“CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF JAZZ ON THE GREEN”
Schedule
06-28-2018 – NBIS Jazz Band
- The NBIS Jazz Band is a group of advanced 6th through 8th grade band students at North Branford Intermediate School. These students work on a variety of music throughout the year to enhance their musical experience. They perform several concerts during the school year, and compete annually in the High Note Festival in Bristol, CT. Students in this group show enthusiasm and work incredibly hard, and are thrilled to be a part of Branford Jazz on the Green for the first time this year for the 10th anniversary.Meredith Zoll is the band director at North Branford Intermediate School, where she directs 200 students in three concert bands, the NBIS Jazz Band, and the Spotlight Players Drama Club pit band. Teaching music is her biggest passion, and as a resident of Branford she could not be more proud to have her students included in this wonderful opportunity.
6/28/2018 – Run N’ Fly
- Known for its depth of infusion blending American pop, jazz and soul into their culture, Run N’ Fly will demonstrate its musical spirit as the opening act of the 2018 Branford Jazz Series on June 28th on the Branford Town Green.
Since moving to the United States from his native Brazil 20 years ago, guitarist Sandro Albert has joyously transcended all attempts to pigeonhole his musical enthusiasm, working as a sideman, artist and producer with everyone from War and Leon Ware to Robben Ford, the Yellowjackets and fellow countryman Milton Nascimento. 7-5-2018 – Rich Goldstein & The Gratitude Ensemble
- East Coast guitarist Rich Goldstein and The Gratitude Ensemble are known for their grooving hard bop style with a modern tinge. On Thursday, July 5th on the Branford Town Green stage, Branford Jazz followers will be able to enjoy their music as part of the 10th Annual Jazz Concert Series.
Some of Goldstein’s main influences on the instrument include: Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Joe Diorio, and Randy Johnston. Rich has appeared with a wide range of musicians including, Andy Laverne, Charles Flores, Steve Davis, Houston Person, Reverend Hubert Powell, Jesse Hameen II, Jaimoe, Randy Johnston and many others at jazz venues including Birdland , the Berklee Performance Center, The Jazz Gallery, and Smalls. He has appeared at festivals such as The Atlanta Jazz Fest, The Cancun Jazz Fest, and The Festival of Arts and Ideas. Goldstein has recorded as a sideman with Charles Flores, Rob Zappulla, Larry Derdeyn (Lingo), Ed Fast and Conga Bop, and Jim Argiro, as well as a number of other studio dates. As a leader, Rich recorded and produced “Comin’ from Montgomery”, a tribute to the Montgomery Brothers (2008), and “Effervescent” featuring Andy LaVerne (piano), Steve LaSpina (bass), Anthony Pinciotti (drums) , and Billy Drewes (Sax) (2011). 7-12-2018 – Quarteto Moderno Brazilian Jazz
- Question: Who do you encounter while listening to a first-class Brazilian Jazz Ensemble featuring top New York artist, exceptional original compositions, daring improvisations, fiery interaction and perpetual rhythmic exploration?
Answer: Quarteto Moderno, led and founded by guitarist-vocalist Richard Boukas.
On July 12th, this widely recognized and innovative contemporary Brazilian Jazz ensemble will spotlight the Branford Jazz Series on the Branford Town Green starting at 6:30 p.m.
Formed in 2008, the ensemble features Richard Boukas compositions in a wide range of Brazilian genres including samba, choro, baiao, frevo, maracatu, marcha, frevo, valsa and guarania. These traditional forms are melded with a rich, melodic and harmonic vocabulary drawn from contemporary jazz and chamber music. The group’s New York City area performances include Hudson Hall Jazz Festival, Johnny Pacheco Latin Jazz Festival, Dizzy Gillespie Auditorium, and Queens College’s Year of Brazil. In 2016, they released their debut CD, “Live! Ao Vivo!”.
Visit the ensemble page 7/19/2018 – Paula Atherton
- Combine a seductive, crystal clear voice with the slow jam groove resonating from her saxophone and an exciting and irresistible charm of stage presence and you get the multi-talented saxtress Paula Atherton. She will perform on the Town Hall Stage on Thursday, July 19th at 6:30 p.m. as part of the Branford Jazz Series.
It goes without saying and to no one’s surprise that once Paula began studying voice and flute at the age of nine and soon thereafter, becoming proficient on saxophone during her teenage years, success soon would follow. Paula studied with a number of notable jazz artists including Lee Konitz and Bob Mintzer. Paula formally released her first CD, “Let Me Inside Your Love” in 2004. It received national airplay and debuted on the smooth jazz charts. She returned in 2009 with the album, Groove with Me and later, in 2013, she released her third studio effort, Enjoy the Ride. In this cd, she had 2 billboard charting singles. The first penned and co-produced by Nick Colionne, entitled, “Sassy Strut”, reached #15 on Billboard, and was on the chart for 15 weeks. The second was the Herbie Mann influenced flute feature entitled, “Herbie”, which reached #22 and was on Billboard for 7 weeks. 7/26/2018 – Anouman
- Electrifying audiences across the United States with its instantly recognizable blend of virtuosity and originality in the vein of legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt, the group known as “Anouman” will spotlight the Branford Jazz Series on July 26th on the Branford Town Green starting at 6:30 p.m.
Based out of Brooklyn, New York, Anouman has most recently performed their original music at the Winter Jazz Festival in New York City, the Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest, Charm City Django Fest, the Music Mountain Festival, the Django by the Sea Jazz Festival, and the Cornelia St. Django Fest. The group consisting of Peter Sparacino (saxophone and woodwinds), Koran Agan (lead guitar), Eduardo Bel (bass) and Josh Kaye (rhythm guitar), has taken the gypsy jazz scene to soring heights.
Peter Sparacino is an in-demand saxophonist and doubler, multi-faceted musician, bandleader, composer, and arranger based out of New York City since 2008, Peter is lucky enough to perform in some of New York City’s premier venues and with some of the best musicians. Known for his fluency on the saxophones, as well as clarinet and flute, he appears regularly in New York at the Highline Ballroom, Smalls, Brooklyn Bowl, BB Kings, Zinc Bar, NuBlu, Littlefield, Madson Square Garden, Showman’s, Le Poisson Rouge, the Blue Note as well as many other venues across the United States and Europe. 8/2/2018 – Soul Jazz Flutist Althea Rene
- For more than 10 years, Althea Rene’ was employed as a Wayne County Deputy Sheriff in Detroit, Michigan. However, considering she began her musical journey at the tender age of four, studied classical music at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and gained musical inspiration from the likes of Yusef Lateef, Ian Anderson and her father, one of Motown’s original Funk Brothers, Dezie McCullers, it was only fitting that she “warranted” her own creative style as a world renown dynamic, soulful, and improvisational flutist.
This full-time performing/recording artist, who some regard as a “master of her craft” will “subpoena” all Branford Jazz Series followers to the Town Green for her on-stage performance on Thursday, August 2nd, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. 8/9/2018 – The Caswell Sisters Quintet
- The riveting performances of the Caswell Sisters, vocalist Rachel and violinist Sara, are the culmination of years of working together. Their seamless sound combined with their unique interpretation of repertoire ranging from the “Great American Songbook” to contemporary jazz, including their own compositions, is propelled by arresting improvisation.
Rachel and Sara co-lead the Caswell Sisters Quintet and have made such notable appearances as a week-long After-Hours engagement at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City and an enthusiastically-received set on the opening night concert of the inaugural Jazz Education Network(JEN) Conference. Their debut Caswell Sisters album Alive in the Singing Air (Turtle Ridge Records) featuring jazz pianist Fred Hersch was released in 2013 to rave reviews and was selected by jazz critic Thomas Cunniffe as one of the year’s “Best Vocal CDs” on Jazz History Online. 8/16/2018 – Javon Jackson Quartet
- Born on June 16th, 1965 in Carthage, Missouri, Javon Jackson was born into a musical family. His mother was a pianist and his father played trumpet. However, it was the saxophone which sparked the interest of this current and prominent international recording artist into launching a career of traditional neo-jazz music.
Branford jazz supporters will have the fortune to enjoy his music as this jazz tenor saxophonist and head of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, emerges onto the Branford Town Hall stage, August 16th, 2018, starting at 6:30 p.m.
A student of pianist Billy Wallace, Javon briefly enrolled at the University of Denver, before spending part of 1985-86 at the Berklee College of Music, which he abandoned to join drummer Art Blakey’s band as a member of the renowned “Jazz Messengers”. He completed his undergraduate degree and obtained a master’s degree from the State University of New York at Purchase. 8-23-2018 – Saxophonist Andy Snitzer
- 2018 Grammy Award winner Andy Snitzer is widely recognized by his saxophone peers as the greatest contemporary jazz saxophonist of his generation. His professional career spans decades and includes many chart-topping hits – (Seven Sirius/XM#1 singles, eight Billboard top 20’s, and the first Gavin smooth jazz #1 ever, from January 1995). Andy has easily crossed over from jazz to rock/pop, and back to jazz seamlessly. Andy tours with legends such as Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, Sting and Paul Simon. He’s done thousands of recording sessions with a who’s who of music royalty such as Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga and more.
In addition to winning the 2018 Grammy, Andy’s solo recording career dates back to 1994. His breakout release, “Ties That Bind”, yielded the #1 single “You’ve Changed” which, not only became an instantaneous Smooth Jazz Classic, it is still heard regularly on Sirius/XM radio today. 8/30/2018 – Elan Trotman & Tropicality
- Saxophonist Elan Trotman has quickly become one of jazz’s most thrilling and emotive performers as he continues to stand out and push boundaries as a composer, performer, teacher and recording artist. Trotman’s playing, though inspired by Grover Washington, Jr., Kirk Whalum and Najee, displays his own fresh ideas and distinctive tone. So much so that the New England Urban Music Awards, and The Barbados Music Awards both named him Jazz Artist of The Year on multiple occasions. Elan and Tropicality will be the feature to end the 10th Annual Branford Jazz Series on the Green on August 30th at 6:30 p.m.
Trotman is also the Executive Producer and host of the Barbados Jazz Excursion, a jazz and golf weekend getaway which brings over 300 music lovers to the island every Columbus Day Weekend. Past performers include Jeff Lorber, Javier Colon, Gerald Veasley, Brian Simpson, Althea Rene, Marcus Anderson, Peter White and Jeffrey Osborne. Elan is also the founder of the Never Lose Your Drive Foundation – a Non-Profit which directly funds the Headstart Music Program. Headstart Music provides FREE weekly instrument instruction to students ages 7-11 on saxophone, trumpet, flute, clarinet and percussion. In 2016, over $6,000.00 was raised at the Jazz Excursion Weekend and Golf Tournament. All proceeds go towards tutor salaries, instrument maintenance and supplies for the program.
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