Get ready to ring in the second weekend of the Berks Jazz Fest with another Blues Night featuring powerhouse vocalist Shemekia Copeland, teen singer and guitar sensation Eric Steckel with the high-energy, Pennsylvania-based Craig Thatcher Band.

While still in her 20s, Copeland opened for the Rolling Stones, headlined at the Chicago Blues Festival and numerous festivals around the world, scored critics' choice awards on both sides of the Atlantic (The New York Times and The Times of London) and shared the stage with such luminaries as Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Taj Mahal and John Mayer.

Heir to the rich tradition of soul-drenched divas like Ruth Brown, Etta James and Koko Taylor, Copeland’s shot at the eventual title of Queen of the Blues is pretty clear. By some standards, she may already be there.

The daughter of Texas blues guitar legend Johnny Clyde Copeland, the Harlem-born vocalist’s passion for singing, matched with her huge, blast-furnace voice, gives her music a timeless power and a heart-pounding urgency. Her music comes from deep within her soul and from the streets where she grew up, surrounded by the everyday sounds of the city -- street performers, gospel singers, blasting radios, bands in local parks and so much more.

Her second album, Wicked, scored three Handy Awards and a Grammy nomination; her latest album on Telarc is 2009’s Never Going Back.

Born in 1990, Eric Steckel recorded his first album, A Few Degrees Warmer, in 2002 at the age of 11; he became the youngest in a series of blues wunderkinds which began in the 1990s with Jonny Lang, Shannon Curfman, and slightly later, Derek Trucks.

As a child prodigy, he has been invited to play on stage with such artists as John Mayall, Bob Margolin, Debbie Davies, James Armstrong, Tommy Castro, Solomon Burke, Hubert Sumlin, Craig Thatcher and Danny Bryant.

In recent years he has been working with his own band and released three albums; the latest of these is Feels Like Home (2008). He has also played the Springing the Blues festival in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., the last four years.

Based in Pennsylvania’s northeastern Lehigh Valley (Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area), The Craig Thatcher Band has been entertaining audiences with their exciting brand of blues/rock music since 1993. CTB has been Artist-Of-The-Day and also Artist-In-Residence at Musikfest, a 10-day international music and arts festival held in Bethlehem, Pa.

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Grammy Award-winning Blues Guitarist
The Robert Cray Band
Wednesday, March 24, 7:30 p.m., Crowne Plaza Reading Ballroom
Tickets: $40
Click here for ticket information

According to the book "Guinness Rockopedia," the 1980s “blues revival” revolved around guitarist and singer Robert Cray.

Cray's blend of soul vocals and blues guitar work won approval from the “old guard:" Eric Clapton (whom Cray toured with in 2006-2007), Tina Turner, Diana Ross -- and a younger audience, who pushed the five-time Grammy Award-winner’s album sales into the platinum bracket.

Cray’s 2009 album This Time -- the first studio album on his own imprint Nozzle Records, distributed by Vanguard Records -- arrived at a vital juncture in the musician’s career, marked by creative renewal and a key reunion with an old performing partner.

Cray summarized 35 years of mastery on the debut Nozzle release Live From Across the Pond (2006), an electrifying two-CD concert set drawn from a series of shows (opening Clapton) at London’s Royal Albert Hall. When the time came to follow up that widely praised collection with a studio recording, Cray viewed it as an opportunity to move his sound in other directions.

Cray found exactly what he was looking for by turning to one of his oldest friends and colleagues: bassist Richard Cousins, whose tenure with the Robert Cray Band began with its barnstorming regional origins in Eugene, Oregon, in 1974 and extended through 1991, encompassing such early high-water marks as Strong Persuader (1986) and Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1988), both winners of the best contemporary blues performance Grammy. Cousins’ return to the Cray fold bonds him once again with keyboardist Jim Pugh, a cornerstone of the guitarist’s group since 1989.

As ever with Cray’s transcendent sound, the music on This Time remained stubbornly beyond category.

“Blues is one of the foundations of our music, but it’s not all that we play,” Cray says. “When I first started playing guitar, I wanted to be George Harrison -- that is, until I heard Jimi Hendrix. After that, I wanted to be Albert Collins and Buddy Guy and B.B. King. And then there are singers like O.V. Wright and Bobby Blue Bland. It’s all mixed up in there.”

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'Live from the Inside' screening hosted by Brian Culbertson
Friday, March 26, 4 p.m., RC/Reading Movies 11 & IMAX, 30 N. Second St., Reading.
Tickets: $10
Click here for ticket information

Longtime VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest favorite Brian Culbertson will take part in the milestone 20th anniversary event -- in a very unique way.

Culbertson will host a special theatre screening of his recently released CD/DVD "Brian Culbertson Live From The Inside." Following the one-time-only screening, Brian and his father, Jim, will host a meet-and-greet with fans at the theatre.

Seating is limited to 250 fans. So make sure you get your tickets early!

"Finally, I'll get to see the film on the big screen!" said Brian. "I'm very excited about partnering with the Berks Arts Council and RC Theatres to make the special screening part of the 20th anniversary Berks Jazz Fest -- and most important, available to the fans.

"I'm looking forward to welcoming fans to the screening and spending time with them at the post-show event. It's going to be a fun time."

"Live From The Inside" is a 98-minute film that features live performance, interviews, and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. It also features special all-star guests Ray Parker Jr., Dave Koz, Eric Marienthal, Michael Lington, Eric Darius and Brian's father.

All the special guests get a standout section in the film to strut their stuff. And Culbertson is featured peeling off dazzling displays of his keyboard, trombone and bass-playing skills.
 

From the dreamy opening montage shot on film, through all of the sharp high-definition video of the performance that was shot with six cameras, to the grittier hand-held video that was captured on the fly, "Live From The Inside" will give theater goers an all-access pass to the life of Brian Culbertson -- one of contemporary music's most compelling artists.

The keyboardist/trombonist also will perform during the 20th Anniversary All-Star Jam set for Thursday, March 25, 8 p.m., at the Crowne Plaza Reading.

Watch the trailer here.

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A Night of Straight Ahead Jazz
Denis DiBlasio Quartet with special guest Randy Brecker
Friday, March 19, 7:30 p.m., two shows/7 and 10 p.m., Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base at the Crowne Plaza Reading
Tickets: $20
Click here for ticket information

Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base welcomes the Denis DiBlasio Quartet with special guest, trumpet and flugelhorn legend Randy Brecker, for a pair of opening night concerts.

Baritone saxophone and flute artist Denis DiBlasio directs the jazz program at Rowan University in New Jersey and is the executive director of The Maynard Ferguson Institute of Jazz at Rowan. He is known throughout the world for his nine recordings, published texts, arrangements and compositions.

After five years as music director with Maynard Ferguson and touring on his own, DiBlasio continues to travel around the world performing and teaching. His approach of keeping things simple, informative and positive keeps his schedule extremely busy, booking dates sometimes three years in advance.

His inspirational connection with young musicians is what makes a DiBlasio clinic so special. Keeping things attainable and fun make up the foundation of his friendly approach. It's what some people have termed “edutainment.”

The Denis DiBlasio Quartet features Jim Ridl (piano), Jim Miller (drums) and Steve Varner (bass).

Over the course of his four decade-plus career, Randy Brecker has been a highly sought-after artist and performer in jazz, rock and R&B, and has performed or recorded with Stanley Turrentine, Billy Cobham, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Sandip Burman, Charles Mingus, Blood Sweat & Tears (playing on their first album Child Is Father To The Man), Horace Silver, Frank Zappa, Parliament-Funkadelic, Chris Parker, Jaco Pastorius, Dire Straits, Todd Rundgren, Blue Öyster Cult, Spyro Gyra and many others.

Randy was the older brother of the late jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker (1949-2007). Together they led Dreams and the Brecker Brothers, a popular funk and fusion band which recorded several albums from the 1970s through the 1990s.

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Mike Eben's From the HIP
featuring Roger Morgan, Tony Vattimo, Mike Byrne, Terry Bortman, Bob Eben
Thursday, March 25, 7 p.m., Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base at the Crowne Plaza Reading
Tickets: $10
Click here for ticket information

From the HIP began when saxophonist Mike Eben was looking for a way to put  together a band to play the music he loved best.  His, brother, Bob, was looking for a challenge after years of playing rock.

A band was born!

From the HIP plays classic soul jazz and hard bop, along with funk and fusion. Their inspiration comes, well, from the "Hip" -- the great jazz artists of the past, like Trane, Miles, Cannonball, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Hank Mobley and Lee Morgan.

From the Hip also will be debuting music composed/arranged by its outstanding keyboardist, Tony Vattimo, who recently released a new CD, Can't Let Go. The CD features 11 original contemporary jazz tracks.

From the HIP is comprised of Mike Eben, saxes; Roger Morgan, trumpet, flugelhorn; Tony Vattimo, keyboards; Mike Byrne, guitar, trombone; Terry Bortman, bass; and Bob Eben, drums.

The band is a favorite at Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base, performing at the popular club several times a year. Eben also is involved with the numerous educational activities during the Berks Jazz Fest.
 

Former Tower of Power Saxophonist
Euge Groove
Saturday, March 27, 10 p.m., Crowne Plaza Reading Ballroom
Tickets: $35
Click here for ticket information

Born 2 Groove, the title of Euge Groove’s 2007 recording for Blue Note Records and his fifth release in seven years, was more than simply a clever twist on the popular saxophonist’s funky stage name.

True to the soulful, uplifting spirit of the collection — his first ever recorded in High Definition Audio — it reflects Euge’s belief that everyone comes into this world with unique abilities and special gifts.

Contemporary jazz listeners obviously like the way he’s been doing just that. Born 2 Groove was not only his first No. 1 album ever on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart, but it debuted in that spot when it was released in June 2007.

The album was in the top five for the first 11 weeks of release, and its first single, the title track, was a mainstay in the top five for months on Radio & Records’ smooth jazz airplay chart. It was his fastest rising single ever.

Even before he was a genre superstar, Euge’s talents, combined with years of hard work, took him around the world as a longtime veteran member of Tower of Power (1988-92) and sideman for pop icons like Richard Marx, Joe Cocker and Tina Turner.

Sunday Morning, Euge’s 2009 Shanachie debut and sixth recording as a leader, teams him yet again with acclaimed producer Paul Brown (George Benson, Luther Vandross, Patti Austin). The album was written during a four-month European tour with Turner, whose band he returned to — and had a blast with — after many years.

“I had toured Europe many times in the past, but this was a long one for sure,” he explains. “I realized I wasn’t going to see home for four months. Feeling like a kindergartener on the first day of school, I finally found relief by drowning myself in my writing. I really missed Sunday mornings back home the most, so that’s where the title comes from. It’s the most peaceful time there is. It’s laid back, very spiritual and reflective. It’s the way I get energy to start the new week.”

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Smooth Jazz 92.7 Fan Appreciation Concert
Guitarzzzz featuring Chuck Loeb, Chieli Minucci, Paul Jackson Jr.
plus opening act Jessy J, Oli Silk, Jackiem Joyner
Sunday, March 28, 2 p.m., Crowne Plaza Reading Ballroom
Tickets: $40
Click here for ticket information

One of the most exciting all-star touring ensembles in contemporary jazz, Guitarzzzzz features the powerhouse, stylistically diverse talents of three of the genre’s most dynamic guitarists --  Chuck Loeb, Chieli Minucci and Paul Jackson Jr.

For this special Sunday afternoon show, the three are joined by an exciting opening act -- three of contemporary jazz’s hottest rising stars, keyboardist Oli Silk and saxophonists Jessy J and Jackiem Joyner.

Chuck Loeb’s 2009 CD Between 2 Worlds was his second release for Heads Up after seven recordings as a leader for Shanachie Entertainment.

The masterfully eclectic guitarist has always been caught between the realms of urban jazz and progressive fusion, and this set is split nearly down the middle both geographically (NYC/Berlin) and stylistically — segueing from crisp, in the pocket hard rockin’ pop-soul to more artistic ventures into balmy Latin and Brazilian music, feisty electric jazz and low key-stripped down romantic pieces with his German musician friends.

More than simply a brilliant jazz guitarist, Chuck Loeb has produced a number of high-profile artists, including Spyro Gyra, Bob James, Walter Beasley, Larry Coryell and Kim Waters.

One of the two founding members of Special EFX, Minucci has scored major successes as a composer and guitarist in many styles. His diverse career includes playing on the recordings of such major R&B/pop stars as Celine Dion, Jewel, The Backstreet Boys, Mark Anthony and Jennifer Lopez, recording numerous smooth jazz radio hits and composing Emmy Award-winning music for television shows and big stage productions such as Dora The Explorer and Thomas & Friends Live.

As he continues to cultivate his dual careers as a first call R&B/contemporary jazz sideman and solo artist, Paul Jackson Jr. keeps an intense, breakneck schedule that includes performing numerous solos onstage as part of the American Idol band.

Since breaking into the Los Angeles studio scene in the late 1970s, he has contributed his multi-faceted guitarisma to the biggest artists in R&B, jazz and rock -- The Temptations, Michael Jackson (Thriller, Bad, History), Randy Crawford, Ramsey Lewis, Dave Koz, David Benoit, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Bobby Brown, Bela Fleck, Chicago, Anita Baker, Lionel Richie, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Al Jarreau, George Duke and Whitney Houston, whom he toured with from 1994 through 1999.

Thirty-year-old British composer/keyboardist Oli Silk, who made his initial splash in the U.K. in the early 2000s as part of the duo Sugar & Silk, became a force in smooth jazz thanks to his appealing mix of keyboard vibes and emotionally compelling melodies on his two solo albums So Many Ways (2006) and The Limit’s The Sky (2008).

Sultry Mexican American saxophonist and vocalist Jessy J scored one of the genre’s biggest hit songs of 2008 with the title track from her debut album Tequila Moon; she took her artistry in even more eclectic and exotic directions on her 2009 follow-up True Love.

“I’m Waiting For You,” the first single from Lil’ Man Soul, Jackiem Joyner’s 2009 follow up album to his hit debut Babysoul (2007), spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s top Smooth Jazz Songs chart.

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The Festival Finale
Boney James
Sunday, March 28, 7 p.m., Scottish Rite Cathedral
Tickets: $49
Click here for ticket information

One of the true architects of the contemporary urban jazz sound, superstar saxman Boney James follows his on-fire 2009 appearance at Berks with a return visit to close out the milestone festival in rousing fashion this year!

Almost any album from superstar saxman Boney James’ 17-year catalog would make the perfect musical valentine, but his 2009 release Send One Your Love (which, like many of his previous releases, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart) was timed and toned perfectly for Valentine’s Day.

Complementing a handful of richly rendered 1970s urban love classics are originals like the opening track, “Wanna Show U Sumthin’,” a coolly swaying slow dance tune — with dreamy, “come hither” vocals by Sue Ann Carwell — that sets the tone for the passionate vibe of the collection.

Following the extraordinary multi-genre success of his 2006 Concord Records debut Shine, saxophonist and urban jazz icon James gave his thousands of fans throughout the world a very special Christmas Present for the 2007 holiday season.

The Lowell, Massachusetts, native had a lot to celebrate. Upon its release in September 2006, Shine sold nearly 20,000 copies out of the box, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart (where it remained for five weeks), No. 2 on the Jazz Chart, No. 12 on the R&B Album Chart and No. 44 on the Top 200 Album Chart. Shine also became James’ first-ever top-10 R&B album, peaking at No. 6.

The illuminating cover of Shine — his first release on Concord Records after more than a decade at Warner Bros. — shows the saxophonist and his horn silhouetted against the glorious sun, reflecting not only the upbeat vibes of the album but also the powerful energy (including an average of 60-80 tour dates a year) he’s shared with smooth jazz fans since he released his debut Trust in 1992.

Those joyful vibes, which he insists come from simply carrying on the pop/R&B traditions of his hero Grover Washington Jr., have made him one of the most successful artists in the genre for nearly 15 years.

In a marketplace where most artists struggle to sell anywhere near 100,000 with each release, James has scored four certified gold albums (500,000 units) and received Best Pop Instrumental Album Grammy nominations for Ride (2001) and Pure (2004). Confirming his incredible crossover appeal to the urban market, he has also over the years received two great honors that are generally reserved for African-American artists: a Soul Train Award and an NAACP Image Award nomination.

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Legendary Jazz Trumpeter Is Back!
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
 plus opening act Berks High School All-Star Jazz Band
Sunday, March 21, 7 p.m., Scottish Rite Cathedral
Tickets: $49
Click here for ticket information

When the Berks Jazz Fest programming committee began working on the 20th annual event, it had one major goal -- book Wynton Marsalis.

Fortunately, the goal was achieved and the jazz icon is returning to the Berks Jazz Fest as one of several artists who performed during the inaugural fest back in 1991.

And Marsalis will be returning with the the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He is the musical director of the JLCO.

The performance is part of a special U.S. tour to celebrate the release of the world-renowned ensemble's latest CD project, Portrait in Seven Shades.

Portrait in Seven Shades, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s first CD of original music in nearly four years, will be in stores and available digitally at online retailers on February 2. The CD is released by Jazz at Lincoln Center and is the first title under a distribution agreement with The Orchard.

Portrait in Seven Shades consists of seven movements, each inspired by a master of modern art -- Chagall, Dali, Matisse, Monet, Picasso, Pollack and Van Gogh.

Marsalis and the orchestra will perform selections from Portrait in Seven Shades, as well as a repertoire to include tunes by Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams and others.

Marsalis has been described as the most outstanding jazz musician and trumpeter of his generation, as one of the world’s top classical trumpeters, as a big band leader in the tradition of Duke Ellington, a brilliant composer, a devoted advocate for the arts and a tireless and inspiring educator.

Marsalis carries these distinctions well. His life is a portrait of discipline, dedication, sacrifice, and creative accomplishment. His 2009 release He and She, on Blue Note Records, is his fifth with the label.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO), comprising 15 of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today, has been the Jazz at Lincoln Center resident orchestra since 1988.

Featured in all aspects of Jazz at Lincoln Center's programming, this remarkably versatile orchestra performs and leads educational events in New York, across the U.S. and around the globe, in concert halls, dance venues, jazz clubs, public parks; and with symphony orchestras, ballet troupes, local students and an ever-expanding roster of guest artists.

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Smooth Jazz 92.7 Fan Appreciation Concert
Earl Klugh
plus opening act Tuck & Patti
Sunday, March 21, 2 p.m., Crowne Plaza Reading Ballroom
Tickets: $40
Click here for ticket information

Smooth Jazz 92.7, based in Central Pennsylvania, will hold one of its annual Fan Appreciation Concerts in the Crown Plaza Reading Ballroom with a show spotlighting two of the world’s master acoustic guitarists -- Earl Klugh and Tuck Andress (the guitar-playing half of the guitar-vocal superduo Tuck & Patti).

In a recording career that spans more than three decades, master guitarist Earl Klugh has been lauded first as a prodigy and groundbreaker, then a defining figure, and ultimately, as one of the true statesmen of contemporary jazz.

With 2008’s The Spice of Life, Klugh earned his 12th career Grammy nomination — his second nomination and release on Koch (now E1 Music).

As a follow up to his critically acclaimed release Naked Guitar, Klugh succeeded in creating a statement with a full ensemble that is every bit as compelling. The album effortlessly segues from jazz to Latin to pop modes through a compositional approach that recalls his Grammy Award-winning work with Bob James.

A Detroit native now living in Atlanta, Klugh has recorded over 30 albums, including 23 top-10 charting records --five of them No. 1 -- on Billboard’s Jazz Album chart. In 2006, Modern Guitar Magazine wrote: “Earl Klugh is considered by many to be one of the finest acoustic guitar players today.”

It’s often been said of Tuck & Patti that you are either a fan -- or you haven’t heard them yet!

For nearly three decades, this unique vocal/guitar jazz duo has cast its passionate musical spell worldwide, capturing the hearts of lovers, the respect of jazz buffs and the jaw-dropping awe of guitarists who are amazed at Tuck’s facility and innovation.

The Oklahoma-born Andress met San Francisco native Patti Cathcart at an audition in Las Vegas in 1980. He had been a session performer with The Gap Band.

The two began performing together in California in 1981 and married in 1983.

Signing to Windham Hill in 1987, they released several albums for the label before signing with Epic Records for one album in 1995.

After several more on Windham Hill, their releases since 2001 (including their latest, 2007’s I Remember You) have been on 33rd Street Records.

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Kutztown University Jazz Ensemble I
with special guest
Bones of Contention: Doc Mulligan, Chuck Dressler and Rob Stoneback
Cathy Chemi & Skip Stine
plus opening act Afterhours Vocal Ensemble
Friday, March 26, 7:30 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts
Tickets: $20
Click here for ticket information

Kutztown University Jazz Ensemble I performs large jazz ensemble music from both the golden era of swing and the modern era. 

In 2007, the ensemble released Dance You Monster on Sea Breeze Records, featuring the music of composers Maria Schneider, Mark Buselli, Jamie Simmons, Duke Ellington, Pat Williams and Ernie Wilkins.

A 2008 recording based on the music of the Rat Pack, The Best is Yet to Come, featured selections made famous by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. 

The ensemble has recorded a follow-up CD, Come Rain or Come Shine, of vocal and big band tunes featuring New York vocalist and KU alumnus Jim Cargill and winner of DownBeat Magazine's Best College Jazz Vocalist of 2007 and KU music major Kristin Grassi.  The ensemble will soon release a brand-new record, Tork’s Café, also featuring some modern big band arrangements and vocals. 

KU Jazz I has recorded new releases for Walrus Publishing, and has been invited to perform for the Music Educator’s National Conference Eastern Regional, Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base, the VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest, numerous high school and college jazz festivals and, most recently, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. as part of Blues Alley’s Big Band Jam. Ensemble alum have performed at Busch Gardens, as well as many other amusement parks across the country, several cruise ship lines and numerous touring Broadway shows.  

Bones of Contention features Doc Mulligan, Chuck Dressler, Rob Stoneback. Bob "Doc" Mulligan, the well-respected trombonist, arranger, and composer, is the architect of this special project. Joining Mulligan will be trombone standouts Chuck Dressler and Rob Stoneback.

Mulligan's musical career has spanned 65 years. He has played in orchestras and bands that have backed Sammy Kaye, Billy Eckstine, Al Martino, Jack Jones and Frankie Avalon. Mulligan's latest arrangement efforts can be found on the Ronnie Milsap's CD Just for You.

Dressler is the former director of bands at Pottstown High. Dressler's performance credits include working with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Harry James Orchestra, Al Grey, Dave Stahl, The Manhattan Transfer, The Temptations, Perry Como, Natalie Cole, Wayne Newton and Johnny Mathis.

Dressler is a member of the Rob Stoneback Big Band from the Lehigh Valley area and The Next Generation Big Band from Philadelphia.

Stoneback is a well-known big band leader from the Lehigh Valley area is considered one of the best jazz trombonists in the business. 

Mulligan, Dressler and Stoneback will be joined by Marty Mellinger, keyboards; Keith Mohler, bass; and Dave Lazorcik, drums.

Vocalist Cathy Chemi and trumpeter Skip Stine were featured members and toured the world with the Harry James Orchestra for many years. This husband-wife team from central Pennsylvania will take you on a swinging musical journey back to the golden era of the big bands.

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Legendary Guitarist
Pat Martino Quartet
featuring Eric Alexander (sax), Tony Monaco (B3 Organ), Jason Brown (drums)
Friday, March 26, two shows/7 and 10 p.m., Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base at Crowne Plaza Reading
Tickets: $32
Click here for ticket information

Berks Jazz Fest will host a special evening of traditional jazz with The Pat Martino Quartet featuring saxophonist Eric Alexander, Hammond B-3 wizard Tony Monaco and drummer Jason Brown.

Although more recent fans may know Pat Martino best for his incredible recovery from a life-threatening brain aneurysm, his resume as a rock and jazz sideman dates all the way back to the early rock scene in Philly, when he performed with Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker and Bobby Darin.

The organ trio concept had a profound influence on his rhythmic and harmonic approach, and he later joined the bands of Jack McDuff and Don Patterson.

In 1976, Martino began experiencing the excruciating headaches that were eventually diagnosed as symptoms of his aneurysms. After his surgery and recovery, he resumed his career when he appeared in1987 in New York, a gig that was released on a CD with an appropriate name, The Return. He then took another hiatus when both of his parents became ill, and he didn't record again until 1994, when he recorded Interchange and then The Maker.

Over the years, he has been a recording artist for Vanguard, Prestige, Warner Brothers, Muse, Columbia, King, Paddlewheel, Evidence, Sony, 32 Jazz, High Note, Milestone, Polydor, Concord, Fantasy, House of Blues, Mythos, Mainstream, Cobblestone, Atlantic and, most currently, Blue Note Records. Since 2000, he has released Live at Yoshi’s, Think Tank (both Grammy nominees for Best Jazz Instrumental Album) and 2006’s Remember: A Tribute To Wes Montgomery.

After placing second behind Joshua Redman in the 1991 Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition, Eric Alexander began playing with organ trios on the South Side of Chicago, made his recording debut in 1991 with Charles Earland on Muse Records, and cut his first album as a leader, Straight Up, in 1992.

In addition to his staggering discography of almost 25 recordings, Alexander has been a prolific sideman, composer and producer as well. In 2004, he signed an exclusive contract with the New York-based independent jazz label HighNote Records. His most recent dates are It’s All In The Game (2006), Temple of Olympic Zeus (2007) and Prime Time (2008).

One of the world’s most renowned Hammond B-3 players and innovators, Tony Monaco has played around the world with some of greatest musicians in jazz, including Mel Lewis, Lewis Nash, Red Holloway, Plas Johnson, Sonny Fortune, Jon Faddis, Adam Nussbaum, Bruce Forman, Harvey Mason, Chester Thompson, Jeff Clayton, Terrell Stafford, Eric Alexander, Bobby Durham, Russell Malone, Peter Bernstein, Kevin Mahogany and Victor Lewis. In 2007, he celebrated 40 years as a musician and appeared on the cover of Keyboard Magazine.

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An Evening With
Keiko Matsui
Saturday, March 27, 7:30 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts/RACC
Tickets: $35
Click here for ticket information

In Japan, it is said that if children begin music lessons on June 6 following their fifth birthday, they will keep studying for a long time.

Pianist Keiko Matsui was taken to her first piano lesson on that very day when she was five and she hasn’t looked back since.

A true icon of contemporary jazz with over 20 albums to her credit since the release of A Drop of Water in 1986, the versatile performer has sold over 1.2 million units in the U.S. alone and packs concert halls around the world. Her subsequent albums, including Under Northern Lights, No Borders, Night Waltz, Cherry Blossom, Doll, Sapphire and Dream Walk further cemented her reputation as an innovator of a style fusing elements of classical, new age, jazz, R&B and ambient music.

A fixture in the upper reaches of the contemporary jazz album and airplay charts, Matsui — whose influences range from Chopin, Mozart and Rachmaninov to Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and Stevie Wonder — was named Top Indie Contemporary Jazz Artist Of The Year by Billboard magazine in 1996.

In 1998, her release Full Moon and the Shrine was accompanied by an acclaimed PBS-TV special entitled Keiko Matsui: Light Above The Trees. The special reflected the multicultural nature of Matsui’s life and music and was filmed, in part, at Japan’s breathtakingly beautiful 1,300-year-old Itsukushima Shrine and during a high-energy concert in San Francisco. The special earned Matsui a National Smooth Jazz Award for Best Long-Form Video Achievement in 2000. She was also honored as the Best Female Artist that year and again in 2001.

Her releases in the 2000s have been driven by music designed to help heal a world in turmoil, including Deep Blue, The Ring, Wildflower (whose title track benefited the U.N. World Food Program’s efforts in Africa), Walls of Akendora and her most recent, Moyo (2007).

Matsui's music is powerful and introspective, blending both Western and Eastern musical influences. She has a very spiritual view of composing music, feeling out each composition as though it were, in her words, “coming to me from another space, another dimension,” and “catching notes from the silence and then simply placing them together.”

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Jazz at the Abe
Joe McBride Trio
with special guests Chuck Loeb (Friday) and Chris Farr (Saturday)
Friday, March 26 and 27, 10 p.m., Abraham Lincoln Hotel Jazz Club
Tickets: $20
Click here for ticket information

Like many of his Heads Up labelmates, keyboardist and vocalist Joe McBride is something of an annual fixture at Berks Jazz Fest, bringing his high energy melodic funk to a multitude of unique settings over the years.

At this year’s event, the multi-talented musician is playing in a trio format at The Abraham Lincoln Hotel Jazz Club on Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27 at 10 p.m.

On Friday night, Chuck Loeb will be a special guest with Joe's trio; the following night saxophonist Chris Farr will be the special guest.

A first glance at the track listing of McBride’s long awaited first disc since 2005’s Texas Hold ‘Em reveals a lot of familiar song titles and the notion that it’s yet another in a long line of contemporary jazz cover albums that have been popular in this current decade. He has a unique response to the questions many fans have asked: just how exactly are you, to quote the album title, Lookin’ For A Change?

First, he relocated several years ago to Cleveland, the home of his label, where he has established a close working relationship with several of Ohio’s top young jazz musicians, who came to form the rhythmic foundation of this extraordinary recording -- guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Elijah Gilmore and upright bassist Roger Hines.

Sonically, there is a notable shift from McBride’s typical electronic approach. He has played acoustic piano extensively before, but always over the top of arrangements that were primarily put together with drum machines and other technology.

Going fully acoustic and doing exciting, highly improvisational jazz interpretations of nine familiar pop songs — in addition to three originals — makes for a project that has an instant appeal but truly grooves, stretches and shows McBride’s tremendous growth as both a composer and vocal and instrumental interpreter.

The global appeal of Joe McBride’s music is best summarized by a quote from a music critic in Capetown, who raved about his performance and praised the pianist/vocalist’s talent for “putting back the soul into what has become a rather soulless smooth jazz idiom.”

McBride has established himself as one of the genre’s most popular artists with his label releases Grace (1992), A Gift for Tomorrow (1994), Keys to Your Heart (1996) and Double Take (1998), the latter of which featured top smooth jazz all-stars Dave Koz, Peter White, Rick Braun and Larry Carlton.

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Sunday with the Pops Series
Jane Monheit with the Reading Pops Orchestra
Sunday, March 21, 3 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts/RACC
Tickets: $45
Click here for ticket information

In conjunction with the Sunday with the Pops series, Berks Jazz Fest is presenting a special concert featuring renowned international jazz vocalist Jane Monheit performing with the Reading Pops Orchestra.

It is a lifelong musical journey from the dreamy innocence of “Never Never Land” to the world-weary delusion of “Something Cool.” Yet Jane Monheit, now firmly established as one of the post-millennial jazz world’s foremost vocalists, has managed to make the trip in just eight years.

In 2000, Monheit chose the sweet, escapist Peter Pan lullaby as the title tune for her debut album. With 2009’s The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me, her sophomore release for Concord (following 2006’s sumptuous Surrender), she plumbed the gin-soaked escapism of the heartrending tune made famous by June Christy in 1953.

A native of Long Island, Monheit began singing professionally while attending Connetquot High School in Bohemia, N.Y. and she graduated with honors from the Manhattan School of Music in 1999, earning a BA in music and receiving the William H. Borden Award for outstanding accomplishment in Jazz.

As a finalist in the 1998 Thelonius Monk Jazz Institute's vocal competition, she was first runner-up to Teri Thorton.

An international artist, the singer has performed at most of the major concert halls, cabarets and jazz venues around the globe as she’s built an impressive discography that includes Come Dream With Me (2001), In The Sun (2002), Taking A Chance On Love (2004) and The Season (2005).

Monheit has released seven albums and two DVDs, and has appeared as a guest artist on many others. She appears on the soundtrack of the movie Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow singing "Over the Rainbow". Monheit also has been a featured performer in the nationally televised Christmas at the White House, the Capitol Fourth of July Celebration, and The National Memorial Day Celebration. She has appeared on numerous television shows including "Emeril," "Ramsey Lewis' Legends of Jazz," "David Letterman," "The View" and the "Today Show." She also performs with major symphonic orchestras throughout the country.

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Blues at the Inn
Coco Montoya
plus opening act Deanna Bogart Band
Saturday, March 27, 7:30 p.m., Inn at Reading
Tickets: $35
Click here for ticket information

Berks Jazz Fest presents a very special night of burning blues from two incredible performers -- Coco Montoya and the Deanna Bogart Band.

Over the course of his 30-year career, guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya’s explosive guitar playing and soul-driven voice have propelled him to the upper reaches of the blues-rock world.

From his early days as a drummer to his current status as one of the top-drawing guitarists and vocalists on the blues-rock scene, Montoya has forged his reputation through years of hard work and constant touring.

Montoya's journey started with a chance meeting in the mid-1970s with legendary bluesman Albert Collins, who offered Montoya a gig as his drummer. Albert took an immediate liking to Montoya, becoming his mentor and teaching his new protégé secrets of the Collins “icy hot” style of blues guitar.

Five years later, John Mayall happened to catch Montoya at a jam session and was blown away. This led to Montoya's touring the world for 10 years with the legendary Bluesbreakers.

Since stepping out as a bandleader in 1993, Montoya has released four solo albums and has performed non-stop at clubs, concert halls and major festivals all over the world. Critics have long raved about Montoya’s mind-bending guitar licks and impassioned vocals.

“The fiery blues that issue forth from Coco Montoya’s guitar are awe-inspiring and boogie requiring,” wrote The Village Voice. Blues Revue echoed, “Blistering, pure blues.” His latest recording is 2007’s Dirty Deal.

DownBeat magazine describes Deanna Bogart as “an extravagant entertainer” — and entertain is what Bogart does best. The Maryland-based blues and boogie pianist/saxophonist combines the energy of 1930s-style boogie piano blues with contemporary blues sounds emanating from places like New Orleans, Chicago and Memphis.

She began to develop her unique style as a sideplayer in Cowboy Jazz, a Maryland-based group that dedicated itself to the sound of 1940s western swing music. She joined the group at age 21 as vocalist and spent several years learning and playing the cowboy rhythms that are central to western swing.

As her musical appetite grew she spent nearly two years playing R&B with the Washington, D.C.-based Root Boy Slim. Bogart combined these disparate influences in her own original compositions that blend elements of boogie music with modern jazz and rock. After hundreds of live performances, Bogart made her recording debut in 1989.

Over the years, Bogart has appeared on stage with the likes of BB King, Brian Setzer, Buddy Guy, James Brown, Doctor John, They Might Be Giants, Spyro Gyra, Ray Charles, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and the Neville Brothers. She is the recipient of no less than 20 Washington Area Music Awards, aka the “Wammies.”

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Remembering a Legend
Music of Grover Washington Jr.
Jason Miles, Gerald Albright, Chante Moore, Walter Beasley, Randy Brecker,
Jeff Golub, Ada Rovatti, Buddy Williams, Ralph MacDonald and Neal Jason
Saturday, March 20, 7:30 p.m., Scottish Rite Cathedral
Tickets: $49
Click here for ticket information

While many contemporary jazz artists have helped keep the music and legacy of Philadelphia saxophone legend Grover Washington Jr. alive since his passing in late 1999, few have kept the flame burning as passionately as Grammy Award-winning, keyboardist/producer Jason Miles.

In 2001, Miles gathered a large handful of top performers to create the ultimate all-star tribute, To Grover, With Love, which featured cherished Washington tunes covered by saxmen Gerald Albright, Dave Koz, Steve Cole, Richard Elliot, Michael Brecker, Paul Taylor and Jay Beckenstein, as well as cuts featuring Russ Freeman, and the late Herbie Mann.

Miles followed this in 2008 with 2 Grover With Love, a brilliant sequel notable as much for its exploration of some of the saxman’s lesser-known works as its slightly scaled down guest list -- Chuck Loeb, Gerald Veasley, Najee, Andy Snitzer, Kim Waters.

In 2008, Miles led and produced the all-star live concert gathering “To Grover With Love: Celebrating the Life & Music of Grover Washington, Jr.” at the VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest.

This year’s Miles-led all-star show “Music Of Grover Washington, Jr.” at the festival comes on the heels of the just-released CD Grover Live, which is from a concert the saxophonist performed in Peekskill, N.Y., in June 1997.

The success of the 2008 show allowed Miles to forge an alliance with Grover’s widow, Christine Washington, who was in possession of many live concert tapes and was wondering what she could do with them.

Through an exhaustive process which included getting label clearance from Sony, listening to many of these tapes and finally raising money, Miles is pleased to present the new CD — whose band includes Berks perennial, bassist Gerald Veasley.

“This live concert album reaffirms Grover’s brilliance as a master of the saxophone,” says Miles. “He plays four horns and shows his virtuosity on each one. It features material from his most recent CD at the time, Soulful Strut as well as older songs that still sound fresh today.

“Grover was not given the respect he deserved in his time,” he adds, “because on his CDs, he never really opened up and showed the brilliance that he had as a true virtuoso and master of the soprano, tenor, alto and baritone sax — something no modern smooth jazz saxman can do.

"This live CD shows what a true virtuoso Grover was and how this CD can hopefully inspire a new generation of players who will realize you can't copy what’s on the radio and expect to get to a level like Grover.”

While saxman Walter Beasley, legendary NYC drummer Buddy Williams and percussionist Ralph MacDonald (who produced Grover’s legendary Winelight CD and wrote “Mr. Magic”) are holdovers from the 2008 lineup, Miles has added some exciting artists to the mix for this fest.

The lineup includes top saxman Gerald Albright; popular blues-influenced jazz guitarist Jeff Golub; veteran NYC-based bassist and session player Neal Jason (who came to prominence via his work on The Brecker Brothers’ classic Heavy Metal Bebop); R&B singer Chante Moore; trumpet great Randy Brecker; and New York-based saxophonist Ada Rovatti, who has played with Randy Brecker, Bob Mintzer, John McLaughlin and Victor Bailey.

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Steely Dan Tribute
The Royal Scam
Friday, March 19, 10 p.m., Abraham Lincoln Hotel Jazz Club
Tickets: $18
Click here for ticket information

The world's premiere Steely Dan tribute band, The Royal Scam’s repertoire of more than 40 of the legendary duo masterpieces has helped to keep the compositions of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, the spirit of rock/jazz, and the enthusiasm of fine musicianship alive in small clubs and concert venues throughout the northeast, including SRO shows at Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base at the Crowne Plaza Reading.

The band features lead vocalist Michael Caputo, guitarist Al Egizi, vocalist Deb De Lucca, keyboardist and synth programmer Gino Amato, saxophonist Joe Montini, vocalist Wendy Gordy and drummer Tom Boettger.

Jazz, R&B, Latin and pop are among the major elements which make up Steely Dan’s music, and all of the many musicians who work with the core band from time to time have played most of these various styles and have contributed some very memorable musical moments for the band.

In March 1996, The Royal Scam was featured in a Star Ledger article about tribute bands and the band has appeared on the cover of Steppin’ Out magazine and on “The Jersey Spotlight” television show and a live radio broadcast on WJDN. Among the venues they have played are the China Club, Kenny's Castaways, The Bitter End, Club Bené, The Rock and Roll Cafe, Essex County Summer Concert Series, Stephen’s Talk House, and a host of other clubs which feature classic rock or tribute shows.

The band is named after The Royal Scam, the fifth album by Steely Dan, originally released in 1976. The album went gold and peaked at No. 15 on the charts. The Royal Scam features more prominent guitar work than other Steely Dan albums by Becker, Denny Dias, Larry Carlton, Elliott Randall and Dean Parks.

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New Jazz Vocal Sensation
Jackie Ryan featuring Larry McKenna, Madison Rast, Dan Monaghan, Tom Lawton
Saturday, March 20, 10 p.m., Abraham Lincoln Hotel Club
Tickets: $23
Click here for ticket information

Red-hot jazz vocalist Jackie Ryan will be performing in the Abraham Lincoln Hotel Jazz Club with Philly-based musicians, saxophonist Larry McKenna (an alum of the Woody Herman Band), pianist Tom Lawton, bassist Madison Rast and drummer Dan Monaghan.

Don Heckman, jazz critic for the Los Angeles Times, calls Ryan “Extraordinary — a world-class talent!”

Jackie Ryan, featured artist on NPR, Voice of America, CNN Espanol, and PRIMETIME A&E
has shared the stage and/or recorded with: Clark Terry, Toots Thielemans, Barry Harris, Amina Figarova, Cyrus Chestnut, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Red Holloway, Romero Lubambo, and Jon Hendricks, to name just a few.

Ryan's most recent double CD DOOZY, featuring Cyrus Chestnut, Eric Alexander, Romero Lubambo and Jeremy Pelt, has garnered 4-star reviews from both DOWNBEAT and All Music Guide, and held the #1 position nationwide on JazzWeek's industry-standard chart for 7 weeks - an extraordinarily rare achievement. Only one other vocalist's CD has exceeded it (Diana Krall's From This Moment On).

"One of the outstanding jazz vocalists of her generation and, quite possibly, of all time, rivaling the dexterous sass of Sarah Vaughan, the instinctive smarts of Carmen McRae, and the scintillating verve of Diana Krall." - Christopher Loudon, JAZZTIMES

www.jackieryanmusic.com

www.jackieryanmusic.com/ecard

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The Conga King at the Crowne
Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band
Friday, March 19, 10 p.m., Crowne Plaza Reading Ballroom
Tickets: $30
Click here for ticket information

Rumor has it that legendary conguero Poncho Sanchez’s mother fled to the U.S. after hiding under the bed as the revolutionary Pancho Villa stormed her village.

Born years later in Texas into a large Mexican-American family, Poncho Sanchez grew up in the Los Angeles area, where he was weaned on a broad range of Latin and non-Latin popular music.

Inspired by the conga playing of Cuban great Mongo Santamaria, he honed his skills as a percussionist and broke into the limelight at the age of 23 when he joined vibraphonist Cal Tjader's famed Latin jazz ensemble in 1975.

Sanchez performed with him until Tjader's untimely death in 1982; a year later, he began his unprecedented 23-year relationship with Concord Records, which has produced two dozen recordings, a Grammy Award and several Grammy nominations.

Whether it's salsa, straight-ahead jazz, Latin jazz, or even elements of soul and blues, the mesmerizing array of sounds and colors from Poncho Sanchez's youth have telegraphed across the decades and continue to inform his creative sensibilities to this day.

“There's room for a lot of different sounds in our music,” he says. “I think people have come to know that that’s what Poncho Sanchez is all about. We put it all together in a pot, boil it together and come out with a big stew. This isn't some marketing strategy to sell records. These are the sounds I grew up with. So when I play this music, I'm not telling a lie. I'm telling my story. This is the real thing.”

If music were about pictures, percussionist Poncho Sanchez's music would best be described as a kaleidoscopic swirl of some of the hottest colors and brightest lights to emerge from either side of the border. At any given show, on any given record, fragments of Latin jazz, swing, bebop, salsa and other infectious grooves collide and churn in a fiery swirl, with results that are no less than dazzling. All of these sounds and more come together in Psychedelic Blues, Sanchez's 24th recording on Concord Records, which was released in 2009.

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Strings, Keys and Voice
Turtle Island Quartet with special guest Cyrus Chestnut
plus opening act Joanna Pascale & Anthony Wonsey
Saturday, March 20, 7 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts/RACC
Tickets: $36
Click here for ticket information

Berks Jazz Fest presents an eclectic night of jazz with the Turtle Island Quartet with special guest pianist Cyrus Chestnut.

The duo of Philly vocalist Joanna Pascale and New York pianist Anthony Wonsey will be the opening act.

Its name derived from creation mythology found in Native American Folklore, the Turtle Island Quartet, since its inception in 1985, has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings.

Winner of the 2006 and most recently, the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album (for A Love Supreme: The Legacy of John Coltrane), Turtle Island fuses the classical quartet esthetic with contemporary American musical styles, and by devising a performance practice that honors both, the state of the art has inevitably been redefined.

Cellist icon Yo-Yo Ma has proclaimed TIQ to be “a unified voice that truly breaks new ground -- authentic and passionate -- a reflection of some of the most creative music-making today.”

The Quartet’s birth was the result of violinist David Balakrishnan’s brainstorming explorations and compositional vision while completing his master’s degree program at Antioch University West. The journey has taken Turtle Island through forays into folk, bluegrass, swing, be-bop, funk, R&B, new age, rock, hip-hop, as well as music of Latin America and India ... a repertoire consisting of hundreds of ingenious arrangements and originals.

It has included over a dozen recordings and collaborations with Paquito D’Rivera, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, guitar legends such as Leo Kottke and the Assad brothers, The Manhattan Transfer, pianists Billy Taylor, Kenny Barron and Ramsey Lewis, the Ying Quartet and the Parsons Dance Company.

Before launching his eclectic solo career in 1993 with his acclaimed debut Revelation, Cyrus Chestnut toured as a pianist for Jon Hendricks, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Wynton Marsalis and the Betty Carter Trio.

Over the years, Chestnut has also performed and/or recorded with, Freddy Cole, Bette Midler, Jon Hendricks, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Scott, Chick Corea, Isaac Hayes, Kevin Mahogany, Dizzy Gillespie, and opera diva Kathleen Battle,

In addition to appearing on the soundtrack to director Robert Altman's 1996 feature film Kansas City, Cyrus also made his big screen debut portraying a Count Basie-inspired pianist.

In 2000, he collaborated with Vanessa L. Williams, Brian McKnight, The Manhattan Transfer and The Boys' Choir of Harlem on A Charlie Brown Christmas, which he followed with Soul Food, a Top Ten Billboard jazz hit that was one of Downbeat’s Best Albums of 2002. His latest albums are Genuine Chestnut (2006) and Cyrus Plays Elvis (2007).

Since emerging onto Philly’s jazz scene, Joanna Pascale has established herself as a compelling and skilled vocalist. “Joanna is a highly sophisticated singer,” claims Philadelphia Metro. She has a working repertoire of over 400 songs and has appeared at some of Philadelphia’s premiere jazz venues including the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and Zanzibar Blue. Her discography includes When Lights Are Low (2006) and Through My Eyes (2008).

An adventurous yet flexible pianist, Anthony Wonsey studied first with his mother (a classical pianist) and then Zilner Randolph. After earning a full scholarship to Berklee, from which he graduated in 1994, Wonsey moved to Boston and played locally with Roy Hargrove and Antonio Hart, among others. While still at Berklee, Wonsey toured with Christopher Hollyday, Nnenna Freelon and Kenny Garrett. In addition to playing and recording regularly with Carl Allen and Nicholas Payton, he has recorded five independent albums, including his latest, 2005’s The Thang.

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Reading Eagle Community Concert
U.S. Air Force Satellite Jazz Ensemble
plus opening act Berks High School All-Star Jazz Band
Tuesday, March 23, 7 p.m., Crowne Plaza Reading Ballroom
Tickets: FREE
Click here for ticket information

The U.S. Air Force is back at the Berks Jazz Fest.

The USAF is bringing its Satellite jazz ensemble -- a highly entertaining and versatile 12-piece ensemble which performs the American musical art forms of jazz, blues and funk.
The band features repertoire from the great jazz masters, such as Oscar Peterson, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, The Yellowjackets, Charlie Parker and Herbie Hancock.
The ensemble also pays tribute to the Big Band leaders of the swing era, such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Glenn Miller. In addition, their fabulous vocalist entertains with musical gems from jazz divas such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Diane Schuur.

Satellite brings great jazz from the USAF Heritage of America Band, led by Master Sergeant Allen Wittig.

The Berks High School All-Star Jazz Band will open for the free community concert sponsored by Reading Eagle Company.

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Tribute to Bass Virtuoso
Electric Mingus Project
featuring Gerald Veasley, John Blake, Chris Farr, Tony Miceli, John Swana, and Butch Reed
Saturday, March 20, two shows/7 and 10 p.m., Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base at the Crowne Plaza Reading
Tickets: $25
Click here for ticket information

Irascible, demanding, bullying and long considered a genius, Charles Mingus cut himself a uniquely iconoclastic path through jazz in the middle of the 20th century as an artist committed to the spirit, spontaneity, and expressive power of jazz.

Most of his music retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third Stream Jazz and free jazz.

Gerald Veasley, one of the most inventive bassists of the current generation and founder of the Jazz Base at the Crowne Plaza Reading, will present his Electric Mingus Project at the club during the fest. He debuted this project live at the 2007 Berks Jazz Fest with violinist Blake.

“For quite a long time,” Veasley says, “I had this idea of interpreting Mingus’ music, and I finally put together a band that could approach this project with the utmost integrity and bold creativity. Because Mingus was such a force of nature, I felt it was important to make our live presentation multidimensional. We utilize not only electric and acoustic instruments but sound effects and narration of various topics in Mingus’ own words. There is so much to take away from Mingus' music and struggle.”

The Philadelphia-born Veasley joined Grover Washington Jr.’s band in 1986 and two years later moved on to the Zawinul Syndicate, led by fusion pioneer Joe Zawinul, co-founder of Weather Report.

Veasley’s résumé also includes sessions and/or tour gigs with Special EFX, Pieces of a Dream, McCoy Tyner, Gerald Levert, Teddy Pendergrass, Nnenna Freelon, Philip Bailey, the Dixie Hummingbirds, Phil Perry, labelmate Joe McBride and John Blake.

The bassist launched his solo career on Heads Up Records in 1992 with Look Ahead, which was followed by some of the most critically acclaimed releases of '90s and 2000s.

In 2005, Veasley responded to the clamor among his fans for a live recording with At The Jazz Base!, which was recorded at the club in November 2004. His latest album is Your Move (2008).

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Celebrating 100 years of Django Reinhardt
Frank Vignola's Hot Club
Tuesday, March 23, 7:30 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts/RACC
Tickets: $18
Click here for ticket information

This year, Berks Jazz Fest celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary (and still influential) Belgian gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.

Bringing the master’s unique style to life is guitarist Frank Vignola’s Hot Club, which has been keeping Django’s flame burning in tribute with many performances over the past year.

One of the first prominent European jazz musicians, Reinhardt (born January 23, 1910) remains one of the most renowned jazz guitarists due to his innovative and distinctive playing.

With violinist Stéphane Grappelli, he co-founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France, described by critic Thom Jurek as “one of the most original bands in the history of recorded jazz.”

Reinhardt's most popular compositions have become jazz standards, including “Minor Swing,” “Tears,” “Belleville,” “Djangology,” “Swing '42” and “Nuages” (French for “Clouds”).

Reinhardt played and recorded also with many American Jazz legends such as Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, Rex Stewart (who later stayed in Paris), and a jam-session and radio performance with jazz legend Louis Armstrong.

Later in his career, he gigged with Dizzy Gillespie in France. Ironically, Reinhardt could neither read nor write music, and was barely literate; Stéphane took the band's downtime to teach him.

The guitars used by Django and the Hot Club of France, the Selmer Maccaferri, are the first commercially available guitars with a cutaway. Another innovation is a steel reinforced neck. Many luthiers consider them to be among the finest guitars ever made.

A monster player, composer and improviser, Frank Vignola plays proficiently in every genre, from jazz to bluegrass. Whether he is featured on a Donald Fagen recording, a jam with David Grisman, as Les Paul's right-hand man or leading his own groups throughout the years, he has proven himself to be in the elite creating his own unique sound.

Vignola has toured with everyone from Madonna to Leon Redbone and Ringo Starr, and came into his own as a leader with his famed Hot Club of France tribute, which was hailed in the New York Times as one of the top-10 acts in 1988 and forged the way for the many Django Hot Club groups that followed.

Vignola later recorded with Queen Latifah, Mark O’Connor and Wynton Marsalis. He has performed hundreds of clinics and master classes at major universities and colleges, including Julliard and Boston University.

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Smooth Jazz 92.7 Fan Appreciation Concert
Kim Waters and Maysa
plus opening act Gregg Karukas featuring the Berks Jazz Fest Horns
Saturday, March 20, 2 p.m., Crowne Plaza Reading Ballroom
Tickets: $40
Click here for ticket information

Spotlighting the best urban vibes in the genre, the Smooth Jazz 92.7 Fan Appreciation Concert on Saturday, March 20, showcases versatile saxophonist Kim Waters and powerful soul vocalist Maysa.

Waters’ last two appearances at the Berks Jazz Fest in 2007 and 2009 were with his compatriot saxmen Jeff Kashiwa and Steve Cole, collectively known as the recording and touring ensemble The Sax Pack. Their two collective albums are a self-titled 2008 date and 2009’s The Pack Is Back, both on Shanachie.

Waters is the epitome of sexy, romantic cool. With 16 albums to his credit and 10 No. 1 radio hits since his 1998 Shanachie debut Love’s Melody, the multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer has sold close to half a million records, making him one of the most successful and romantic jazz artists of our time.

Waters’ high spirited ride on the love train continued on his eighth Shanachie collection I Want You -- Love In The Spirit Of Marvin, which found him celebrating 20 years as a recording artist by paying homage to one of his biggest all-time influences, legendary soul singer Marvin Gaye.

Waters has also produced Streetwize I & II, featuring smooth jazz covers of modern R&B/hip-hop classics.

R&B singer Maysa is returning for her second straight year at the Berks Jazz Fest. She was part of producer Jason Miles' Soul Summit II last year.

Maysa, a longtime member of the U.K. soul collective Incognito, has a large catalog of solo recordings.

She recorded her self-titled debut in 1995, followed by her solo sophomore effort All My Life in 1999, Out of The Blue in 2002, Smooth Sailing in 2004, Sweet Classic Soul in 2006, and Feel The Fire in 2007.
In 2008, she released Metamorphosis on the Shanachie label.

Maysa has also collaborated with Rick Braun, Will Downing, Jason Miles' Soul Summit, Rhythm Logic, Jonathan Butler and Pieces of a Dream. And has been produced by George Duke, Rex Rideout, Mike White(Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly),Chris “Big Dog” Davis, Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick of Incognito, Richard Bull (Acoustic Alchemy).

She is a spokesperson for RSV, a disease that can be fatal to premature babies.

When Gregg Karukas titled his classic mid-1990s album You’ll Know It’s Me, he was confidently asserting the reality that his first decade as one of contemporary jazz’s most popular artists confirmed: that longtime fans and new listeners alike could identify his distinctive melodic keyboard touch a few seconds into any one of his big radio hits.

By titling his 2009 release — and second on Trippin N’ Rhythm Records — simply after his initials, GK, he once again confirmed this exciting reality about a sound that’s been the backbone of the genre now for over two decades; GK debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart.

A Washington, D.C., native and graduate of Bowie High School, Gregg Karukas moved Los Angeles in the mid 1980s and began performing with Patti Austin, Richard Elliot, Grant Geissman, Ronnie Laws and Brenda Russell.

An original member of The Rippingtons, his hit recordings include Summerhouse (1993), Blue Touch (1998), Nightshift (2000), Heatwave (2002) and his 2005 Trippin’ N’ Rhythm debut Looking Up. He has also been a popular guest artist on tours with Boney James, Peter White, Eric Marienthal, Ricardo Silveira and Larry Carlton.

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Contemporary Jazz Stars
Peter White & Mindi Abair
Friday, March 26, 10 p.m., Crowne Plaza Reading Ballroom
Tickets: $40
Click here for ticket information

Reprising the excitement of their festival opening concert in 2009, Peter White and Mindi Abair will rock the Crowne Plaza Reading Ballroom late into the night at this year’s Berks Jazz Fest.

The veteran superstar performers, who toured together all throughout 2009, have defined the joyful, melodic and coolly grooving contemporary jazz experience for thousands of fans in the 2000s

With numerous Berks appearances under their belts, they are among the genre’s most popular touring artists.

White, whose most recent release is the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Top Ten hit Good Day, has participated regularly over the years in the annual all-star Guitars & Saxes tours, and 2005 and 2007 was part of Jazz Attack with Rick Braun, Richard Elliot and Jonathan Butler.

In 2008, Abair — who released her Peak Records debut Stars in 2008 — expanded beyond her U.S. base with her first concerts ever in Istanbul and Romania. In 2003, White and Abair launched their first annual holiday tour, and with Rick Braun joining them a year later, have created one of the genre’s most popular annual Christmastime events. The trio released A Peter White Christmas, a studio recording that chronicles this experience, in 2007.

Since the release of his debut reveillez-vous in 1990, Peter White’s distinctive R&B, jazz and pop instrumental albums and staggering 14 No. 1 radio singles have set both artistic and commercial standards for the genre. His partnership with pop/folk singer Al Stewart, which included White’s co-writing the classic “Time Passages,” spanned over 20 years.

Over the years, the guitarist has also recorded and/or toured with Basia, Dave Koz, Boney James, David Benoit, Gato Barbieri, Euge Groove, The Crusaders, Craig Chaquico and Kirk Whalum

Over half a decade after Mindi Abair broke onto the smooth jazz scene with her hit debut It Just Happens That Way and her No. 1 signature hit “Lucy’s,” she’s still an A-lister for summer and winter tours, festivals and cruises and has her own syndicated radio show “Chill With Mindi Abair.”

On Stars, her hit followup to 2006’s Life Less Ordinary, she kept her trademark instrumental sound hip and edgy and included more original vocal tracks (five) than ever before. Before breaking out as a solo performer, she toured with Adam Sandler, Duran Duran, Josh Groban and The Backstreet Boys on their famed Millennium tour back in 1999-2000.

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An Evening With The
Yellowjackets
featuring Bob Mintzer, Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip and Will Kennedy
Saturday, March 27, two shows, 7 and 10 p.m., Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base at the Crowne Plaza Reading
Tickets: $36
Click here for ticket information

The fascinating history of one of jazz fusion’s most celebrated quartets, which includes a whopping total of 14 Grammy nominations and two Grammy wins, extends back to 1977, when guitarist Robben Ford assembled a group of veteran session musicians to record his album The Inside Story.

The trio of musicians, which included keyboardist Russell Ferrante, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Ricky Lawson, soon discovered a certain chemistry that led to their formation of Yellowjackets.

Officially launched in 1981 as an R&B-oriented band starring Ford, the group took a giant step forward when, after Ford’s departure, altoist Marc Russo took his place.

With Will Kennedy replacing Ricky Lawson (who left to tour with Lionel Richie), the band began playing original compositions on par with those of Joe Zawinal and Weather Report.

Starting their recording career on Warner Bros. in the early 1980s, they signed with MCA/GRP in 1986 and enjoyed a string of well-received albums, including Shades (1986), which won a “Best R&B Instrumental” Grammy for “And You Know That,” and Politics (1988), which won for “Best Jazz Fusion Performance.”

In the 1990s, Russo left the fold and his replacement, Bob Mintzer (on tenor sax and bass clarinet), added more jazz credibility to the group’s music. They moved back to Warner Brothers in 1995 for several albums before signing with Heads Up for the Grammy nominated live two-CD set Mint Jam in 2002, which marked Marcus Baylor’s official recording debut as the band’s drummer. Will Kennedy has recently rejoined the Yellowjackets as the band's permanent drummer.

The year 2003 saw the release of Time Squared, their first studio album in five years; three years later, the band celebrated its 25th anniversary as an ensemble with the release of the live album Twenty Five.

In May 2008, the Yellowjackets released their 20th release, Lifecycle, which featured guitarist and labelmate Mike Stern, making it the first Yellowjackets record in 15 years to feature guitar. The album received two Grammy nominations, “Best Contemporary Jazz Album” and one for Russell Ferrante for “Best Instrumental Composer” for the track “Claire's Closet.”

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