Sharp 5 Quintet
Brazilian Jazz
CD Release Event

Friday SEPT 24, 2021 at 7:30PM
SHARP 5 CD release event!
Westbeth Community Room
55 Bethune St, NYC 10014

$20 suggested donation

SHARP 5 Quintet
SHARP 5 is a newly-formed Brazilian Jazz band, and they are releasing their new recording, Shine a Bright Light, on September 20 on Valley Jazz Records! SHARP 5 includes musicians TERI ROIGER on vocals, PETE LEVIN on piano (Gil Evans fame), JOHN MENEGON on bass (Joe Lovano fame), JEFF SIEGEL on drums, and Brazilian percussionist NANNY ASSIS (perc. guitar & vocals).

SHARP 5 is a group of extraordinary musicians who embrace the passion of collaboration, engaging in the music of Brazil as well as the heartfelt emotion of American classic jazz. The nuance the group brings to the stage empowers the rhythmic and melodic expression that will take the audience on a magical journey through time, space and beyond.

In musical terms, Sharp 5 represents the raised 5th in a chord, which creates a unique sound in the evolution of American music. The group is all about creating new sounds and putting a positive vibration into the universe. The band members have all had extensive experience/careers as creative artists.

The combined experience of these five musicians creates a unique balance of the past, present and future. Their diverse repertoire includes original compositions (Menegon & Siegel), music by King Crimson, Kenny Barron, Peggy Lee, Abbey Lincoln, plus Gil Evans’ influenced arrangements of unique standards, and joyful Brazilian-flavored music. The experience of recording with this group has allowed everyone involved to explore their own personal relationships and history with the music. The friendship, interaction and empathy they feel comes through in the music they create, allowing freedom of expression and an opportunity to share their life experiences.

Vocalist TERI ROIGER has recorded with the likes of Kenny Burrell, Jack DeJohnette, Gil Goldstein, etc. and has forged a unique career as a bandleader. On keyboards is PETE LEVIN, who has worked extensively with Gil Evans, Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Simon, Annie Lenox, Miles Davis, The Levin Brothers). Bahia native NANNY ASSIS is a Brazilian percussionist, vocalist & guitarist, who has recorded with vocalist Janis Siegel (Manhattan Transfer) and many others.
Bassist JOHN MENEGON is a well-known composer, arranger and bandleader who has worked extensively as a sideman with the likes of Dewey Redman, David “Fathead” Newman, and more recently Joe Lovano. Drummer JEFF SIEGEL is an in-demand sideman as well as a bandleader who has worked with Kurt Elling, The Levin Brothers, Ravi Coltrane, etc.

Point of interest: Pete Levin’s long association with the Gil Evans Band had him rehearsing extensively with Gil in the Community Room at Westbeth!

BIOS

TERI ROIGER (vocalist, lyricist, songwriter, pianist, educator)
“Teri has an intuitive laid back sense of time reminiscent of Abbey Lincoln and Betty Carter but with her own uniqueness.” JACK DEJOHNETTE (legendary jazz drummer & NEA Jazz Master)
Teri is a jazz vocalist, but also plays piano, composes music, and writes lyrics. She has performed and taught masterclasses throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico (San Miguel), Panama, and Europe. The depth of her experiences and love of jazz is apparent when she brings her talents to live performances, the recording studio, and through her moving lyrics and compositions. Teri has been sharing her knowledge and inspiration with her diverse students for over 25 years. Her recordings have all met with critical acclaim, as have her live performances at festivals and top New York jazz spots (Birdland, Kitano, Dizzy’s, Mezzrow, Jazz Standard, Café Bohemia). Teri’s latest release “Ghost of Yesterday: Shades of Lady Day” shines a new light on the many facets of Billie Holiday, the vocalist who provided the initial spark for Ms. Roiger’s commitment to a life in jazz, and was chosen by jazz critic Scott Yanow as one of the top 30 jazz releases in 2017. Her recording “Dear Abbey: The Music of Abbey Lincoln” also met with great critical acclaim, as did her first two recordings, “Misterioso” (featuring Jack DeJohnette, Kenny Burrell & John Menegon) as well as “Still Life” which featured two of her original compositions, the title song winning 3rd prize in the jazz category of ISC (Int’l Songwriting Competition).
“Teri is made for those who still understand the meaning of the term the real thing.” Stanley Crouch (Author & Cultural Critic).

PETE LEVIN (keyboardist, composer, arranger)
In a diverse music career spanning several decades, keyboardist/arranger PETE LEVIN has performed and recorded with hundreds of Jazz and Pop artists, including Paul Simon, Annie Lennox, Miles Davis, David Sanborn, Lenny White, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Robbie Robertson and John Scofield – receiving critical accolades for his work during a 15-year association with the legendary Gil Evans, and his 8-year stint with jazz icon Jimmy Giuffre. His recent activity includes touring with his brother Tony Levin in their band “The Levin Brothers,” always met with enthusiastic audiences and high critical acclaim.

JOHN MENEGON (bassist, composer, arranger)
“New York bassist JOHN MENEGON is in the line of George Mraz and Michael Moore; a harmonically sophisticated bassist with technical facility who swings hard when it’s called for.” Kirk Silsbee, Downbeat!
MENEGON began his career as a musician in Montreal. After having worked for several years on the Canadian jazz scene, Menegon moved to New York City to study jazz at Long Island University. John has been composing and arranging music throughout his career, and the ten years he spent as bassist for two legendary tenor saxophonists, Dewey Redman and David “Fathead” Newman, provided a solid foundation for Menegon to continue his explorations as a bandleader. Having spent over a decade performing, touring, and recording with each of them, these jazz legends have taken John around the world, playing at jazz festivals in South Africa, Argentina, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, Europe and the U.S., and have been a major influence in his playing and compositions. Menegon currently plays with jazz legend Joe Lovano as well as leading his own band. John has released five CDs as a leader, including “I Remember You” (a dedication to Redman and Newman) with a four-star review in Downbeat, and his latest “Quartet East: Blew By Blues,” a dedication to Charlie Haden.

NANNY ASSIS
Singer, guitarist, drummer, percussionist, songwriter and Bahia native NANNY ASSIS is a master of Brazilian Jazz, Afro-Brazilian music and other popular and folkloric sounds from his homeland. Music is the mirror of his inner expressions. He was born in the northeastern Brazilian city of Salvador, Bahia, in 1969. Bahia is one of Brazil’s first cities, with predominantly African influences. Salvador is the birthplace of some of the country’s most remarkable music creations. That, in part, explains why Nanny has music running through his veins, making him an outstanding singer, a terrific drummer/percussionist, and a talented songwriter.

JEFF “SIEGE” SIEGEL
Drummer/composer/educator (New School, Western Connecticut State University, SUNY New Paltz) currently performs w/Jeff “Siege” Siegel Quartet & Sextet and The Levin Brothers (Tony & Pete). Additional performances and/or recordings w/ Sir Roland Hanna, Dave Douglas, Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Ryan Kisor, Kurt Elling, Ravi Coltrane, Wadada Leo Smith, Arthur Rhames, Mose Allison, etc. He is endorsed by Canopus Drums, Beato Bags & Vic Firth Drumsticks.

COVID RESTRICTIONS: Masks are required for the unvaccinated & recommended for the vaccinated.