Sonoma Valley

OUR 24th SEASON Jazz Society

P.O. Box 115
Vineburg, CA 95487
ph: 707-373-0700
SonomaValleyJazzSociety@yahoo.com

Jazz in the Backroom at The Plaza Bistro

Friday, February 24th

Mary Jenson

With Terrence Brewer & Tim Campbell

Born on an Air Force base in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mary Jenson is the 6th of 8 children. Her childhood as a military brat was a nomadic one, moving from Mississippi to California, Germany, Georgia, and then back again to California by the time she was 9 years old.

"There was no lack of music in our home. We always had a piano, even in base housing, and someone would always be tinkering on it. The family eventually moved from the Bay Area of Northern California to Las Vegas, Nevada when Mary was just a pre-teen. She spent the next 7 years in Las Vegas and studied music education at UNLV. "Growing up, we were given a choice of activities. The thing is- we were only allowed one thing to focus on. I guess that was Mom's way of managing us- and her time. This concept gave me a sense that I had to be committed because it was the choice that I, myself, had made. And somehow that made me feel rather powerful. I got to choose! I took piano as a pre-teen and later, when I was about 16, I auditioned for the high school pop group. It took two annual auditions to get in, but once I was accepted, my parents decided that I should have voice lessons.

Mary suspended her formal music education and returned to Northern California at 21 years of age. Jenson studied Broadcasting in San Francisco and began a brief career in radio up on the Mendocino coast of Northern California. As a radio disc jockey on the infamous Left Coast of California.

"What was really cool about KMFB was that I had free rein. I was my own program manager and played music that I personally found worthy; my play list was not dictated by major market requirements.

She returned to the Bay Area and eventually landed in the wine country of the Napa Valley, got married, raised children and had a successful career in the financial industry. Mary left her business career behind and begin to focus on music once again. Mary began to study music and begin performing again and attended Napa Valley College, Jazz Camp West and The Jazz School in Berkele. Eight years later Mary has just released her second CD, Beyond, a jazz/world/pop fusion. " The music is truly lovely and reflects a fusion of jazz with world elements. Mary Jenson celebrated the release of her new CD Beyond with a concert at the esteemed Yoshi's Jazz Club in Jack London Square.

maryjenson.com

Saturday, February 25th

PRIVATE EVENT - NO JAZZ

Friday, March 2nd

Brian Andres - Latin Jazz Trio

with Aaron Germain/Bass & Nina Ott/Piano

NINA OTT, Piano

Pianist, composer and arranger Nina Ott performs mainly in jazz, latin jazz and funk. She spends her time between teaching workshops and clinics and collaborating with creative musicians. Nina has lived in numerous cities and has had the fortune to perform with some of the worlds most talented musicians such as Ralph Peterson Jr., Phil Grenadier, Jeff Parker, Gerald Cleaver, Kenwood Dennard, Louis Romero, Scott Amendola, Santi Debriano, John Calloway to name only a few. Her career as a performer has taken her worldwide and her educational skills have led to master classes at SFJAZZ and The Stanford Jazz Workshop at Stanford University.

Brian Andres, Drummer

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio into a family of professional musicians it is no surprise that Brian found himself drawn to the origin of all music: Rhythm. The drum set was the perfect vehicle for such expression. At the age of nineteen, Brian began playing professionally. The next ten years found him performing all over the Midwest and East Coast in musical groups as diverse as Rock, Jazz, Big Band, R & B, German Traditional, Blues, Afro Caribbean, Salsa and Afro Cuban. Brians diverse range of styles led him to performances with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Little Anthony and the Imperials, as well as Tony Award winner and Broadway star, Faith Prince. Brian has also shared the stage with such artists as Leroy Sugar Bonner from The Ohio Players, blues greats Sam Meyers and Lonnie Mack and television and movie star, Woody Harrelson. Brians growing interest in Latin Music and culture brought him to the San Francisco Bay Area in early 1999. He quickly began working with numerous local Salsa, Afro Cuban, Latin Funk, Latin Jazz, and Tex-Mex groups. Among the more noteable names are Dr Locos Rockin Jalapeno Band, Grammy nominated Producer Greg Landau, Roger Danilo Paiz, John Calloway, Bachata stars FranKelly and Bautista, and The Godfather of Chicano Music: Lalo Guerrero. In 2001 as a member of Los Tiburones Del Norte, Brian recorded the original music soundtrack to the award winning Director Robert Youngs remastered version of the film Alambrista.

Aaron Germain, Bass

Originally from Massachusetts, Aaron Germain is a freelance bass player living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Aaron plays both upright and electric bass, performs diverse styles of music, including Jazz, Calssical, Funk, Salsa and Afro Cuban. Aaron has performed with such luminaries as Yusef Lateef, Stanley Jordan, Andy Narell, Melba Moore, Mary Wilson, Francisco Aguabella, John Handy, Gordon Stone, Jamie Davis, Kenny Washington, Paula West, Jacqui Naylor, faye Carrol, Calvin Keyes, Jeff Massanari, Mimi Fox, Eddie Marshall, Royal Hartigan, Mel Martin, Sparlha Swa, Adam Theise, Derek Smith, Danilo Paiz, Darren Johnston, Bishop Norman Williams, Art Khu, Matt Clarke, Babatunde Lea, Gloria Amaral, John Schott, Dave Ellis, Bill Bell, Josh Jones, Randy Vincent, Brad Buethe, Akira Tana, Kenny Brooks and Rob Roth. Aaron has performed at such venues as: The N.Y. Blue Note, The Blues Alley, Zanzibar Blue, Scullers, Humphries by the Bay, Jazz Bones, The Middle East, The House of Blues in Boston, The Iron Horse, Dakotas, Yoshis, Jazz at Pearls, Bacar, Kuumbwa, The Plush Room, The Sweetwater, Freight and Salvage, and The Great Pyramids of Egypt.

http://www.brianandres.com/home.cfm

Saturday, March 3rd

Dick Conte

Dick Conte arrived in San Francisco in 1961 from his native Connecticut and has since become an integral part of the Bay Area jazz scene with his encyclopedic knowledge of jazz, formidable jazz radio presence (from the fabled KJAZ days to present-day KCSM and KKSF), and his piano performances at clubs, festivals and private venues. He has played at the San Francisco Jazz Festival, the Russian River Jazz Festival, the San Jose Jazz Festival, the Sonoma Valley Jazz Festival, the Calistoga Jazz & Blues Festival, Jazz on the Hill and the Cotati Jazz Festival.

He has opened for Cassandra Wilson, Tony Bennett and Doc Powell and performed at Yoshis, the Plush Room, Kimballs East, Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, One Market Restaurant, Washington Square Bar & Grill, Shanghai 1930, Fairmont Hotel, St. Francis Hotel, Pacific Union Club and many wineries, including Bartholomew Park, Niebaum-Coppola, Mondavi and Viansa.

Hes a three-time nominee for Gavin Magazines Jazz Broadcaster of the Year and winner of the AWRT Kudo Award for Best Radio Music Programming.

The Dick Conte Jazz Piano Scholarship Fund, benefitting aspiring jazz pianists, has been established at the Jazzschool in Berkeley.

Friday, March 9th

John Stowell & Mike Zilber

John Stowell began his successful career in the early 1970s with private study with guitarist Linc Chamberland and pianist John Mehegan. Both men were valuable mentors to John, allowing him to play with them as he progressed in his development. Several years later he met bassist David Friesen in New York City, and they formed a duo that recorded and toured prolifically for seven years, with performances in the United States,Canada, Europe and Australia. The duo continues to perform thirty years after their first meeting.

In 1983, John and David joined flutist Paul Horn and Pauls son Robin Horn (on drums) for a historic tour of the Soviet Union. This was the first time in forty years that an American jazz group had been invited to play public performances in Russia. In 1993, 1995, and 1998 John returned to Russia, playing in numerous cities. His two sold-out performances in Kursk may have been the first appearances there by an American jazz musician.

John continues to tour, record and teach internationally. He has been Artist-In-Residence at schools in Germany, Indonesia, Argentina, and in the United States and Canada. He served as assistant director and performer in Oregon Public Broadcastings PDX Jazz Summit in 1991, and since 1995 has been a contributing columnist for a number of magazines, including Downbeat, Guitar Player, Canadian Musician, Soundcheck (Germany), and Guitar Club (Italy).

Featured in Japans Swing Journal, The Jazz Guitar (Ashly Mark Publishing, England), and the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Appearances on BET Jazz Discovery and Guitar Series television shows. Recording/Performance Credits: Milt Jackson, Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer, Conte Condoli, Herb Ellis, Bill Watrous, Mundell Lowe, George Cables, Billy Higgins, Billy Hart, Richie Cole, Paul Horn, Tom Harrrell, Don Thompson, Dave Liebman, and many others

Michael Zilber, whom jazz legend Dave Liebman calls "one of the best composers and players around anywhere, period!" was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. He moved to Boston in his late teens and to New York City in his early twenties. He has performed and/or recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Steve Smith, Sonny Stitt, Liebman, Miroslav Vitous, Bob Berg, Eddie Henderson, Fareed Haque, Geoff Keezer, Donald Harrison, John Handy, Dave Douglas, Rachel Z, James Genus, Rodney Holmes, John Stowell and Barry Finnerty, among many others.

While in New York, Zilber recorded two critically acclaimed OWL-EMI Records as a leader, "The Heretic" and "Stranger in Brooklyn," which was named one of the top 30 CDs of all time by Jazzfusion.com. Since his move to San Francisco, Michael has performed in numerous musical settings as a leader and sideman, including co-leading a quartet featuring the renowned drummer Steve Smith and directing CARMA, the Bay Area's "all-star Jazz Orchestra." Zilber-led groups have headlined to standing ovations at The Monterey, San Francisco, Montreal, Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Big Sur, Edmonton, Calgary and Fairfax Festivals, as well as at such leading venues as Yoshi's, Kuumbwa, Bach Dynamite, and Slim's and recently shared the stage with the Wayne Shorter Quartet in an SFJazz night of tribute to the great saxophonist and composer.

Zilber is a multiple Downbeat award-winning director of the top groups at the Jazzschool Institute in Berkeley, which have been featured at the IAJE and Monterey Jazz festival. In addition, he runs the Los Medanos College jazz studies program and has a doctorate from New York University. He is an in-demand clinician and guest artist and has taught at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, Jazz Camp West and the Banff International Jazz Workshop. He also directs the Jazzschool's Summer intensive for advanced players.

http://www.johnstowell.com/

http://www.michaelzilber.com/

Saturday, March 10th

Saxophonist Bryan Girard

With the "Jazz Komradz"

Bryan Girard, Graham Bruce - trumpet, Tim Campbell Keyboards and Andy Dillard - Drums

Four long-time friends and instrumentalists, each of whom has established himself as a major player on the Bay Area jazz scene. Together, they comprise a formidable array of compositional and improvisational talent.

Employing a lineup of two horns, keyboard and drums, the quartet performs an edgy mix of original compositions and adventurous jazz standards--all of which feature elaborate arrangements that interweave intricate ensemble passages with brilliant improvisation. The end result is music that is both challenging and decidedly rewarding.

Friday, March 16th

Jeff Massanari

Tim Campbell- organ
Marshall gentry- drums

Jeff was exposed to the vibrant music scene of Washington, DC, where he sought out the guitar and began playing at age 13. First focusing on blues and rock- which was all to change when a friend brought over a recording of John McLaughlin's "Inner Mounting Flame". From the first note Jeff was hooked on jazz. By the time he was 17 he was performing and teaching jazz and blues in the Washington DC area.

Jeff's love of jazz took him from DC to Boston's Berklee School of Music. After studying performance and composition, Jeff moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and quickly became one of the most in-demand guitarists. Jeff has performed with many of the San Francisco Bay Areas premier artists including vocalists, Paula West, Brenda Boykin, Denise Perrier, Nicholas Beard, Kenny Washington and Pamela Rose, Instrumentalists Wally Schnalle, Jeff Pittson, Charles McNeil, Vince Lateano ,and Jeff Chambers.

In addition to performing with his own groups, Jeff regularly plays with The Johnny Nocturne Band, The Murasaki Ensemble, Swing Fever and countless other musicians in the Jazz, Blues, and World music genres.Jeff has performed at Yoshis international Jazz House, Pearls, Davies Symphony Hall, and national festivals including San Jose Jazz Festival, Fillmore Jazz Festival, North Beach Jazz Festival, The Sausalito Arts Festival. Internationally Jeff has performed in Japan, Sweden, Finland, Guam, and Italy at the Umbria Jazz Festival.

Jeff's original compositions have been featured on network television with the Patagonia Save the Oceans campaign and on a Key Bell commercial playing on Lifetime and BET. Jeff was also featured on an Apple video at a Macworld convention.Jeffs first four CDs received excellent reviews in Guitar Player Magazine, Cadence, and kudo's from such respected players as Mike Stern and Eric Johnson. His current and fifth CD Groovework is an all original Jazz-Funk project featuring Wally Schnalle on drums, Jeff Pittson on keys, with Brad Russell and Jason Muscat on bass. groovework is available on CDBABY.com! Jeff has taught at U.C. Berkeley, The Jazz School, Jazz Camp West, Bruce Formans Jazzmaster series, and Blue Bear Music School.

http://jeffmassanari.com/

Saturday, March 17th

Kristen Strom

with Scott Sorkin on guitar

The San Jose saxophonist has been a mainstay on the Bay Area music scene for nearly two decades, and her new album, Intention (Open Path Music), reveals an artist whose musical world is predicated upon the primacy of beautifully rendered melodies. Part of the thing at Open Path is to try to develop this community feeling in San Jose, Strom says. Besides leading her own band, Strom is a valued session musician who has backed pop acts such as the Temptations, Natalie Cole, the Four Tops, Roberta Flack and Johnny Mathis.

A extremely versatile player, she has worked with the San Jose Symphony and performed the role of Ginger the saxophone player in the San Jose Repertory Theaters 1988 and 1994 productions of The 1940s Radio Hour. Her most valuable contributions to the Bay Areas lively music scene are through her work with musicians who have created distinctive ensembles. Its all about music to her and playing the melody.While often compared to Stan Getz and Zoot, she cites big-toned tenor greats Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt as primary influences.

www.kristenstrom.com

Friday, March 23rd

Dave Rocha

with Randy Vincent on guitar & Chuck Bennet on Bass

The Dave Rocha Jazz Group has been playing great jazz music in the Bay Area for over ten years. Their repertoire includes a great mix of jazz standards, pop tunes and original compositions.

Dave Rocha performs with his trumpet and another brass instrument called the flugelhorn. This instrument has three valves like the trumpet, but has a bigger bell, which gives it a deeper and mellower sound.

Rocha has played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Lionel Hampton, Larry Elgart, Tex Beneckie, and Machito's Latin Orchestra.

The core of Rocha's group is guitar, upright bass and trumpet, with drums occasionally augmenting the trio.

The group explores a wide range of musical terrain, including ballads, up-tempo bebop, jazz waltz, and latin jazz.

http://daverochajazz.com/

Saturday, March 24th

Rick Vandivier

with Cliff Hugo on bass

Rick Vandivier is a guitarist who has found inspiration in influences that stretch from Andres Segovia to Pat Metheny to Jimi Hendrix. His performances are daring, soulful, and evocative. In a recent concert review, Jean Bartlett (Pacifica Tribune) wrote: "The amazing guitar licks provided by Vandivier cultivated a whole new threshold of wow Vandivier opened the show with a piece which galloped the triumphant poetry of Madrid while caressing the edges of Segovia, Feliciano and Montoya. Extraordinary musicianship with plenty of sweets"

"When I got to hear jazz live, that was what really did it, the combination of the spontaneity, the energy and the interplay really appealed to me." Gradually, Vandivier developed his own guitar style. "It's something that I worked at. It filters out of our life experience, as much as it does our musical experience. There's a distilling that happens over time."

He studied at Berklee College of Music, where his teachers included Pat Metheny. There he honed both his composing and guitar skills. In 1979, Vandivier moved to California.

Over the years, he has performed in prestigious venues with such renowned artists as John Handy, Mose Allison and David Grisman.

Rick Vandivier's marvelous album, simply titled "Vandivier" is a blend of fresh and fascinating takes on such classics as "Norwegian Wood" and "Little Wing" with his original compositions. He performs regularly with his own trio, also known as Vandivier, as well as in the jazz/blues duo Primary Colors, which teams him with vocalist Nate Pruitt.

www.rickvandivier.com

Friday, March 30th

Rhonda Benin

Vocalist Rhonda Benin sings jazz, blues, rhythm & blues, big band, pop or African American folk songs and makes it all look easy. With a voice described as caramel sweetened with honey, Benin has earned a reputation for not just a good voice but showmanship, magnetic stage personality, humor, and of course her great dancing.

At home in the Bay Area, Rhonda began making a name for her self as a solo artist but, it was her 9 year stint with Mal Sharpes Big Money In Jazz Band which gave her visibility on the nightclub and festival circuits and led her to form her band Soulful Strut. Soulful Strut has become a permanent fixture on the San Francisco music scene. My band has been described as a jazz band drenched in soul with a solid helping of the blues.

In 2006 Rhonda produced and released her first solo CD, A Matter of the Heart a classic mix of jazz, blues, and soul. Along with Rhondas vocals, A Matter of the Heart showcases the best Bay Area musicians, pianist Tammy Hall, drummer Darrell Green, saxophonist Charles McNeal, guitarist Cedricke Dennis and Bassist Ron Belcher. The title song, written by Benin, features a classic vocal/bass duet with veteran musician, composer and music guru Harley White.

Originally from Los Angeles, Benin moved to the Oakland, CA in 1989 after working a weekend gig with singer Maria Muldaur. Once in Oakland, she worked for The Oakland Ensemble Theatre, as a receptionist. That job and that desk led me to opportunities in live theatre, commercial jingles, my AFTRA card, and a better job as chorus manager of the esteemed Oakland Youth Chorus where she met veteran vocalist Linda Tillery who later invited her to join an experimental vocal group. Today Linda Tillery and The Cultural Heritage Choir is a GRAMMY nominated vocal ensemble. 20 years later, having toured most of the world, Rhondas work with Linda and The CHC has led her to perform and record with legendary artists Taj Mahal, Wilson Pickett, Richie Havens, Odetta. Al Green, Keb Mo, Santana, Patti Austin, Janis Ian, Jackson Brown, Hugh Masekela, Sweet Honey In The Rock.Rhonda is 2011 Artists In Residence at 4 Bay Area Elementary Schools. She is on the teaching staff of Jam Camp West, Healdsburg Jazz Festivals, Operation Jazz Band, The San Francisco Arts Project, Girl Blues and Jazz Camp, and conducts her own school assemblies and workshops, The Voice, The Hands The Feet Twist and Shout and Love Letters Make Me Misty Blue.

http://www.rhondabenin.com

Saturday, March 31st

Andrew Emer/Bass with Lori Carsillo

Andrew moved to New York City from San Fransisco in 1998. While in San Francisco he worked with Billy Higgins, Buddy Collette, and Bruce Forman along with Steve perkins of janes addiction in a Ska/ Klezmer out-fit. In New York he has had the pleasure of working and touring with; Lee Konitz, Donald Byrd, Jason Moran, Jeff Ballard,Kenny Wollesen, Peter Apfelbaum, Chris Cheek, George Garzone, Frank Kimbrough, Waddada Leo Smith,Carl Allen, Mike Clark, Arturo O'farell, John Popper (Blues Traveler), Slide Hampton, Donny Mclaslin.

In the fall of 2007 Andrew worked with Jack Dejohnette sideman; Michael Cain to score a play for Labyrinth Theater Company with Co-artistic Directors John Ortiz and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The play, "A View From 151st street" premiered at the New York City Public Theater and had a successful 38-show run. Since then, he has been touring the states and Europe with various Jazz acts. Andrew is currently Adjunct Faculty, String Bass & Electric Bass, at Santa Rosa Junior College, Summer faculty at Lake Tahoe Jazz camp for Kids and a Jazz Clinic Visiting Professor National Conservatory of Brussels, Belgium 2009-2010.

Lori Carsillo (an Italian name, pronounced: car-SILL-oh) is a talented vocalist and a noted presence on the Bay Area jazz scene.

Her repertoire, a mix of well-known favorites and forgotten gems, draws praise from listeners as well as fellow musicians, and reflects her love of beautiful tunes that evoke the sweet ache of melancholy. She sings with an unaffected, unpretentious style, never overreaching, and always at ease. The nuance of her phrasing is constantly fresh and compelling. Its no wonder that shes built up a devoted following.

Based in the San Francisco Bay area, Lori Carsillo has a simple and direct delivery, a coolly sensuous voice, and an improvising style that is quite subtle. Her choice of notes is excellent, she swings at all tempos.

Carsillo and the M-A Jazz Band toured Europe and performed at The North Sea Jazz Festival (The Netherlands), Umbria Jazz Festival (Italy), Lido-Bienne Big Band Festival (Switzerland), and at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, France.

Expanding on this early experience, Carsillo studied jazz with several internationally renowned jazz singers: the Bay Areas Kitty Margolis, and via the Stanford Jazz Workshop, Madeline Eastman and Concord recording artist, Kurt Elling.

Carsillos debut jazz CD, Bittersweet, is a unique collection of standards and lesser-known jazz tunes. Her warm and intimate style emerges fully-formed and self-assured.

http://www.loricarsillo.com/

THE PLAZA BISTRO

Situated in an 1859 landmark building with a long colorful history, the Plaza Bistro offers a relaxing bistro style ambience, delectable wine country cuisine, including daily specials, fine wines and an indisputable social atmosphere.

What could be finer on a Friday evening than live jazz "On The Plaza"?

The Plaza Bistro offers relaxed atmosphere, a complete dinner menu if you so desire and a full bar for your favorite adult beverage.

The SVJS had teamed up with the folks at The Plaza Bistro to present live jazz Friday evenings, 7 to 10 pm.

No cover

Join us at The Plaza Wine Bar for the best live entertainment in town: America's one true art form, JAZZ!

Make a Reservation Online with OpenTable.com

Why not join the SVJS and support live jazz in Sonoma?

P.O. Box 115
Vineburg, CA 95487
ph: 707-373-0700
SonomaValleyJazzSociety@yahoo.com