Tim Ray/WCS

Tim Ray/WCS

Tim Ray/Fire & Rain

Whaling City Sound Website

Tim Ray Website

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Publicity: Acton Boxborough Beacon, The Patriot Ledger, LA Jazz Scene, Jazz Journal, Bill Copeland Music News, Jazz Journal, Night Train Top 40, Tim Ray Trio: Fire and Rain,  Midwest Review, Jazz Square, WBUR

Excursions and Adventures: Jazz Square, Broadway World, Jazz Journal, The Patriot Ledger, Jazz Lands, Bill Copeland Music News, DownBeat, Herald Dispatch,The EnterpriseSea Coast OnlineThe Enterprise, Improvijazzation Nation, O’s Place Jazz NewsletterNight Journey Rewind, Fall River Herald, All About JazzJazzQuad (English translation from Russian)Jazz Journal

Radio: New World N Jazz

JazzWeek peaked twice at #11 for total of 20 weeks on chart!

Press Kit/Promo Photos

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Discography

Mixed Media Client since: 2016

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Tim Ray Jazz Pianist: New World Jazz Octet at the RegattaBar

Mar 30 at 7:30PM – 11:30PM

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Tim Ray Trio on Thursday, March 2, both as part of the Eastern Bank Jazz Series. Tickets for these shows are available online at www.spirecenter.org, call (508) 746-4488.

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Click here to purchase JAZZIZ Vinyl Club Vol. 1: The Art of the Album

ENCORE PERFORMANCE by THE TIM RAY TRIO
TIM RAY – piano, JOHN LOCKWOOD – bass, MARK WALKER – drums
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28th
1-3pm
@ THE MUSIC MANSION, 88 Meeting St (@ corner of Congdon St.), Providence RI
 
Admission: $35 – Proceeds from this show will pay the band & support this wonderful venue
LIMITED SEATING: Advance Reservations are STRONGLY SUGGESTED, but you’re also welcome to take your chances @ the door.
 
ADVANCE TICKETS/RESERVATIONS are not available through The Music Mansion
Please send all:
RESERVATION & INFORMATION REQUESTS
or MAKE ADVANCE PAYMENTS via PayPal to:
PLEASE NOTE:
*MUST SHOW PROOF OF COVID-19 VACCINATION @ DOOR
*CASH ONLY @ DOOR
RESERVATIONS & PAYPAL NOTIFICATIONS must be received by 9am, DAY OF SHOW
*CLOTH FACE COVERINGS ENCOURAGED
For complete venue info: www.musicmansion.org
For more info on Tim Ray: www.agitatedcatmusic.com
For more info on Tish Adams’ productions, performances & more: www.tishadams.com
THANK YOU for supporting LIVE MUSIC!

 

7.10 • 6:30p • Starlight Square • 84 Bishop Allen Dr., Cambridge, MA 02139 • Tim Ray Trio with Terri Lyne Carrington and John Lockwood • Release show postponement due to Covid • Click here for tickets

 

Sunday April 25th
1 – 3pm
LIVE SHOW:  “Tish Adams Presents…” THE TIM RAY TRIO
@ THE MUSIC MANSION
88 Meeting St, Providence RI
$35 Donation – pays the band & supports the venue
LIMITED CAPACITY / RESERVATIONS STRONGLY SUGGESTED
Reservations cannot be made through the venue
Please email all reservation & information requests to:

 

#ICYMI: Tim Ray Trio performs at the Centre Street Sessions for VAHA New Bedford

This Centre Street Session features two sets by the Tim Ray Trio (5:30p and 7:15p, and streaming thereafter at AHA New Bedford’s Facebook page) with Dave Zinno on bass and Mark Walker on drums.

Until the pandemic shut live music down, Tim was touring as music director and pianist for Tony Bennett, and his recent CD with Terri Lyne Carrington and John Patitucci made the top 10 in the JazzWeek National Radio Chart.

Centre Street Sessions usually take place in the Summer months of June through September outside, in the parking lot of Fiber Optic Center, in the heart of the Historic District and within the Whaling Heritage Historical National Park. Sponsored by AHA, Fiber Optic Center and Whaling City Sound these concerts have showcased many performers and enabled people to enjoy world class music in a relaxed, informal and acoustically comfortable setting.

This performance was recorded earlier in July in the chapel of the renovated Steeple Playhouse new home of the 70+ year old Your Theatre and formerly the First Baptist Church. Renovation is being overseen and supported by the non-profit Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE, www.waterfrontleague.org). Professional quality audio, as well as video, was done by John Farrell of Middlehouse Sound. For the last 8 years, Your Theatre has also produced the widely acclaimed New Bedford JazzFest, held on the waterfront near downtown, and surrounded by New Bedford’s record setting fishing fleet.

Watch: Set 1 / Set 2

 

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Tim Ray Trio/Windows

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Radio: Jazz New EnglandNew World n Jazz MOST ADDED +13 JazzWeek 8/29/16

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Show Dates:

Tim Ray Calendar

December 9thFriday
7:30pm
Tony Bennett and his Quartet in Concert
featuring Tony – voice, Tim – piano/MD, Gray Sargent – guitar, Marshall Wood – bass & Harold Jones – drums
Dodd Auditorium, University of Mary Washington
Fredricksburg, VA
for more info please visit 
www.tonybennett.com

December 10thSaturday
7pm
Tony Bennett and his Quartet in Concert
featuring Tony – voice, Tim – piano/MD, Gray Sargent – guitar, Marshall Wood – bass & Harold Jones – drums
Pfleger Concert Hall, Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ
for more info please visit 
www.tonybennett.com

December 12th – Monday
8pm
Tony Bennett and his Quartet in Concert
featuring Tony – voice, Tim – piano/MD, Gray Sargent – guitar, Marshall Wood – bass & Harold Jones – drums
Paramount Theater
Charlottesville, VA
for more info please visit 
www.tonybennett.com

January 12thThursday
7 – 10pm
The Tim Ray Trio
featuring John Lockwood – bass & Mark Walker – drums
Thelonious Monkfish
Cambridge, MA
for more info please visit 
www.theloniousmonkfish.com

I’m Beginning to See the Light (D. Ellington) 5:37
Monk’s Dream (T. Monk) 5:12
Toys (H. Hancock) 6:27
DE-Train (T. Ray) 3:50
Joy (T. Ray) 6:38
I’ve Been to Memphis (L. Lovett) 5:47
Dolphin Dance (H. Hancock) 3:23
Windows (C. Corea) 5:37
So Tender (K. Jarrett) 5:52
Star Eyes (G. de Paul / D. Raye) 6:51
Peace (H. Silver) 5:22
12 x 7 (J. Lockwood) 3:08

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tim Ray – piano
John Lockwood – bass
Mark Walker – drums

Recorded 2014 in the WGBH Fraser Performance Studio, Boston, MA

Engineering, mixing and editing – Antonio Oliart Ros

Liner notes – Bob Blumenthal

Thanks to Neal Weiss, Dave, Ginny and everyone at Whaling City Sound for all your work to help make this recording possible. Thanks also to John, Mark, Antonio and Bob for their artistry and unparalleled skills. And a big thank you to Tyson for her help in making this project (and all my projects) a better and more rewarding experience.

Tim Ray is a Steinway artist and endorses Steinway Pianos
Mark Walker is a Yamaha, Paiste, Remo, Vic Firth and LP artist

For more information on this recording, or inquiries on booking this group, please visit AgitatedCatMusic.com

Greg Abate/WCS

Greg Abate/WCS

“Magic Dance: The Music of Kenny Barron” available now!

Greg Abate

LABEL: Whaling City Sound

Greg’s Updated Website!

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YouTube:  “Bebop” w/ Jake FryerWakefield JazzGoLocal LIVERhode Island Music Hall of Fame, Taos BeBop Assoc.,Solo On Alto,  Live in Boston, Sample Video, Live at Narrows Center,

“With the maestro’s passing, the legacy of Phil’s music becomes even more treasured. He is in great form here with Greg, one of his many followers whose work he has greatly influenced, more than holding his own. This is an historic recording.”
~David Liebman  

Publicity: Dayton Daily News, The Jamestown Press, Daily Independent, The Independent, Niagara Frontier Publications, Patriot LedgerHot House JazzWorcester TelegramJazzTimes, Cape Cod Times, Marlbank, Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes, All About Jazz, Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes, Valley Breeze, JazzLeeds, Jazz Journal, Jazz-Quad, Berklee Press, JazzTimes, All About Jazz, CAI (Cape And Islands) NPR, What’s Up Newp, The Patriot Ledger, All About Jazz, What’s Up Newp, Hot House Jazz, Neon Jazz, Jazz Journal, What’s Up Newport, Bill Copeland Music News, Open Jazz (French), Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes, Jazz and Blues News, New York City Jazz Record, Midwest Record, Glide Magazine, Amazon Reviews, Studio 10 WJAR, 90.5 WICN Public Radio, Hartford Courant, The Herald News, What’s Up Newp, 90.5 WICN Public Radio, Jazz Journal, All About Jazz, Bill Copeland Music News, Telegram&Gazette, Jazz Journal, Yorkshire Times, Bebop Spoken Here, The Independent, Broadway World Cabaret, All About Jazz, O’s Place, ProJo, Norwich Bulletin, CapeCod.com, Midweek HeraldWakefield Express (UK),  Blu Jazz+aNews Cafe.com, Herald Dispatch, BroadwayWorld Boston. Jazz Quad, North Wales Pioneer (UK)Daily PostJazz @ Future InnJazz WeeklyAll About Jazz, GoLocalProv, Midwest Book Review (Wisconsin Bookwatch)Improvijazzation Nation,Newport This Week,Jazz New EnglandThe Taos News,Herald ExpressMusic Web InternationalCourant CommunitySouthern Rhode Island NewpapersPapatamus, JazzTimes, Freedom Talk RadioOhio.com, GoLocalProv, Woonsocket CallAkron Beacon Journal, Downbeat,Warwick Beacon ReviewMotif MagazineInterview with Jazz New EnglandJazz JournalTorquay Herald Express (UK), Dick Keogh(fan), Ken Franckling’s Jazz notesAll About JazzJazz-квадрат, (click for English translation),  Warwick Beacon, The Herald NewsJazz Depot (OK), Providence Journal, South Wales Evening Post, The Guardian, North Hampton ChronicleEditorialsTaosNews, North Hampton Chronicles, Guardian Series, WhatsupNewp

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WVXUKMUW 98.1\

Forte Jazz Lounge has had a lot of amazing musicians and performances in our first 6 months. But the last two nights hosting Greg Abate was absolutely thrilling. He effortlessly bounced back and forth from great bebop standards like Yardbird Suite and his own compositions.  He connected with audience from the first moment he stepped on the stage.  The local cats that played for him were perfect.  Frank Puzzullo on piano, Jeremy Wolf on Bass and John Willmarth on drums played with passion and artistry.  Thank you to Rob Rosenblum for connecting Forte with Greg.  If you missed it, make sure you keep an eye on the website ForteJazzLounge.com for future dates.

 

 j
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0xvy1vsnc5l4061/IMG_6146.mov?dl=0

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Last night’s Greg Abate gig finally dispersed the remnants of the COVID gloom and nervousness that have kept indoor JazzLeeds restricted in so many ways. Supported brilliantly by a trio of local lads he simply blew us all away with his inventive driving work on alto and flute. And it’s difficult for this audience member to know where to begin to describe a really outstanding evening’s entertainment.

For Greg is more than “just” a top musician. He’s the only headliner I know of who treats his audience as old buddies from the off, relaxed, affable, virtually asking opinion as to which key to play the next piece in and with gentle anecdotes to make us laugh. He’s made for the close contact of clubs, not a stage. At 74 Greg’s one of the last of the “journeymen” jazz musicians, visiting the UK annually for several weeks, playing around 250 gigs a year, organised in all respects by himself since he has no agent. His repertoire is based solidly on the works of Bird and Bebop (“Yardbird Suite, Parker’s Mood”), but he can turn his hand, and did, to standards (“All the Things You Are”), his own compositions (“Family”) and arrangements (Kenny Barron’s “Voyage”). His on-the-road one-night way of gigging means he meets his accompanists for the first time shortly before their first number, and it’s heads down and straight in. And of course it’s the same for them – but worse!

The physical closeness of the group to us meant that we could see AND hear Greg, especially in the first set, sergeant-majoring instructions to any one of his group like a machine gun, leading to permutations like him alone, him and drums, bass and drums, trio (take your pick), swapping fours in the most convoluted patterns. Not only no rehearsal, but this was jazz as it is at its heart, created on the hoof, and my hat goes off to Pete Rosser(p), Sam Jackson(b) and John Settle(d) who played superbly, totally unruffled by the rapidity of the pieces, the impromptu changes of tempo, the sudden changes from a quartet to a duo as if they’d played with Greg for weeks. As an ensemble the quartet was outstanding in its excitement and flexibility. We audience roared.

This is not to overlook the excellence of the opening support duo of Hugh Vincent (piano) and Joel Stedman (flute and guitar). Some very nice impro, with a few early block chords reminiscent of Red Garland from Hugh, and such a pleasure to hear two so young musicians playing standards, something of a rarity these days. I dread the prospect of the words “One of my compositions” since they so often lead to loss of direction and interest. I didn’t hear them, just an obvious affection for tunes such as “Hackensack” and “Chelsea Bridge”. The youngsters more than whetted the appetite for the feast that followed.

by Alan Friswell

 

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Click here to vote for Greg in the 2021 DownBeat Readers Poll!

The Greg Abate Quartet
Steve Hunt – piano
Todd Baker- bass
Gary Johnson – drums
Plenty of free parking, great food and drink. There is a cash only entrance fee to support the events at the Sahara.
It’s a great concert venue.
See you this Thursday September 2nd. Doors open at 6:30 music from 730-10:30
Reservations available. Just return your request to me at this address

Additional Information

Dates: September 11, 2021

Location: The Newport Playhouse & Cabaret Restaurant

Address: 102 Connell Highway, Newport, RI 02840

Time: 6:00 PM

Price: $56.95

 

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Magic Dance 85

O’s Notes: Reed master Greg Abate celebrates the music of the legendary pianist Kenny Barron with Kenny Barron on piano, Dezron Douglas (b) and Johnathan Blake (d). This songbook is 14 of Kenny’s best compositions over two discs. There’s a jovial groove that swings on “Cooks Bay” with Greg varying the mood shifting from sax to flute. There is sweet sax harmony on “Innocence”, passion on “Rain” and a hard swing on “Voyage”, just a few of the highlights.
D. Oscar  Groomes
O’s Place Jazz Magazine

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Ken Franckling’s Jazz Notes

Saxophonist Greg Abate, best known for his alto prowess, adds tenor, soprano and baritone saxes, and flute, to this excellent project in an adventurous way. This two-CD project features Abate performing 14 wide-ranging tunes composed by jazz great Kenny Barron, with a trio featuring Barron on piano, Dezron Douglas on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums.

Half of the tunes feature the leader on just one horn apiece, for example, flute on the genteel ballad “Water Lily,” soprano on “Sonia Braga” from Barron’s 2012 Brazilian Knights project, and tenor on the lively opener “Sunshower” and the pensive beauty “Rain.” After the three-day studio session last September, Abate added tasteful overdubs on the remaining tunes, pairing alto and tenor on “Golden Lotus” and “Lemuria,” flute and alto on “Cook’s Bay,” then alto and bari on the closer, “And Then Again.”

The most ambitious was Abate’s treatment on two of Barron’s best-known compositions, His overdubbing created a full big-band sax section as he explored “Innocence” and “Voyage,” soloing on soprano and alto respectively. As a result, we get to hear rich riffs, interlude melodies and harmonies that reveal rich new facets that underscore Barron’s compositional prowess. And how great it is that Barron was along for the ride.

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Chan’s Presents
The Greg Abate Quartet on May 29 at 8pm
with Tim Ray, John Lockwood, Mark Walker playing the music of Kenny Barron, Greg’s new double CD set Magic Dance
$30 at the door
$25 in advance
167 Main Street
Woonsocket, RI
Plenty of free parking!
Reservations recommended, call 401-765-1900
www.chanseggrollsandjazz.com

 

Magic Dance: The Music of Kenny Barron

Greg Abate (Whaling City Sound)

by Scott Yanow

 

Saxophonist Greg Abate’s two-CD set Magic Dance is the best type of tribute. Not only is it a straightahead exploration of 14 of Kenny Barron’s compositions, but also it features Barron himself, playing in prime form. Barron, who turns 78 this year, has been a significant pianist and composer since the early ‘60s. His playing has grown in its individuality and power through the years and he has long been a skilled but underrated composer. While his “Voyage” has caught on as a standard, most of his other originals were long overdue to be explored again at length. Abate, a veteran saxophonist based in New England who is best known on alto, had previously recorded with Barron just one time, for his 1996 album Bop Lives. For the tribute, Abate, Barron, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Johnathan Blake dig into many of the pianist’s finest songs, which often have accessible melodies along with complex and original chord changes. With the exception of “Voyage”, these are not the type of tunes that show up often at jam sessions. Abate, who is heard on five different instruments, overdubbed a second horn on five songs (mostly for the melody statements) and on “Innocence” and “Voyage” he is heard as a full five-part horn section. His playing is excellent throughout and his occasional soprano solos (most notably on “Innocence”) make the case for him being ranked as one of the top jazz players on that horn. Other highlights include the catchy “Sunshower”, picturesque “Cook’s Bay”, thoughtful “Rain”, an inventive and exciting arrangement of “Voyage” and every solo played by the ageless pianist. Magic Dance is one of the finest recent recordings by both Abate and Barron with the tribute not revisiting past triumphs but standing on its own as a superior modern jazz date.

 

Celebrating the Life and Music of Tony Campise – Friday, May 14
Tony Campise was a consummate musician, but he was a lot more.

His love for music and the young jazz musicians he mentored spread to everyone around him, and years after his passing we still gather to remember him.

For this tenth anniversary year, (the 2020 concert was cancelled) three luminaries of Austin jazz will join us to honor his life and legacy at the annual Toast to Tony concert at 7 pm Friday May 14 at Spicewood Vineyards Event Center.

Joining us will be Greg Abate on his sultry sax, Pamela Hart with her velvet voice, and trombonist Andre Hayward adding golden notes. Add a dynamic rhythm section, and it’ll be musical magic. Just tap the red button below for tickets.

 

 

 

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Greg is WICN’s Artist of the Month!  Check their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts for updates and features of Greg throughout the month.

 

 

Woonsocket native saxophonist Greg Abate is releasing a new album “Magic Dance: The Music of Kenny Barron” on April 2, a tribute to the keyboard legend Barron. An inductee in the RI Music Hall of Fame, Abate has played and recorded with artists as diverse as Phil Woods, Richie Cole, Jerome Richardson, as well Kenny Barron. Abate was recently ranked #4 in the world on alto sax in the annual Downbeat Magazine Reader’s Poll.

 

 

Live at Cafe Stritch in San Jose, CA

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Greg Abate Online Jazz Session on Zoom!

Sunday 23rd August 10 am EST

Direct link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81612711978

On Sunday 23rd August at 10 am EST, Jazz legend Greg Abate will be LIVE on Zoom for a virtual Jazz Session hosted by Chelmsford Jazz Club.  Our Jazz Club members have been missing their monthly gigs, so we decided to bring the music right into their homes and yours!  Everyone is welcome and it is completely free.  There will be chat, laughter and of course, live music from Greg Abate.  You can join online or by even phone – see below for details!

 

Or Join by Phone

Dial the number then key in the meeting ID code: Meeting ID: 816 1271 1978

UK 0203 481 5237 United Kingdom

USA +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

For full details & how to download ‘zoom’, visit our website www.ChelmsfordJazzClub.co.uk

 

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Watch Greg Abate with Paul Edis Trio Jazz North East November 2019 performance in Newcastle, England

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Saturday May 9th Greg will appear on PULIN 4 JAZZ at 12 NOON PACIFIC, 1 PM MOUNTAIN, 2 PM CENTRAL, 3 PM EASTERN, AND 8 PM IN EUROPE AND THE UK

They will be featuring tracks from Greg’s CD, spotlighting Richie Cole, “DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE”, as well as Greg’s collaboration with Phil Woods.

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Gratitude: Stage Door LIVE@TheZ

Greg Abate (Whaling City Sound)

by Ken Dryden

The New York City Jazz Record

 

There are many players who are so recognized for their work on one instrument that the public is often unaware that they play several more. Greg Abate has been primarily heard on alto saxophone throughout his career, but for this live recording, his fourth both for Whaling City Sound and with pianist Tim Ray’s trio with bassist John Lockwood and drummer Mark Walker, he decided also to feature himself on tenor and baritone saxophones and flute. The time that the musicians have spent together as a unit shows in the solid performances throughout this live set, most of which focuses on Abate’s potent originals.

Things start with his engaging bossa nova “Gratitude”, each member showcased in turn. When the leader is playing bop tunes, the influence of jazz master Phil Woods is present; though he is by no means a clone, it is his execution and wealth of ideas that invite comparison to the late alto saxophonist, whom he admired greatly. The feeling is especially present in “Bop Lives” and his heartfelt tribute “Farewell Phil Woods”, the latter written as a ballad but performed here at a strolling tempo. The jazz waltz “Hazy Moon” is the first of two songs spotlighting Abate’s considerable chops on flute, darting lines incorporating Eric Dolphy-like detours in spots. His sole appearance on baritone is on his rapid-fire “In The Stratosphere” where his gritty sound recalls Pepper Adams.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s “Serenade To A Cuckoo” featured the composer on flute on the original, but Abate opts for tenor to give it a gruffer texture. Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz” is a trio number and Ray’s Caribbean-flavored treatment in the introduction is a surprising, novel approach; this performance never loses steam in spite of stretching out over nine minutes. Back on tenor, Abate devours Joe Henderson’s hard-charging signature piece “Inner Urge”, tackling it at a brisk tempo. The excellent recording gives the listener a front-and-center seat for musicians having a ball on stage.

 

 

GREG ABATE / CRAIG MILVERTON QUARTET

GREG’S GROOVE

 

Pianist Milverton is an activist, a maker and shaker in the jazz community who in the past organized a jazz festival and now sets up tours and travels far and wide to play. Explore is his label. Even more of note, he’s a resourceful player who can ignite a session and command attention.

 

He doesn’t seem to know how to play a dull set. His collaboration with tenorist Fowler and guitarist Ashworth is sub-titled The Music of Bebop Genius Tadd Dameron and takes a very agreeable look at fifteen of the late composer’s works. Of course, the familiar pieces like Good Bait, The Squirrel and Our Delight are here and are given their swinging due but the added pleasure is in hearing these distinctive players handle other less-heard Dameron compositions. And how rewarding they are. Fowler is truly our premier mainstream tenor man, with something of Scott Hamilton’s relaxed approach and warm sound, who always knows how to build and shape a solo. To the band’s credit, they don’t seek to replicate the classic versions of these key pieces, rather they set up a series of free-flowing quintet accounts of their own, bassist Al Swainger and drummer Nick Millward finding the right groove every time. Just to hear them push on Hot House or The Squirrel with Milverton flying is to understand why Digby Fairweather called this album ‘a treasury of excellence’ and he’s right. Anyway, any chance to hear Ashworth at length is not to be missed. Milverton and US altoist Greg Abate are often on tour together and I heard them yet again at this Swanage festival and damn good they were. Abate is bebop personified, his alto as passionate and fiery as ever: Parker is in there obviously as is Phil Woods, this given added point by the inclusion of Abate’s original Farewell Phil Woods (the album was made in 2015). His tone is warmer, more rounded and less bluesy than Cannonball, say, but there’s no doubting the verve and sheer class he exudes whether as a ballad player or a tear-up type. Abate records often: this collaboration with Milverton ranks high among his recent achievements.

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click above cover to sample songs

Greg featured on NBC 10’s Coffee Break with Frank Coletta!


 

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On his four recordings with the Tim Ray Trio, all on Whaling City SoundGreg Abate finds himself on an endless quest for the true essence of jazz. Throughout this exploration, Abate, a massive talent, acquits himself as energetic, creative, and exhilarating

Which is why it’s such a treat to listen to his latest work with the Tim Ray Trio, Gratitude: Stage Door Live @ The Z. On stage, Abate is a force, a paragon of power and passion. Offstage, Abate is experienced, and a student of jazz. Live, he wrests control of the form, a force majeure, and proves that few in the jazz vernacular today can keep pace with him.

The album itself is a joy. With no formal rehearsals, and subsequently, no overdubs, mulligans, and re-do’s, the band captures its performance in truth, in full, and in the moment. With the seasoned support of Ray (piano), John Lockwood (bass) and Mark Walker (drums), Abate and his various horns (alto, tenor and baritone saxes, as well as flute) cruise through a slate of mainly originals, along with Joe Henderson’s “Inner Urge” and Roland Kirk’s “Serenade to a Cuckoo,” done here on tenor sax rather than the customary flute. “Dracula” spotlights Abate, Ray, and Walker, in that order, in a concise span of five minutes. In all, the performances are loose and fun without being casual. These guys are, after all, some of the best on the scene.

The intimacy of the venue also helped propel the session. The Zeiterion Theater is a stellar place and allows the band to stretch out. Ray’s version of Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz” is a ten-minute blast, with rollicking passages interspersed with Lockwood and Walker each stepping into the spotlight.

Capturing the live energy is a difficult task, especially in jazz, where the frequencies are so varied. But the session, recorded and mixed by John Mailloux, is superb.

Abate is one of the hardest working men in jazz. Every year, when it seems like it might be time to slow it down, Abate revs it up, booking more shows, more clinics, and teaching more classes. He jet sets it when necessary, making repeated trips overseas to find his audiences. For now, he’s left us with the incendiary Gratitude: Stage Door Live @ The Z a postcard from the road, sent with the heat, beauty, and passion of genuine bebop.

 

Greg Abate Sextet Live at Chan’s Jan 26. 8p

Podcast: A conversation with International Jazz Artist Greg Abate

Greg Abate, who is listed in Downbeat Magazine’s latest critics poll as among jazz music’s top rising stars, brings his uptown jazz quintet for a high powered night of music at the Newport Playhouse, Thursday, August 2.

Known for his straight-ahead jazz and bee-bop style, Abate’s performance is part of Bridgefest, linking the folk and jazz festivals, and comes on the eve of the opening of the Newport Jazz Festival. It’s a great way to get a jump start on a jazz-filled weekend.

Abate, a prolific and accomplished songwriter, who performs more than 200 concerts a year worldwide, is third of 20 in Downbeat’s critics poll “Rising Star Alto Sax.” The poll appears in the magazine’s August edition. Last year, he also finished third in “Rising Star Alto” and in 2013 was 12th as “Best Alto Sax.” Besides Abate, the quintet includes Phil Grenadier (trumpet), Matt DeChamplain (piano), Paul Del Nero (bass) and Luther Gray (drums).

Abate, joined What’sUpNewp’s Frank Prosnitz on this edition of The Open Forum on AM 1540 WADK.

LISTEN

6/11: Greg Abate featured in MUSIC ON MONDAYS Concert Series At Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater Begins 6/4

Monday, June 11, 8:00pmGreg Abate plays a night of Jazz & Latin music, accompanied by Fred Boyle on piano, Ron Ormsby on bass, and Bart Weisman on drums.

Greg Abate is a jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, and International Jazz Recording Artist touring the globe 225 days per year. After finishing at the Berklee College Of Music, Greg played lead alto for the Ray Charles Orchestra for two years, then Greg formed his group Channel One which was a favorite in the New England area. Greg also played tenor sax with the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Following this experience, Greg ventured out as a soloist playing Jazz Festivals and Jazz Clubs throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, UK, Moscow and Georgia Russia. Greg has recorded over 17 recordings as leader and his newest release is Kindred Spirits with Phil Woods and The Tim Ray Trio. Greg is an adjunct professor of Jazz Studies at Rhode Island College and is a very active jazz clinician with workshops and master classes throughout the U.S and abroad. Greg was inducted into the RI MUSIC HALL OF FAME in 2016. The Chicago Tribune says about Greg “…his fast-moving lines give his work a feeling of constant invention and creativity” and JazzTimes says about Greg, “The tunes he writes or chooses are based on the kinds of changes that harmony-oriented jazzmen have favored since the beginning and he swings through them with and eager and easy virtuosity.”

Peaked at #12 3/20/17

Listen on SoundCloud “Whaling City Sound”

Photos: Live at Wamsutta with band

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Mary Ann Rossoni captures Greg Abate performing in Jamestown with Kent Hewitt, Todd Baker, Gary Johnson!



 

Audience at the Swanage Jazz Festival!

 

 

Sunday 3/19/17  Greg Abate & Tim Ray Trio at Aria’s Lounge in Providence

Click images above for details.

Latest Album (Released 2/24):

screen-shot-2016-12-27-at-9-10-22-am

screen-shot-2016-12-27-at-9-12-09-amPurchase here.

WCS 090 Road to Forever

Fluent in both saxophone and the great language of bebop, Greg Abate has done nothing if not worked tirelessly across five decades to keep the flame of classic jazz lit. In the hands of a skilled musician like Abate—who made his new record, Road to Forever, with Tim Ray’s trusty trio featuring Ray (piano), John Lockwood (bass) and Mark Walker (drums/percussion)—life and music intertwine on his saxophone. The sound of his brass is an extension of his heart, with no filter or contrivance. Abate’s emotions emerge in nearly every note. “I relate music to life as a parallel outlook,” says Abate in the liner notes of his new recording. “Like many artists, life and music are working together in us to bring out creative ideas.”
In fact, there are creative ideas across all of Road to Forever. “The Dancing Panda” has an agile, danceable groove and a slinky, sexy chord progression. “Farewell Phil Woods” is dedicated to Abate’s inimitable bandmate and collaborator, a talent the bandleader calls “a force of nature.” Abate’s alto sax, laid lightly atop Ray’s piano, resonates with a deep melancholia. But the blue mood is fleeting, as the next track, “Whaling City Sound,” boasts a chill, electric fusion of keys and bass that lifts the tempo with the trio’s inventive ideas.
Abate is a musician that is born to play, to create, to collaborate. He is the consummate sharer of the stage, who respects talent and ability and knows that a high tide lifts all boats. Indeed, Ray, Walker, and Lockwood elevate every project, and Abate provides them with a slate of perfect, largely straight-ahead, compositions for them to dig into. Recorded in a single session with virtually no rehearsals, Road to Forever is as pure as it gets, and a tribute to the power and glory of real bebop.

Papatamus

April 2016: Step right up folks lets see who has the last recording PHIL WOODS [as] made before he died. The January 2016 Papatamus covered 2, one on chiaroscuro from 6/13 and one from Deer Head Records from 11/10/14 (Woods died 9/29/15 and he was active almost up to that date). Now Whaling City Sound has issued a double CD, KINDRED SPIRITS LIVE AT CHAN’S [WCS 077], with WOODS, GREG ABATE [as/ss], Tim Ray [p], John Lockwood [b], and Mark Walker [drm]. The 2 sets [2:04:02] here were recorded 8/11/14 and as one might suspect it is yet another fine Woods date spurned on by another front line saxman. I did not realize how close in sound Abate was to Woods and I would have guessed my ear could have picked out one from another but I could not always. Fortunately Whaling City has provided help in identifying who is playing when. Oddly, Whaling City has chosen to put intros and some stage gab at the end of each disc and here there is no doubt whose voice is whose. What is not a surprise is how good the music is as both saxmen have good track records; Abate continuing his and Woods strong to the last moment. 13 standards and some chatter familiar and fine.

Review of Greg’s performance on June 4th at the Iron Horse Music Hall:

“Wow–you hadda be there to believe it. Greg Abate absolutely destroyed The Iron Horse Music Hall last night. With monster drummer Steve Langone and Georgie The Kaye on bass and Stephen Page on piano, truly a night to remember.” ~Michael and The Joint

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Screen Shot 2016-04-21 at 1.25.30 PMMotif Magazine celebrates the best in local music!

Tuesday May 3

Door open at 6 – show starts at 6:30

Opening act: School of Rock: Seekonk
Second Act: VulGarrity

Voting is still open for the 2016 Nominees (it ends April 24)!  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L9VRD76

The Live Phil/Greg Album Received 4 Stars From DownBeat!

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Greg&PhilKindred Spirits: Live at Chan’s/Greg Abate & Phil Woods+Tim Ray Trio
JazzWeek peaked at #28 2/8/16


(click to enlarge)

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United Kingdom’s Magazine Jazz Journal 

features a nice review of Abate’s work.

 

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Greg Abate & Phil Woods

Greg&Phil
“Kindred Spirits Live at Chan’s,” one of the last of Phil Woods’ live recordings, with Prince of Be Bop, Greg Abate, featuring world class, all stars Mark Walker-drums, John Lockwood-bass, & Tim Ray-piano

Live at Chan’s: Dedicated to Phil Woods

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Greg Abate and the Tim Ray Trio performed music from the new album “Kindred Spirits, Live at Chan’s” on Saturday, October 3rd.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ80D-o8Wu8

for a clip from the show click the link above!

______________________________________

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American Be-bop saxophonist Greg Abate featured on Torquay Herald Express

Screen shot 2015-07-23 at 8.43.36 AM

Screen shot 2015-07-23 at 8.42.35 AM

(Click here to read more)

Free Wheelin’ Jazz Safari features Greg Abate’s “Motif” as Jazz Album of the day!

Screen shot 2015-02-26 at 2.42.27 PM

Whaling City Sounds’ “Motif”Greg#10JWby Greg Abate Quartet

Climbs up to #10 on JazzWeek charts

WD_6panel_digipak

“Coming soon…CDs due in next week. Radio already requesting promo!”

wcs070_Abate_Motif_covers

NarrowsSaxPoster

Sax Under the Bridge:

Greg Abate Quartet and

The Dave Liebman  Group”Expansions”

At The Narrows

Fall River’s Narrows Center for the Arts and CD label Whaling City Sound present sax road warriors Dave Liebman and Greg Abate and their respective new bands on the same night, Thursday, Oct. 9 at the Narrows Center, starting at 8 pm. Both jazz veterans will be featuring music from their new Whaling City CD releases.

greg_abate

Greg Abate resides in Rhode Island, but spends very little time there. He tours, performs to sold-out crowds and records all over the world. The list of band mates on his many CDs as a leader reads like a who’s who of jazz masters, including pianists Kenny Barron and the late James Williams, saxophonists Phil Woods, Richie Cole and trumpeter Claudio Roditi. His latest band includes a dream trio of giants based in the Boston area. Pianist Tim Ray spend several years with Lyle Lovett, has shared the stage with Aretha and Bonnie Raitt, among others, and has had at New England Conservatory and Harvard. He is currently at Berklee College. 

Bassist John Lockwood has appeared on many recordings, is an anchor of the longtime jazz juggernaut The Fringe (with George Garzone and Bob Gilotti), and is featured on not less than six previous Whaling City releases. His impeccable taste, rock solid rhythmic drive and the famous Lockwood bounce elevate any performance, live or recorded, on which he is present.

Drummer Mark Walker is a multi-Grammy winner and Berklee professor. A mainstay behind Carribean Jazz Project and Paquito de Rivera, Walker has a remarkable following in the Latin jazz arena. As part of this group, Walker shows he can also contribute handily in be-bop and swing settings. When he performs, you can usually tell who the drummers are in audience; they are the ones with their jaws dropping.

Lieb_03_300dpi

Following the death of longtime jazz innovator and icon John Coltrane, his longtime drummer Elvin Jones tapped Dave Liebman for Elvin’s band and subsequent recording. Lieb also toured and recorded with Miles Davis shortly after the release of  “On The Corner.”  Lieb has over 200 CDs as a leader or co-leader and appears on 300 more.  After maintaining his own solid band for over 20 years, Liebman is now launching a new group, Expansions, with his breakthrough Samsara CD. Never one to rest on his laurels or the music from his significant past, Liebman remains a spiritual and musical leader for younger and older musicians who want to forge their own paths rather than follow. As Dave says of his latest group and music, “the direction is eclectic…with an emphasis on free collective improvising, along with rhythmic/harmonic devices that have become so prevalent…explored by the new generation, who, like their predecessors, have changed the jazz language.”

Rounding out the band are newcomers and veterans alike: saxophonist Matt Vashlishan, pianist Bobby Avey, bassist Tony Marino and drummer Alex Ritz.

For more information on Greg Abate

For more information on Dave Liebman 

Screen shot 2014-09-19 at 2.08.12 PM

GREG ABATE Quartet –  Performed Sept 19th

Greg Abate jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer continues as an International Jazz/Recording Artist with 225 days a year touring the globe. In the mid 70’s after finishing a four year program at Berklee College Of Music, Greg played lead alto for the Ray Charles Orchestra for 2 years.

Greg was joined by the incomparable talents of Kent Hewitt on piano, Harvie S on bass and Bill Goodwin on drums!

In 1978 Greg formed his group Channel One which was a favorite in the New England area and from there had the opportunity to play tenor sax with the revived Artie Shaw Orchestra under leadership of Dick Johnson from 1986 to ’87. Following this experience Greg ventured out as post hard bop soloist playing Jazz Festivals, Jazz Societies and Jazz Clubs throughout the U.S. Canada and abroad, including most of Europe, UK, and Moscow and Georgia Russia.

Greg is also an adjunct professor of Jazz Studies at Rhode Island College and is also a very active jazz clinician with co. sponsorship from the Conn -Selmer Instrument Co., conducting workshops and master classes through the U.S and abroad. For more artist details visit: www.gregabate.com

What some say about Greg Abate: Abate is not content to rely on stock bebop riffs and standard chord progressions. Rather, the sharp angularity of his phrases and the often startling pauses in his fast-moving lines give his work a feeling of constant invention and creativity.” –Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune.

 A Jazz Gemini Birthday Celebration!

Took place on Saturday, May 31st:

Chan’s Eggrolls and Jazz presents “A Greg Abate Quintet Gemini Birthday Bash” celebrated John Chan and Greg Abate’s birthday! Jazz music was flowing with Greg on alto sax and flute, Gary Smulyan baritone sax, John Lockwood bass, Tim Ray piano, and Mark Walker drums.

Greg Abate and Band

4/23: Greg Abate @Wamsutta Club to Benefit the YWCA

Be-Bop Road Warrior Greg Abate and His Quartet Made Rare New Bedford Stop at the Wamsutta Club to Benefit the YWCA

Two days after this performance, Mr. Abate and the same band head into the studio to record the music they will be premiering at the Wamsutta. This is a rare chance to hear a top-notch, all-star jazz group explore original music written for this moment, and which has not previously been played.

Although Mr. Abate is based in Rhode Island for many years, there is no telling where you might run into him, or better yet, catch his inspired performances. He is a regular at festivals, clinics, clubs and universities all over the world. His impressive body of recorded CDs showcases Greg with many of jazz’s legends in the rhythm section or as guest horn-players, so often so that you can count on it. Kenny Barron, Mark Soskin, Rufus Reid, Harvie S, Bill Miele, Paul Del Nero, Paul Nagel and others are just a few of those who can be heard on Greg’s recordings.

Keyboard wizard, composer and educator Tim Ray is the leader of the “chamber jazz” group Tre Corda, but that does not keep him from performances at places like the White House and Carnegie Hall, or on TV shows like the “Tonight Show” and “Letterman.” Recently Tim was part of this same rhythm section at Scullers in Boston with Greg’s baritone-heavy sextet. Currently on the faculty of Berklee College, Tim has taught at all of the major colleges, universities and conservatories in Boston.

John Lockwood has performed at the Wamsutta Club many times as one of the anchors and treasures of guitarist John Stein’s Quartet over the last 5+ years. If Mr. Lockwood is in the band, it is understood that the level of the music just went up a few gears.

Behind the drums for this evening is master drummer Mark Walker. A major contributor to the success of the bands Oregon and the Caribbean Jazz Project, Mark was a long-time member of Paquito D’Rivera’s touring group. He is a Grammy winner, and also teaches at Berklee College in Boston.

JANUARY RELEASE:

Greg&Phil
“Kindred Spirits Live at Chan’s,” one of the last of Phil Woods’ live recordings, with Prince of Be Bop, Greg Abate, featuring world class, all stars Mark Walker-drums, John Lockwood-bass, & Tim Ray-piano
Greg Abate

Info link: <http://bit.ly/1qi4pfv>http://bit.ly/1qi4pfv

“Motif”: <http://bit.ly/1lrO5Jy>http://bit.ly/1lrO5Jy

<http://bit.ly/1sjwt60>Phil Woods and the Greg Abate Quartet

Saxophonist (and sometime clarinetist) Phil Woods is a cherished jazz legend. He is a highly revered musician, composer and arranger, who has been fronting his own small and big band groups since the 1950s.
Woods is a four-time GRAMMY winner and has won countless other awards, including: National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Fellowship: 2007, President’s Merit Award from the Grammy Foundation: 2007, Kennedy Center Living Legends in Jazz Award: 2007.
Saxophonist Greg Abate has been a mainstay on the New England jazz scene for many years, but is also in high demand at festivals and jazz clubs worldwide. Greg is known for inviting other saxophone greats to share the stage with him, such as baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan and jazz legend/NEA Jazz Master, Phil Woods.

Respected Chicago Tribute jazz writer Howard Reich had this to say about Abate’s playing:

“Abate is not content to rely on stock bebop riffs and standard chord progressions. Rather, the sharp angularity of his phrases and the often startling pauses in his fast-moving lines give his work a feeling of constant invention and creativity.”

Joining Woods and Abate: pianist Tim Ray, bassist John Lockwood and drummer Mark Walker. A

Phil Woods/Greg Abate front line coupled with a driving rhythm section is a recipe for an exciting and unforgettable evening of music!

<http://bit.ly/1sjwt60>Greg Abate Sextet

Live at Chan’s: Dedicated to Phil Woods

IMG_2374

Greg Abate and the Tim Ray Trio performed music from the new album “Kindred Spirits, Live at Chan’s” on Saturday, October 3rd.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ80D-o8Wu8

for a clip from the show click the link above!

______________________________________

American Be-bop saxophonist Greg Abate featured on Torquay Herald Express

Screen shot 2015-07-23 at 8.43.36 AM

Screen shot 2015-07-23 at 8.42.35 AM

(Click here to read more)

Free Wheelin’ Jazz Safari features Greg Abate’s “Motif” as Jazz Album of the day!

Screen shot 2015-02-26 at 2.42.27 PM

Whaling City Sounds’ “Motif”Greg#10JWby Greg Abate Quartet

Climbs up to #10 on JazzWeek charts

WD_6panel_digipak

Motif by Greg Abate Quartet

Peaked at #10 12/22/14 JazzWeek

###

CD RELEASE 10/14/14

WD_6panel_digipak

What’s in a Name?

Greg Abate’s fresh new Motif

Speaks volumes about playing great bebop

Motif might be the title of Greg Abate’s new album, but it could just as easily, and perhaps more appropriately be called Conversations for the way it feels. Each song breezes beautifully by, with Abate’s organic spume of notes, cascading effortlessly the way wind pushes over a field of wheat. Abate is masterful in the way he handles a variety of themes (or topics) and the disc is persistent and interesting, the way an adept communicator can be when making great conversation.

Abate, a master on the alto saxophone, has been doing this a long time, and his experience lifts up the songs on Motif, shines a light on them, and makes the record a joy to listen to. It doesn’t hurt that he’s surrounded himself with an impeccable cadre of musicians: drummer Mark Walker, inimitable bassist John Lockwood, and pianist Tim Ray. Together, they encircle Abate with a cushiony, luxurious musical bumper, keeping Abate on track with his blowing yet also allowing him the space for full expression. Abate certainly takes advantage. Fans of the sax, and alto in particular, will revel in his tone and note choices, as he explores the full range of the instrument.

He plays with immense personality and always has. Going back to his earliest days as a professional—in the Ray Charles Orchestra (where he, if you recall, replaced the one of a kind, David “Fathead” Newman) and the Artie Shaw band, led at the time by clarinetist Dick Johnson. Since then, he has been at it on and off, mostly on, and his dexterity stands out on Motif.

The record opens with the zesty title track, a re-harmonization of the standard “All the Things You Are.” It moves smoothly into the slower, and slightly bluesy “Buddy’s Rendezvous,” an elegy to Abate’s late friend Buddy Hawkins. That, in turn segues into “Snowfall,” a peaceful evocation of the title matter, that is brisk and light, even while Abate’s minor key composition and solid alto paint a beautiful picture of what it might have been like on the inside looking out. “Bittersweet,” the track that follows, is deep and personal, with a bossa nova underpinning and, according to Abate, “several different key centers.”

It’s easy to continue in this vein, but we won’t. The songs are easy to hear and artfully executed. Like an exhilarating talk between friends, it is beautifully paced and wonderfully articulated.

On Motif, Greg Abate presents prima facie evidence proving he belongs near the top of the list when the subject is today’s top sax players. Abate reminds us, as the notes tumble generously out of his horn, that he deserves every jazz fan’s unwavering attention.

###

“Coming soon…CDs due in next week. Radio already requesting promo!”

wcs070_Abate_Motif_covers

greg_abate

Greg Abate resides in Rhode Island, but spends very little time there. He tours, performs to sold-out crowds and records all over the world. The list of band mates on his many CDs as a leader reads like a who’s who of jazz masters, including pianists Kenny Barron and the late James Williams, saxophonists Phil Woods, Richie Cole and trumpeter Claudio Roditi. His latest band includes a dream trio of giants based in the Boston area. Pianist Tim Ray spend several years with Lyle Lovett, has shared the stage with Aretha and Bonnie Raitt, among others, and has had at New England Conservatory and Harvard. He is currently at Berklee College. 

Bassist John Lockwood has appeared on many recordings, is an anchor of the longtime jazz juggernaut The Fringe (with George Garzone and Bob Gilotti), and is featured on not less than six previous Whaling City releases. His impeccable taste, rock solid rhythmic drive and the famous Lockwood bounce elevate any performance, live or recorded, on which he is present.

Drummer Mark Walker is a multi-Grammy winner and Berklee professor. A mainstay behind Carribean Jazz Project and Paquito de Rivera, Walker has a remarkable following in the Latin jazz arena. As part of this group, Walker shows he can also contribute handily in be-bop and swing settings. When he performs, you can usually tell who the drummers are in audience; they are the ones with their jaws dropping.

Lieb_03_300dpi

Following the death of longtime jazz innovator and icon John Coltrane, his longtime drummer Elvin Jones tapped Dave Liebman for Elvin’s band and subsequent recording. Lieb also toured and recorded with Miles Davis shortly after the release of  “On The Corner.”  Lieb has over 200 CDs as a leader or co-leader and appears on 300 more.  After maintaining his own solid band for over 20 years, Liebman is now launching a new group, Expansions, with his breakthrough Samsara CD. Never one to rest on his laurels or the music from his significant past, Liebman remains a spiritual and musical leader for younger and older musicians who want to forge their own paths rather than follow. As Dave says of his latest group and music, “the direction is eclectic…with an emphasis on free collective improvising, along with rhythmic/harmonic devices that have become so prevalent…explored by the new generation, who, like their predecessors, have changed the jazz language.”

Rounding out the band are newcomers and veterans alike: saxophonist Matt Vashlishan, pianist Bobby Avey, bassist Tony Marino and drummer Alex Ritz.

The excitement will be tangible and the evening historic: a chance to see two saxophone veterans and their latest bands, both of whom have never sounded better, stronger and more committed to their art than they are today.

For more information on Greg Abate

For more information on Dave Liebman 

Screen shot 2014-09-19 at 2.08.12 PM


Greg Abate Sextet

Greg Abate jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer continues as an International Jazz/Recording Artist with 225 days a year touring the globe. In the mid 70’s after finishing a four year program at Berklee College Of Music, Greg played lead alto for the Ray Charles Orchestra for 2 years.

Greg is joined by the incomparable talents of Kent Hewitt on piano, Harvie S on bass and Bill Goodwin on drums!

In 1978 Greg formed his group Channel One which was a favorite in the New England area and from there had the opportunity to play tenor sax with the revived Artie Shaw Orchestra under leadership of Dick Johnson from 1986 to ’87. Following this experience Greg ventured out as post hard bop soloist playing Jazz Festivals, Jazz Societies and Jazz Clubs throughout the U.S. Canada and abroad, including most of Europe, UK, and Moscow and Georgia Russia.

Greg is also an adjunct professor of Jazz Studies at Rhode Island College and is also a very active jazz clinician with co. sponsorship from the Conn -Selmer Instrument Co., conducting workshops and master classes through the U.S and abroad. For more artist details visit: www.gregabate.com

What some say about Greg Abate: Abate is not content to rely on stock bebop riffs and standard chord progressions. Rather, the sharp angularity of his phrases and the often startling pauses in his fast-moving lines give his work a feeling of constant invention and creativity.” –Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune

Greg Abate and Band

4/23: Greg Abate @Wamsutta Club to Benefit the YWCA

Be-Bop Road Warrior Greg Abate and His Quartet Making Rare New
Bedford Stop at the Wamsutta Club to Benefit the YWCA

New Bedford, MA – Jazz alto sax legend Greg Abate brings his high power quartet to the Wamsutta Club in downtown New Bedford on Wednesday night, April 23, at 8 pm. The concert continues the long-running presentations by Whaling City Sound with proceeds to benefit the YWCA of Southestern Mass.

Two days after this performance, Mr. Abate and the same band head into the studio to record the music they will be premiering at the Wamsutta. This is a rare chance to hear a top-notch, all-star jazz group explore original music written for this moment, and which has not previously been played.

Although Mr. Abate is based in Rhode Island for many years, there is no telling where you might run into him, or better yet, catch his inspired performances. He is a regular at festivals, clinics, clubs and universities all over the world. His impressive body of recorded CDs showcases Greg with many of jazz’s legends in the rhythm section or as guest horn-players, so often so that you can count on it. Kenny Barron, Mark Soskin, Rufus Reid, Harvie S, Bill Miele, Paul Del Nero, Paul Nagel and others are just a few of those who can be heard on Greg’s recordings.

Keyboard wizard, composer and educator Tim Ray is the leader of the “chamber jazz” group Tre Corda, but that does not keep him from performances at places like the White House and Carnegie Hall, or on TV shows like the “Tonight Show” and “Letterman.” Recently Tim was part of this same rhythm section at Scullers in Boston with Greg’s baritone-heavy sextet. Currently on the faculty of Berklee College, Tim has taught at all of the major colleges, universities and conservatories in Boston.

John Lockwood has performed at the Wamsutta Club many times as one of the anchors and treasures of guitarist John Stein’s Quartet over the last 5+ years. If Mr. Lockwood is in the band, it is understood that the level of the music just went up a few gears.

Behind the drums for this evening is master drummer Mark Walker. A major contributor to the success of the bands Oregon and the Caribbean Jazz Project, Mark was a long-time member of Paquito D’Rivera’s touring group. He is a Grammy winner, and also teaches at Berklee College in Boston.

The Wamsutta Club is now recognized as a relaxed and pleasant setting for acoustic jazz. Comfortable and quiet, the audience is there to hear music. A limited food menu will be available, along with a cahs bar.

The Wamsutta Club, at 427 County Street, corner of Union Street, in downtown New Bedford, has plenty of on-site, easy-in/easy-out parking and is handicap accessible.

 

John Stein/WCS

John Stein/WCS

No Goodbyes

Whaling City Sound Website

LABEL: Whaling City Sound

John’s website

Facebook

YouTube Channel

The Jazz Network
Press Kit: Sonicbids

No Goodbyes Press Release

Sales Sheet

Front Cover download

Back cover

Publicity: JazzweekNight Train Top 40, Jazz Weekly, Midwest Book Review

Radio Promotion: New World N Jazz

 

Featured Track “DigBlues” on SoundCloud

CDs: Distribution: NAXOS of America

Listen WCS Wood and Strings “Up and At ‘Em” on SoundCloud

Previous releases on Whaling City Sound

Mixed Media Client since: 1999

Click here to read the full article

 


 

Click here to read the full review!

 

  

Click here to read the full article

 

Lifeline Jazz News Lifeline: The Patriot Ledger, Jazziz, Midwest Record, Bill Copeland Music News

Serendipity: Jazz Journal, All About Jazz, Staccatofy, Bill Copeland Music News, Neon Jazz, Whats’ Up Newp, Jazz Guitar Today,

Watershed: All About Jazz, Jazz News, KMUW, Rochester City Newspaper, All About Jazz, Jazz Weekly, WGBH Jazz Conversations, Jazz Journal, Midwest Book Review,

Wooden Strings: Jazziz on Disk, The Harpoon Room, Jazz Square,

Color Tones: All about Jazz, Jazz Quad, O’s Place Jazz Newsletter,Contemporary Fusion ReviewsMidwest Record, Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors MagazineLos Angeles Jazz SceneMidwest Record, Jazz Quad, Lydia’s Lifeline

Bing Bang Boom: Warta Jazz,

Emotion:  Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors Magazine, Jazz Inside Magazine, Just Jazz Guitar Magazineimprovijazzation NationJazz Talk (TV), Amazon, jazzquad.ru, Chip Boaz, Jazzwax, Boston Globe Midwest Records, Jazz WeeklyJazz Station Desouteiro BlogImprovijazzation NationJazz Ambassador Magazine (April/May 2013)SmoothJazz.com Global Radio, DownBeat Magazine (July/Guitar issue), JazzQuad,Just Jazz Guitar (May issue), Buffalo News, Yahoo!, Midwest Record, PR Web, KCTV, Guys Stuff, StrategyEye, Berklee Ltd News/One Source, New Bedford News, Silo Breaker, PR Finder, Front Row King, Amazon.com, The Herald News, Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors,O’s Place Jazz Magazine, Southcoasttoday.com, JAZZofilio, Zzaj Productions, 24-7 Press Release, the-borderland.co.uk, nestor, mwe3.com, chuo FM 89.1, jazzflits, Midwest Record, Midwest Book Review, Jazz Society of Oregon, My Favorite Things, All About Jazz, Guitar International, Come Out and Join the Stars at Aha! Tonight, Boston Globe, Latin Jazz Corner, FretBoard Journal

 

JC Jazz Ambassadors Magazine
By Kevin Rabas

Click here to read the full review

Click here to read the full review

The Music In the Barn Series is back after being suspended for a year due to the pandemic.
 
Sunday, July 25th, 2021, 4 – 6pm
4100 Main Rd.,Tiverton, RI
 
Requested donation: $20 per person
 
Covid vaccination required
 
The Barn seats only 80 people, so RSVP to margueritec.rizzi@gmail.com is required.
 
Two Bands: The John Stein Trio and Simpatico
 
John Stein Trio Serendipity CD Release
John Stein, guitar
Ed Lucie, bass guitar
Mike Connors, drums

 

 

Review by

Steph Cosme

 

 

Click here to read the full article!

Like many serious musicians, John Stein was trying to find a way to reach his audience following the Covid-19 breakout. He had just released Watershed, a career-defining recording to mark his planned retirement from Berklee College of Music, where he was an acclaimed educator. Of course, as with live music in general, the tour in support of Watershed was scrapped. Prior to the pandemic, Whaling City Sound’s Neal Weiss had asked Stein to bring a trio for an outdoor September show he had booked in New Bedford. But when hell broke loose, Neal moved the show inside, to the New Bedford Art Museum, and made plans to broadcast it virtually, as well as record the audio and video. “Thanks to Neal’s ability to see other possibilities,” recalls Stein, “it would be the only public concert I played the entire year.”

Stein’s trio for the date, Ed Lucie on bass and Mike Connors on drums, played as they normally would in front of a packed house. The session was live. There were no second takes, no overdubs, no corrections. They simply played each tune and then moved on. It succeeded as a video, of course, because of the trio’s remarkable chemistry. The set was stellar. But that wasn’t all. “Weeks after the show,” Stein recalls, “I had some tasks to do around the house and I let the video run in the background. For the first time, I experienced the soundtrack as pure music without the distraction of the visuals.” Stein heard subtle but extraordinary details that he hadn’t noticed before. “I became aware of the superb musicianship. At that moment, I realized that the audio itself was worthy of release.”

Serendipity is that release. It is the document of that gig, played for an audience of one, John Farrell, who taped and edited the video. Farrell, as it turns out, is also a professional sound engineer. He captured the audio and skillfully did the mixing. It’s obvious that the session, originally assembled as a way to let the music play, was an enormous creative success. From the opener, a take on Sonny Rollins’ “Alfie’s Theme,” to the closing, upbeat “Happy Hour,” a Stein original, the recording is a pure celebration of bristling energy and subtle, intuitive performances.

While the pandemic may have stifled our collective musical voice, it also yielded beautiful and unexpected moments from musicians that simply wouldn’t be denied. Count the aptly titled Serendipity as one of those moments. When hope for live music had temporarily faded, one trio decided they simply had to do what great musicians were compelled to do. Serendipity is the sound of happiness unleashed, as captured by musicians destined to play.

 

Ken Abrams

What’s Up Newport

 

Click here to read the full interview!

 

The 42nd Annual Jazz Station Awards / The Best Jazz of 2020
42ª Edição do Prêmio Jazz Station! Os melhores do jazz em…

Posted by John Stein on Monday, January 4, 2021

Two more awards that I did not originally notice from Arnaldo DeSouteiro:

Album Engineering:
2. Paulo Aredes…

Posted by John Stein on Monday, January 4, 2021

 

Click here for the full review!

 

ICYMI: John Stein with Ed Lucie and Mike Conners perform for #VAHA New Bedford’s Centre Street Sessions

Watch: Set 1 / Set 2

Guitarist and composer John Stein returns to New Bedford as the featured artist for September’s virtual AHA night (VAHA) with Ed Lucie on electric bass and Mike Connors on drums. Recorded earlier at the New Bedford Art Museum (NBAM/Artworks), the two 45 minute sets will stream from the VAHA webpage and thereafter at AHA New Bedford’s Facebook page beginning at 5:30 and 7:15 on the evening of Sept. 10.

John Stein just retired from 36 years on the faculty of Berklee College in Boston, and his most recent CD, Watershed, was on the JazzWeek national radio chart for a record 28 weeks, including several weeks in the top 10 and peaking at #2.

For over 20 years, the city of New Bedford, MA has celebrated the second Thursday of every month as AHA (Art, History, Architecture) Night, and provided many events in the downtown area, including special activities for children, and always for no charge.

Centre Street Sessions usually take place in the Summer months of June through September outside, in the parking lot of Fiber Optic Center, in the heart of the Historic District and within the Whaling Heritage Historical National Park. Sponsored by AHA, Fiber Optic Center and Whaling City Sound these concerts have showcased many performers and enabled people to enjoy world-class music in a relaxed, informal, and acoustically comfortable setting.

Click here to read the full review!

 

 

 

 

Click here to watch the full interview!

FOR MARCH 6 2020 RELEASE

Review by Chris Spector

“The first-class jazz guitarist is newly retired and will no longer be hiding his light in the groves of academe.  With a load of albums already to his credit, this set finds him using his newly gained freedom to push his crew to go balls to the wall making this Brazilian flavored set anything but a set of swaying sambas for tourists.  Putting the groove front and center in these proceedings, you can expect every guitarist comparison to be thrown his way in short order and he’s more than up for the comparisons.  Sizzling and tasty, this is a jazz guitar treat and then some.”

received 8th most spins for the entire year in 2010

Listen WCS 089 Color Tones “The Commons” on SoundCloud

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 4/14 John Stein Live at WGBH Boston’s Fraser Performance Studio

Join us April 14 to hear guitarist John Stein perform songs from his new CD, Color Tones. Tickets for this special event are only $10 for WGBH members and $15 for non-members.

Internationally renowned, Stein was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo., where he took up his instrument at an early age. His talent for and love of music ultimately earned him a faculty position at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he is a professor in the harmony department. Stein has performed as a leader or a sideman with some of the world’s finest jazz acts, and his compositions and performances cover the spectrum of jazz styles.

Order your tickets now for this one-of-a-kind event on April 14 at 7pm in the Fraser Performance Studio of WGBH at One Guest Street in Brighton, Mass.

Questions? info@wgbh.org or 617-300-5400

Acclaimed guitarist John Stein expands his already impressive sonic palette on this new recording, Color Tones. The album, created with his ever-intriguing core rhythm section—masterful drummer Zé Eduardo Nazario and renowned bassist John Lockwood—also adds the voices of two mature and unique soloists, Fernando  Brandão  on  flutes and Phil Grenadier on trumpets and mutes. Songs like the concise “Neck Road” provide an example of how this collective functions, featuring all five instrumentalists intertwining in spontaneous interplay: the musical conversation is respectful, energetic, and bristling. All of Stein’s accompanists here expertly carve out their territory. Stein is a generous bandleader. Every musician is featured extensively, and they complement each other tastily, adding their personal expression to the overall fabric.

Stein’s compositions provide the necessary structure without inhibiting the musicians’ ability to add their individual voices to the group effort, allowing all parties to color in the details of those structures artfully. In addition to the arranging ideas contributed by the composer and the players, three of the songs are arranged by Adi Yeshaya, which adds immeasurably to the sonic variety of this recording. Though the acoustic format feels traditional on the surface, there are surprises hiding underneath. This is music of depth and subtlety. In fact, Color Tones is a true delight and a Triple Threat: excellent compositions, sublime arrangements, and enthralling musicianship. Isn’t that all we hope to receive when we listen to a jazz recording?

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fernando

Fernando Brandão; flutes

john-lockwood

John Lockwood; acoustic bass

john-lockwood2

John Lockwood; acoustic bass

the-johns

John Stein guitar, John Lockwood; acoustic bass

trio

John Stein guitar, John Lockwood; acoustic bass, Zé Eduardo Nazario; drums

ze

Zé Eduardo Nazario; drums

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CD Title: Color Tones

Musicians

John Stein; guitar

Phil Grenadier; trumpet, flugelhorn, mutes . . .

Fernando Brandão; flute, alto flute, bass flute

John Lockwood; acoustic bass

Zé Eduardo Nazario; drums

Tunes                                                            Timings

The Commons                                 4:52

Angel Eyes6:14

New Shoes                                       4:29

Five Weeks                                       6:03

Jo Ann4:43

Neck Road                                        3:39

Ebb and Flow ••                               5:48

Four Corners                                      4:40

Wall Stones  ••                                  5:43

Salt Marsh Dawn ••                         4:41

Labor of Love5:52

Total: 57 minutes

All tunes composed by John Stein, JS Jazz, BMI, except:

Angel Eyes, music by Matt Dennis, lyrics by Earl Brent, Dorsey Bros Music a Div. of Music Sales Corp (ASCAP) 1946 (Renewed)

All tunes arranged by the band except

  • Ebb and Flow,Wall Stones,Salt Marsh Dawn, arranged by Adi Yeshaya.

Recorded, Mixed, Mastered by Peter Kontrimas, PBS

Recording Dates: March 19, 20, 2016

Digital Master prepared by Antonio Oliart: October 13, 2016

Produced by John Stein

Executive Producer: Neal Weiss

Art Direction: Dave Arruda

Liner Notes: John Thomas

Cover Painting (detail): Joseph Edwards Alexander

Musician Photos: Ed Dillon, Kenny Hyde

Liner Notes by John Thomas:

Bold. Generous. Gracious. Authoritative. Humble. Profound. Confident. Eloquent. Audacious.

Pick your modest, but superlative of adjectives. Your word choice must convey an extraordinary artistic vision and commitment to art’s execution, but simultaneously express a selfless devotion to art’s outcome. Think brilliant but modest, highly artistic but approachable, limitless but bordered, harmonically complex but hummably melodic, theoretical but grounded, a leader who happily follows.

Think John Stein.

John Stein is a musician’s guitarist. You’ll not hear him play a note that does not serve the musical context. His playing will challenge, surprise, and push in new directions, but all in service to the performance and composition at hand. He plays music first and guitar second. As a player, he’s, well, bold, generous, gracious, authoritative, humble, profound, confident, eloquent, and audacious.

As this collection reveals, John, who composed all but one tune here, is also a musician’s composer. The tunes are challenging yet melodic, adventuresome yet familiar. John has provided his co-artists with sparingly ornamented, but not blank canvases. He’s placed an enigmatic smile, a couple swirling stars in the night sky, or an angular sketch that hints at a woman descending a staircase inside his musical frames. The musicians, utilizing the palette John has supplied, complete the sonic landscapes, adding depth, perspective, and character. With the composer leading the way with nimble, subtle guitar figures, the result is communal art in which all participants have room to express themselves through thoughtful improvisation. While a politician would be loath to embrace the concept of leading from behind, John happily does so on a number of cuts here. He also leads from in front, but usually from the center. He places himself where he best serves the collaborative.

Inspired vision mated with exceptional artistic footings, though, only guarantees great collaborative art if the leader chooses collaborators wisely. John has chosen wisely here. Drummer Zé Eduardo Nazario is John’s principal co-conspirator on this project, as he has been on many others. The two have collaborated on nearly all of John’s albums since meeting at the 2005 sessions in São Palo, Brazil that resulted in John’s album, Concerto Internacional de Jazz. On this, as on other efforts, Nazario worked with John in developing the rhythmic conception of each tune. The magnificence of Nazario’s interplay with the leader is testament both to those conceptions and to the shared history of these artists.

Happily, Nazario’s compatriot in rhythm here, bassist John Lockwood, also has a long history of working with John Stein. An omnipresence on the Boston jazz scene who is at home playing everything from Dixieland to microtonal music, he’s a musician who’s always completely in the moment. Whether sitting deep in the pocket or dancing along a tightrope strung tightly over it, Lockwood is the perfect complement to John Stein’s compositional sketches, providing foundation, but also reacting to the changing musical terrain introduced by the other musicians who’ve been given the liberty of uncluttered musical canvases.

Like Lockwood, trumpeter Phil Grenadier, is ubiquitous in the Boston jazz scene. He puts his wide-ranging experience to immediate and obviously good use here by bringing something different to every performance. Consider, for example, the counterpoint lines he plays in New Shoes and the silky opening he provides in The Commons. And, pull yourself out of the reverie into which you’ll most certainly sink while listening to his hypnotic solo unfold in Five Weeks to pay particular attention to the tone of his playing. Yes, you’ve never heard a trumpet sound like that. In his quest to add to the sonic palette of this set, Grenadier somehow fused a Harmon® trumpet mute with a plunger to produce that mysterious yet majestic timbre.

But for the leader, Fernando Brandão on flutes may be the stand-out soloist here. Playing concert, alto, and bass flutes, he adds a trio of colors to the palette. His taste and style shine on contributions that range from his feverish interplay with John and Grenadier on Neck Road to his pensive solo on Ebb and Flow and to the gorgeous unwinding of his melodic statement that opens Jo Ann. Throughout, Brandão provides counterpoint, instrumental color and discord, enlivening and enriching the mix.

Eight of these tunes feature group arrangements in which, after John and drummer Nazario established the rhythmic conception, each player added his own lines to form a communal sketch from which these performances spring. Adding one more brush to his artist’s quiver, John recruited Adi Yeshaya to arrange Ebb and Flow, Wall Stones, and Salt Marsh Dawn. Yeshaya added intricate textures to the canvases he touched. Consider this set’s modal offering, Wall Stones. John included what might have been a harmonically similar Aeolian tune, Elvin!, on his 2010 album Raising the Roof. As John puts it, Yeshaya gives Wall Stones a lighter, airier, more delicate “feel.”

But, enough talk. Let’s step into the art. Consider the opening cut, The Commons, where John initiates this journey by leading from behind. John opens the tune by playing a simple, staccato chordal figure, accompanied only by Nazario on drums. Lockwood falls in on bass before Grenadier states the melody on trumpet, and then yields to Brandão on flute. John establishes a contemplative, yet lively scene that inspires his collaborators to begin filling in detail. It’s not until halfway through the tune that our leader steps to the fore to offer a fluid, thoughtful solo that melds with rather than displaces those accompanying. This is collaboration in its finest form. Not only do all participants share the spotlight, they all contribute to creating the very energy that illuminates this work.

John can also achieve this unity of vision and its execution when leading from the front. Consider New Shoes. Nazario kicks the tune off, Grenadier and Brandão play the head, and then John spins an inventive, mesmerizing solo. Again, John melds with this musical community he has assembled, rather than dominating it. The whole here really is greater than the sum of its parts. Catalyzed by John’s compositions, arrangements, and performances, the musicians add layers to the canvases, but take care not to cover the others’ contributions and not to make the art unappealingly dense. The performances here are light and airy; the music is profound, yet enjoyable.

Finally, let’s look at this work from the inside out. In Labor of Love, John, as he does most often here, leads from the center. The form of the tune is AABA. John states the first two A section melodies alone and Grenadier and Brandão play the B section. When John returns to play the final A section, he’s accompanied by Grenadier’s legato trumpet line. The musicians support and challenge one another, and reward the listener with a clear and concise work of art whose components interlock without overlapping. The musicians augment John’s sketches without obscuring them.

Throughout this stunning set, you’ll find John Stein as composer, arranger, and guitarist working from the place that best serves the music. As always, he’s bold, generous, gracious, authoritative, humble, profound, confident, eloquent, and audacious.

John Thomas

Current book project: Solitide, Struggle & Violence

Recent book: Kalamazoo Gals

Field Editor, Fretboard Journal

###

Watch for Wood and Strings release April 28 2017

1. I Remember You                    Mercer, Schertzinger

2. Modinha                                  De Moraes, Jobim Corcovado Music Corp

3. Up and at ‘Em                        John Stein

4. Out of Nowhere                     Green, Harris, Heyman

5. Switch-A-Rio                          John Stein

6. Sarlat                                       John Stein

7. Labor of Love                         John Stein

8. Estaté                                      Brighetti, Martino

9. Song For Now                        Dave Zinno

10. But Beautiful                        Burke, Van Heusen

11. Beatrice                                  Sam Rivers

12. Birk’s Works                         John Birks Gillespie

13. Till There Was You              Meredith Willson

14. When Lights Are Low          Carter, Williams



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KANSAS CITY JAZZ AMBASSADORS MAGAZINE

By Wayne Goins

Emotion, John Stein’s latest recording on the Whaling City Sound label, finds the capable guitarist doing the tango with flute and accordion in an exotic musical adventure known as “The Mingotan Project.” I know it’s not supposed to make that big of a difference regarding the actual musical content, but the packaging of this album is just beautiful, with silky blood-­‐red shadow images of a tango couple against stark black backdrop—it’s fabulous and perfectively captures the mood of the music. It feels like Argentina. When the surname of Mingote and musical genre of tango get smooshed together, naturally you get Mingotan! Indeed, there is a rich tradition of fusing jazz and Latin styles to create a product that is, almost always, greater than the sum of its parts.

Stein is no stranger to the music of Latin American music, as his past forays into the rich culture and musical genre go back as recently as his 2006 Whaling City release, with an entire Brazilian band on the album Concerto International de Jazz. While John Stein serves as humble host of this latest celebrated affair, the center of attention is drummer is Matias Mingote German, for whom the project is subtitled. Solid bassist John Lockwood is a mainstay of Stein, whose contribution to the last couple of CDs aptly demonstrate why the two Johns remain paired for this newest venture. Flautist Rebecca Kleinmann and Evan Harlan on accordion complete the lineup. The band’s roster of players came somewhat as a surprise to Stein himself: “While the traditional Argentinian tango band uses a bandonion player, the instrumentation I chose—well, I would have never thought to record with an accordion player!” Sonically speaking, recording engineer Peter Kontrimas does a fine job capturing the sweet, dark pungent aromas of Afro-­‐Argentinian roots.

“Julieta” is a rollicking Afro-­‐Argentinian groove that has a simple minor-­‐key melody and chord progressions that seems like it rolls happily and steeply down hill, picking up steam as it goes along, with a bubbling burst of bebop guitar solo from Stein, followed by a flying flute solo from Rebecca. Harlan on accordion and Mingo’s tom-­‐ driven drum solo complete the cycle as they round the corner and return to the final head.

Things get cooled off instantly with the tranquil tango, “Empanadas,” a tune that captures one of the best guitar tones of Stein on any album I have heard of his. The single lines sound so round and robust that it almost matches the darkness of the accordion tones, while his accompaniment is sparse-­‐yet-­‐thick, like that of Jim Hall.

“I Thought About You” is delivered with a medium-­‐uptempo perkiness and bounce that sounds more fun than the typical ballad or medium swing rendition one might have expected when this tune comes to mind. Kleinmann’s flute swirls and swaps with Stein as both wind their way through the melody and diving right into wispy solos—the entire band taking their turns at navigating the waters. “It’s a really cool thing to do to treat the standard in a different way, with something authentically blended with both Brazilian and Argentinian flavor,” says Stein.

“Recoleta” is an introspective, smoldering minor-­‐key bolero that has a simple yet elegant melody that again conjures up sonic images of the great jazz guitarist Jim Hall and the flavorful dish he served on his April 1975 CTI recording of Concierto de Aranjuez. Indeed, the elegant and relaxed tempo of Stein’s lead melody is immediately followed by Rebecca’s floating flute solo that wafts effortlessly across the earlobes. The introspective accordion from Evan Harlan puts the finishing touch on what might be the perfect encapsulation of what wandering down winding streets arm-­‐in-­‐arm with a beautiful woman at midnight on the streets of Buenos Aires sounds like.

“Oblivion” is present on this album out of sheer respect and acknowledgment for the legend, Astor Piazzola. It is a classic tune—as is the man; everybody who knows tango music knowshim—he pioneered nuevo tango, and thereby started the jazz-­‐ influenced tango style. John doesn’t even solo on this tune; more importantly, is the fact his comping style is what actually holds the tune together—something of which he is extremely proud.

“Biei” (enunciated literally “B. A.” –the initials for Buenos Aires) another smoldering Argentine tango that uses the flute as the lead melodic statement, while the accordion takes the bridge that has a brief yet slightly elusive progression. The song form is challenging enough that it easily maintains interest for both listener and soloists alike, who each take a shot at taming the meandering harmonic structure that awaits them.

“Have You Met Mrs. Jones,” like “I Thought About You,” is another North American standard that gets a new facelift—an medium uptempo samba that pushes forward with the unexpected Latin groove set against the standard A-­‐A-­‐B-­‐A form that all jazzers know and love. And, in due course, the guitar, flute and—surprise— drums!—gets to take a ride on this one when solo time comes around, since the familiar set of chord changes yields a relatively short form in this samba format.

“Ira’s Tango” is dedicated to Stein’s dad who recently passed away right before the album was recorded—and the passion with which John offers his solemn paean is felt deeply in this tune. “This one has the emotional meaning for me,” he said. The thoughtfully delivered flute/guitar melody, along with the sensitive flute, accordion and guitar solos that follow, nobly represent John’s ultimate tribute to his beloved father.

“Stepping Stones” was recorded as a typical jazz quartet with legendary tenor saxman Fathead Newman on 2001 Conversation Pieces (Jardis label). “I hadn’t played this tune in a long time,” John recalled gleefully. “But the band members— particularly the accordion player—really took to it, so we did it!” The swinging results speak for itself—clearly the band had fun wailing on this one.

“Le Causse Du Quercy” is a sassy flute/guitar duel melody that was written while Stein was hanging out in the western region of France (the title, as it turns out, is the

name of the house he lived at. As the tune boasts a Brazilian samba feel, John leads the way with improvisation that is more intuitive than flashy, which is exactly what the tune calls for. This notion seems to have had influence the melodic and harmonic approach for the other bandmates as Evans follows suit, as does the flute solo by Kleinnman who has the final say.

In the end, the entire project proves to be a satisfying listening experience for artists and audiences. With regard to capturing the raw essence of the session, Stein says he didn’t change a single note on the tracks, which is rare for him—no editing or overdubbing occurred. “I was just trying to get inside the music, not to try to impress anybody, just play the most appropriate thing for that song” The entire album, John says, contains “the most melodic phrasing I have ever done; it’s extremely satisfying—the most musical I have ever created.” Well, alright!

corklogo
Wednesdays July 23, August 6, 20, 27 7-10pm
Jazz with the John Stein Duo
Cork ~ Located in Historic New Bedford Seaport / 90 Front Street, New Bedford, MA 02740 / 508.994.9463 / 7 Days a Week, 11:30am-2am
Greg Torro, bass>>>July 23, August 6, and August 20
Paul del Nero, bass>>>August 27th

 


 

 

“My pleasure…please tell John that it’s a drop-dead gorgeous album and I’m so glad I was able to share with 7,000 JW readers. Please keep me posted on John’s amazing march upward.” Marc Meyers, Jazz Wax

311 Westminster St  Providence, RI 02903
(401) 521-3333
NO COVER!
     Live Jazz, excellent food and perfect cocktails in a beautiful, relaxing atmosphere
Complimentary valet parking
Jazz moves to the courtyard on warmer evenings; under the stars…
John Stein – guitar
Joe Potenza – bass
Michael Connors – drums
Richard Hundley – piano, keyboards

Screen shot 2014-11-19 at 12.51.32 PMIndonesian Jazz News

John Stein

Bing Bang Boom!

Through the release of Bing Bang Boom!, John Stein offers cultivated music that is the result of many years of experience as a guitarist, arranger, composer, educator, and author. The album includes ten numbers and the sterling musical line-up is a quartet led by John Stein on guitar. Taking part are keyboard spokesman Jake Sherman, John Lockwood on acoustic bass, and Brazilian drummer Zé Eduardo Nazario.

The atmosphere for the opener Sugar, by Stanley Turrentine, is created by means of an urban hip-hop rhythm, and it features alluring guitar and organ solos. The next tune is the Brazilian flavored Menina, by John Stein. The rhythmic underpinnings for both tunes are built by drummer Zé Eduardo Nazario with great skill.

The title track, Bing Bang Boom! is drenched in soul-jazz, and John provides bluesy guitar and Jake wails on the organ. Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love – Chelsea Bridge is a sweet ballad medley drawn from the pens of Charles Mingus and Billy Strayhorn, with a bossa nova treatment that adds a cool breeze.

John and colleagues then accelerate the tempo in Lover, a jazz standard penned by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers. A wonderful bass recitative provides an introduction toThe Song of Delilah, with a chiming vintage Rhodes solo by Jake and melodic guitar by John. Next is the swinging Waiting for Woody, and finally, the album finishes with a beautiful number composed by Cole Porter, You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To.

The music is presented in a confident manner, and the tracks emphasize melodic phrasing with clear and beautiful playing.


 

Stein Leads the Way

Guitarist and Quartet Up Their Game on the vibrant new Bing Bang Boom!
From the hip-hopping groove of “Sugar,” the first track on John Stein‘s newest work, to the swinging jazz waltz of the Cole Porter track that ends the album, Bing Bang Boom! is as complete and satisfying an album as Stein has yet recorded. Why is this? It can be explained in several ways. First, Stein has given himself ample time to gel with his terrific band. Bing Bang Boom! is the fourth release in Stein’s quartet series and it is rare these days for a band-leader to have this luxury. The time he has spent recording with his collaborators really pays off. The fluid and spontaneous interplay among virtuosic musicians results in a wonderful recording, and allows Stein to really settle into a creative pocket and cultivate the fluid, adventurous sounds of his guitar.Given such familiar and comforting surroundings, Stein can experiment. Songs that are accustomed to sounding one way, arrive very differently in the hands of Stein and company. Hip-hopping “Sugar,” for example, doesn’t reflect the original Turrentine shuffle; “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” is treated as a fast waltz; “Delilah” appears as a Brazilian maracatu; “Lover” moves back and forth between a Brazilian Afoché rhythm and fast swing.Stein also proposes strong compositional vehicles for his band-mates, with half of the material on the recording penned by him. The tunes cover the terrain of modern jazz: from the bluesy jazz-rock of the title tune through forays in samba, swing, and modal jazz.In fact, Stein uses his quartet as an elastic boundary. Stein allows the musicians he plays with generous opportunities to stretch out on their own; the piano on “Chelsea Bridge,” for example, gives a youthful spirit to the recordings. The bass solo on Stein’s own “Unraveled Plans” (a fittingly titled cut!), and the bass intro on “Delilah” are melodious sounds to behold.
Bing Bang Boom! is the fourth album from Stein’s quartet and it validates the journey and gives a fine indication of what’s to come. Once a band-leader allows for consistency and growth across this amount of time, the dividends are surely going to pay off. Kudos to Stein and his band for hanging with it long enough to record the brilliant Bing, Bang, Boom!, and to Whaling City Sound, the record label, (now distributed by Naxos of America), for nurturing the organic unfolding artistic process of four brilliant musicians.

CD Reviews
John Stein, “Bing Bang Boom” (Whaling City Sound). Music by Stanley Turrentine, Charles Mingus, Billy Strayhorn, Rodgers and Hart, Victor Young and Cole Porter performed by a multigenerational quartet of rhythm section plus the leader’s guitar (with young member Jake Sherman on Hammond B-3 organ, acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes piano). Drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario is from Brazil and, according to Bob Blumenthal’s notes, has played with Hermeto Pascoal and Egberto Gismonti. Turrentine’s “Sugar” says Blumenthal, hip-hops rather than shuffles but you can hear New Orleans second-line rhythms in it too. Stein … can play traditionally without ever foundering in clichés. (Jeff Simon, Buffalo News)
To appear in the May issue:
Just Jazz Guitar Magazine
Bing Bang Boom – John Stein
Reviewed by Matt Warnock
Bing Bang Boom is the latest release by Boston based, and Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music, jazz-guitarist John Stein. The quartet, featuring Stein and pianist Jake Sherman, drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario, and bassist John Lockwood, is in fine form as they work their way through 10 tracks that mix classic jazz standards, original composition, swing grooves and Brazilian beats. With a wide-variety of musical approaches on the record, while keeping everything glued together with a tight feel and ensemble interaction, Stein has once again produced a jazz-guitar record that is well-worth a listen.
Right from the get go, the John Stein Quartet sets the tone with a bluesy, grooving version of the jazz classic “Sugar.” With a soulful solo from Stein, some deep-groove from Sherman (who is the youngest member of the band and a student at the Berklee College of Music), and a very nice solo by Lockwood, the opening track is also one of the most memorable on the record. After such a strong start, it is no wonder the rest of the album sounds as it does, carrying that momentum forward into such tunes as the Brazilian influenced Belo Horizonte (named after the Brazilian city and home to the Clube da Esquina), and the fresh take on “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To.” Throughout the album the band maintains a strong sense of creativity and musicianship, on both the standards and original tunes, coupled with a tight ensemble feel that makes the album a joy to listen to.
From a playing perspective, Stein’s playing showcases his continued dedication to growing as a soloing and ensemble player. Though he has been at the professional level of playing for many years, Stein continues to push himself in new directions, without losing his personal style and voice along the way. Solos such as can be found on the the Jazz Standard “Lover” bring out lines and melodies that are fresh on this album, while mixing in these new ideas to his already vast jazz vocabulary, keeping this fresh and familiar at the same time. As an artist progresses in their career, it is always great to hear them continue to develop their craft, rather than rest on their previous successes, and Stein fits firmly into this category.
Bing Bang Boom will be a welcome addition to any jazz-guitar fan’s musical library. The playing is top-notch, the writing and arranging is fresh and creative, and the ensemble plays extremely well together. Everything one could ask for in a jazz-guitar record.

“Bing Bang Boom!” CD Release Shows Scheduled


Boston, New Bedford, MA

May 15, 2013: 8PM
Scullers Jazz Club
400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02134
For tickets and information: 617.562.4111/Email: Info@ScullersJazz.com
$20

May 17, 2013: 8PM
Wamsutta Club
427 County St, New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 997-7431
wamsuttaclub.org
$20 advance, $25 at the door

Proceeds benefit

eliminating racism
empowering women
YWCA 20 S. Sixth St, New Bedford: 508-999-3255

or Whaling City Sound: 508-992-6613

hi-res cover art link>https://mixedmediapromo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/wcs062.jpeg
John Stein jpg link>https://mixedmediapromo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Photo-2.jpg
*John Stein (click to link to his Mixed Media client page), guitar
* John Lockwood, bass
* Matias Mingote German, drums
* Evan Harlan, accordion
* Rebecca Kleinmann, flute

Stein Leads the Way
Guitarist and Quartet Up Their Game on the vibrant new Bing Bang Boom!
From the hip-hopping groove of “Sugar,” the first track on John Stein’s newest work, to the swinging jazz waltz of the Cole Porter track that ends the album, Bing Bang Boom! is as complete and satisfying an album as Stein has yet recorded. Why is this? It can be explained in several ways. First, Stein has given himself ample time to gel with his terrific band. Bing Bang Boom! is the fourth release in Stein’s quartet series and it is rare these days for a band-leader to have this luxury. The time he has spent recording with his collaborators really pays off. The fluid and spontaneous interplay among virtuosic musicians results in a wonderful recording, and allows Stein to really settle into a creative pocket and cultivate the fluid, adventurous sounds of his guitar.
Given such familiar and comforting surroundings, Stein can experiment. Songs that are accustomed to sounding one way, arrive very differently in the hands of Stein and company. Hip-hopping “Sugar,” for example, doesn’t reflect the original Turrentine shuffle; “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” is treated as a fast waltz; “Delilah” appears as a Brazilian maracatu; “Lover” moves back and forth between a Brazilian Afoché rhythm and fast swing.
Stein also proposes strong compositional vehicles for his band-mates, with half of the material on the recording penned by him. The tunes cover the terrain of modern jazz: from the bluesy jazz-rock of the title tune through forays in samba, swing, and modal jazz.
In fact, Stein uses his quartet as an elastic boundary. Stein allows the musicians he plays with generous opportunities to stretch out on their own; the piano on “Chelsea Bridge,” for example, gives a youthful spirit to the recordings. The bass solo on Stein’s own “Unraveled Plans” (a fittingly titled cut!), and the bass intro on “Delilah” are melodious sounds to behold.
Bing Bang Boom! is the fourth album from Stein’s quartet and it validates the journey and gives a fine indication of what’s to come. Once a band-leader allows for consistency and growth across this amount of time, the dividends are surely going to pay off. Kudos to Stein and his band for hanging with it long enough to record the brilliant Bing, Bang, Boom!, and to Whaling City Sound, the record label, (now distributed by Naxos of America), for nurturing the organic unfolding artistic process of four brilliant musicians.

###

Peaked at #23 JazzWeek: http://www.jazzweek.com/charts/1368460800/may-13-2013/

###

John Stein, “Bing Bang Boom” (Whaling City Sound). Music by Stanley Turrentine, Charles Mingus, Billy Strayhorn, Rodgers and Hart, Victor Young and Cole Porter performed by a multigenerational quartet of rhythm section plus the leader’s guitar (with young member Jake Sherman on Hammond B-3 organ, acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes piano). Drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario is from Brazil and, according to Bob Blumenthal’s notes, has played with Hermeto Pascoal and Egberto Gismonti. Turrentine’s “Sugar” says Blumenthal, hip-hops rather than shuffles but you can hear New Orleans second-line rhythms in it too. Stein … can play traditionally without ever foundering in clichés. ∆∆∆ (Jeff Simon, Buffalo News)

Stein Leads the Way to NAXOS for WCS with “Bing Bang Boom!”

From the hip-hopping groove of “Sugar,” the first track on John Stein’s newest work, to the swinging jazz waltz of the Cole Porter track that ends the album, Bing Bang Boom! is as complete and satisfying an album as Stein has yet recorded.

Why is this? It can be explained in several ways. First, Stein has given himself ample time to gel with his terrific band. Bing Bang Boom! is the fourth release in Stein’s quartet series and it is rare these days for a bandleader to have this luxury. The time he has spent recording with his collaborators really pays off. Brazilian drummer Zé Eduardo Nazario, Berklee ingenue, keyboardist Jake Sherman, and acoustic bassist John Lockwood, one of the finest on the instrument in the entire Northeast, allow Stein to really settle into a creative pocket and cultivate the fluid and adventurous sounds coming from his guitar.

Given such familiar and comforting surroundings, Stein can experiment. Songs that are accustomed to sounding one way, arrive very differently in the hands of Stein and company. “Sugar,” for example, doesn’t reflect the original Turrentine shuffle, “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” is treated as a fast waltz, “Delilah” appears as a Brazilian maracatu, “Lover” moves back and forth between a Brazilian Afoché rhythm and fast swing.

Stein also proposes strong compositional vehicles for his bandmates, with half of the material on the recording penned by him. The tunes cover the terrain of modern jazz: from the bluesy jazz-rock of the title tune through forays in samba, swing, and modal jazz.

In fact, Stein uses his quartet as an elastic boundary. Sherman, Lockwood, and Nazario blend beautifully when given the chance. And Stein allows them generous opportunities to stretch out on their own; Sherman’s spot on “Chelsea Bridge,” for example, certainly belies his youthful age, as does all his work here. Lockwood’s solo on Stein’s own “Unraveled Plans” (a fittingly titled cut!), and his intro on “Delilah” are melodious sounds to behold. Stein’s connection with Nazario, himself a legend in his native Brazil, is the musical equivalent of a warm embrace, and it serves as a safety net for the guitarist. Wherever Stein chooses to stray, there is Nazario, ready to catch him. Nazario’s percussion cushion is, in itself, a marvel and worthy of its own concentrated attention.

Bing Bang Boom! is the fourth album from Stein’s quartet and it validates the journey and gives a fine indication of what’s to come. Once a bandleader allows for consistency and growth across this amount of time, the dividends are surely going to pay off. Kudos to Stein and his band for hanging with it long enough to get to this brilliant point, and to Whaling City Sound, Stein’s label, for nurturing the organic unfolding artistic process of four brilliant musicians.

###

To appear in the May issue:

Just Jazz Guitar Magazine

Bing Bang Boom – John Stein

Reviewed by Matt Warnock

Bing Bang Boom is the latest release by Boston based, and Associate Professor at the Berklee College of Music, jazz-guitarist John Stein. The quartet, featuring Stein and pianist Jake Sherman, drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario, and bassist John Lockwood, is in fine form as they work their way through 10 tracks that mix classic jazz standards, original composition, swing grooves and Brazilian beats. With a wide-variety of musical approaches on the record, while keeping everything glued together with a tight feel and ensemble interaction, Stein has once again produced a jazz-guitar record that is well-worth a listen.

Right from the get go, the John Stein Quartet sets the tone with a bluesy, grooving version of the jazz classic “Sugar.” With a soulful solo from Stein, some deep-groove from Sherman (who is the youngest member of the band and a student at the Berklee College of Music), and a very nice solo by Lockwood, the opening track is also one of the most memorable on the record. After such a strong start, it is no wonder the rest of the album sounds as it does, carrying that momentum forward into such tunes as the Brazilian influenced Belo Horizonte (named after the Brazilian city and home to the Clube da Esquina), and the fresh take on “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To.” Throughout the album the band maintains a strong sense of creativity and musicianship, on both the standards and original tunes, coupled with a tight ensemble feel that makes the album a joy to listen to.

From a playing perspective, Stein’s playing showcases his continued dedication to growing as a soloing and ensemble player. Though he has been at the professional level of playing for many years, Stein continues to push himself in new directions, without losing his personal style and voice along the way. Solos such as can be found on the the Jazz Standard “Lover” bring out lines and melodies that are fresh on this album, while mixing in these new ideas to his already vast jazz vocabulary, keeping this fresh and familiar at the same time. As an artist progresses in their career, it is always great to hear them continue to develop their craft, rather than rest on their previous successes, and Stein fits firmly into this category.

Bing Bang Boom will be a welcome addition to any jazz-guitar fan’s musical library. The playing is top-notch, the writing and arranging is fresh and creative, and the ensemble plays extremely well together. Everything one could ask for in a jazz-guitar record.

###

John Stein, “Bing Bang Boom” (Whaling City Sound). Music by Stanley Turrentine, Charles Mingus, Billy Strayhorn, Rodgers and Hart, Victor Young and Cole Porter performed by a multigenerational quartet of rhythm section plus the leader’s guitar (with young member Jake Sherman on Hammond B-3 organ, acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes piano). Drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario is from Brazil and, according to Bob Blumenthal’s notes, has played with Hermeto Pascoal and Egberto Gismonti. Turrentine’s “Sugar” says Blumenthal, hip-hops rather than shuffles but you can hear New Orleans second-line rhythms in it too. Stein … can play traditionally without ever foundering in clichés.

∆∆∆ (Jeff Simon, Buffalo News)

Amazon.com

5.0 out of 5 stars Grade “AAA” Earfood, November 12, 2011
By Rick Erben (Omaha, NE) – See all my reviews
This review is from: Hi Fly (Audio CD)

Hi Fly is an impressive recording that strikes an intricate blend of meter, arrangement and excellence in musicianship. This release from John Stein and a superb rhythm section maintains a groove that is rhythmically attractive whether it be swinging, idyllic, exotic or down home. There’s solid playing going on here and a high level of group empathy that keeps everything percolating, embellished with Stein’s rich and warm guitar tone. Investment grade music, indeed.

###

CD Release Parties!!

Boston Area: Saturday, November 12 at 9 pm, Ryles Jazz Club, 212 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA, 617-876-9330

Tune in Wednesday, November 16 from noon to 1 pm to catch the John Stein Band performing at the Brown Bag Concert Series, Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street, Worcester, MA. It will broadcast live on WICN radio, 90.5 FM

Jazz Trio to pay tribute to Horace Silver

Top Ten Jazz Guitarist John Stein Brings His Quartet Back to the Wamsutta Club For YWCA Benefit

New Bedford, MA – Guitarist John Stein and his Quartet return to the Wamsutta Club in downtown New Bedford on Friday night, November 18, at 8 pm. The concert is presented by Whaling City Sound and proceeds benefit the YWCA of Southestern Mass.

The concert is both a celebration of the release of his latest CD, Hi Fly, and a warm-up the recording of yet another new one. This formula that has worked increasingly well for everyone involved, and New Bedford is a key part of it. It starts with John being a tasteful and swinging guitarist, composer and arranger and continues with assembling a remarkable quartet with both young and “more experienced” members from all over the world. Next is a concert at the Wamsutta in downtown New Bedford, and then a day or two later, into engineer Peter Kontrimas’ PBS Studio in Westwood, MA, near Rte 128.

The CDs that have resulted from this method have been both masterful and recognized as among the best music being put out today. In 2010, John Stein’s Raisin’ the RoofCD was # 2 for one week, in the top ten for 8 weeks and # 8 for theyear 2010in radio play on jazz stations through the United States. John’s last Wamsutta concert, celebrating the release of that CD, was standing-room-only in the packed Wamsutta.

Drummer Ze Eduardo Nazario will once again be flying in from Sao Paolo, Brazil to propel and accent the music from behind the drum set. Ze is a treat to have in the band; his contagious enthusiasm is matched only by his effortless technique and careful appropriateness.

Bassist John Lockwood may be the most understated rock-solid presence in jazz. His contribution to the sound is powerful and always natural. Several of the rave reviews of John Stein’s recent CDs made a point of recognizing that with John Lockwood in the mix, the level of the music is goes up several notches.

Jake Sherman plays piano and organ, and never ceases to marvel his bandmates with beyond-his-years sensitivity and taste. Although playing with giants of international jazz may be intimidating to some, Jake just goes about his business of accompanying the others and offering thoughtful and light-touched solos. When not playing jazz, Jake is the organist every Sunday at the Greater Antioch Temple Pentecostal Church in Brooklyn, NY.

On top of this remarkable foundation is the sensitive, clean and playful guitar of John Stein. An Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, John’s leadership doesn’t stop with selecting super colleagues; the song choice allows all of them to have fun, and the interplay among pals is both musical and satisfying. John Stein knows how to make an audience feel good.

First there was Encounterpoint, then Raisin’ the Roof: and this month will see the release of Hi Fly: a concert in at the Wamsutta and then a studio-recorded CD that captures the spirit of a band that knows how to play jazz and likes to share it with people. At the November 18th concert, you can experience firsthand the energy of a jazz group who will then bottle that feeling in a legendary studio on Thanksgiving weekend.

The room at the Wamsutta is an ideal place to relax and enjoy acoustic jazz. The audience is a listening and appreciating one, and the musicians are energized by this. A limited food menu will be available, as well as drinks.

The Wamsutta Club, at 427 County Street, corner of Union Street, in downtown New Bedford, has plenty of on-site, easy-in/easy-out parking and is handicap accessible.

Founded in 1911 and celebrating 100 years, YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts is a women’s membership movement whose mission is to eliminate racism and empower women. YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts serves an area that stretches from the Rhode Island state line east to Provincetown, south to the Islands and north to Attleboro, Brockton and Plymouth. YWCA helps women, girls and their families attain self-sufficiency by providing services to support the vast needs of people from numerous populations. While the special concerns of women provide the impetus for YWCA services, many programs are open to everyone. YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts programs and services are identified in five areas: Advocacy, Adult Services, Wellness for Women and Girls, Residential Services and Youth Services.

Tickets are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 at the door. You are advised to purchase tickets early, as seating is limited and the event may sellout. Tickets are available at the YWCA, 20 South Sixth Street, New Bedford, MA 02740, (508) 999-3255, www.ywcasema.org; from Whaling City Sound (508) 992-6613, www.whalingcitysound.com; at Baker Books, 69 State Road, Dartmouth, MA 02747, www.bakerbooks.net, or at the Wamsutta Club, (508) 997-7431, www.wamsuttaclub.net. Directions are available at www.wamsuttaclub.net, or www.whalingcitysound.com.


Stein and band take flight on Hi Fly

From on high, the guitarist presents a kaleidoscopic view of musical sounds

You begin to get some sense of what you’re in for on John Stein’s vibrant new CD without even putting it into the player. Take a peek first at the back cover. There is the guitarist, in a partially illustrated photograph, an intent look on his face, only this time a graphic treatment shades his guitar and fret hand with bright stripes of color. I’d say this was a symbol and a pretty obvious one at that.

In musical terms, Stein has taken what has already been considered a wide spectrum of sound, and brightened it. His palette now includes the prismatic hues of jazz itself.

So, why all the new colors? Well, for one, Stein is truly coming into his own as a player. He and his band, including bassist John Lockwood and drummer Zé Eduardo Nazario are, after a handful of recordings together, fully in step. And now, the band has welcomed young keyboard player Jake Sherman, an inventive and creative spirit, fresh from Berklee, who adds his own keystrokes to these arrangements. Sherman’s presence infuses the band’s arrangements with energy and dimension.

Another reason the recording feels more colorful is that Stein, as a player, has pushed himself out of his comfort zone. As his colleagues nudge him forward, fleshing out these arrangements into something unexpectedly lovely, Stein propels himself to lead the way, to stay in front. His innovative soloing and tasteful, rhythmic chords hold up well against the band’s immense efforts. It is the sign of a leader who is up to the task of fronting an accomplished band. “The main thing,” says Stein in the liner notes to the album, “is the collaborative spirit in this record … The guys contributed a lot of musical ideas … Their instrumental virtuosity was challenging and I really stretched to keep up.”

“Hi Fly,” Stein’s third recording with Lockwood and Nazario, is a true achievement, with many bright moments. “Sea Smoke” showcases Nazario’s swing, “Plum Stone” is tailor-made for Sherman’s Hammond organ, and Lockwood steps up and out on “Love Letters” and on “Threesome.” Throughout the recording, beautifully captured by engineer Peter Kontrimas, the musicians seize on great opportunities to soar, and in doing so, display an intense, kaleidoscopic view of a talented and exciting band.

###

John Stein Quotes:

“Hi Fly is an excellent recording that I’m looking forward to featuring on my show. I have always loved John’s style and the way he delivers notes is magical and so beautiful!!”- Randy McElligott, CHUO.FM

========================================

Stein and Gill’s Turn Up the Quiet is an exceptional exercise in hushed, reverential craftsmanship. Gill’s vocal style strongly suggests the latter-career Me! Torme, with near-equally intense echoes of Jackie Paris and Tony Bennett… – Jazz Times

========================================

The choice of tunes is eclectic; The empathy between the artists shines through very clearly, Stein proves to be a very able accompanist, whether on guitar or playing bass with the piano of Gilad Barkan, who is also outstanding in the backing role… The planning research and rehearsal that went into a session like this is what makes for such an interesting programme and everyone should be congratulated, including the label for producing such an interesting release… – Don Mather

========================================

With Gill sounding like he learned to sing at the feet of Billy Eckstine and Stein knowing his way around a guitar fret board, this duo, with just a little bass coloration, make a completely enchanting adult jazz vocal date… – Chris Spector

========================================

A completely enchanting adult jazz vocal date, with an extra-heaping portion of class spread all over everything; This is a subtle set that you’ll be digging long before you even realize it… Loaded with a classic sound and vibe that’s always welcome. A winner throughout… – Wilbert Sostre / Jazz n Bossa

========================================

Gill is possessed of a smoky voice and a sensitive delivery, enabling him to interact effectively with Stein in this extremely intimate setting…

Stein’s guitar work steals the show. Even though he’s all about
understatement, pulling out poignant lines and complex, chordal
journeys, Stein simply can’t help but impress… – Jim Allen / LimeWire Store

========================================

These two talented musicians come together to prove once again that, in the right hands, the guitar and vocal duo is one of the most entertaining and engaging line-ups in jazz…

If there was ever a jazz guitarist who took the saying “Less is more” to heart, and used that philosophy to create intellectually engaging and enjoyable music, it’s John Stein…

Fans of any genre of music can put the disc on, sit back and let this duo take them on a relaxing, enjoyable musical journey. What else could one ask for in a jazz duo album? – Dr. Matt Warnock / Just Jazz Guitar

========================================

Turn Up the Quiet is all about finding the beauty in those silent
moments in a song… One should never take for granted the elegance of the quiet that can say so much. Turn Up the Quiet amplifies this point to the maximum, with pleasing results…- Layla Macoran / Jazz Inside New York

========================================

Ron Gill’s dusky vocals prove a fine match for John Stein’s smooth,
classy jazz guitar… this is delicate music for those times when even the slightest intrusion of volume just won’t do… – Jeff Tamarkin

========================================

I was struck immediately by the thoroughness of Gill’s musicianship: he has superb intonation, beautiful timbre, flawless articulation, and a full dynamic range… Like a tease, he leaves the listener wanting more… Stein, meanwhile, pours it on with all the sweet voice-leading progressions that one would expect from a veteran jazz guitarist, and like all master craftsmen, he makes it look (i.e., sound) easier than ever.. – Wayne Everett Goins

========================================

Stein’s exquisite taste and sensitivity really shines in the spare
instrumental context of voice and guitar, and his accompaniment brims with subtlety and nuance… Gill adapts beautifully to Stein’s subtlety with a sensitivity of his own. His hushed, vocal romanticism makes a brilliant couplet to Stein’s accompaniment… – The Jazz Chill Corner

========================================

Singer Ron Gill has realized a DJs dream with the support of guitarist John Stein, a life affirming dream – and he’s quite good at it – singing the great American standards on this CD… Gill and Stein resemble a similar repose of Ralph Sharon and Tony Bennett… – Dick Crockett

========================================

John Stein . . . the poet of the classical jazz guitar. – Dick Crockett “The Voice” / 88.7fm

========================================

John Stein is one of the great guitarists, in the tradition of Joe Pass and Tal Farlow. Raising The Roof proves my point! Ron Della Chiesa / WPLM, 99.1 fm

========================================

What a gift this man has. He’s in an elite class: a mere handful of jazz guitarists who consistently put taste above chops and flash. John Stein has the ability to say so much more with less effort than most of his contemporaries can muster. – Wayne Everett Goins /KC JAM

========================================

Stein has the touch – a bond with the guitar that only comes from deep spiritual dedication to those strings. Playing a collection of songs so sweetly is a sign of pure musical intelligence. – Layla Macoran / Jazz Inside New York

========================================

His guitar work steals the show. Even though he’s all about understatement, pulling out poignant lines and complex, Joe Pass-like chordal journeys, Stein simply can’t help but impress. – Jim Allen/ LimeWire Store

========================================

John Stein is one of the finest jazz guitarists you’ll ever hear, with beautiful touch, tone, swing, detail, and emotion. He is what you might call deep mainstream, surprising at every turn with familiar material. Working with a clean, undistorted classic jazz-guitar sound, he renders maximum swing and expression. There’s a wealth of detail – the dips and turns of phrases, accents falling like words – that he gets at even the fastest tempos. Jon Garelick – The Boston Phoenix

========================================

With HI Fly, renowned jazz guitarist John Stein takes flight, leading his high-flying quartet on another top-flight set…On this album, Stein navigates the band through five clever new compositions, and lifts several old standards to new heights under the wings of fresh new arrangements… – Edward Blanco / All About Jazz

========================================

Bing Bang Boom 4/4 Stars. Guitarist John Stein teams up with Jako Sherman on piano, bassist John Lockwood and Zé Eduardo Nazario on drums. Bing Bang Boom is a collection of 10 jazz classics. Our favorites are “Sugar”, “Delilah” and the title track. Stein’s warm guitar tone makes these songs sizzle and kept us engaged start to end with a smile on our face!… -O’s Place

Internships

Internships

Internship Program Information

Public Relations Assistant

Mixed Media is a national publicity company committed to promoting New Bedford’s Whaling City Sound, Innovative Music of Impeccable Quality, among other clients including Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in the Berkshires in August, Lagniappe Productions’ Annual Labor Day Rhythm & Roots Festival in Charlestown, RI among others.

We are looking for an intern to help assist in developing engaging content across client brands on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Description
Mixed Media’s well-established internship program provides top-caliber students an exceptional opportunity to explore and learn all aspects of publicity in a business. Interns gain valuable knowledge and insight into the music industry, and importantly, make contacts in the media in this competitive field.

Responsibilities include:

  • Asset creative team in conceptualizing to executing creative for all brands
  • Have a desire to be part of a fast-paced team working on multiple projects
  • Deep understanding of social platforms
  • Video editing skills, premiere or after-effects a plus
  • Photography skills a plus

Interns can be assigned to various clients, working closely with the owner Ginny Shea to assist in daily PR work including:

Media Relations
Creating electronic press kits and digital downloads via Dropbox for client feature story/review/airplay
Proofreading news releases/newsletters
Coordinating promotional bulk mailings to targeted mailing lists for traditional press, TV, and radio
Setting up digital downloads on SoundCloud
Research/data scraping for industry/media contacts
Email marketing blasts to individuals and organizations unfamiliar with client/company
Video uploads to YouTube
Develop media pitches to top-tier, mid-tier, and small print, digital, cable, network, and podcast outlets
Arrange interviews if any journalists express interest in learning more about clients
Mixing social and traditional media (press, radio, TV, internet) promotion campaigns
Follow up calls, social media messages, faxes, emails, postcard mailings for all packages mailed, campaigns average 6 weeks
Arrange interviews for artists with newspaper journalists, radio show hosts
Compile guest lists, arrange on-air CD/ticket giveaways, radio station ID’s/”drops”
Manage company’s online database, website, posting/blogging, client newsletters via MailChimp

Distributor Relations

Monthly upload of new release details (album, track, audio data and assets-art, booklet, sales sheet) to online distribution portal for online DSPs (Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, Pandora submissions)

Requirements For Applicants

Hours

Work schedule is 12 hours per week minimum commitment. Interns are assigned a fixed regular schedule based on their available hours. A set schedule allows interns to become familiar with projects/their responsibilities each week.

Qualifications

We look for star interns, students with a bright, positive attitude, intelligence, and potential. Other key qualities appreciated in our best interns are commitment, motivation, organization, responsibility, and professionalism. In addition, they are hardworking, personable, outgoing, fun, energetic and friendly, and therefore make a good fit and contribute to the great work atmosphere of our office. Candidates should be entering their junior or senior year of college. Excellent writing skills a must.

We offer the opportunity to observe, learn, ask questions, and be integrally involved in the business. Many former interns who demonstrated talent, interest, desire, and ability to contribute to the success of Mixed Media have been hired for part-time staff positions. If you excel, and we have no current openings at the time of your graduation, we will be pleased to do whatever we can to help you find your first job in the industry.

The goal of the program is to expose students to small business and all aspects of promotion so they can determine their own abilities and interests, and pursue their first career position having acquired knowledge, understanding, and confidence here.

College Credit or Volunteer for Experience

Credit is at college discretion (for example we’ve had students work 12 hours per week and earn 3 credits.) 

Must be enrolled in a degree program, graduates are not eligible

An ideal candidate would have either public relations, communications, marketing, art direction/graphic design, copywriting, photography or video editing/production background.

Perks

  • Free Music
  • Admission to client concerts

Application Procedure

Applications are accepted throughout the year.

For consideration, please email a cover letter along with your resume to:
mixedmediapromo@me.com

Thank you very much for your interest. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best of luck.

Unfortunately, we are unable to assist with accommodations for out-of-town students.

Students allergic to cats please take note

“This internship offers the ability to gain insight and experience from an array of different companies and clientele. But more than that, Ginny allows you the space to use your creativity and judgment in any task that you’re given. The trust she has in her interns is rare and gave me a lot of confidence. I’ve had many great experiences come out of this summer internship, such as designing content for musicians and record labels, and even having the chance to work at a music festival. She always goes out of her way to teach you what she knows, and I’m grateful for the opportunities she’s given me.”Julianna Soscia, URI’24

“I can’t thank you enough for this opportunity, I seriously couldn’t have asked for a better internship and BOSS!! You truly made this a great summer and I will never forget this. Thank you so much for everything.” Noah Mincone, Endicott’25

“I had a lot of fun during my internship and Mixed Media, and I learned a lot about myself both personally and as a professional. As a Communications major, it is important for us to get in touch with a lot of people, and to reach out to as many people as possible, which I feel like I did during my time here. Working with Ginny has been a lot of fun and you will learn a lot about the music business and everything that goes in behind the scenes and you do get to know everyone well. Ginny loves it when you ask questions because it shows her that you are learning, and she does a very good job of keeping you on task because you will always be busy. I learned more here in my first three weeks at Mixed Media than I did for all of my college career. I learned so much about how to promote an artist, and what goes into it, and I also learned how to use various programs. This was a very fun internship and if you are looking for a relaxing and fun internship, this is the one for you! I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a relaxing and fun internship and you will meet a lot of great people! Ginny is a wonderful person who will help you out every step of the way and she is one of the nicest people that I have ever met!” Darren Ellinwood Jr. University of Rhode Island ’19

“During my internship with Mixed Media, I learned many vital skills that will surely help in my career search following college.  As a Public Relations and Communications student at URI, the internship with Mixed Media taught me many valuable traits that are necessary to succeed in any PR job. I want to work in music PR and promotion and this internship has surely given me a leg up in that field; but no matter what your career interests are, you will learn how to navigate through various web platforms such as WordPress, Hootsuite, Dropbox, and Canva. All of which are very useful in any PR career. You will also learn how to properly prioritize your responsibilities and immaculate time management abilities.  This is a great internship in which you are expected to follow the guidelines set out as well as use your creative thought process in problem-solving. I was working on the Rhythm and Roots Festival in Charlestown and I had a great time doing the work for this event and contacted/met with some very cool people! Your abilities of multitasking and prioritizing will be worked on every time you are in the office and every day there is something new to focus on! This is a great internship for anyone looking for a career in PR and I highly recommend working with the wonderful Ginny Shea!” Collin Green, University of Rhode Island ’19

“My internship at Mixed Media provided me with a very hands-on and interactive experience. This was my first internship, and I am grateful for the amount that I learned while here. Ginny allows interns to be responsible for numerous tasks and is there for assistance if need be. I learned the ins and outs of different platforms used in public relations, and continue to apply the skills I learned from Ginny as I continue to pursue my career in marketing and PR.  I enjoyed the independence Ginny allowed me to undertake because it gave me the chance to test my abilities and creative thinking without constantly asking “What do I do next”. Holly Blackstead, Bryant University

“Working with Ginny has been a pleasurable experience. She always makes sure you’re on top of things and she loves it when you ask her questions because it shows that you are willing to learn things that may seem unclear to you about mixed media. I remember when I was looking for an internship and she reached out for an interview, at first I was nervous but she was able to make the process easy for me. Ginny welcomed me to her business with open arms and from there we became close! Ginny is indeed a hard worker and a firm believer in her organization, Mixed Media. She has allowed me to be a part of a wonderful team where I met some of the other interns at the time who were welcoming and friendly. I was able to gain experience in the public relations field and now I can take that experience wherever I go. I truly thank her for allowing me to learn hands-on in the public relations/ communications field.” Jarrett V. Manchard, Johnson & Wales University ’18

“Lots of my time at Mixed Media was spent on the computer promoting artists through social media, which involved tweeting upcoming shows and uploading fun videos to our clients’ YouTube pages. The best part of my job was meeting clients face to face and discussing their desires and expectations for their online presence.  I always felt comfortable and motivated in this environment and had so much fun with my bubbly boss, Ginny Shea, who has years of experience with every part of the media spectrum since the ’80s.” – Layla Helmy, URI, ’17

“Working with Ginny Shea was my third internship and by far one of the best experiences of my college career. I was able to work with Ginny in promoting various concert festivals and musicians in a variety of ways. Ginny creates an environment for her interns that allows them to feel comfortable working directly with clients while completing necessary and exciting tasks. I can confidently say that working with Ginny provides valuable work that leaves interns well-equipped for their futures. Thanks, Ginny for everything, love ya!!!” – Simone Verria, Endicott College, Summer 2017

“My internship with Mixed Media Promotions was an invaluable part of my college career. As an international business major, I had the opportunity to take reviews from around the globe and add them to the client’s profile. Ginny was amazing and was always happy to give guidance, but also gave me chances to take the initiative and be creative with my problem-solving. I had the opportunity to speak with some of Ginny’s wonderful clients and started listening to artists I otherwise would not have known about. This internship made me feel much more confident about entering the workforce and I am so thankful I had the opportunity. I also had a lot of fun and got to be creative with how I tackled problems, every day I would have different objectives. My internship withed Mixed Media Promotions has advanced my skillset for the professional world. and I had a lot of fun on the way!”  – Conner Marshall, Roger Williams University, Fall 2017

“My public relations internship at Mixed Media was my first ever internship and I am beyond grateful that this is where I started. As a communications major, I have always had an interest in public relations and this internship solidified my interest in pursuing a career in the field. I am so thankful for everything Ginny has taught me. Because this internship is at a smaller company it provides an experience that is extremely personal and allows for an environment with strong guidance, mutual respect, and understanding. There was guidance from Ginny but also a lot of responsibility to do tasks on my own, which helped me flourish and gain the ability to be much more independent in the workplace. I owe what I have learned about public relations to Ginny – she is both an amazing boss and an amazing mentor. I was able to learn so much and grow in the field in just one semester working at Mixed Media. When I did another internship in the summer at a PR agency in London I was able to impress the staff with my writing skills and knowledge about PR. Working at Mixed Media has been extremely valuable and I feel I now have a solid understanding of the ins and outs of working in public relations, which will certainly prepare me for my future career.” – Flora Goodman, Bryant University, Spring/Fall 2017

“The business side of music has always been an interest of mine, as a music performance major at the University of Rhode Island I felt like the experience I was looking for was lacking. Interning at mixed media has been a great learning experience, we are given plenty of responsibility and are constantly using skills useful in the world of business and marketing. Mixed Media has helped me learn more about a job that I am interested in the future, as well as keeping me musically involved. Ginny offers a great experience here at Mixed Media Promo.” – John Celentano, URI ’16

“Interning at Mixed Media has been both an educational and fun-filled experience. Under the supportive guidance of Ginny Shea, I managed social media posts for the firm as well as clients and reached out to radio and press companies.  I’ll never forget the day I pitched a jazz journalist in France to review one of our clients’ CDs. A few days later, the writer replied with a “yes” — a memorable moment because I never imagined I’d interact with a jazz journalist from another continent. Mixed Media was an eye-opening experience because I was able to learn the small business side of public relations. Of course, there are other bonuses when working for Ginny. Trust me on this…she makes the best-iced coffee. Overall, I’m glad I interned at Mixed Media because it has given me insight into the music industry, which is now a possible direction for my future.” – Jennifer Sanchez, Rhode Island College ’17

“I am a student at Berklee College of Music and I am studying music business. Being an intern for Mixed Media helped me learn the promotional side of the industry. At Ginny Shea’s office, I had to be time-efficient, organized, and maintain a sense of priority. Promotion and network work together very closely. A highlight of mine was using some of my connections to help promote the artists we worked with. I learned of several managerial/organizational websites I plan to use for my career. The hours of work I put in flew by. There was always a task to complete and plenty of iced coffee to keep you awake! Thank you Ginny for the wonderful experience.”- Helena Windmann, Rhode Island College/Berklee College of Music

“An internship at Mixed Media provides a unique experience to learn the public relations skills you would in a larger firm but in a smaller more personalized setting. I am now proficient in WordPress, managing a database, promotions through email/social media, and sending out client reports along with many other useful skills.  Ginny is a great mentor and I recommend this internship to anyone looking to gain real-world skills and experience.” – Michael Carlino, Bryant’15

“My internship at Mixed Media was a very enlightening experience. Ginny allowed me to pursue my passion for digital marketing and social media, and use these skills to promote her clients. The internship was a well-mixed hybrid of casual and professional, allowing students to remain productive and creative. In the end, I took away a lot of great memories and transferable skills I use in my current career ” – Jarred DiFazio, Bryant ’15

“When interning with Ginny Shea at Mixed Media I learned the ins and outs of managing, promoting, and marketing. As the Public Relations Intern, I was able to promote Mixed Media’s clients in an array of ways, from social media to e-mail blasting and follow-up phone calls to news reps and big-time writers and promoters for established companies and magazines. Ginny is extremely knowledgeable and personal which made this internship not only insightful but fun! When looking for an internship within the communications field, I never really thought of pursuing public relations, but through my opportunity to work with Ginny, I found myself enjoying the field and would be in hopes of finding a career doing PR. Thank you Ginny for letting me get my feet wet in this field, and I am looking forward to submerging myself into it as well.” – Molly Kazarian, RIC’14

“My internship at Mixed Media was one that I will not forget. It was a very unique experience that I can take with me throughout my career. Being the Public Relations intern I learned so many valuable skills that will be beneficial to me when I step into the real world. Mixed Media Promotions allowed me to use the skills that I already had, as well as learn new ones. Working with Ginny Shea one-on-one gave me such great insight into the world of Public Relations. She is an expert in the field and taught me what it takes to be successful. The amount of trust that Ginny confided in me was way more than I could have ever asked for, and it truly let me showcase my skills and abilities. I could not thank Ginny and Mixed Media enough for the knowledge and experience that I received. Thanks to Ginny, I can say that I would like to continue the path of Public Relations and see what else this field has to offer!” – Casey Hutton URI’14

“My time interning at Mixed Media was both a memorable and valuable experience. I came into the internship knowing little about the field of public relations and left with a clear understanding of what it takes to run a successful public relations business. Working one-on-one with owner Ginny Shea allowed me to receive a unique firsthand experience unavailable at other internships. Instead of busying her interns with mundane tasks, Ginny expects her interns to participate directly in client promotion. I regularly assisted with email pitches, contact research, and social media campaigns. As an English major, the internship allowed me to utilize my strengths as a writer, as well as allowing me to develop skills beyond what I learned in the classroom. I am grateful for the opportunities and guidance I received during my internship  and believe I am now prepared to take my newly required knowledge and successfully apply it to future endeavors.” – Kelly Johnson, Providence College, Fall 2012/Spring 2013

“Being an intern at Mixed Media was a great experience that I will be able to look back on forever.  I learned so much from Ginny and had a lot of fun in the process.  Being an intern at Mixed Media is very hands-on and there is always a challenge around the corner.  With Ginny’s expertise and determination, the challenges are always tackled and are great learning experiences.  The best part about being an intern at Mixed Media, besides the brownies and apple pie, is the responsibility level is higher than at other internships.  Having this responsibility is a great experience that most interns are unable to get.   I am grateful that I was able to intern at Mixed Media and I look forward to using what I learned here to succeed in my career.” – Benn Bellovin, Bryant University, Summer/Fall 2012

“When looking for an internship, no other stood out to me in the way Mixed Media did. I was intrigued by the clientele, website design, and featured photos of Ginny with some celebrities like Liza Minnelli. As an animal lover, the selling point was when I read ‘We have a Mixed Media mascot. Students allergic to dogs please take note’. Not only did this appeal to me for my love of animals, but for its evidence of personality. In this line of profession, personality is one of the most important qualities and I can think of no one better to demonstrate this than Ginny. She is a mentor and friend who will teach you crucial tricks in the PR world, all while she offers you brownies, pie, and other delicious treats because she also happens to be a wonderful mother of two beautiful girls. I was able to be a stylist and attend a photoshoot of one of her music clients, which was not only fun but educational. I also got the chance to help out at an art show, which had been a lifelong dream. As a singer, a Communications- PR major, and a Graphic Design and Visual Arts double minor, these experiences illustrate how many of my passions were fulfilled. Interning at Mixed Media was rewarding on many different levels and I will never forget how exciting it was when clients received press coverage. Ginny will help you network and offer you many more opportunities after your internship is complete, whether it is a job or a beautifully written recommendation. I did not want to leave on my last day, but Ginny was forever a friend.” – Kathryn “Kitty” McTeague, Roger Williams University, Fall 2011

“I learned a lot from you (Ms. Shea) and my time spent as an intern at Mixed Media Promo. The experience helped me grow my skills in the media industry and acquire beneficial hands-on knowledge.”  Angela Williams, URI, Fall 2011

“My experience as an intern at Mixed Media Promotions is one I’ll never forget. The internship provided me with a very in-depth look into the PR world and offered me the chance to work firsthand with many different clients on various projects.  It was more than just tedious office work to pass the time.  Ginny taught me the tools you need to be successful in promotion and was all too willing to listen to any insight I had to offer. I got to utilize everything I had learned from both college and the internship in my own assigned projects and see how successful they were.  It’s one thing to get any old internship over the summer, but to be able to work in a business like this is not something every college student has the chance to do.  Thank you so much Ginny!” – Caitlyn Darcy, 2011

“Working for Mixed Media was one of the most educational experiences I have ever had. I was able to see firsthand how a successful PR company is run and was able to apply what I learned in school in a real work setting. I enjoyed working with Ginny as she prepared me for what to expect in a professional work setting after college. Interning for Ginny has prepared me for a successful professional career in PR more than any class could have.” – Chris Goldsmith, Roger Williams University 2011

“I am so happy to have had the experience of interning at Mixed Media. I learned a lot about working at a PR company and now I feel better about heading into the “real world”. Ginny is a great mentor and I thoroughly enjoyed learning from her. I was able to practice my people skills, social media endeavors, and website work. It was a valuable experience to take what I learned in college classes and apply it to the internship. Now, I can apply what I learned in the internship to the next chapter in my life. Overall, this internship gave me the ability to dabble in something I enjoy and for that I am thankful!” – Devery Tracey, Roger Williams University 2011

I interned for Ginny over the summer of 2010 and had a unique and educational experience. Ginny gives you tons of creative freedom to try out your ideas and offer your insight. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Ginny’s media database is extensive and she lets YOU contact the media personally. You also never know who you will meet, Peter Facinelli for example! If you want an internship where you won’t be making copies and getting coffee, Mixed Media is a perfect fit for you. Thanks!  “I have learned a lot working for Ginny. She handles a lot of different promotional ventures which keeps things exciting. I have been promoting everything from charity events, and musicians, to movies. I even met Peter Facinelli from “Twilight” and watched him film some scenes for the movie we have been promoting…”Brittany Onesti, Roger Williams University, 2010

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