And...what really shines is the instinctive development of a sound which is cultured (Stein graduated from Hunter College and also has classical guitar experience) and, at the very same moment, raw enough to be accepted as pure intuitional language, Massino Ricci, Touching Extremes.

Madeline Yayodele Nelson—Women Of The Calabash

Women Of The Calabash is Madeleine Yayodele Nelson – founder and artistic director, composer, arranger, vocalist, percussionist, teacher, and instrument maker; Marsha Perry Starkes — vocalist, percussionist, and teacher; and Mayra Casales — vocalist and percussionist (http://www.kwanzaaalbum.com/artist_info.htm).  Together, this trio gives birth to new music idioms, resulting from the assimilation of their cultural heritage and contemporary life as African-American women in the United States.  Over the years, Women Of The Calabash have shared the stage with many great performers, including Phillip Glass, Ashford & Simpson, The Temptations, and Max Roach.  Cited as “Musicians Extraordinaire” by the National Council for Culture and Art, Women Of The Calabash received the Council’s prestigious Monarch Merit Award in 1987.  HBO featured Women Of The Calabash in a Black History Month profile in 1997.  And their 16-minute video, Women Of The Calabash, was awarded a blue ribbon for Best Music Video of 1988 by the American Film Festival.  In addition, they’ve won a CINE 1994 Golden Eagle Award for composer and performer in the film, The Visit.  Ms. Yayodele was also a featured percussionist on Paul Simon’s multi-platinum Rhythm of the Saints album.

Jim O’Donnell (Jim Satten)

Jim O’Donnell was Bo Diddley’s band leader for over 12 years.  The Jim Satten band was the backup band for the Ron Wood and the Bo Diddley Gunslinger’s world tour. Jim was Music Director for Ronnie Spector, Arlene Smith and The Chantels, Sam and Dave, Showtime’s Classic Rock and Roll reunion TV special, Ben E. King, Eddie Kendrick, and Dennis Edwards.  Jim will be using Mitch Margold (organ) who played for Evelyn King, Toots and the Maytalls and Cornell Dupree, Leroy Chisholm (drums) who played for BT Express, and guest vocalist Julie Eigenberg who recorded with David Spinozza (who worked with former Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon during the 1970s, and had a long collaboration with singer-songwriter James Taylor, producing Taylor’s album Walking Man).

Stan Satlin

Singer/songwriter Stan Satlin will be performing solo at the Festival.  He has written several musicals including Auratorio Americana, Robin Hood, and Children of Adam. Auratorio Americana is a musical journey of God and Country, using the words of Walt Whitman, Tom Paine, and Black Elk.  it was performed for three evenings at Lincoln Center with 100 voices and then for the Ambassadors to the United Nations in the Brooklyn Museum. Auratorio Americana was revived in April 2012 by a company from the Atlanta Opera in Atlanta Georgia under the supervision of Joel A. Martin of Jazzical fame.  Robin Hood is a mythical, mystical, magical musical telling the story of this storied outlaw in song.  Children Of Adam is an Off Broadway musical that ran ten weeks in the Chelsea Westside Theater.  Satlin just completed an eight song demo produced by Michael Leonhart of the Steely Dan band.

Catherine Sikora

Saxophonist, improviser and composer Catherine Sikora started her musical journey in West Cork, Ireland, where she was born and raised.  Self taught, she moved to New York City in 2000 to study and play with great improvisers.  Sikora has toured Europe with Eric Mingus and with Elliott Sharp, and works regularly in avant jazz/improvised circles with a wide group of musicians, including Eric Mingus, Han-Earl Park, Joe Giardullo, Karl Berger, Matt Lavelle, Francois Grillot, Ras Moshe, Art Bailey and Jeremy Bacon, among others.  She has worked with some notable NYC conducted improvising ensembles including Karl Berger’s Stone Workshop Orchestra and Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber. She is currently focusing on solo performance and on writing new material for ensemble work.

Barry Temkin and the Ray Tones with Barry Temkin (guitar), Daniel Ray (keyboards), Christine O’Brien (vocals), Michael Moss (sax and flute), Neil Last (drums and vocals) and Kaia Updike (bass)

Barry Temkin and the Ray Tones play blues, jazz, rock, rockabilly and country, and mixes danceable, venerable standards with original compositions. They have performed at area bars, clubs, synagogues and charity benefits, including a benefit in which they backed up the comedian and sometimes nightclub singer, Bill Murray.  These rhythmic swing-merchants will make you kick off your shoes and dance!  You can hear their music at http://soundcloud.com/search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=raytones.

Ken Wade

Songster Ken Wade sings a selection of  romantic ballads from the 1930’s, 40’s & 50’s and accompanies himself by playing finger style   acoustic guitar.

Nasheet Waits

Drummer Nasheet Waits is the winner of Downbeat Magazine’s Critics Poll Rising Star Drummer of 2011! Son of the legendary drummer Freddie Waits, Nasheet grew up in the Village, in Westbeth and is one of the leading young drummers on the international jazz scene today. He leads his own group Equality and co leads TARBABY with Orrin Evans and Eric Revis as well as 3^rd Eye with Abraham Burton and Eric McPherson. The list of musicians Nasheet has accompanied is a veritable who’s who in jazz. He has worked with many greats including Max Roach, Andrew Hill, Jackie Mclean, Eddie Gomez, Peter Brotzmann David Murray, Fred Hersch, and the list goes on.  Waits has also been part of the flagship band Jason Moran and The Bandwagon since it’s inception. He will be performing in the Festival with guitarist Gabby Abularach.

check out www.nasheetwaits.com.

Eve Zanni with the Eve Zanni Quintet

Eve Zanni is an original jazz voice, warm and expressive with a sensual musicality…traversing the primal depths of great jazz standards and original compositions in a blend of her unique arrangements that embrace classic jazz, Brasilian, Afro-Cuban, and middle-eastern rhythms all sung with passion and romantic soul.  Zanni leads her own ensembles (Jazzmundo, The Sweethots) and has performed with many jazz greats including The Cab Calloway Orchestra (led by Cab’s grandson, Calloway Brooks), Barry Harris, Norman Simmons, Jerome Richardson, “Big Nick” Nicholas, Walter Bishop, Jr., Benny Powell, Richard Wyands, and Café da Silva.  Eve has performed concerts of her original vocalese to Lester Young compositions and solos at The Annual Lester Young Memorial Celebration for 10 years held at St. Peter’s Church in New York City. Eve’s lyrics to Lester Young’s music, which have received special acclaim in jazz world have been quoted and recorded by various artists.  Her original composition Gypsy Wave Dance was selected as a feature on Tennjazz, available on Imaginary Records.