The Summer Solstice Jazz Festival has announced its 2009 performer lineup. Learn more about the eclectic ensemble of performers that will grace this year’s Summer Solstice Jazz Festival stage:
North Star Saxophone Quartet [website]
The North Star Saxophone Quartet has made a name for itself over the past decade, playing an exciting and entertaining mix of traditional and contemporary music for audiences young and old. The quartet features the unique sounds of four saxophones, including a soprano, alto, tenor and baritone. Together, these instruments comprise virtually the entire range of the piano.
North Star can render Bach or Mozart like a string quartet and fanfares like a brass quartet, but the highly talented music ensemble can also take on a wide expanse of other modern musical genres well out of the range of most quartets, including jazz, ragtime and pop. North Star will come alive on this year’s Summer Solstice Jazz Festival stage with the popular sounds of jazz and ragtime.
North Star’s founder, Carl Cafagna, is one of Detroit's leading saxophonists and has performed as such with various groups over the past two decades. Other members of the North Star group include James Hughes, Len Temelini and Shannon Ford, the latter of whom is a faculty saxophonist at Oakland University in Rochester. This group makes a unique contribution to the local music scene and should not be missed.
Denise Thimes [website]
In a career that spans over two decades, Denise Thimes has become one of the most cherished voices of modern jazz. Making appearances at distinguished gigs throughout the country and overseas, this rising “first lady of jazz” is on the brink of certain stardom and has been described by legendary jazz trumpeter Clark Terry as a performer that “ranks with the all-time greats such as Ella, Sassy, Lady Day, Nancy, Dianne, Monica and Carmen, to name a few.”
Whether headlining at the historic “Blue Note Jazz Club” in New York, conquering the national festival scene or sharing the stage with the legendary Tony Bennett, Thimes has the unmistakable tendency to steal the show and astonish crowds of every background. When she’s not touring, the jazz vocalist and award-winning actress resides in St. Louis, Mo. with her son and daughter. A graduate of Spelman College and an honorary member of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Thimes lists her biggest influences as Marlena Shaw, Carmen McCrae and her parents, the late Mildred Thimes and St. Louis radio personality Lou “Fatha” Thimes.
Thimes will command this year’s Summer Solstice Jazz Festival stage with her radiant artistry and sassy, sultry sound. New York’s Exodus to Jazz Productions gives festival crowd goers a taste of what’s to come with this review: “Denise’s performances reflect a distinct style that delights audiences with a mixture of smooth, mellow tones and rich “bluesy-ness;” her scat takes audiences where jazz legends play.”
Esperanza Spalding [website]
If “esperanza” is the Spanish word for hope, then bassist, vocalist and composer Esperanza Spalding could not have been given a more fitting name at birth. Blessed with uncanny instrumental chops, a multi-lingual voice that is part angel and part siren and a natural beauty that borders on the hypnotic, the 23-year-old prodigy-turned-pro might well be the hope for the future of jazz and instrumental music.
Spalding was born in 1984 and raised on what she calls “the other side of the tracks” in a multi-lingual household and neighborhood in Portland, Ore. At age four, after watching classical cellist Yo Yo Ma perform on an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, the roadmap was suddenly very clear. Within a year, she had essentially taught herself to play the violin well enough to land a spot in The Chamber Music Society of Oregon. She stayed with the group for ten years, and by age 15 had been elevated to a concertmaster position. By that time Spalding had also discovered the bass and it wasn’t long before the performer/songwriter long was playing blues, funk, hip-hop and a variety of other styles on Portland’s local club circuit.
Berklee College of Music was the place where the pieces all came together and doors started opening for Spalding. She not only earned a B.M., but also signed on as an instructor in 2005 at the age of 20 – an appointment that has made her the youngest faculty member in the history of the college. In addition, she was the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship.
Spalding has worked with several notable artists, including pianist Michel Camilo, vibraphonist Dave Samuels, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Pat Metheny, singer Patti Austin and saxophonists Donald Harrison and Joe Lovano. The newest chapter of Spalding’s journey begins with the release of her forthcoming international debut recording for Heads Up in May 2008. The album will be the first opportunity for a worldwide audience to witness her mesmerizing talents as an instrumentalist, vocalist and composer, but it’s just the start of what she hopes to achieve in a career where the creative opportunities are almost limitless.
Los Gatos [website]
Los Gatos, a Latin jazz quintet, was assembled by drummer and bandleader Pete Siers in 1997. The concept of a small group combined with traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms has positioned Los Gatos as a consistent crowd pleaser at performance venues and festivals throughout the state. Regularly performing at Ann Arbor’s Firefly Club on Thursday nights, the band has made a name for itself on the local Michigan jazz scene with its get-up-and-dance sound. In addition to keeping busy with live concerts, educational concerts, percussion clinics, Afro Cuban percussion workshops, salsa lessons and salsa dance parties, the group has produced two CDs: “Cats Got Your Tongue?” and “Insight”.
Born in Saginaw in 1961, Siers has built an exceptional career around his love of music. He began studying piano at the age of six and moved his focus to the drums after hearing the Army Big Band at a young age. Siers earned a degree in music education from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, where he studied under the direction Dr. Bruce Early and Rupert Kettle. As a member of the Aquinas College Jazz Ensemble, Siers was honored with several awards for outstanding soloist and outstanding rhythm section player. In 1984 Siers joined the John Shea Trio and in 1988 he moved to Ann Arbor to work with acclaimed pianist Eddie Russ. Pete’s affiliation with Russ paved the way to performances and recordings with many of the great Detroit area jazz musicians. Among the many musicians he has collaborated with, perhaps one of Siers’ most memorable was with the great Russell Malone. Siers recorded “Black Butterfly” with Malone on Columbia Records and played a number of jazz festivals across the world with the jazz guitarist, including JVC, Newport, Sunfest, the Playboy Festival, The North Sea Jazz Fest in Holland and the Istanbul Festival in Turkey. In addition to Siers, Los Gatos features the musical talent of Gary Kocher, Kurt Krahnke, Brian Di Blassio and Al Di Blassio.
Arlene McDaniel Trio [website]
Pianist, composer and educator Arlene McDaniel has been playing jazz piano in mid-Michigan for close to three decades. As a solo pianist, side woman or leader, McDaniel has performed at venues ranging from festivals and clubs, to regular appearances at The Cappuccino Café, Coral Gables and The Exchange. In addition to her many performances, she also teaches jazz piano at the Michigan State University Community Music School.
The Arlene McDaniel Trio, also featuring local musicians Ian Levine (on drums) and Gene Rebeck (on bass), encompasses all styles of jazz, including many original compositions. The trio recently released their first CD, entitled “Timeless,” an album that features both original compositions and covers. McDaniel is described best by Chris Rietz in an album review for the Lansing State Journal: “Arlene McDaniel not only plays well – and she does play very well – she plays real jazz by its strictest definition: she plays real improvised choruses, with a supple, blues-based jazz vocabulary and enough awareness of the jazz canon that she has a nose for what’s fresh and what isn’t.” Rietz goes on to say, “Her austere, cool style owes much to Dave Brubeck and the West Coast style he embodied; although her deft touch, a penchant for pearly tone and a willingness to let notes breathe on their own suggest a debt to Bill Evans as well.”
As well as leading her own group, McDaniel has performed with many notable artists, including Nick Calandro, Ed Fedewa, Randy Gillespie, Sheila Landis, Larry Ochiltree, Sunny Wilkinson and The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. More recently she was the accompanist for the MSU Vocal Jazz Ensemble I, under the direction of Sunny Wilkinson.
Linda Abar and the Neil Gordon Trio [website]
Performer, songwriter, teacher—singer, Linda Abar, has, through years of patiently tending her musical garden, cultivated a vigorous hybrid of many musical strains, a style that’s at once winning and uniquely her own. A half minute of hearing Abar sing will tell you she’s a formerly trained singer of formidable technique and you’ll hear why she’s one of mid-Michigan’s most sought-after vocal coaches. Abar’s personal style has evolved from her grounding in Anglo-Celtic traditional song. She has the finesse and sophistication of a jazz and cabaret singer, with the austere ethic of a folk singer. Abar’s live performances are inspiring, entertaining and musically stimulating.
A graduate of Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in vocal music education and theory composition, Abar has acquired a wealth of diverse professional experience. She has been a resident with the Ten Pound Fiddle in East Lansing and has performed on the main stage at the Montreaux Detroit Jazz Festival. She also recorded as a guest artist on Thom Jayne and the Nomads’ “Road Trip” and on Max Raines’ “Songs of Forgiveness” albums. Linda also sings throughout mid-Michigan as a church soloist and has released her first solo album, “Once Upon a Time.” Abar began offering voice lessons as a college student and eventually opened Howling Dogs Music Studio, where she now offers private instruction. She is in her fifth year as a music specialist for the Montessori Children’s House of Lansing and she has taught elementary music in several Catholic schools. Many of her students have gone on to professional careers in music.
Abar will be joined on this year’s East Lansing Summer Solstice Jazz Festival stage by the Neil Gordon Trio, featuring Neil Gordon on guitar, Ed Fedewa on bass and Larry Olchiltree on drums.
Shahidah Nurullah & Good Company [website]
Shahidah Nurullah is one of Detroit’s premier jazz vocalists. Her vocal talent surpasses the challenge of any music in the popular American songbook and, on top of it all, she can sing in three different languages.
Nurullah’s vocal talent has been praised in Downbeat magazine, the New York Times, the Detroit Free Press and Finland’s Rytmi magazine. She has appeared on many stages and at many festivals throughout her critically acclaimed musical career, including the Montreaux Detroit Jazz Festival and numerous southeast Michigan club appearances. Nurullah’s latest recording, “The Ruby and the Pearl” is the culmination of a lifetime of music and incredible experiences. It’s intimacy, detailed craft and joyful rending serves as tribute to great songs and her never-ending search for material equal to her vocal skills.
Losing her parents at a young age, raising her brother when she was practically a child herself and suffering debilitating injuries in an accident that nearly ended her life, Nurullah has found a way to breathe new life into the world jazz scene in spite of the challenges life has presented for her. Despite facing a lifetime of personal tragedies, Nurullah has maintained a beautiful spirit that is truly evident in the notes and lyrics of her inspiring music.
Nurullah will be joined on this year’s Summer Solstice Jazz Festival stage by Good Company, featuring Tad Weed on piano, Donald Mayberry on bass, Sean Dobbins on drums and Diego Rivera on saxophone. Carl Allen/Rodney Whitaker Project [website]
Longtime rhythm section partners Carl Allen and Rodney Whitaker will bring all kinds of grooves to this year’s Summer Solstice Jazz Festival stage. This duo, featuring Allen on drums and Whitaker on bass, is unstoppable with their renditions of such standards as Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s “Eleanor Rigby” and The Isley Brothers’ “Work to Do,” to name a few.
Culling themes from classic R&B, soul jazz, pop and straight ahead styles, Allen and Whitaker have created music that appeals to a wide audience that has praised the duo for “taking them back home.” The duo has released two critically acclaimed albums, including their 2007 Mack Avenue debut, “Get Ready,” and “Work To Do,” their most recent work. After being listed in The Philadelphia Inquirer’s list of the Top 10 Jazz Albums of 2007 for “Get Ready,” this estimable Detroit/Milwaukee born-and-bred rhythm connection – a true rhythm convention – knew they had to let the good times continue to roll with “Work to Do.”
“As a drums and bass led group,” Rodney Whitaker explains, “we think less about improvisation and we respond more to the audience. If they are not tapping their toes, we are not doing our job. When bass players and drummers lead bands they think more in terms of tempos and grooves and time and feel. And in keeping with that we want to make sure that everybody is having a good time.”
Organissimo [website]
Organissimo was formed in late 2000 as a performance vehicle for guitarist Joe Gloss and organist Jim Alfredson's growing stable of original tunes. When they first met at Michigan State University in the late 90’s the two quickly recognized a rare musical chemistry and began a search for a complimentary drummer. Randy Marsh fit the puzzle perfectly. Today, Organissimo features Jim Alfredson on Hammond B3, Joe Gloss on guitar and Randy Marsh on drums.
From the beginning, Organissimo has focused on original material and extending the tradition of the classic organ-based trio. Organissimo's sound is instantly identifiable, yet constantly evolving, incorporating elements of funk, gospel, blues, progressive rock and fusion into a solid foundation of jazz. Shifting meters, deep grooves, melodic finesse and tight ensemble interplay are hallmarks of the Organissimo sound. Organissimo's music has received numerous local and national awards. Organissimo's latest album, “Groovadelphia,” topped the CMJ Jazz Charts for three weeks at #1. It garnered two WYCE Jammie Awards for Best Jazz Album and Best Song and was also named one of the Best Releases of 2008 by WVPE, KJAZZ, CKCU-FM and Jim Wilke's Jazz After Hours program, syndicated on more than 60 NPR stations nationwide. It was also nominated for a 2008 Detroit Music Award.