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19th annual festival guide published by reading eagle

frank scott award / 5

smooth jazz 92.7 live broadcast schedule / 12

10-day schedule of events / 10, 11

severn records brings soul and blues to fest / 18

joyce cooling NAMI benefit / 19

he VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest brings new names to jazz and blues fans every year. But each year, audiences also look forward to the perennial Berks favorites.

Bassist Gerald Veasley is certainly a prime favorite, and a part of the Berks Jazz Fest family.

He is the perfect blend of performance and personality.A Philadelphia native,

the charismatic Veasley has played at the festival

in many capacities over the years, with his band, as part of his own Electric Mingus Project, as a special guest to other artists including Pieces of a Dream, as a member of the Heads Up Super Band, and, as part of the Channel 69 WFMZ live broadcast for the past three years as well as the very popular All-Star Jazz Jam.

Veasley is also one of the founders of Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base in the Reading Crowne Hotel. The Jazz Base is a venue for many Berks Jazz Fest concerts, as well as great jazz shows every Thursday throughout the year. He released a live album, At The Jazz Base!, which was recorded at the club in November 2004.

This year, Veasley is bringing Berks fans the Music of Stevie Wonder. Veasley will be joined by special guests Na-jee, Nnenna Freelon, Joe McBride and the Berks Jazz Fest Horns. The show is set for Saturday, March 28, at 10:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Channel 69 WFMZ.

“I have an affinity for Stevie Wonder music because it was my favorite music growing up,” Veasley said. “I invited people who share the same love for Stevie.”

He said vocalist Nnenna Freelon put her own twist on Wonder’s songs on her album Tales of Wonder, and saxman Najee recreated an entire album of Wonder tunes, Najee Plays Songs from the Key of Life: A Tribute to Stevie Wonder, an all-instrumental interpretation of a Stevie Wonder 1976 classic album.

“Joe McBride is an artist in the mold of Stevie Wonder,” Veasley said. “Music is just pouring through his skin.”

Veasley also can be seen as part of Metro, a fusion group led by guitarist Chuck Loeb and keyboardist Mitch Forman, Saturday, April 4, at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the Jazz Base.

“It’s a real treat to play with Metro,” Veasley said. “They

are great composers and producers, and the music’s so adventurous.

“Chuck and I, we go way back. He produced part of (Veasley’s 2008 Heads Up release) Your Move. I always admired him as a producer.”

Fans also will find Veasley jamming with Rick Braun, Loeb, Brian Bromberg, Chieli Minucci, Paul Jackson Jr., Dave Weckl, Bobby Lyle, Mitch Forman, Kim Waters, Steve Cole, Jeff Kashiwa, Nelson Rangell and more at the always-popular Berks All-Star Jazz Jam, Thursday, April 2, at 10 p.m. at the Reading Crowne Hotel.

Education has been an important part of Veasley’s career as well. He will host his ninth Bass Boot Camp at the festival, from March 27-29 at the Reading Crowne Hotel. He’ll be joined by legendary bassists Victor Wooten, Bryan Beller, Chris Farr, David Dyson, Andrew Gouché, Adam Nitti, T.M. Stevens, Richard Waller III and Anthony Wellington as faculty for the two-day intensive workshop. He also teaches bass students in his home studio.

VEASLEY, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

the philadelphia bassistis woven into fabric of berks jazz fest

by dana l. hoffman

A2 Sunday, March 22, 2009 reading eagle, reading, Pa.

Welcome one and all to the 19th annual VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest!

Our festival this year is jam packed with a variety of jazz events, thanks to our general manager John Ernesto, who works on the festival year-round to make sure we have one of the most exciting festivals in the nation.

Be sure to stop and shop at the VF Outlet Village on your way to any of the Jazz Fest concerts. VF Outlet has graciously donated the use of their shuttles to transport hotel guests to and from the vari-ous venues and to the VF Outlet Village. Look for the colorful shuttle pass -- with a $5 off a $50 purchase coupon at VF Outlet -- at the hotels and venues. With over 70 stores, there is fantastic shopping to be done at the Village!

While you’re here in Greater Reading, be sure to explore all of the businesses along the Penn Corridor, running along Penn Street and Penn Avenue from City Park, Reading, out to Wyomissing, who have “Welcome Berks Jazz Fest Fans” signs in their windows. Many will have special discounts to coincide with the festival.

There’s plenty to do while you’re here during Jazz Fest week, or you can “take a ride” back to Berks County for a future visit. All of the Corridor activities are listed on www.PennCorridor.com.

We have a number of unique shops, historic sites and activities you will want to visit, including The Pagoda atop Mount Penn, which

last year celebrated its 100th birthday; the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading, one of the largest arts centers of its kind in the United States; and the Reading Public Museum in West Reading, with a world-class collection of art and antiquities, as well as a planetarium and 25-acre park.

I’d like to thank all of our corporate sponsors for their tremen-dous support of this outstanding event, our Board of Directors, our more than 300 volunteers and the Berks Arts Council full-time, part-time and seasonal staff who make this festival possible.

The Berks Arts Council is not just the VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest. We are engaged all year in a variety of other community programs you’ll want to check out! Visit www.berksarts.org to see all that we do.

If you enjoy the festival, please consider showing your support by joining the Berks Arts Council. We have membership information available at all of the Jazz Fest venues.

Have a great time at the VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest!

veasley, CONTINUeD FROM PaGe 1The roots of his music run deep in his soul.Veasley started playing the bass at age 12 and recalls

learning a great deal from jam sessions at home with friends of his musically inclined parents. His parents’ hard work inspired him, and his outstanding high school career earned Veasley a four-year full academic scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania. During his third year, Veasley lost his father. To deal with the loss, he focused on music. Veasley taught himself how to improvise, transcribe solos and studied chord progressions, and he took up studying classical guitar to expand his range as a musician.

“When my father died, I had a hard time coming to grips with the loss, and the music proved very therapeutic,” he said.

“I thought, ‘If music can have that kind of healing effect on me, maybe I can spend my life creating music that can do the same for others.’ ”

He came to appreciate Weather Report and Return to Forever as much as he appreciated Earth, Wind & Fire and Smokey Robinson. Veasley has cited Jaco Pastorius, Anthony Jackson and Stanley Clarke as his main influences on electric bass.

In the 1980s, Veasley had developed into a versatile and reputable sideman and session player. He joined longtime mentor and friend Grover Washington Jr.’s band in 1986 and played on six of the sax player’s recordings.

“Grover was a gentle human being who I think about every day,” Veasley said. “I feel like a steward of his legacy, a legacy of honest, heartfelt music. It’s better to play one note that sounds like you, than a hundred that sound like someone else.”

Having held the music of Weather Report and Pastorius in such high regard, Veasley was delighted when, in 1988, Weather Report co-founder and legendary jazz fusion pioneer Joe Zawinul hired him as a sideman. Veasley toured the world with his idol until 1995.

“That was a real education, on and off the bandstand,” he said.

He has recorded and/or performed with McCoy Tyner, The Dixie Hummingbirds, Odean Pope, Special EFX, labelmate Joe McBride, Teddy Pendergrass, Phil Perry, Chieli Minucci, Dianne Reeves, George Howard, Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind

& Fire, Kenny Blake, Pamela Williams, Eric Marienthal, Onaje Alan Gumbs, Omar Hakim and many more. He has shared stages and tours with Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.

Since 1992’s Look Ahead, Veasley has released Signs, Soul Control, Love Letters, On the Fast Track, Velvet, and Your Move on the Heads Up label.

Love Letters (1999) was Veasley’s last album to feature Grover Washington Jr. before his death at the end of that same year. Washington had appeared on all of Veasley’s solo albums, and Veasley paid tribute to his friend and mentor with

“Goodnight Moon,” a tune on his 2001 release, On the Fast Track.

When not teaching or wowing audiences, Veasley is producing for other artists. He produced part of saxophonist Andrew Neu’s new album.

“We’re just finishing up,” Veasley said. “At a young age, he’s already a master.”

With his skill and versatility apparent both on and off the stage, it’s easy to see why Veasley is such a favorite here at Berks.

For more information: www.geraldveasley.com; www.geraldveasleysjazzbase.com

if you go...saturday, march 28The Music of stevie Wonder:Gerald veasley Band with Najee, Nnenna Freelon, Joe McBride and the Berks Jazz Fest HornsReading Crowne Hotel • 10:30 p.m. • $39

thursday, april 2Berks All-Star Jazz Jam, featuring Rick Braun, Chuck loeb, Brian Bromberg, Chieli Minucci, Paul Jackson Jr., Dave Weckl, Bobby Lyle, Mitch Forman, Kim Waters, Steve Cole, Jeff Kashiwa, Nelson Rangell and more Reading Crowne Hotel • 10 p.m. • $39

saturday, april 4Metro featuring Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman, Dave Weckl, Randy Brecker, Gerald veasley, Bob FranceschiniGerald veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. • $35

enjoy Greater Reading during the vF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest

it’s a real treat to play with metro.they are great composers and producers and the music’s so adventurous.

“

”

Connie LeinbachExecutive Director, Berks Arts Council

Jody Rex, 50, a local artist, school teacher and longtime Berks Jazz Fest volunteer, passed away on March 10 after a brave battle with brain cancer.

Rex gave her time and talents to many organizations, including the Berks Arts Council, Berks Arts Alliance, Reading School District, RCP and Genesius theaters, and Art Plus Gallery. She approached each day with optimism and passion for life.

She will be missed by the Berks Jazz Fest family.

1958-2009

ABout tHiS SeCtioN. . .This section is a product of the Marketing/Promotions Department of

Reading Eagle Company, publisher of the Reading Eagle.Lisa N. Johnson designed and organized the section. Dana L. Hoffman

edited and coordinated the section. Both are of the Marketing/Promo-tions Department.

R. Andrew Lepley provided photography. Also contributing to the section were Jonathan Widran, Cat Davis, and Berks Arts Council staff.

Reading eagle, Reading, Pa. Sunday, MaRch 22, 2009 A3

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A4 Sunday, March 22, 2009 reading eagle, reading, Pa.

WORKSHOPS, CliniCS,yOutH PeRfORmanCeS

SCHeDule Saturday, march 28 and april 4● Cows Don’t Fly and Other Well-Known Facts

Primary Stages Jazz Fest for Kids theater performanceLocation: Institute of the Arts, WyomissingTime: 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.Admission: $7 at the door or $6 ($5 members) in advance. For more information: 610-376-1576; www.institute-of-arts.org

● Get JazzEDHands-on educational workshopLocation: Schaeffer Auditorium, Kutztown UniversityTime: registration 12:30 p.m.; workshop 1 p.m.For more information: www.berksjazzfest.com/educational;

www.berksjazzjam.com● Steve Smith Drum Clinic

Location: Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base, Reading Crowne HotelTime: 1 p.m.For more information: www.berksjazzfest.com

● Community Concert with Berks County All-Star Jazz Band and Kutztown University Jazz I with KU Jazz Faculty

Location: Schaeffer Auditorium, Kutztown UniversityTime: 5 p.m.Admission: FREE

Sunday, march 29● Jazz Worship: Jazz Combo & Big Band plus Kutztown Middle School Jazz Band

Location: St. John’s United Church of Christ, KutztownTime: 10 a.m.For more information: www.stjohnsucc.org; 610-683-8531

● Worship Service: Reading High School CastleairesUnder the direction of Charlie DiCarneLocation: Grace Lutheran ChurchTime: 10:30 a.m.For more information: www.readinggrace.com; 610-375-3961

tuesday, march 31● United States Army Jazz Ambassadors Big band plus the Berks High School All-Star Jazz Band

Location: Reading Crowne HotelTime: 7:30 p.m.Admission: FREE with ticket

Saturday, april 4● Workshop* prior to McCoy Tyner’s 7:30 p.m. performance at the Miller Center for the Arts

Workshop Admission: FREE* is part of a grant from American Masterpieces Program of the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation

BeRKS HiGH SCHOOl all-StaR JaZZ BanD’09Alto saxophones:Andrew Mohler( Kutztown)Seth Ebersole (Gov. Mifflin)Tenor saxophones:Nathan Bellott (Gov. Mifflin)Jordan Graef (Boyertown)Baritone saxophones:Matthew Haelig (Fleetwood)

Trumpets:Owen Trexler (Wilson)David Quarmley (Kutztown)Carmen Ebersole (Gov. Mifflin)Dylan Hinnershitz (Muhlenberg)Kris Hartman (Kutztown)Trombones:Nathaniel Eshleman (Boyertown)Harry Trexler (Wilson)Bradley Richard (Boyertown)Adam Rudderow (Muhlenberg)

Piano: David Fahim (Kutztown)Guitar: Dylan Cowell (Kutztown)Bass: Nicholas Shaw (Muhlenberg)Drums: Jordan McCree (Reading)Vibes: Adam Rabenold (Kutztown)Vocals: Carmen Ebersole (Gov. Mifflin)

by dana l. hoffman

azz is America’s true art form, and it’s vital to keep that art alive by introducing and sharing it with younger people.

Along with presenting 10 days of amazing musical entertainment, the VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest also serves as an educational tool for local young musicians.

This year, the education committee, headed by coordinators Chris Heslop, Mike Eben and Carl Zeplin, has planned “Get JazzED,” a day-long program for young musicians on Sunday, March 29, at Kutztown University.

Eight schools are bringing full bands for a day of workshops, clinics, adjudications and performances, all culminating in a gala concert.

Educators will be Kutztown University faculty members Kevin Kjos, who heads the jazz studies program, as well as Allison Miller, David Cullen, Adam Koelker, Alan Apple and Scott Lee. They will be joined by guest clinicians Ingrid Jensen and Michael Davis, both New York-based musicians.

“The day is not about competitions,” Heslop said. “It’s strictly educational. These clinicians

will be interactive on stage with the kids.”“Get JazzED” is being presented by Voices,

the teen publication in each Tuesday’s Reading Eagle, and is being underwritten by a grant from The Reading Musical Foundation. An additional sponsor is Project Penske.

The event will close with a free community concert at KU’s Schaeffer Auditorium, featuring the Berks High School All-Star Jazz Band and the Kutztown University Jazz Ensemble I, which will include the KU jazz faculty and special guests.

For year-round jazz education opportunities in Berks County, students can go to www.berksjazzjam.com.

Another unique educational event of a different scope is Primary Stages Jazz Fest for Kids theater performances at the Institute of the Arts in Wyomissing. The performances are slated for throughout March and April, with fourt shows during the festival on March 28 and April 4, at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

“Original jazz music is put to an existing play,” Heslop said, who wrote the music for this year’s show, titled “Cows Don’t Fly and Other Well Known Facts.”

The play was written by Larry and Vivian Snipes, and is geared toward ages 2-8. Heslop said the show includes two professional musicians paired with two student musicians, thanks to a grant through the Reading Musical Foundation.

“It turns out to be great for everybody,” he said.

The Berks High School All-Star Jazz Band will once again play with the United States Army Jazz Ambassadors on Tuesday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. at the Reading Crowne Hotel, following an afternoon workshop with the Ambassadors.

Returning for its ninth year, Gerald Veasley’s Bass Bootcamp, March 27-29 at the Reading Crowne Hotel, gives students the opportunity to learn from world-class bassists Victor Woo-ten, Veasley, Chris Farr, David Dyson and more.

Hall of Fame drummer Steve Smith, here this year with Vital Information, is presenting his drum clinic, March 28 at the Crowne, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door.

As always, the VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest makes it a goal to not only entertain, but educate as well.

medley of educational events nuture jazz in young musicians

Guest conductor:Dr. Kevin Kjos, Kutztown UniversityCounty coordinator:Doug Matz, Kutztown Area High School

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michele Byrne-designed logo selected for use on festival merchandiseby ashley gellert

berks arts council intern

ach year, the Berks Arts Council looks for an artist to design a unique logo for its VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest merchandise, which is supplied by Lasting Image Promotional Products & Apparel.

This year, that honor went to Michele Byrne, an artist from West Lawn. The four jazz musicians in the logo were pulled from Byrne’s painting, “In Sync.”

Byrne is well-known for “The Art of Conversa-tion:” paintings through which Byrne captures intimate moments of communication – among friends at restaurants or between a mother and daughter at home – that might go unnoticed by others.

“Some of the most precious moments of my

life have been sitting and having conversations with my friends and family,” says Byrne. “These moments I never want to lose. The essence of my paintings is an attempt to have these moments live forever. I call this the art of conver-sation.”

Byrne also has published two books: “The Art of Conversation” (2002) and “The Art of Conversation: Manhattan” (2006).

Byrne’s artwork has been featured in nearly 10 solo exhibitions and nearly 40 group and juried exhibitions in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Florida, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.

Byrne’s awards include an Award of Excel-lence at the Wayne Plein Air Festival in Wayne, and a People’s Choice Award and Award of Ex-cellence at Paint Annapolis (Md.), both in 2007.

Byrne’s painting “The Jazz Singers” won first

place in the recent Frank Scott Memorial Art Show:The Art of Jazz.

Byrne earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and communication design, with a minor in illustration/painting from Kutztown University.

For more information about Byrne’s accom-plishments and art, visit her Web site at www.michelebyrne.com

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Reading eagle, Reading, Pa. Sunday, MaRch 22, 2009 A5

Festival management: Connie Leinbach, executive director; John Ernesto, general manager.

Berks Arts Council Board of Directors: Ralia Vardaxis, president; Jim Landrigan, vice president of programs; Craig Rosenfeld, vice president of administra-tion; Lidia Zidik, secretary; Theodore Bassano, Treasurer; Chuck Koch, past president; Ronald Bair; Karen Baxter; Alvin Booth; Gloria Day; Marilyn Fox; Bernard Gerber; Matthew Golden; Kay Haring; Melvyn Jacobson; William G. Koch, CPA; Chris Kraras; Dr. Julia Matthews; Sandra McCarthy; Thomas McMahon; Dr. Robert Metzger; Regina Gouger Miller; Sharon Patterson; Rev. Dr. Harry Serio; Lisa Tiger; Josée Vachon.

BAC Staff: Connie Leinbach, executive director; Beth Renfro, director of market-ing and public relations; Matthew Serio, program manager; Gary Spencer, production manager; Robert Coleman, controller; Brenda Hartman, administrative assistant; Tara Miller, office assistant; Lynn Stimeling, artists services; Ashley Gellert, intern-Kutztown University; Kristina Sunanday, intern-Alvernia University

Festival Production: Gary Spencer, festival production manager; Cat Davis, festival assistant production manager.

Stage Managers: Mark Rentschler, Joanne Phillipczak, Bruce Morton, Stanley Danner, Mitchell Grove, Lee Reiniger, Karen Haver, David Kurzweg, Robert Grinnage, Matthew Cullen, Steven Haver, Randy Lockhart.

Production Crew: Chris Bashore, Jimi Klopp, Ron Reber, Scott Rhoads, Ruby Smith, Chip Strunk, Mercedes Spradley, Connie Sweigart, Lisa & George Schmidt, Debbie & Jim Landrigan, Steve Philipczak, Mike Anderson, Barry Ellis, Suzie Ernesto, Glenn Curtier, Gregory Goodwin, Lawrence Hartman III, Joe Malone, Ken Perod, Tish Rodriguez, Lenny Stinson, James Winfield, Jimmy Diana, Thomas Brown, Greg Staron, Mike Piscatelli, Lyn & Greg Walker, Richard Bennett, Nina Beverly, Roger Levesque, Kay & Walter Nixon, Mary Beth Salla, Michael Grinnage, Leslie & Art Stricek, Jeff Oxenford, Brad Van Etten, Connie Andrews, Ray Heffner, Kyle Smith, Ty Roberts, Josh Cusatis, Michael Butler.

Technical support: Mark Burford, John Greene Jr.

Reading Buccaneers: Joan Antosy, Patrick Antosy, Peg Bainbridge, Drew Brannen, Gary Choyka, Maryann Choyka, Allison Fassnacht, Jean Heckman, Mary High, Chuck Jacobs, Laura Kauffman, Wayne Kauffman, Wayne Koller, Tyler Kulp, Jay Landis, Yvonne Landis, Bill Levin, Brad Mea, Ed Mea, Jean Miller, Joel Miller, Thomas Moore, Ian O’Mara, Mary Eileen Ormsby, Tim Ormsby, Jeff Oxenford, Leslie Rickert, Chuck Runkle, Thomas Siegfried, Bill Snook, Donnie Solinger, Rich Stekeur, Rick Thomson, Jordan Tuthill, Jerry Ware, Daniel Wildonger, Fred Windish, Bruce Young.

EMTs: Dale Berta, Pamela Berta, Deb Greusel, Janet Koontz.

Grants: Pennsylvania Council on the Arts; Reading Musical Foundation; Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation/NEA; Pennsylvania Presenters; County of Berks; State Sen. Michael A. O’Pake.

Sponsor development: Connie Leinbach, John Ernesto, Jim Landrigan, Craig Rosenfeld, Matthew Golden, Ron Bair, Sharon Patterson, Bernard Gerber.

Media sponsors: Reading Eagle Company, Lasting Image Promotional Products, Berks County Living Magazine (IDP Publications), Smooth Jazz News Magazine, Jazz Times Magazine, Wine and Jazz Magazine, Philly.com, Smooth Jazz 92.7 WSJW-FM, WXPN-FM, WEEU 830 AM, WDIY 88.1 FM, WRTI-FM, WFMZ-TV, Berks Community Television (BCTV), LAND Displays Inc., Clear Channel Outdoor Advertising, Lamar Advertising.

Community sponsors: Buddies Nursery, Inc., David & Mary Carlino, Clinical Research Center, Coca-Cola, Commerce Bank, The Dance Hall Docs, Gallen Insurance, IBEW Local 743, Kuhn Funeral Home, Masano Auto Group, Neo-Pangea, Reading Music Academy, Reading Precast, Inc., Rhythmic Exercises, Sterling Financial Advi-sors LLC, The Water Guy, Vision Auto Group, Weik Investment Services, West Reading Tavern, Wireless Microsystems Corp., Eagle Distributing/Miller Lite.

Hotel sponsors: Reading Crowne Hotel, Inn at Reading, Hampton Inn, Country Inn and Suites, Days Inn Wyomissing, Comfort Inn Reading, Econo Lodge Wyomissing, Bed and Breakfast On the Park, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Best Western Reading Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Abraham Lincoln Hotel/Wyndham Reading.

Hospitality: Cat Davis, coordinator; Liz Danielski; Rita Miller; Marvanne Kouvaros, Janet Danner, Awilda Goodwin, Kate Peires.

Volunteer Coordinator: Matthew Serio

House managers: Connie Leinbach, Robert Coleman, Brenda Hartman, Beth Renfro, Matthew Serio.

House captains & assistant house captains: Mark Shearer, Pauline Heckman, Ray Heffner, David Pepper, Ron Wentzel.

Marketing/Publicity: Beth Renfro, marketing director; Dana Hoffman, publicity director; Lisa Johnson, graphic artist.

Logo 2009 Graphic Design: Original art by Michele Byrne and assisted by Lisa Johnson.

Ticketing: Brian Sipe, Megan Nuding, Heather Soltysik, Hope Parkin, Michelle Lamonica.

Merchandise: Matthew Serio, Lasting Image.

Music programming: John Ernesto, Gary Spencer, John Graff.

Festival Photography: R. Andrew Lepley

Security Coordinator: Bill Katinowsky, coordinator; Desmond Kelley, assistant coordinator.

Transportation: John Graff, coordinator, Peg Bainbridge, Frank Gutekunst, Chuck Koch, Randall Miller, Robert Miller, Nancy O’Neill, Mary Eileen Ormsby, Paul Pawelski, Reading Buccaneers.

Web site/database: Patty Mahlon, Kevin Lawrence, Carrie Fritz, Jay Crouse, Dave Kauffman, Michael Kocher.

Workshops/youth activities: Chris Heslop, coordinator; Carl Zeplin, Shannon Sunday, Doug Matz, Mike Eben, Andrea Stover, Josh Taylor, John Loos, Glen Brumbach, Dan Long, Al Seifarth, Robert “Doc” Mulligan, Rick Dietrich, Kevin Kjos.

vf outlet berks jazz fest team

Support the Berks Jazz Fest! Join the Berks Arts Council.www.berksarts.org • 610.898.1930

by kristina sunandayberks arts council intern

he Berks Arts Council’s Frank Scott Award is given annually during the VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest to honor local, late jazz legend Frank Scott’s memory and his contribution to the jazz heritage in Berks County. Honorees are selected for this award based on their artistic ability as a jazz musician, as well as their active involvement in giving back to the community. Each individual has significantly influenced jazz music in a positive way throughout the community.

This year’s award will be presented to local musician and music teacher Erwin Chandler immediately before the Doc Mulligan and Friends concert, Saturday, March 28, at 3 p.m. at the Miller Center for the Arts. Past recipients were Robert

“Doc” Mulligan, Toni Lynne, Wayne “Al” Seifarth and Michael Eben.

“I am very honored and thrilled to be among this group of people,” Chandler said. “I knew Frankie and admired everything he did.”

Chandler is the co-founder of the Berkshire Brass Quintet and shares, with his wife Patricia, a music studio. In addition to being a very active French horn and piano player, Chandler also is a composer. He has composed over 700 songs, receiving many commissions and awards, including the esteemed George Washington Medal of Honor for high achieve-ment in composition for his orchestral work “The Constitution.”

Chandler received a master’s degree of music from Indiana University. After college, he became a free-lance musician, performing as part of the orchestra for musicians such as Johnny Mathis, Elvis Presley, Olivia Newton-John and Andy Williams. Locally, he has performed with the Reading Symphony Orchestra, the Pottstown Symphony Orchestra, the Allegheny Music Festival Orchestra and the Reading Brass Quintet. He is a longtime member of the Reading Pops Orchestra and has conducted many jazz shows. An active music teacher, Chandler has taught students French horn and piano in the Fleetwood and Hershey school districts, as well as through summer camp

programs at Lehigh Valley College. Frank Scott, for whom the award is dedicated,

was born on June 24, 1923, in Reading. Throughout his musical career, Scott played with many notable musicians such as Bing Crosby, Ray Charles, and Bill Haley and the Comets. Scott opened two nightclubs in the Reading area which had a great influence on the community, opening people up to

the sound of jazz, and played a vital role in much of Berks County’s jazz programming.

His album, Never Too Old to Dream, captured the heart and soul of his generosity which translates through his music.

The award was founded and underwritten by the JerLyn Foundation.

Erwin Chandler receives 2009 Frank Scott award

Erwin Chandler’s GAMUT project will perform Sunday, March 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. during a special brunch at The Inn at Reading.

A6 Sunday, March 22, 2009 reading eagle, reading, Pa.

Sax for Stax:Gerald albriGht and KirK Whalum

• Saturday, March 28, 2 p.m., Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

Berks Jazz Fest fans will be treated to a familiar superstar sax pairing as Gerald Albright and Kirk Whalum take the stage in the Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel). The two shared a similar bill at the fest in 2006 and in 2007 were part of the Guitars & Saxes finale at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, along with guitarists Jeff Golub and Tim Bowman.

Aside from being two of smooth jazz’s most soulful and dynamic veteran perform-ers, Albright and Whalum have something very important in common — a mutual love for the music and legacy of Grover Washington Jr. They spent several years touring with Jeff Lorber as part of the ongoing Groovin’ For Grover phenomenon, paying tribute to the Philly saxman whose brilliant blend of pop, soul and jazz helped lay the foundation for the popular genre.

In 2008, Albright celebrated two key anniversaries a year late with the release of his on-fire, classic funk and soul-kissed second Peak Records disc Sax For Stax. 2007 marked 20 years since he burst onto the contem-porary urban jazz scene with his debut Just Between Us. ’07 was also the year that Stax Records, now part of the Concord Records family, celebrated its 50th anniversary. This dynamic mixed bag of eight classics and three thematically and geographically appropriate originals (“Memphis Passion,” “Walkin’ Down Beale Street” with Whalum and “WC Handy Hop”) featured songs everyone has heard a million times jazzed and sassed up better than ever — “Knock On Wood,” “Respect Yourself” and

“Never Can Say Goodbye.” The titles of his final two GRP albums before signing with Peak, Groovology (2002) and Kickin’ It Up (2004), epitomize his energized, forward-thinking approach to music.

Whalum, who previously honored Washington with the cleverly titled “Groverworked and Underpaid” on his 2000 album Unconditional, never officially performed with his hero, but both were signed to Sony Music for years. After a few years of on and off touring with BWB alongside former labelmates Rick Braun and Norman Brown— and several projects exploring his first love, gospel music

— Whalum has enjoyed performing the music of two

other great R&B influences, the late Luther Vandross and songwriter/artist Babyface. His latest urban jazz album is Roundtrip (2007) and he recently released The Gospel According To Jazz, Chapter III. www.geraldalbright.com; www.kirkwhalum.com

AveRAge WHite BAnd pluS pieCeS of A dReAM• Sunday, March 29, 2 p.m., Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

This first of two annual Smooth Jazz 92.7 Listener Appreciation concerts will feature two beloved urban pop/jazz ensembles that have been grooving heavily since the mid-’70s: Average White Band and Pieces of a Dream.

Average White Band is widely regarded as one of the best soul and funk bands in the history of music. Though perhaps best known for their timeless instrumental No. 1 mega-hit “Pick Up the Pieces,” the band’s strength actually lie in their consistently accomplished songwriting, stretching across several gold-selling albums and multiple Grammy nominations. Though the six founding members — who launched the band in the early ’70s—hail from Dundee, Scotland, they took the influences of their American R&B heroes and developed their own sound, which was eagerly adopted by urban audiences in the U.S. and elsewhere.

While a good number of their most popular tracks, from “Cut The Cake” to “Let’s Go Round Again” attracted chart action as hit singles, many of their lesser-known album cuts became much sampled and turntabled “rare” grooves. The current lineup of the band, which features several U.S. recruits augmenting founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre, continues to record and tour around the world to ongoing critical and audience acclaim. Their most recent release Soul & The City captures the excitement of a 2006 live performance at B.B. King’s.

Since being discovered as teenagers in the late ’70s by the late sax legend (and fellow Philly native) Grover Washington Jr., Pieces of a Dream — pianist James Lloyd, drummer Curtis Harmon, along with numerous other musicians over the years — has evolved into one of the most popular and enduring recording and touring bands in contemporary jazz.

In 2001, Pieces of a Dream signed with Heads Up International and celebrated their 25th anniversary with what was undoubtedly their best album in years,

Acquainted with the Night. The album generated two top-five singles on R&R’s NAC chart. The follow up album, Love’s Silhouette, also scored top radio chart positioning and Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart top 10 status. Their 15th and most recent album is 2006’s acclaimed and ultra-romantic Pillow Talk.

When Lloyd, Harmon and former Pieces bassist Cedric Napoleon decided to turn pro and go for the big time in the late ’70s, they named their band after a collective vi-sion of music and hope. On some early gigs, they played a Stanley Turrentine bossa nova number called “Pieces of Dreams” and the name fit perfectly. www.averagewhiteband.com; www.piecesjazz.com

david benoit pluS Warren hill• Sunday, April 5, 2 p.m., Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

The second Smooth Jazz 92.7 Listener Appreciation Day event at the 2009 Berks Jazz Fest features contem-porary jazz superstars David Benoit and Warren Hill. Jeff Kashiwa will be joining Benoit as part of his quartet for this show.

A vital creative force in contemporary jazz over two decades after hits like

“Freedom At Midnight,” “Kei’s Song” and “Every Step Of The Way” broke ground on the thriving genre, David Benoit came Full Circle on his 2006 release which spawned

“Beat Street,” his No. 1 Radio & Records single that stayed on the chart for an entire year. On Heroes, the first of two releases for Peak Records in 2008, the five-time Grammy-nominated pianist celebrated 30-plus years as a recording artist by putting fresh, exu-berant spins on classic songs by legendary pop, rock and jazz artists whose brilliance inspired his own.

Since breaking through to instrumental stardom in the mid-’80s with his inimitable jazz-funk version of “Linus and Lucy,” Benoit has regaled hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide with frequent tributes to Vince Guaraldi and the music of Peanuts. His ongoing passion culminated with his second 2008 release Jazz For Peanuts – A Retrospective of the Charlie Brown Television Themes, a celebration of Guaraldi’s impact on several generations of jazz musicians featuring six dynamic new tracks, (three composed by Benoit, three by Guaraldi), five of which are newly expanded arrangements of TV cues that have never been previously recorded.

His name may be synonymous with smooth jazz cruis-ing since organizing, promoting, headlining and becoming the namesake of the popular Warren Hill’s Smooth Jazz Cruise from 2004-2006, but longtime fans know that the Toronto-born, Colorado-based saxophonist has been one of the key movers and shakers in the genre for close to 20 years.

After several popular albums with Narada Jazz — including Love Life, Love Songs and A Warren Hill Christmas, which earned critical acclaim for its unique mix of pop, R&B and straight ahead jazz influences — Hill joined Native Language and released the successful Popjazz in 2005. One of the great joys of Hill’s music since his 1991 debut Kiss Under the Moon is his amazing stylistic diversity; one minute, he’s searing your soul with a bedroom eyes song like “The Passion Theme” and the next he’s daring you to keep still on hard-core funk gems like “Subway Slam” (from 1997’s Shelter) or Latin jams like “Mambo 2000.” He made his debut on Koch Records in 2008 with the popular, critically acclaimed and very sweet La Dolce Vita. www.benoit.com; www.warrenhill.com

berKS all-Star Jazz Jam featuring Rick Braun, Chuck loeb, gerald veasley, Brian Bromberg, Chieli Minucci, paul Jackson Jr., dave Weckl, Bobby lyle, Mitch forman, Kim Waters, Steve Cole, Jeff Kashiwa, nelson Rangell, Matt Marshak and more

• thursday, April 2, 10 p.m., Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

One of the most highly anticipated shows of any Berks Jazz Fest is the annual Berks All-Star Jazz Jam, which transforms the Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom into a funky, jamming, smooth grooving, edgy fusion paradise where all bets are off and improvisations rule until well past midnight.

This year, all of the participants are performing in other settings at the festival, showing the diversity of talent hitting the stage for this once-in-a-lifetime show. First the guitarists: Chuck Loeb is performing with the fusion band Metro, Paul Jackson Jr. is doing a Jimmy Smith/Wes Montgomery Tribute with keyboardist Bobby Lyle, and Chieli Minucci is headlining with his band Special EFX and the Berks Jazz Fest Horns.

Bassists Gerald Veasley and Brian Bromberg are keep-ing busy elsewhere, too. Veasley is performing with Metro and also headlining at the WFMZ Live Broadcast, perform-ing the Music of Stevie Wonder with special guests Najee and Nnenna Freelon. Bromberg is playing with Rick Braun, Phillippe, Saisse and Ricky Lawson as part of the Chet Baker Tribute II.

The five-piece brass section at the All-Star Jam promises to be spectacular, with Rick Braun (who is also performing with Jazz Attack) and Nelson Rangell (fronting

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JAM, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6the Reading Pops Orchestra) joining The Sax Pack of Jeff Kashiwa, Steve Cole and Kim Waters.

Keyboardist Mitch Forman is headlining Fusion Saturday with Metro while piano great Bobby Lyle is doing the Jimmy Smith portion of the tribute that also features Paul Jackson Jr. paying homage to Wes Montgomery. Drummer Dave Weckl is also part of the Metro live experience at Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base.

JOE BONAMAssA PlUs MARIANNE KEITh• Wednesday, April 1, 7:30 p.m., Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

Blues-rock guitar virtuoso, vocalist and songwriter Joe Bonamassa kicked off 2007 with the honor of being named Best Blues Guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine’s readership in their annual Reader’s Choice Awards. The year continued with the release of Sloe Gin, Bonamassa’s seventh solo album and fourth on his own J&R Adventures label which featured a mix of heavy blues, big rock and textured acoustic tracks that he says was inspired in part by Rod Stewart’s legendary 1969 debut solo LP; the disc reunited him with producer Kevin Shirley, whose all-star rock credits include Joe Satri-ani, Black Crowes, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin.

Shirley previously produced Bonamassa’s You & Me, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Blues chart in June 2006 (all of Joe’s albums have either hit No. 1 or gone Top 10). Modern Guitars Magazine called the disc, “one of the best blues-rock CDs to come about in quite a while…destined to be a classic.” NPR host George Graham wrote,

“Almost four decades ago, British rockers who played bluesy guitar became the heroes on their instruments, people like Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. Joe Bonamassa carries on that tradition

… Bonamassa is in every way their equal.” His acclaim over the years has included: “The New King of Blues” (Guitarist

Magazine); “Right now, there’s no better blues-rock artist than Bonamassa” (Gibson.com); “Bonamassa is a bold talent” (Billboard); “Wicked guitar thrills” (Washington Post); and “This kid deserves to be in the same class with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck” (rock guitarist Ted Nugent after a jam with Bonamassa for VH-1’s “Supergroup.”)

Widely renowned for his insanely fluid phrasing and post-modern fusion of electric British blues, traditional Delta blues and rock ‘n roll chops, Bonamassa told Guitar Player in 2005, “When I play blues, I try to think a little outside the box, while still paying tribute to the founding fathers like Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson.”

Bonamassa actively serves as the youngest-ever member of the Memphis, Tennessee-based Blues Foundation’s board of directors, and is the lead spokesperson for their highly respected Blues In The Schools program, which educates students nationwide about the legacy and influence of the blues.

His latest CD, released in February, is the Ballad of John Henry. It hit No. 1 on the Billboard Blues chart.

Marianne Keith is a Los Angeles-based singer and guitarist whose latest CD is Beautiful Distraction.www.jbonamassa.com; www.mariannekeith.com

RICK BRAUN’s TRIBUTE TO ChET BAKER• Saturday, April 4, 10 p.m., The Abraham Lincoln Hotel Ballroom

One of the most talked about shows at the 2008 Berks Jazz Fest was Rick Braun’s beautiful and intimate Tribute To Chet Baker show. This year’s highly anticipated follow-up performance features Braun playing more classics from the trumpet icon’s catalog with the support of fellow contemporary jazz stalwarts, keyboardist Philippe Saisse, drummer Ricky Lawson and bassist Brian Bromberg.

Two decades after his tragic death in Amster-dam, trumpet legend Chet Baker — a primary exponent of the West Coast school of cool jazz in the early and mid-’50s — has never been more popular. In 2005, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry and the Oklahoma House of Representatives paid homage to their native son by proclaiming July 2 “Chet Baker Day.” Reissues and collections of Baker’s music continue to be released on a regular basis.

His generally restrained, intimate playing style attracted legions of fans and inspired several generations of contemporary trumpet players, including Chris Botti — who is now exclusively recording mellow, orchestrated music after a successful run in smooth jazz — and Braun. Tribute II will again bring musical history alive for those who may know more about the pain that fueled Baker’s longtime drug addictions than his brilliant recordings.

In addition to a thriving solo recording career, Bromberg has performed with a virtual who’s who of smooth, straight ahead and Latin jazz (Arturo San-doval, Herbie Hancock, Boney James) and as a producer has scored eight top 10 (and two No. 1) smooth jazz hits. His latest recording is Downright Upright, which was nominated for a Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2008.

After making his recording debut on Al DiMeola’s 1979 effort Splendido Hotel, the versatile Saisse expanded into pop and contemporary jazz session work with David Bowie, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, Peabo Bryson, Tina Turner, David Sanborn and the Rolling Stones. Saisse’s most recent projects as an arranger/keyboard player include three of Rod Stewart’s platinum The Great American Song Book projects and a duet with Céline Dion and Charles Azna-vour. His most recent album, 2006’s acoustic-driven covers disc The Body and Soul Sessions, was released on Dave Koz’s label Rendezvous Music.

A founding member of the Yellowjackets and a Grammy-winning composer, Lawson has collaborated with many artists including Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Steely Dan, Phil Collins, Babyface, Whitney Houston, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Bette Midler, Russell Ferrante, Toto, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Lionel Richie and many others. www.rickbraun.com

BRIAN BROMBERG QUARTET featuring Dave Weckl, Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman and Nelson Rangell

• Wednesday, April 1, 7 p.m., Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel (formerly the Sheraton Reading Hotel)

A versatile acoustic and electric bassist who has mastered numerous subgenres in the jazz realm — straight-ahead jazz, funk, smooth urban jazz and fusion, Brian Bromberg — whose record-ing career is quickly approaching the quarter cen-tury mark — is also one of the few players of his instrument to master the tapping technique made famous by Stanley Jordan, sometimes sounding like three bassists at once.

On his acoustic bass albums, Bromberg performs jazzy interpretations of various pop and rock staples from the ’60s and ’70s completely solo. Regarding his work with electric bass, Bromberg, among other bassists, helped popularize the piccolo bass, or bass with each string tuned an octave up, by releasing several

albums in which he plays both the bassline and melody. Upon first listen, many listeners will be surprised to learn that, although soaring guitar can be heard throughout the album, Bromberg’s 2005 release Metal contains only Bromberg on two overdubbed basses, one of which is heavily effects-laden to make it sound like an electric guitar. The Tucson, Ariz. native’s most recent recording is 2007’s Downright Upright, and he performed at the 2007 Berks Jazz Fest with his Downright Upright All-Stars

In addition to a thriving solo recording career, Bromberg has performed with a virtual who’s who of smooth, straight ahead and Latin jazz (Arturo Sandoval, Herbie Hancock, Boney James) and as a producer has scored eight Top Ten (and two No. 1) smooth jazz hits. www.brianbromberg.net

ANAT COhEN QUARTET• Sunday, March 29, 3 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts

Renowned saxophonist and clarinetist Anat Cohen headlines the Jewish Federation of Reading Day at the Berks Jazz Festival.

Originally from Tel Aviv, the versatile musician is rapidly becoming a major force on the global world music and jazz scene, with performances in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and South America. Aside from her extraordinary instrumental abilities on soprano and tenor saxes, clarinet and flute, she has a natural ability to absorb the music of different cultures, process it and interpret it with her own special take.

After performing extensively in Israel, Cohen spent two years as a saxo-phonist and clarinetist with the Israeli Air Force Big Band. A scholarship to the Berklee College of Music brought her to Boston in 1996. After graduating with her BA in Professional Music from Berklee, she moved to New York City where she continues to perform with various bands in the city as well as keeping a busy international touring schedule.

Cohen has been a longtime member of DIVA and Five Play. She is featured on their latest CD, Sherrie Maricle & the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Live in Concert. While with DIVA, Anat has had the opportunity to perform with guest artists such as Nancy Wilson, Dave Brubeck, Slide Hampton and Diane Schuur.

Cohen is also an integral part of a group called Choro Ensemble, the only New York–based ensemble dedicated to the authentic instrumental choro tradi-tion of Brazil. The group was a featured guest artist at the Apollo Theater with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. She began to perform as a bandleader in New York City clubs in 2004, when she debuted her quartet at Sweet Rhythm.

She has also been a member of Duduka Da Fonseca’s NY Samba Jazz (Brazilian Jazz), Brazooca Band (Brazilian Pop Music – MPB), Argentinean pianist/composer Pablo Ablanedo’s Octet Mango Blue (an Afro Latin Band led by Ecuadorian Bassist Alex Alvear), and has recorded and toured with Colombian bassist/composer Juan Sebastian Monsalve (Bunde Nebuloso with Jason Lindner and Jeff Ballard).www.anatcohen.com

BRIAN CUlBERTsON• Saturday, March 28, 7:30 p.m., Scottish Rite Cathedral

The 2008 Berks Jazz Fest wrapped with Brian Culbertson launching the tour behind his then-upcoming 10th CD, Bringing Back The Funk, an in your face, old school-styled groovefest executive produced by Maurice White and featuring Bootsy Collins, the James Brown Horns (including Maceo Parker), Musiq Soulchild, Ledisi, Ronnie Laws and Gerald Albright. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart and spawned the No. 1 radio hit “Always Remember.”

The hitmaking keyboardist returns to jazz up BJF this year at the Scottish

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The Reading Pops Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Willis Rapp, and special guest saxophonist Nelson Rangell will celebrate music from Rangell’s My American Songbook CD projects .

Jazziz writes that Rangell is “an artist of depth, a master of song, and a wonderful improviser.”

Such praise is con� rmation of what jazz fans have known for more than 20 years. Rangell is one of the most exciting and diverse performers in the genre, equally adept at soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone, as well as being a genuine virtuoso on � ute, piccolo, and, yes, whistling.

Clip this coupon to get one free ticket with the purchase of one $40 ticket to the Pops/Rangell show on Sunday, April 5!One coupon per ticket. Originals only; no photocopies accepted. Coupon must be presented at the Sovereign Center box o� ce, 7th and Penn Streets, Reading, in order to receive one free ticket. Tickets for this o� er are limited.

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Reading Pops Orchestra with special guest saxophonist Nelson Rangell

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culbertson, contInueD FroM PAGe 7Rite Cathedral on Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m.

In its review of It’s On Tonight, Brian Culbertson’s eighth album since 1994 and his 2005 GRP Re-cords debut, Jazziz Magazine proclaimed that the keyboardist had officially become “the Barry White of smooth jazz.”

The Decatur, Ill., native is a master when it comes to balancing that sense of cool seduction with one of the most energetic and entertaining live shows in the genre. One of the highlights of any Culbertson show since 2003 has been having his dad, Jim Culbertson — still band director at MacArthur High School in Decatur, as he was when his son was a student there — playing trumpet in the horn section.

Back in 1994, when he was still a student at Chicago’s DePaul University, Culbertson self-produced his debut album, Long Night Out, followed in short order by Modern Life and After Hours (1996). With 1997’s Secrets, the hits kept on comin’ with “So Good,” “On My Mind,” and his tender, piano-driven rendition of Marcus Miller’s “Straight to the Heart” (a song first recorded by David Sanborn). His catalog also includes Somethin’ Bout Love (1999), Nice & Slow (2001) and Come On Up (2003), which featured the beautiful “Our Love,” penned for his and his wife Michelle’s first wedding day dance.

His association with GRP began in 2004, when he contributed a breathtak-ing rendition of “If Only For One Night” to GRP’s acclaimed Luther Vandross tribute disc Forever, For Always, For Luther.

In conjunction with the release of A Soulful Christmas in 2006, he launched the latest smooth jazz holiday touring franchise, Brian Culbertson’s A Soulful Christmas. The 2007 lineup featured Gerald Albright, Howard Hewett and Nick Colionne. In 2007, he also played host on the Brian Culbertson All-Star Smooth Jazz Cruise aboard the Carnival Conquest. www.brianculbertson.com

eAst bAy soul featuring Greg Adams, Phil Perry, Michael Paulo, lee thornburg plus Joyce cooling band

• Saturday, April 4, 2 p.m., Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

Berks Jazz Fest gets funkier than ever on the af-ternoon of April 4, when East Bay Soul, an all-star rotating collective led by former Tower of Power trumpet great Greg Adams and famed soul singer Phil Perry, joins forces with saxophonist Michael Paulo and trumpeter Lee Thornburg. The afternoon at the Plaza Reading also features a performance by Bay Area-based guitar star Joyce Cooling.

East Bay Soul is a combination of instrumental soul funk and rhythm and blues vocals built on a design to discover new achievements rather than extend the past. Wide ranging and forward thinking, East Bay Soul is set to lead this new soundscape with a sharpened expertise from being on countless stages worldwide.

Look for the group’s new CD, due out this summer.Adams says, “We draw from my funk and R&B background with Tower of

Power and the influence it’s had over my sound and the sound that I gave to TOP through those 25 years I was in the band. Taking that sound and bringing it into 2008, we’re creating an all new ‘Metro Jazz,’ really a new approach of a melting pot of contemporary urban rhythm and sound and combining all the sounds from the city. The ethnic sounds of the trials of tribulations, the hard fought, the victories, sweetness and sadness. It comes through in the music in all forms. It’s world, it’s metro, it’s edgy, it’s urban.”

East Bay Soul’s horn section is headed up by the Grammy- and Emmy-nominated Adams (whose most recent solo release is 2006’s Cool To The Touch), Michael Paulo (longtime saxman for Al Jarreau, Peter White, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne and Rick Braun who has a solo career extending back to 1989) and Lee Thornburg (former member of Supertramp, TOP and The Tonight Show band who has also worked with Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt and Ray Charles). The ensemble’s original lyrics are crafted and sung in stunning fashion by Phil Perry, one of the finest R&B/urban jazz vocalists in contempo-rary music who won 2007 Soul Tracks Male Vocalist of the Year. Perry’s latest Shanachie release is Ready For Love.

On her 2004 album This Girl’s Got to Play — which was inspired by the soul-searching she did post 9/11 — Joyce Cooling, one of smooth jazz’s core guitar artists, made an ongoing commitment to making music about things that matter. Her early album titles were clever twists on her name, but the Revolving Door she’s referring to on her latest heartfelt Narada Jazz recording heads into deeper territory; it’s about the cycle of mental illness, which she knows intimately about due to growing up with a brother who was schizo-phrenic.

Cooling’s next CD, Global Cooling, will be available during the East Bay Soul performance, several days before the official release date of April 7.www.eastbaysoul.com; www,joycecooling.com

BélA FleCk: THe AFRiCA PRojeCT• Monday, March 30, 7:30 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts

Legendary banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck brings his latest world music excursion, The Africa Project, to the Berks Jazz Festival.

Often considered the premier banjo player in the world, Fleck is the winner of nine Grammy Awards and has been nominated 20 times in more categories than anyone in history: country, pop, jazz, bluegrass, classical, folk, spoken word, composition and arranging.

Last month, Fleck, along with his group Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, was awarded a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album for their holiday album, Jingle All the Way.

Continuing his virtual reinvention of the image and sound of his unique instrument, in his “Africa Project,” the multi-talented NYC native explores with native musicians the little-known African roots of the banjo, highlighting how richly diverse the continent’s music traditions truly are. Fleck recently produced the documentary, “Throw Down Your Heart,” which was directed by Sascha Paladino and follows the musician’s journey through Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia, and Mali as he explores the African roots of the banjo. Using his banjo, Fleck transcends barriers of language and culture, finding common ground and forging connections with musicians of very different backgrounds.

The highly acclaimed film has won numerous accolades on the independent festival circuit, including the 24 Beats Per Second Audience Award at the 2008 South By Southwest Film Festival, the Best Music Documentary Award at the Silverdocs Film Festival, the Documentary Audience Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Aspiring Filmmakers Award at the 2008 Mountainfilm Festival, which is awarded by a panel of teenage judges.

Fleck and bassist Victor Wooten formed Béla Fleck and the Flecktones in 1988 with harmonica player Howard Levy and Wooten’s percussionist brother Roy “Future Man” Wooten, who played synthesizer-based percussion. Levy left the group in 1992, making the band a trio until saxophonist Jeff Coffin joined the group onstage part-time in 1997 and eventually became a permanent member. www.belafleck.com; www.throwdownyourheart.com

GuItAr suMMIt featuring Ken Gehret, tom Witmer, Gary Wensel and Pete rogosky

• Thursday, April 2, 7 p.m., Gerald Veasley’s jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

On Thursday, April 2 at 7 p.m., Berks Jazz Fest presents a special evening with veteran multi-instrumentalist Ken Gehret’s Guitar Summit at 7 p.m. at Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base.

Gehret has been performing as a musician for more than 30 years, primarily as a guitarist and violinist in varied musical styles. He performs, teaches, composes and arranges for over 17 instru-ments including voice, woodwind, reed, string and keyboards, but his main focuses are guitar and violin. Gehret’s musical experiences stem from a primarily country music background, performing with well-known stars (from the age of 18) like Roy Clark and Mel Tellis. While with Jim and Jesse and the Virginia Boys, they were televised live from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

Gehret is also the designer/inventor of the 10 string M.I.D.I (Musical Instru-ment Digital Interface). Summing up his fascinating career, he says, “Some people play golf with their friends, some play bridge, others jump from cliffs using bungee cords. I like to play music with my friends because music is what I do and love. I love getting together with my musical friends to create interesting and wonderful sounds. I believe music is the most honest and immediate form of communication available to human beings.”

Gehret will be joined by fellow guitarists Tom Witmer, Gary Wensel and Pete Rogosky.

boney JAMes• Saturday, April 4, 7:30 p.m., Scottish Rite Cathedral

One of the true architects of the contemporary urban jazz sound, superstar saxman Boney James makes his first Berks Jazz Fest appearance since 2007 with a performance at the Scottish Rite Cathedral.

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

His latest album, Send One Your Love, a new collection of love songs, was released on Concord Records in February, and enjoyed No. 1 spot on the Billboard chart.

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james, CONTINUeD FROm PaGe 8The Lowell, Mass., 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 Ten 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). One of his most popular discs was Shake It Up, his 2000 dual album then-Warner Bros. labelmate Rick Braun, which marked his fourth consecutive No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart. 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.

His next album, Send One Your Love, a new collection of love songs, will be released by Concord Records on Feb. 3. www.boneyjames.com

jazz aTTaCk featuring Rick Braun, Richard elliot and jonathan Butler• Sunday, April 5, 7 p.m., Scottish Rite Cathedral

The 19th Annual VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest wraps in dynamic style with Jazz Attack, the bi-annual touring ensemble featuring three of contemporary jazz’s most compelling superstar icons, trumpeter Rick Braun, saxman Richard Elliot and singer/guitarist Jonathan Butler.

Since the group’s first two tours in 2005 and 2007, which also featured guitarist Peter White, Braun and Elliot have been on the road nonstop celebrating the music of RnR, their first dual release which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Contempo-rary Jazz Chart immediately upon its release in late summer 2007. Its catchy first single, the title track they co-wrote with guitarist Chris Standring, was also an instant smash, staying at No. 1 on Radio & Records Contemporary Jazz airplay chart for over two months. For both musicians, the overriding concept of RnR was to reach back beyond the contemporary jazz era and draw on their individual roots with powerhouse horn sections, Elliot’s with Tower of Power (1982-87) and Braun’s with War

(Mid-80s). RnR performed at Berks Jazz Fest last year. Braun set a record at the 2002 National Contemporary Jazz Awards in

San Diego by winning a total of five trophies. He also shared a Best Collabora-tion award with labelmate Boney James for their 2000 hit Shake It Up, which reigned at No. 1 on the Billboard chart for 11 weeks. Braun next ensembled with Kirk Whalum and Norman Brown for BWB, which featured the No. 1 hit title track “Groovin’,” and a popular U.S. tour in the fall of 2002.

Twenty-two years, 16 albums and thousands of live performances into one of the genre’s most remarkable careers, Elliot is still as enamored with recording and performing as he was the minute he finished his debut album Initial Approach in 1986. Elliot has produced many of his own projects, but in recent years discovered a more mature and deeper artistry in collaborating with megaproducer Paul Brown and Steven Dubin.

Born and raised in Cape Town during Apartheid, Jonathan Butler was only a child when he started singing and playing acoustic guitar. Racial segregation and poverty during Apartheid have been the subjects of many of his records. Butler’s international breakthrough came in 1987 with his Grammy nominated hit “Lies,” and his recordings Do You Love Me? (1997) and Story Of Life (1999) made him a contemporary jazz superstar. His two most recent albums, The Worship Project (2004) and Jonathan (2005), perfectly reflect the blend of sacred and pop influences he brings to his music. www.rickbraun.com; www.richardelliot.com; www.jonathanbutler.com

BoBBy LyLe & PAuL JACkSon JR. Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery Tribute

• Friday, April 3, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

Berks Jazz Fest has paid homage to legendary guitarist Wes Montgomery in the past — most notably at the concert that closed the event in 2006 — but this year marks the first time that the festival has paired the music of Wes with that of his 1960s contemporary, Hammond B-3 organ great Jimmy Smith. Contemporary jazz greats Bobby Lyle and Paul Jackson Jr. perform classics from these legends at Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base.

Jimmy Smith, whose performances on the B-3 helped to popularize this instrument, was awarded in 2005 the NEA Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the highest honors that the United States bestows upon jazz musicians. Montgomery’s fluid style and trademark use of octaves has inspired many of today’s most popular guitarists, including Lee Ritenour, George Benson and Norman Brown.

More than 20 years after he toured as musi-cal director with Anita Baker during her “Sweet Love”/Rapture heyday, people still come up to Bobby Lyle and say they remember him from those days. Others recall the Emmy-nominated keyboardist’s stints with Bette Midler, Al Jarreau and George Benson. Before signing with Heads Up to release Hands On, his 15th album over a three decade solo career, Lyle made history with his 2004 double disc Straight and Smooth, which became the first album in history to appear on Billboard’s contemporary jazz and traditional jazz charts simultaneously. His latest release is 2006’s Hands On.

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 ’70s, 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.

His most recent CD is the spiritual jazz classic Still Small Voice (2003). He is releasing his next album, Lay It Back, in January.www.bobbylyle.com; www.pauljacksonjr.com

jOe mCBRIDe & keNNy Blake• Friday, March 27, 10 p.m., The Abraham Lincoln Hotel Jazz Cabaret

Singer and keyboardist Joe McBride is a Berks Jazz Fest favorite. 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. His latest album, 2005’s Texas Hold ’Em, is a tribute to his adopted home state and the current poker craze.

McBride will also be performing for a jazz brunch on Sunday, March 29, at 11 a.m. in the Abraham Lincoln Hotel.

Kenny Blake also is no stranger to the Berks Jazz Fest. An internationally-acclaimed saxophonist, he has been performing for over 30 years. Blake’s smooth saxophone sound has thrilled audiences worldwide, yet he keeps his roots and his home in Pittsburgh. With five CDs to his credit his wide range of styles cover everything from swing, Latin, ballads and standards of all kinds. Blake works with an array of top musicians and can perform as a duo, trio, quartet and can even add a vocalist to provide a one-of-a-kind evening of entertainment.

meTRO featuring Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman, Dave Weckl, Randy Brecker, Gerald Veasley, Bobby Franceschini

• Saturday, April 4, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

For those who want to experience some serious jamming beyond smooth jazz, Berks Jazz Fest is excited about presenting Fusion Saturday at Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base. No ensemble has defined “fusion” better over the past 15 years than Metro, which is led by two veteran performers whose careers traverse the fusion, straight ahead and smooth jazz landscapes, keyboardist Mitch Forman and guitarist Chuck Loeb.

MeTRo, ConTInueD on PAGe 12

BONey james

RIChaRD ellIOT

BOBBy lyle

jOe mCBRIDe

jONaThaN BUTleR

PAuL JACkSon JR.

keNNy Blake

artist profiles / major concerts by jonathan widran

A10 Sunday, March 22, 2009 reading eagle, reading, Pa.

sunday, march 292:00 p.m.: Smooth Jazz 92.7 Listener Appreciation DayAverage White Band plus Pieces of a DreamReading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: $39Sponsored by Smooth Jazz 92.73:00 p.m.: Jewish Federation of Reading ConcertAnat Cohen QuartetMiller Center for the Arts: $28Co-sponsored by Jewish Federation of Reading/JCC including congregations, Kesher Zion and Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom

7:30 p.m.: Smooth and Soulful. . .Take 6 plus Wayman TisdaleScottish Rite Cathedral: $49Sponsored by Sovereign Bank

monday, march 307:30 p.m.: WXPN welcomesBéla Fleck: The Africa ProjectMiller Center for the Arts: $45Sponsored by Wachovia7:30 p.m.United States Army Jazz AmbassadorsReading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: FREE Sponsored by Reading Eagle Company and Capital BlueCross

tuesday, march 317:30 p.m.United States Army Jazz Ambassadors plus the Berks County High School All-Star BandReading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: FREE Sponsored by Reading Eagle Company and Capital BlueCross7:30 p.m.Andy Narell and the Catonsville High School Steel Drum BandMiller Center for the Arts: $20Sponsored by Reading Musical Foundation and Big John’s Catering

friday, march 277:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.The Tierney Sutton BandGerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel: $30Sponsored by The Anderson Group and Reading Eagle Weekend7:30 p.m.: Opening Night ConcertPeter White and Mindi AbairScottish Rite Cathedral: $49Sponsored by VF Outlet7:30 p.m.: Severn Records PresentsSevern Soul & Blues Revue featuring Steve Guyger, Big Joe Maher, Tad Robinson, Roy Tyler and New Directions, and the Severn Records All-Star BandThe Inn at ReadingSponsored by Reading Phillies and Eagle Distributing10:00 p.m.Joe McBride & Kenny BlakeThe Abraham Lincoln Hotel Jazz Cabaret: $2010:30 p.m.: World-Renowned BassistVictor WootenReading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: $39Sponsored by Penn National Gaming

saturday, march 282:00 p.m.: Sax for StaxGerald Albright & Kirk WhalumReading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: $39Sponsored by Vision Audi/The Q5 Launch3:00 p.m.: The Music of Gershwin and PorterDoc Mulligan and FriendsMiller Center for the Arts: $18Sponsored by Connors Investors Services Inc. and Jerlyn Foundation7:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.: Fusion at the BaseSteve Smith & Vital InformationGerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel: $30Sponsored by The Anderson Group and Reading Eagle Weekend7:30 p.m.: An Evening WithBrian CulbertsonScottish Rite Cathedral: $49Sponsored by Penske Truck Leasing7:30 p.m.: Severn Records PresentsSevern Soul & Blues Revue featuring Clarence Spady, Darrell Nulisch, Lou Pride, and the Severn Records All-Star BandThe Inn at Reading: $38Sponsored by Reading Phillies and Eagle Distributing10:00 p.m.Uptown JAZZUP featuring Erich Cawalla & Jen KinderThe Abraham Lincoln Hotel Jazz Cabaret: $1510:30 p.m.: The Music of Stevie WonderGerald Veasley Band with Najee, Nnenna Freelon, Joe McBride and the Berks Jazz Fest HornsReading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: $39Sponsored by WFMZ-TV 69

friday, april 37:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.: Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery TributeBobby Lyle & Paul Jackson Jr.Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel: $35Sponsored by The Anderson Group and Reading Eagle Weekend7:30 p.m.: Jason Miles presentsSoul Summit II featuring Richard Elliot, Jeff Golub, Eric Darius, Maysa, Simone, Bob Babbitt, Reggie Young, Steve Ferrone and the original Soul Survivors plus the Berks Jazz Fest HornsScottish Rite Cathedral: $49Sponsored by Toyota7:30 p.m.: An Evening WithPhoebe SnowMiller Center for the Arts: $45Sponsored by Sweet Street Desserts10:00 p.m.: Late-Night BluesThe Billy Price Band featuring special guest Fred ChapellierThe Abraham Lincoln Hotel Ballroom: $25Sponsored by Quadrant10:00 p.m.: Celebrating “Kind of Blue”Tim Price & Rachel Z and the Department of Good and EvilThe Abraham Lincoln Hotel Jazz Cabaret: $15Sponsored by Berks County Living10:30 p.m.The Sax Pack featuring Jeff Kashiwa, Steve Cole, Kim WatersReading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: $39Sponsored by Bell Tower Salon and Spa and Good Property Management

wednesday, april 1 7:30 p.m.: Blues-Rock Guitar VirtuosoJoe Bonamassa plus opening act Marianne KeithReading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: $39Sponsored by Land Displays7:30 p.m.: Kutztown University PresentsGiordano Jazz Dance ChicagoKutztown University Schaeffer Auditorium: $30; $27 studentsCall 683-4511 for information; www.kutztownpresents.org

thursday, april 27:00 p.m.Guitar Summit: Ken Gehret, Tom Witmer, Gary Wensel, Pete RogoskyGerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel: $15Sponsored by The Anderson Group and Reading Eagle Weekend7:30 p.m.Chieli Minucci & Special EFX with the Berks Jazz Fest HornsThe Abraham Lincoln Hotel Ballroom: $35Sponsored by Penn Corridor10:00 p.m.: Party at the PlazaBerks All-Star Jazz Jam: Rick Braun, Chuck Loeb, Gerald Veasley, Brian Bromberg, Chieli Minucci, Paul Jackson Jr., Dave Weckl, Bobby Lyle, Mitch Forman, Kim Waters, Steve Cole, Jeff Kashiwa, Nelson Rangell, Matt Marshak, Richard Elliot Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: $39Sponsored by Fraser Advanced Information Systems and Keystone Instant Printing

thursday, march 267:00 p.m.: Berks Jazz Fest Preview ConcertKutztown University Jazz Faculty Group featuring Kevin Kjos, Scott Lee, Cathy Chemi, Alan Apple, Allison Miller and David CullenGerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel: $10 at door

sunday, april 52:00 p.m.: Smooth Jazz 92.7 Listener Appreciation DayDavid Benoit plus Warren HillReading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: $39Sponsored by National Penn Bank2:00 p.m.: My American SongbookNelson Rangell and the Reading Pops OrchestraMiller Center for the Arts: $40Sponsored by WEEU 830 AM and Reading Eagle Company7:00 p.m.: Festival FinaleJazz Attack featuring Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Jonathan ButlerScottish Rite Cathedral: $49Sponsored by Lasting Image Promotional Products

saturday, april 42:00 p.m.: Golden Gate Groove Double-HeaderEast Bay Soul featuring Greg Adams, Phil Perry, Michael Paulo, Lee Thornburg plus Joyce Cooling BandReading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: $39Sponsored by Verizon Wireless7:00 p.m. & 10:00 p.m.: Fusion SaturdayMetro featuring Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman, Dave Weckl, Randy Brecker, Gerald Veasley, Bob FrancesciniGerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel: $35Sponsored by The Anderson Group and Reading Eagle Weekend7:30 p.m.: An Evening WithBoney JamesScottish Rite Cathedral: $49Sponsored by Weidenhammer Systems7:30 p.m.: An Evening WithMcCoy Tyner Quartet featuring Gary BartzMiller Center for the Arts: $45This tour engagement of McCoy Tyner is funded through the American Masterpieces program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius, a major initiative to acquaint Americans with the best of their cultural and artistic legacy.Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation/NEA10:00 p.m.: Back by Popular DemandRick Braun’s Tribute to Chet BakerThe Abraham Lincoln Hotel Ballroom: $35Sponsored by VF Outlet10:00 p.m.: Celebrating “Kind of Blue”Tim Price & Rachel Z and the Department of Good and EvilThe Abraham Lincoln Hotel Jazz Cabaret: $15Sponsored by Berks County Living10:30 p.m.: WXPN welcomesThe Derek Trucks BandReading Crowne Hotel Ballroom: $39Sponsored by VIST Financial

19th annual vf outletmajor concerts

take 6

east bay soul

tierney sutton

rick braun

béla fleck: the africa project

mindi abair

chuck loeb

mccoy tyner

gerald albright

boney james

victor wooten

wednesday, april 1 7:00 p.m.: Bebop, Ballads and BluesBrian Bromberg Quartet featuring Dave Weckl, Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman and Nelson RangellGerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel: $20Sponsored by The Anderson Group and Reading Eagle Weekend

how to purchase tickets• www.berksjazzfest.com and order directly online• Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com• Sovereign Center Box Office, Seventh and Penn streets, Reading, PA 19602

Reading eagle, Reading, Pa. Sunday, MaRch 22, 2009 A11

local events*berks jazz fest

sponsors

presented by

festival sponsor

hotels

friday, march 27 11:30 a.m.: Berks Jazz Fest Kickoff LunchThe Groovemasters featuring Bennie Sims & Cliff Starkey plus special guests Erich Cawalla & Jen KinderThe Peanut Bar Restaurant332 Penn St., Reading, PA 196021-800-515-8500; www.peanutbar.com11:30 a.m.: BC and the Blues Crewjudy’s...on cherry332 Cherry St., Reading, PA 19602610-374-8511; www.judysoncherry.com5:30 p.m.: Old Friends featuring Reggie Brown, Bennie Sims & Cliff StarkeySam’s Goose House Bar & Restaurant1665 N. 10th St., Reading, PA 19604; 610-373-20406:30 p.m.: Neil WrightAdrienne’s Inn at Centre Park730 Centre Ave., Reading, PA 19601610-374-8557; www.adriennesinnatcentrepark.com6:30 p.m.: The Blues FactorAmerican House Hotel2 N. Fourth St., Hamburg, PA 19526610-562-46837 p.m.: Connie Rainis, Randy Sarles & FriendsGracie’s 21st Century Café Manatawny Road, Pine Forge, PA 19548610-323-4004; www.gracies21stcentury.com7 p.m.: Carl Zeplin & Tim GrossThe Inn at Moselem SpringsRoutes 422 & 662, Fleetwood, PA 19522610-944-8213; www.innatmoselemsprings.com8 p.m.: By RequestThe Evergreen Club415 Hartz Road, Fleetwood, PA 19522610-944-7501; www.evergreenclub.org8 p.m.: Blues NightCOCODeCarlo’s Bar & Grill240 Penn St., Reading, PA 19602610-378-8121; www.decarlosbarandgrill.com9 p.m.: Skip Moyer QuartetThe Speckled Hen Cottage Pub & Alehouse30 S. Fourth St., Reading, PA 19602610-685-8511; www.speckledhenpub.com9 p.m.: Bobby NewtonChill Lounge2747 Bernville Road, Leesport, PA 19533610-916-2343; www.chilllounge.net9:30 p.m.: D3 & CompanyBlind Hartman’s Tavern2910 Pricetown Road, Reading, PA 19560610-370-71809:30 p.m.: Dance Hall DocsCanal Street Pub & Restaurant535 Canal St., Reading, PA 19602610-376-4009; www.canalstreetpub.com10 p.m.: Josh Taylor TrioBixler’s Lodge1456 Friedensburg Road, Reading, PA 19606610-779-9936

saturday, march 28 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.: Jazz Fest for KidsCows Don’t Fly & Other Well-Known FactsInstitute of the Arts1100 Belmont Ave., Wyomissing, PA 19610610-376-1576; www.institute-of-arts.org11:30 a.m.: Brazilian Jazz BrunchKen Gehret and Braziliancejudy’s...on cherry332 Cherry St., Reading, PA 19602610-374-8511; www.judysoncherry.comNoon: Pretzel City Dixieland Jazz BandVF Outlet Complex at the Food CourtHill Avenue & Park Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610610-378-0408; www.vfoutletcenter.comNoon: Leon Jordan Jr. QuintetThe Peanut Bar Restaurant332 Penn St., Reading, PA 196021-800-515-8500; www.peanutbar.com1 p.m.: Blues LunchLil’ RaguThe Pike Café930 Pike St., Reading, PA 19604610-373-6616; www.pikecafe.com

1 p.m.: Exeter Community BandHopewell Furnace National Historic Site2 Mark Bird Lane, Elverson, PA 19520610-582-8773; www.nps.gov/hofu/

2 p.m.: The Reese ProjectThe Manor at Market Square803 Penn St., Reading, PA 19601610-373-0800; www.manoratms.com

4 p.m.: Rittenhouse Jazz QuartetAtonement Lutheran Church5 Wyomissing Blvd., Wyomissing, PA 19610610-375-3512; www.atonementwyo.org4 p.m.: Early Bird Dinner MusicCliff StarkeyUpland Café700 Upland Ave., Reading, PA 19607610-370-78157 p.m.: Children’s Alopecia Project’s Spring SpectacularReminisceVF Designer’s PlaceHill Avenue & Park Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610610-378-0408; www.vfoutletcenter.com8 p.m.: Krypton City Blues BandDeCarlo’s Bar & Grill240 Penn St., Reading, PA 19602610-378-8121; www.decarlosbarandgrill.com9:30 p.m.: Dave Mell Blues BandBlind Hartman’s Tavern2910 Pricetown Road, Reading, PA 19560610-370-718010 p.m.: The Standard Quartet featuring Carl Zeplin, Tim Gross, Trey LaRue and Matt CullenBixler’s Lodge1456 Friedensburg Road, Reading, PA 19606610-779-9936

sunday, march 29 10 a.m.: Jazz WorshipJazz Combo & Big Band plus Kutztown Middle School Jazz BandSt. John’s United Church of Christ, Kutztown257 W. Walnut St., Kutztown, PA 19530610-683-853110 a.m.: Bagels & BachSIORAReading Public Museum500 Museum Road, West Reading, PA 19611610-371-5850; www.readingpublicmuseum.org10:30 a.m.: Worship Service Reading High School CastleairesGrace Lutheran Church 33 S. 11th St., Reading 610-375-3961; www.readinggrace.com11 a.m.: Jazz BrunchJoe McBrideThe Abraham Lincoln Hotel100 N. Fifth St., Reading, PA 19601610-372-3700www.wyndham.com/hotels/RDGHT/main.wnt11 a.m.: Jazz BrunchGAMUT featuring Erwin Chandler and friendsThe Inn at Reading1040 N. Park Road, Wyomissing, 19610610-372-7811; www.innatreading.comNoon: Pretzel City Dixieland Jazz BandVF Outlet Complex at the Food CourtHill Avenue & Park Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610610-378-0408; www.vfoutletcenter.comNoon: Neil Wright TrioGracie’s 21st Century CaféManatawny Road, Pine Forge, PA 19548610-323-4004; www.gracies21stcentury.com2 p.m.: International Jazz AfternoonNewpoli-Southern Italian Folk EnsembleFrancis Hall Auditorium, Alvernia College400 Saint Bernardine St., Reading, PA 196071-888-ALVERNIA2 p.m.: BVNA 100th Anniversary CelebrationDeanna ReubenBerks Visiting Nurses Association/Wyomissing1170 Berkshire Blvd., Wyomissing, PA 19610610-378-04813 p.m.: Joyful JazzBeverly McDevitt, Michael Trach & Skip MoyerSt. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Reading1559 Perkiomen Ave., Reading, PA 19602610-373-3135

4 p.m.: Blues DinnerDuck Soup & the Fowl Mouth HornsThe Pike Café930 Pike St., Reading, PA 19604610-373-6616; www.pikecafe.com

tuesday, march 31 7 p.m.: Skip Moyer BandReading Liederkranz143 Spook Lane, Reading, PA 19606610-373-3982; www.readingliederkranz.com7:30 p.m.: An Evening of Jazz/FunkBig Beat TornadoHoly Cross United Methodist Church/Reading329 N. Fifth St., Reading, PA 19601610-373-7260; memholycross.homestead.com

wednesday, april 1 11:30: DID Berks Jazz Fest Mid-Day Café Pretzel City Dixieland Jazz BandSovereign Performing Arts Center136 N. Sixth Street, Reading, PA 19601610-898-7299www.sovereigncenter.com5:30 p.m.: David CullenBensi Ristorante ItalianoThe Shoppes at Wyomissing700 Woodland Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610610-375-3222www.bensirestaurants.com6:30 p.m.: Skip Moyer QuartetBlind Hartman’s Tavern2910 Pricetown Road, Reading, PA 19560610-370-71806:30 p.m.: Deanna ReubenDans Restaurant1049 Penn St., Reading, PA 19601610-373-2075www.dansrestaurant.com7:30 p.m.: Neil WrightCousin’s Pub/Shoemakersville1360 Pottsville Pike, Shoemakersville, PA 19555610-562-52028 p.m.: The Suzy Dalton Jazz QuintetThe Peanut Bar Restaurant332 Penn St., Reading, PA 196021-800-515-8500www.peanutbar.com

thursday, april 2 6:30 p.m.: Neil Wright & Diana DupreDans Restaurant1049 Penn St., Reading, PA 19601610-373-2075; www.dansrestaurant.com8 p.m.: David CullenUpland Café700 Upland Ave., Reading, PA 19607610-370-78158 p.m.: Bobby Newton & FriendsDeCarlo’s Bar & Grill240 Penn St., Reading, PA 19602610-378-8121www.decarlosbarandgrill.com

friday, april 3 11:30 a.m.: David CullenBensi Ristorante ItalianoThe Shoppes at Wyomissing700 Woodland Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610610-375-3222; www.bensirestaurants.com6:30 p.m.: Ray Allen & FriendsGalen Hall Country ClubGalen Hall Road, Wernersville, PA 19565610-678-54247 p.m.: Neil WrightGracie’s 21st Century CaféManatawny Road, Pine Forge, PA 19548610-323-4004; www.gracies21stcentury.com7 p.m.: Josh Taylor TrioSam’s Goose House Bar & Restaurant1665 N. 10th St., Reading, PA 19604610-373-20408 p.m.: Pretzel City Dixieland Jazz BandThe Evergreen Club415 Hartz Road, Fleetwood, PA 19522610-944-7501; www.evergreenclub.org8 p.m.: Jim MeckCousin’s Pub/Shoemakersville1360 Pottsville Pike, Shoemakersville, PA 19555610-562-5202

9 p.m.: Bluzin’ with Bev ConklinThe Speckled Hen Cottage Pub & Alehouse30 S. Fourth St., Reading, PA 19602610-685-8511; www.speckledhenpub.com9 p.m.: BunchafunkDeCarlo’s Bar & Grill240 Penn St., Reading, PA 19602610-378-8121; www.decarlosbarandgrill.com9 p.m.: Bobby NewtonChill Lounge2747 Bernville Road, Leesport, PA 19533610-916-2343; www.chilllounge.net9:30 p.m.: Blues PartyDuck Soup & the Fowl Mouth HornsBlind Hartman’s Tavern2910 Pricetown Road, Reading, PA 19560610-370-718010 p.m.: Carl Zeplin & Tim GrossBixler’s Lodge1456 Friedensburg Road, Reading, PA 19606610-779-9936

saturday, april 4 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.: Jazz Fest for KidsCows Don’t Fly & Other Well-Known FactsInstitute of the Arts1100 Belmont Ave., Wyomissing, PA 19610610-376-1576; www.institute-of-arts.orgNoon: Jimmy Z’s Bone Tom Jazz BandVF Outlet Complex at the Food CourtHill Avenue & Park Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610610-378-0408; www.vfoutletcenter.com1 p.m.: Jazz/Blues LunchD3 & CompanyThe Pike Café930 Pike St., Reading, PA 19604610-373-6616; www.pikecafe.com7:30 p.m.: The Suzy Dalton Jazz QuintetYR ClubParkside Drive South & Thrush Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610610-376-1303; www.berksyrclub.com8 p.m.: Uniques featuring James TisdaleDeCarlo’s Bar & Grill240 Penn St., Reading, PA 19602610-378-8121; www.decarlosbarandgrill.com9 p.m.: Rob Diener & AnomalyCanal Street Pub & Restaurant535 Canal St., Reading, PA 19602610-376-4009; www.canalstreetpub.com9 p.m.: Seth Mellon & Gerry WernerUpland Café700 Upland Ave., Reading, PA 19607610-370-78159:30 p.m.: Blues NightLil’ RaguBlind Hartman’s Tavern2910 Pricetown Road, Reading, PA 19560610-370-718010 p.m.: Skip Moyer QuartetBixler’s Lodge1456 Friedensburg Road, Reading, PA 19606610-779-9936

sunday, april 5 Noon: Jimmy Z’s Bone Tom Jazz BandVF Outlet Complex at the Food CourtHill Avenue & Park Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610610-378-0408; www.vfoutletcenter.comNoon: Jazz BrunchConnie Rainis, Randy Sarles & FriendsGracie’s 21st Century CaféManatawny Road, Pine Forge, PA 19548610-323-4004; www.gracies21stcentury.com12:30 p.m.: David CullenDans Restaurant1049 Penn St., Reading, PA 19601610-373-2075; www.dansrestaurant.com4 p.m.: David Cullen & Kelly MeasheyBixler’s Lodge1456 Friedensburg Road, Reading, PA 19606610-779-99364 p.m.: Blues DinnerDave Mell Blues BandThe Pike Café930 Pike St., Reading, PA 19604610-373-6616; www.pikecafe.com

warren hill

joe bonamassa

andy narell

average white band

derek trucks

phoebe snow

*cover or music charge may apply

metro, CoNtINUeD From PAGe 9After three years studying at the Manhattan School

of Music, Forman, a New York native, began working with bands in NYC and began touring and recording with Gerry Mulligan and Stan Getz. He later hit the road withroad with Phil Woods, Carla Bley, Mel Tormé and Astrud Gilberto, recorded two solo piano albums and toured in Europe regularly. Forman then joined John McLaughlin on tour and contributed to two of his recordings, the seminal Mahavishnu and Adventures in Radioland. In ad-dition to numerous solo recordings, Forman has worked with Wayne Shorter, John Scofield, Mike Stern, Janis Siegel, Dave Samuels, Diane Schuur, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Freddie Hubbard, Rickie Lee Jones, Rick Braun and Jeff Golub. He has been part of Metro’s five critically acclaimed albums, most recently Metrolive (2004).

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

Perhaps best known for his influential and ground-breaking work with his saxophonist brother Michael

— collectively known as The Brecker Brothers — Randy Brecker has been shaping the sound of jazz, R&B and rock for more than three decades, gracing hundreds of albums by everyone from James Taylor, Bruce Spring-steen and Chaka Khan to George Benson, Frank Zappa and Steely Dan. Last month, Brecker won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for his 2008 release Randy in Brasil.

In 2005, Gerald 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 studio album is 2008’s Your Move.

Saxophonist Bobby Franceschini has worked with Chaka Khan, George Benson, Woody Shaw, Dave Valentin, Kenny Kirkland, Eddie Palmieri, Michel Camilo, Willie Colon, Victor Bailey and Charlie Sepulveda. www.chuckloeb.com; www.mitchelforman.com

ChIelI mINUCCI & SPeCIAl eFX wIth the BerkS JAzz FeSt horNS AND SPeCIAl GUeSt NelSoN rANGell

• Thursday, April 2, 7:30 p.m., The Abraham Lincoln Hotel BallroomIn his first Berks Jazz Fest appearance since 2006, guitarist extraordinaire

Chieli Minucci brings the latest lineup of his longtime jazz/world fusion group

Special EFX to the Abraham Lincoln Hotel. Adding to his always dynamic energy will be special guests, the Berks Jazz Fest horns.

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.

He formed his first group, Taurus, at age 13 and was introduced to jazz while attending Ithaca College in upstate New York. He later gained some invaluable on-the-gig training with the NYC-based R&B band BB & Q. He met percussionist George Jinda at a jam session and they formed Special EFX in 1982, recording for GRP, JVC and ultimately Shanachie as they helped chart the evolution of contemporary jazz. Minucci also recorded three solo projects for JVC before signing with Shanachie in 2000. His latest solo release for the label is Sweet Surrender (2007).

Special EFX had 13 albums under its belt when creative differences saw the amicable parting of Minucci and Jinda in the mid-’90s. Minucci launched a successful solo career and Jinda recorded a 14th Special EFX album, 1996’s Here To Stay. Jinda then suffered a devastating asthma/diabetic attack that left him with a neurological condition called myoclonic disorder. With the bless-ing of Jinda and his wife, Minucci kept the Special EFX vision alive with the help of saxophonist David Mann. The percussionist passed away in 2002. Minucci’s last Special EFX release was Party in 2003. www.chielimusic.com

DoC mUllIGAN PreSeNtS the mUSIC oF GerShwIN AND Porter• Saturday, March 28, 3 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts

Beloved trombonist, composer and arranger Robert “Doc Mulligan will be joined by a roster of great local musicians, including Bill Hicks and Doug Matz on trumpet; Chuck Dressler on trombone; Erwin Chandler, French horn; Tom Strohman, alto saxophone and flute; Mike Eben, tenor sax and flute; Chris Heslop, baritone sax and alto flute; Marty Mellinger, piano; Keith Mohler, bass; Lew Leabman, drums; and guests Joanna Pascal, vocalist; and Larry McKenna on tenor sax.

“(Gershwin and Cole) were great songwriters,” Mulligan said. “They wrote so many good tunes and you can’t hear them today.

This is our attempt to present the best in American music; people should be hearing these things.”

He said the show will feature mostly tunes from either shows or movies.Last May, Mulligan performed the American Songbook with different artists,

also in the Miller Center.Mulligan, a Spring Township resident, began his musical career playing in

his high school band. He continued through college, but then took a sabbatical from music while in medical school. He resumed playing again in the late 1950s. In the 1960s, he played with the Hafer-Jacobsen Orchestra, and then formed Trombones Incorporated in the 1970s. He found himself often having to balance his love of music with his love of his career as a radiologist.

ANDy NArell AND the CAtoNSvIlle hIGh SChool Steel DrUm BAND• Tuesday, March 31, 7:30 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts

On Tuesday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m., Berks Jazz Fest presents a very special, tropically tinged “trip to the islands” with world-renowned steel pan master Andy Narell and the Catonsville High Steel Drum Band.

With the release of his fifth Heads Up recording Tatoom in 2007, Narell continued his extraordi-nary musical journey. On his 13th solo album

— which joins his discography as co-leader of the Caribbean Jazz Project with Dave Samuels and Paquito D’Rivera in the mid-1990s and two discs with Sakesho — the master musician once again took the sound of the big steel band into uncharted jazz territory with special guests Mike Stern, David Sanchez and Luis Conte.

In addition to his dynamic solo recording and global touring career, Narell has over the years performed and recorded with artists as diverse as Chucho Valdes, Bela Fleck, Marcus Miller, Angelique Kidjo, Toto, Nancy Wilson, David Rudder, Dr. Billy Taylor, Irakere, Tito Puente, Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, Vince Mendoza and The WDR Big Band, Maraca and the Kronos String Quartet.

He has also played on numerous movie scores by James Horner, Maurice Jarre, Elmer Bernstein, Hans Zimmer, Michel Colombier and Thomas Newman, and his compositions have been featured in the film “The Firm” and TV shows like “Designing Women” and “Going to Extremes,” as well as commercials for Apple Computers, Sony, Porsche and Southwest Bell.

As a bandleader, he has played hundreds of concerts and jazz festivals throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, the Caribbean, South America

nAreLL, COnTInUeD On PAGe 13

S

A12 Sunday, March 22, 2009 reading eagle, reading, Pa.

hotel/major concert venue addresses• The AbrAhAm LincoLn hoTeLFifth & Washington streets, Reading, 19601; 610-372-3700• besT wesTern reAding inn2299 Lancaster Pike, Reading, 19601; 610-777-7888• comforT inn2200 Stacy Drive, Reading, 19605; 610-371-0500• counTry inn & suiTes405 N. Park Road, Wyomissing, 19610; 610-373-4444• dAys inn910 Woodland Road, Wyomissing, 19610; 610-374-1500• econo Lodge635 Spring St., Wyomissing, 19610; 610-378-5105• hAmpTon inn1800 Paper Mill Road, Wyomissing, 19610; 610-374-8100• hoLidAy inn express2389 Bernville Road, Reading, 19605; 610-372-0700• homewood suiTesRoute 222 north, 2801 Paper Mill Road, Wyomissing, 19610; 610-736-3100• The inn AT reAding1040 N. Park Road, Wyomissing, 19610; 610-372-7811• miLLer cenTer for The ArTs/rAcc4 North Second Street, Reading, 19601; 610-607-6205 • reAding crowne hoTeL1741 Paper Mill Road, Wyomissing, 19610; 610-376-3811• scoTTish riTe cAThedrAL310 S. Seventh Ave., West Reading, 19611; 610-373-0104

directionsreAding crowne hoTeL AreA (formerly sheration reading hotel) To The AbrAhAm LincoLn hoTeL:

Access to the hotel is off Paper Mill Road and it faces Woodland Road. From the parking lots, make a right onto Paper Mill Road (you can’t make a left) and go to the light and make a right onto Berkshire Boulevard. At the next light (you will see Home Depot) make a right onto Crossing Drive. Go through the next traffic light (Woodland Road) and take the first right onto the bypass on-ramp (Route 12 east/Route 422 east).

Stay in the right lane and take the second exit (for 222 south/422 east, Lancaster/Pottstown). You will go about two miles to the third exit on the right (Penn Street, Reading).

***Merge onto the Penn Street bridge. Get into the left lane to be able to go straight. At the fourth traffic light, make a left onto Fifth Street and go to the second traffic light. The Abraham Lincoln Hotel is on the corner of Fifth and Washington streets. Make a left onto Washington Street (a one-way street) and a right into the parking garage. It looks like you are turning into the building.

The AbrAhAm LincoLn hoTeL To The reAding crowne hoTeL AreA:The Abraham Lincoln Hotel parking garage exits to Fifth Street. Make a

right onto it and make an immediate right at the light onto Washington Street. Continue on Washington to third traffic light and stay in the middle lane. At the light the left two lanes turn left. After turning left, get in the far right lane. You will have to turn right at the next light, which will then take you onto the Penn Street bridge.

Stay in the right lane and take the on-ramp for 422 west. Continue on 422 west to the third exit (422 west Lebanon), which will keep you on 422.

Stay in the right lane and get off immediately at the Paper Mill Road exit. At the traffic light go straight to access the Reading Crowne Hotel parking lots.

The inn AT reAding And counTry inn And suiTes AreA To downTown reAding:

bypass-travel route: Turn right on to Park Road (from either accommoda-tions) and go the traffic light at the intersection with Wyomissing Boulevard. If coming from the Inn at Reading, make a left, if coming from the Country Inn and Suites, make a right onto Wyomissing Boulevard. Get in the right lane to take the on-ramp for 422 east and take the bypass to the second exit, Penn Street, Reading. Follow directions in first description (***) to get to The Abraham Lincoln Hotel.

no bypass-travel required route: From Inn at Reading, turn right onto Park Road, from Country Inn and Suites, turn left onto Park Road. You will pass the VF Outlet complex on your left and ViVa Good Life Bistro & Lounge (VIVA IS CURRENTLY CLOSED) on your right. Continue to the intersection with Penn Avenue and make a left turn onto Penn Avenue. It will become Penn Street as soon as you cross over the bridge into Reading.

The inn AT reAding And counTry inn And suiTes AreA To The reAding crowne hoTeL:

Turn right onto Park Road from either of the parking lots. From the Inn at Reading, make a right at the first light onto Spring Street. From the Country Inn and Suites, Spring Street will be the second light encountered on Park Road. Make a left onto Spring Street.

At the first stop sign, make a right onto Crossing Drive. Go to the traffic light and make a left onto Woodland Road. At the next light, make a right onto Paper Mill Road and the Reading Crowne Hotel entrance is immediately on your right.

directional notesFifth Street in Reading becomes Business Route 222 (also referred to as

the Allentown Pike) north of the city. Fourth Street in Reading becomes Route 61 (also referred to as the Pottsville Pike) north of the city. Lancaster Avenue in Reading and Shillington becomes Business Route 222 south (also referred to as the Lancaster Pike).

“The Bypass” can refer to two roads in Reading. The West Shore Bypass is accessed via the Penn Street bridge and connects Route 422 and Route 222 and runs along the western border of the city. The Warren Street Bypass is known as Route 12. It wraps around the city from the west (Route 422) and runs along the northern edge to Route 61 and Route 222.

important contactsAAA reAding-berks: 920 Van Reed Road, Wyomissing, 19610;

roadside assistance: 610-374-7433; customer service: 610-374-4531; travel agency: 610-374-5600; www.aaardgberks.com

berks ArTs counciL: GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, 201 Washing-ton Street, Suite 523, Reading, 19603. 610-898-1930; www.berksarts.org

reAding hospiTAL And medicAL cenTer: Sixth Avenue and Spruce Street, West Reading, 19611. 610-988-8000; www.readinghospital.org

sT. Joseph medicAL cenTer: 2500 Bernville Road (Route 183) in Bern Township and the St. Joseph Medical Center Downtown Reading, 145 N. Sixth St., Reading. Phone for both locations 610-378-2000. www.thefutureof-healthcare.org

shoppingVf ouTLeT ViLLAge, Hill and Park roads, Wyomissing, just over the Penn

Street bridge from Reading. www.vfoutletcenter.comberkshire mALL, State Hill and Woodland roads in Wyomissing (Paper

Mill Road exit of Route 422 westbound). www.berkshiremallpa.combroAdcAsTing squAre shopping cenTer, Paper Mill and Broad-

casting roads in Spring Township.fAirgrounds squAre mALL, Fifth Street Highway (Route 222) in

Muhlenberg Township, just north of Reading of Reading. www.shopatfair-grounds.com

The shoppes AT wyomissing, intersection of Route 422 and Route 222. Take Woodland Road to The Shoppes. www.theshoppesatwyomissing.com

ChUCk loeB

mItCh FormAN

rANDy BreCker

DAve weCkl

BoBBy FrANCeSChINI

ChIelI mINUCCI

BerkS JAzz FeSt horNS

ANDy NArell

DoC mUllIGAN

Getting around during the fest

mooth Jazz 92.7 WSJW, headed by program and music director Paul Scott, has been involved with the Berks Jazz Fest for the past four years.

This year, Scott said the Central PA station will be broad-casting all 10 days, adding his morning show to the mix.

Scott will broadcast his 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. show live from the lobby of the Read-ing Crowne Hotel, with artist interviews as well as chats with festival goers and the people who make the jazz fest possible.

“I am open to any and all who would like to come and share their experience,” Scott said.

This is in addition to their live weekend broadcasts before major shows.

“We want to describe the feeling, get everybody psyched up,” Scott said. “You have to experience it. It’s a huge music love fest. Artists are accessible;

it’s a great, great time.”As well as on-air promotions

prior to the festival and their live fest broadcasts, WSJW sponsors two Listener Appre-ciation Concerts each year.

This year, the station is presenting the Average White Band plus Pieces of a Dream on Sunday, March 29; and David Benoit plus Warren Hill on Sunday, April 5. Both shows are at 2 p.m. in the Reading Crowne Hotel ballroom.

“You can’t beat two concerts for the price of one,” Scott said about the AWD/Pieces of a Dream show. “And David Benoit and Warren Hill are two heavy hitters.”

He said he wouldn’t be sur-prised that if, to close the show, the artists jammed together.

“They love to play,” he said. “They’d play all day and all night if you let them. You just never know what’s going to happen.”

fridAy, mArch 27 • 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.Scottish Rite Cathedral prior to Peter White and Mindi Abair

sATurdAy, mArch 28 • Noon to 2 p.m.Reading Crowne Hotel prior to Gerald Albright & Kirk Whalum

• 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.Scottish Rite Cathedral prior to Brian Culbertson

sundAy, mArch 29• Noon to 2 p.m. Reading Crowne Hotel prior to Average White Band plus Pieces of a Dream

• 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.Scottish Rite Cathedral prior to Take 6 plus Wayman Tisdale

mondAy, mArch 30 Through fridAy, ApriL 3• 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.Paul Scott’s morning show in the Reading Crowne Hotel lobby

sATurdAy, ApriL 4• Noon to 2 p.m.Reading Crowne Hotel prior to East Bay Soul

• 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.Scottish Rite Cathedral prior to Boney James

sundAy, ApriL 5• Noon to 2 p.m.Reading Crowne Hotel prior to David Benoit plus Warren Hill

• 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Scottish Rite Cathedral prior to Jazz Attack

Smooth Jazz 92.7 broadcast schedule

Listen online at www.smoothjazz927.com

Listen to Paul Scott’s morning show LIVe from the festival

artist profiles / major concerts by jonathan widran

Reading eagle, Reading, Pa. Sunday, MaRch 22, 2009 A13

narell, COnTInUeD FrOM PaGe 12and South Africa. In 1999, Narell became the first foreigner to compose forTrinidad’s Panorama steel band competition, guiding the 100-player SkiffleBunch Steel Orchestra to the finals of both the 1999 and 2000 Panoramas.

Narell also has been an artist in residence at North Texas St. University, Wichita St. University, University of West Virginia, University of Akron, University of Illinois, Northern Illinois University, Miami University, University of Southern Mississippi and many other schools. He is currently living in Paris and working with Sakesho and the Andy Narell Steel Band Project.

The BIlly PrICe BanD FeaTUrInG sPeCIal GUesT FreD ChaPellIer• Friday, April 3, 10 p.m., The Abraham Lincoln Hotel Ballroom

Get ready to ring in the second weekend of the Berks Jazz Fest with some Late Night Blues, featuring the East Coast blue-eyed soul of the Billy Price Band with special guest, guitarist and vocalist Fred Chapellier.

Price has been entertaining audiences for the past three decades and is an institution in his hometown of Pittsburgh. Geoffrey Himes of the Washington Post once wrote of him, “Unlike so many blues revivalists, Price is not an imitation of older, better singers — he’s the real thing.”

Since forming The Billy Price Band in 1990, the group has performed popular songs from Price’s years with Buchanan and the Keystone Rhythm Band as well as new interpretations of blues, R&B and soul classics.

Members of the Billy Price Band are Steve Delach (guitar), Paul Thompson (bass), Dave Dodd (drums), Jimmy Britton (keyboards), Joe Herndon (trumpet), Eric DeFade (tenor sax) and Rick Matt (baritone and tenor sax).

Price first attracted national attention during his three-year association with guitarist Roy Buchanan, with whom he toured the U.S. and Canada, playing such venues as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Newport Jazz Festival, The Roxy and the Troubadour in Los Angeles, and the Spectrum in Philadelphia. His first group, Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band, ran from 1977 to 1990, during which time they recorded four critically acclaimed LPs and developed a

reputation as one of the most exciting touring bands in the U.S.In July 2003, the Billy Price Band gave a critically acclaimed performance

at the Belgium Rhythm & Blues Festival — Price’s first-ever appearance in Europe. A DVD of the concert titled “Funky...Funky Soul!!!” was released in late 2003. The band’s latest release is 2006’s East End Avenue on Bonedog Records.

In November 2007, Price toured France with Fred Chapellier and sang “A Nickel and a Nail” on Chapellier’s most recent CD, A Tribute to Roy Buchanan. Chapellier has played blues with Don Ray Johnson, Boney Fields, Audrey Madison, Neal Black and others. In 2004, he was was proclaimed “Best New Blues Artist of The Year” and “Best Guitar Player of The Year” by Les Trophées France Blues. www.billyprice.com; www.fredchapellier-blues.com

TIM PrICe & raChel Z anD The DeParTMenT OF GOOD anD evIl

• Friday, April 3, 10 p.m., The Abraham Lincoln Hotel Jazz CabaretTim Price is a Selmer saxophone clinician and a

Berklee College of Music graduate. He has played with musicians like Bennie Green,

Hans Dulfer, Lew Tabackin, Ray Drummond, Jon Mayer, Cecil Payne, Richie Cole, Ernie Watts, Charlie Watts from the Rolling Stones, Gary Burton, Doc Severinson, Dr. John, Phil Woods, and Ernie Krivda, Rachel Z, Sue Terry, and John LaPorta, to name but a few.

He’s spent years in the trenches with the big bands of Tommy Dorsey under both Murray McEachern and later Buddy Morrow, Glenn Miller under Buddy DeFranco, Cab Calloway and Harry James.

Tim’s bassoon has been a part of the Lawrence “Butch” Morris Orchestra at the 2004 “Vision Festival” in New York City as well as Rome and other destinations.

Price has been the recipient of a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts fellowship jazz grant four times.

He has authored three books on sax playing and has a sax Web site for teach-ing at www.saxontheweb.net/Price/.

Tim lives in Reading and performs and does clinics throughout the world. He teaches in New York City and from his home studio.

As fearless in her eclectic, ever-evolving approach to jazz piano as she is bold in creating sweeping thematic concepts, Rachel Z has proven masterful over the course of eight solo releases in bridging both generations and genres.

Stylishly blending her bebop and progressive jazz sensibilities with an equal affinity for the most exciting pop and rock artists of the past few decades, she’s fashioned groundbreaking tributes to the female artists who have inspired her (A Room Of One’s Own), saxophone legend and frequent collabora-tor Wayne Shorter (On The Milkyway Express), Joni Mitchell (Moon At The Window) and — on her most recent three recordings, which include occasional originals and vocals— fascinating re-workings of songs made famous by The Rolling Stones, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, U2 and Nine Inch Nails, among others.

Declaring to the world, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that “jazz is not dead, it is alive and right here!,” Rachel’s latest fascinating creative stop, 2007’s Dept of Good and Evil, found her in a slightly goth state of mind, which comple-ments the mix of popular and more obscure pop/rock covers and lyrical and soulful originals penned by her and longtime drummer and collaborator Bobbie Rae.

After graduating from New England Conservatory with a “Distinction in Performance” award while working professionally in the Boston area with performers like Bob Moses, Miroslav Vitous and George Garzone, she began touring with former schoolmate turned R&B/jazz star, saxman Najee and later co-wrote the title track for his No. 1 album Tokyo Blue.

While performing and recording steadily with the classic fusion band Steps Ahead from 1988 through 1996, she also worked with Al Di Miola, Larry Coryell, Special EFX and Angela Bofill, and began a fruitful association with producer/vibraphonist Mike Manieri, head of NYC Records. Manieri produced her Columbia Records debut Trust the Universe in 1993.

After her single venture into smooth jazz with Love Is The Power in 1998, she joined Vertu, a fusion supergroup formed by Stanley Clarke and his Return Forever bandmate, drummer Lenny White. She later toured the world with pop/rock legend Peter Gabriel.www.timpricejazz.com; www.rachelz.com

BIlly PrICe anD FreD ChaPellIer

TIM PrICe

raChel Z

artist profiles / major concerts by jonathan widran

A14 Sunday, March 22, 2009 reading eagle, reading, Pa.

NelsoN RaNgell aNd the ReadiNg PoPs oRchestRa• Sunday, April 5, 2 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts

The second-to-last concert at the 19th annual Berks Jazz Fest is a special live presentation of the music of My American Songbook, veteran saxophonist and flutist Nelson Rangell’s critically acclaimed 2005 release on Koch Records. The show, which he will be performing with special guest the Reading Pops Orchestra will take place on Sunday, April 5.

After 15 years of being a recording artist on various labels, Rangell followed his Koch debut All I Hope For Christmas with a project that featured some familiar tunes yet unlimited horizons explor-ing territory beyond any of his previous commer-cially defined confines.

Redefining classics renowned (Leonard Bernstein’s “America,” Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ’Bout A Thing,” Vince Guaraldi’s “Cast Your Fate To The Wind,” Earth Wind & Fire’s “That’s The Way of the World”) and lesser heard (the traditional

“Billy Boy,” once recorded by Miles Davis), Rangell’s labor of love was a majestic undertaking reflecting his deep love for jazz (straight-ahead and smooth), pop, Latin and R&B.

More importantly, aside from the sax, he was featured on flute and piccolo (most explosively on the trad-jazz piece “Freda,” with the help of Russell Fer-rante and Jimmy Haslip) and even whistled his way through Hampton Hawes’

“Sonora,” a longtime staple of his live shows. Genre tastemaker Jazziz Magazine once wrote that Nelson Rangell is “an

artist of depth, a master of song, and an improviser non-pareil.” The Times of London notes “his extraordinary facility on a range of instruments and his undoubted virtuosity.” Such praise is a confirmation of what contemporary jazz fans have known since the Denver-based saxophonist emerged in the late ’80s: that Rangell is one of the most exciting and diverse performers in the genre, equally adept at soprano, alto and tenor saxophone, as well as being a genuine virtuoso on flute and piccolo.

He followed My American Songbook, Vol. 1 with his smooth jazz-oriented 2006 release Soul To Souls. www.nelsonrangell.com; www.readingpops.com

The SAx PACk feATuring Jeff kAShiwA, STeve Cole And kiM wATerS

• friday, April 3, 10:30 p.m., reading Crowne hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton reading hotel)

Hot off their massive airplay hit “Fallin’ For You,” the kickoff single from their self-titled disc that stayed at No. 1 for two months and was one of 2008’s biggest smooth jazz tracks of the year, The Sax Pack makes its first Berks Jazz Fest appear-ance since 2007 with a highly anticipated show.

One of the most exciting and popular of the genre all-star tours, The Sax Pack delivers on a clever turn of phrase that brings to mind great showmanship and supreme cool — qualities that the soulful saxmen have in spades. Waters, Cole

and Kashiwa have enjoyed lengthy solo careers but were inspired when Kashiwa presented the idea of a trio tour around 2003 after seeing a PBS documentary on The Rat Pack.

Jeff Kashiwa’s solo career has been in joyfully frenetic overdrive since the incredible success of

“Hyde Park (The Aah, Ooh Song),” a No. 1 hit on the Radio & Records airplay chart for over eight weeks in 2000. His Native Language debut An-other Door Opens and its more acoustic-oriented 2002 follow-up Simple Truth established him as one of smooth jazz’s most dominant saxophone voices. The Seattle resident primed himself for his thriving solo career by endearing himself to smooth jazz fans worldwide as a member of The Rippingtons for 10 years (1989-99). His latest solo album is 2007’s Play.

Jeff Kashiwa will be joining David Benoit as part of his quartet for his April 5 show.

Kim 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-instrumen-talist, 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 continues on his eighth Shanachie collection I Want You – Love In The Spirit Of Marvin, which finds him celebrating 20 years as a recording artist by paying homage to one of his biggest all time influ-ences, legendary soul singer Marvin Gaye.

Since signing with Narada Jazz in 2004, Chicago born and based Steve Cole, who launched his solo career after a long stint with Brian Culbertson with his hit 1998 debut Stay Awhile, has released Spin (a singer songwriter-inspired effort which he wrote primarily on the acoustic guitar) and True (2006), which features an exciting and looser, jazzier, less polished vibe.www.thesaxpack.com

Severn Soul & BlueS revue featuring Steve guyger, Big Joe Maher, Tad robinson, roy Tyler and new directions, and the Severn records All-Star Band

• friday, March 27, 7:30 p.m., The inn at readingPhiladelphia doesn’t normally come to mind when

you mention blues. However the City of Brotherly Love does boast what some consider a legendary blues harmonica player, Steve Guyger. For over 30 years, Guyger has been honing his skills on the harmonica and delighting blues audiences, whether that be with his own band, The Excellos, or touring with celebrated bluesman Jimmy Rogers.

Joseph Maher aka “Big Joe” Maher has been a performing drummer/singer over past 30 years. His list of credits is like a “who’s who of blues & jazz,” having performed at an early age in his high school jazz band

“The Starliners” with the likes of greats like Clark Terry, Urbie Green, Mudell Lowe, James Moody, just to name a few. In the late 1980s after performing with and managing nine piece swing band “The Uptown Rhythm

Kings,” and after a few years as drummer and touring with the Tom Principato Band, Joe formed his own five- piece blues jump group “Big Joe & The Dynaflows.” In between touring and local performances with the Dynaflows, in the mid-90’s Joe accepted the role as musical coordinator for Mick Fleetwood’s club in Alexandria, Va., Fleetwoods.

Tad Robinson would have fit in snugly with the blue-eyed soul singers of the 1960s. His vocals virtually reeking of soul, he’s capable of delving into a straight-ahead Little Walter shuffle or delivering a vintage O.V. Wright R&B ballad. Add his songwriting skills and exceptional harp technique and you have quite the total package.

Roy Tyler and New Directions’ stirring music is carefully chosen and is simply remarkable in its blend-ing of old and new. Their faith & heartfelt passion in singing is absolute. Most American music, Jazz and Soul, certainly R&B and Rock, have their roots in Southern Gospel and/or Blues music. That becomes a direct link to Tyler’s modern music that many listeners might not be con-scious of, but can’t help but “feel it” just the same.

The Severn Records All-Star Band is Robb Stupka, Steve Gomes, Benjie Porecki, Alex Schultz, Karla Chisholm and Calley Bliss.

Severn Soul & BlueS revue featuring Clarence Spady, darrell nulisch, lou Pride and the Severn records All-Star Band

• Saturday, March 28, 7:30 p.m., The inn at readingThe former W.C. Handy Nominee for Best New

Artist 1997 has been an underground marvel since his initial and only worldwide release Nature of the Beast in 1996. He received international recognition as one of Living Blues Magazine’s “Top 40 Blues Artist Under 40”, and received the 1998 France Blues Trophie for Best International Blues Artist of the Year. Once described as “the future of the blues” by Bill Dahl, of the Chicago Tribune, his sound is now even more distinguishable.

From the beginning of his career, Darrell Nulisch exhibited a natural flair for phrasing a lyric, a quality that underscores his relaxed, soulful performances today. Nulisch mixed blues and soul on aptly named Bluesoul, a 1996 release, and on The Whole Truth, his debut for Severn Records in 1998. He takes that earthy formula to a new level on I Like It That Way, wich was nominated for a blues music award in the soul/blues category.

Born outside of Chicago, singing is something that seemed to come naturally for Lou Pride. Like many of the artists he’s commonly compared to (Bobby Bland, ZZ Hill and Little Milton), he got his start singing in the choir of the First Baptist Church whose pastor was Reverend E.J. Cole (Nat King Cole’s father). Pride has recognized works with his WMB Records release Love At Last, which earned critical acclaim from Living Blues Magazine (“among theyear’s best soul/blues albums”), and Twisting the Knife (Ichiban) in addition

Severn Soul, ConTinued on PAge 15jeff kashiwa

NelsoN RaNgell

STeve Cole

kiM wATerS

ReadiNg PoPs oRchestRa

STeve guyger

Big Joe MAher

roy Tyler

daRRell Nulisch

lou PRide

TAd roBinSon

ClArenCe SPAdy

artist profiles / major concerts by jonathan widran

Reading eagle, Reading, Pa. Sunday, MaRch 22, 2009 A15

severn soul, ConTInueD from PAGe 14to I Won’t Give Up on Kingsnake/Icehouse. Pride continues to tour the U.S., Canada and Europe.

The Severn Records All-Star Band is Robb Stupka, Steve Gomes, Benjie Porecki, Alex Schultz, Karla Chisholm and Calley Bliss.

sTeve smITh & vITAl InformATIon featuring Barron Brown, Tom Coster, vinnie valentino and special guest Andy fusco

• Saturday, March 28, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

Currently celebrating their 25th year as a unit since their 1983 self-titled debut, Steve Smith and Vital Information has become a formidable jazz/fusion juggernaut whose longevity sur-passes all of the major fusion groups. The all-star lineup of Tom Coster (keyboards), Baron Browne (bass), Vinny Valentino (guitar), and Steve Smith (drums) serves up a wide and dynamic variety of innovative sounds, from slamming funk and syncopated second line grooves to seriously swinging, up-tempo Hammond B-3 burners, South Indian Carnatic-inspired jams, and sizzling fuzoid romps.

The group’s founder and drummer Steve Smith has a resume that stretchesfrom Ahmad Jamal, Zakir Hussain, The Buddy Rich Big Band and Steps Ahead to Andrea Bocelli and Journey. His many years of accolades include Modern Drummer magazine’s “#1 All Around Drummer” award five years in a row and being voted one of the “Top 25 Drummers of All Time” in a recent Modern Drummer readers poll. In 2002, Smith was voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.

In addition to his stellar grooving with Vital Information, Baron Browne has ensembled Gary Burton, Billy Cobham, Jean-Luc Ponty, Steps Ahead and Tom Jones. Unique multi-keyboardist Tom Coster, whose versatility ranges from Hammond B3 to accordion, was playing with Gabor Szabo and Rahsaan Roland Kirk long before he came to prominence in Santana, a stay that lasted nine years. He has recorded many solo albums and has been a member of Vital Information since 1986.

Vinny Valentino, the newest member of the band, has shared the stage or recording studio with such jazz greats as Gary Bartz, Randy Brecker, Bill Ev-ans, John Pattitucci, Richard Bona, Bob Moses, Steve Gadd, Dennis Chambers, Jimmy McGriff and his mentor George Benson.

Vital Information’s most recent release is Vitalization, which features guest performances by saxophonist Bill Evans and world-class percussionists Pete Lockett, Gilad and Juan Carlos Melian. www.vitalinformation.com

PhoeBe snow• Friday, April 3, 7:30 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts

After Phoebe Snow sings “You’re My Girl” on her new concert album Phoebe Snow Live, the audience applauds enthusiastically, and she doesn’t just offer a simple thank-you.

“I really appreciate that more than you’ll ever know,” she says. “You’re all keeping me alive.”

Snow is still in mourning for her daughter Valerie, who died in March 2007 at the age of 31. In recent interviews, she said she finds performing therapeutic.

Valerie was born with severe brain damage in 1975. Snow refused to let her daughter spend her life in an institution, and had devoted herself to taking care of her.

Since the release of her self-titled debut album in 1974, singer, songwriter and guitarist Phoebe Snow has remained one of the most distinctive voices in popular music. Described once by The New York Times as a “contralto grounded in a bluesy growl and capable of sweeping over four octaves,” she was born Phoebe Ann Laub in NYC and raised in a household where Delta blues, Broadway show tunes, Dixieland jazz, classical music and folk music recordings were played around the clock.

As a teenager, she carried her prized Martin 00018 ac guitar from club to club around Greenwich Village, playing and singing on amateur nights. Performing one night at The Bitter End in 1972, Snow was approached by promotions executive Denny Cordell from Shelter Records, who was so taken by her voice that he signed her to the label and produced her first recording. With guest performances by The Persuasions, Zoot Sims, Toddy Wilson, David Bromberg and Dave Mason, Snow’s 1974 collection became one of the most acclaimed debut recordings of all time. It spawned the Top 5 hit single “Poetry Man,” which led to a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and launched a career that would include numerous platinum records and the cover of Rolling Stone.

Her prolific discography over the next 15 years included Second Childhood (1975), It Looks Like Snow (1976), Never Letting Go (1978), Against The Grain (1979), Rock Away (1980) and Something Real (1989).

In 1992, she toured with Donald Fagen’s popular New York Rock And Soul Revue and was featured on the group’s album recorded live at the Beacon The-ater in New York City. While continuing to tour as a solo artist throughout North America, Great Britain, Germany and the Far East, Snow has also performed over the years with everyone from Lou Rawls, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Dave Grusin, Avenue Blue with Jeff Golub and Jewel to Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Queen, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Michael McDonald.www.phoebesnow.com

JASon MileS pReSentS Soul SuMMit ii featuring Maysa, Simone, Richard elliot, Jeff Golub, eric Darius, Bob Babbitt, Reggie Young, Steve Ferrone, and the original the Soul Survivors plus the Berks Jazz Fest Horns

• Friday, April 3, 7:30 p.m., Scottish Rite Cathedral From the time it was born in Memphis from the blues

that were coming out of the Missisippi Delta, soul music has been a defining force in American culture. At the Berks Jazz Fest in 2007, keyboardist and producer Jason Miles gathered some of R&B’s top session players behind Richard Elliot, Susan Tedeschi, Maysa and Derek Trucks Band lead singer Mike Mattison to celebrate this dynamic art form. His Soul Summit show was so successful that it led his label, Shanachie Records, to commercially release a live recording of the event in 2008.

At the 2008 BJF, Miles led a celebration of the life and music of Grover Washington Jr. in addition to front-ing his own world music fusion band Global Noize. He’s back this year with Soul Summit II, the ultimate encore

featuring those same session cats (Steve Ferrone, Reg-gie Young and Bob Babbitt) and a stellar lineup of urban jazz headliners. Besides return appearances by Elliot and Maysa, this year’s show features blues-influenced contemporary jazz guitarist Jeff Golub, singer/song-writer Simone, funk-driven saxman Eric Darius and The Soul Survivors. They will be joined by the Berks Jazz Fest Horns.

Since Jason Miles has always said he will never re-peat himself, he will present a whole new show of Soul Summit this year. The first one was based on the South-ern soul sound with great performances by Tedeschi on “Son of a Preacher Man” and the band performing songs from that era. With a new group of artists, the same rhythm section comes back to explore more sounds of soul music. With the addition of dynamic singer Simone (the late Nina Simone’s daughter), Darius and Golub, the band will bring these artists to new cre-ative heights. The original Soul Survivors will also inject their great sound into “Expressway To Your Heart” and other high energy songs. This will be a night of music filled with great soul music and a few surprises.

Long called “The James Brown of Contemporary Jazz,” saxman Richard Elliot, half of the dynamic horn duo RnR with Rick Braun, is appearing at Berks this year as part of Jazz Attack.

Jeff Golub’s unique brand of funky, blues-drenched smooth jazz may be a firm mainstay in the genre today, but he always had a blast throwing a few winks to the 60s and 70s jazz and soul that shaped his musical vision. His latest album is 2007’s Grand Central on Narada Jazz.

Saxman Eric Darius has shared the stage with contemporary jazz all-stars Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, David Benoit, Jonathan Butler, Warren Hill, Norman Brown, Chris Botti, Kim Waters and Chuck Loeb. His fourth and latest release is Goin’ All Out, his Blue Notes Records debut, released last June.

R&B singer Maysa, a longtime member of the U.K. soul collective Incognito, has a large catalog of solo recordings, including her latest Shanachie release Metamorphosis.

Simone returns to the festival for her second appearance. She is highly-praised live performer whose impressive resume includes starring roles on Broadway in such acclaimed musicals as “Rent” and “Aida,” Simone has developed an exciting and diverse repertoire of pop, soul, jazz, rock and funk, expressed in shows she’s done throughout the U.S. and in the UK, Ireland, Holland, Finland, Spain and France. Simone’s ability to transcend genres echoes the tradition of her mother, musical icon and pioneer Nina Simone.

With Soul Summit, it’s all about the groove, and once again it’s driven by Ferrone, Babbitt and Young.

Bassist Bob Babbitt established his name in the

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erIC DArIus

sTeve ferrone

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sImone

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MAYSA

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artist profiles / major concerts by jonathan widran

A16 Sunday, March 22, 2009 reading eagle, reading, Pa.

jason miles, ConTinUeD from PaGe 15annals of R&B as a member of the legendary Funk brothers who played on so many of the great Motown hits by such legends as Marvin Gaye, The Tempta-tions and Smokey Robinson.

With appearances on such legendary hits as “Son Of A Preacher Man,” “Slip Away,” “Suspicious Minds” and “In The Ghetto,” Reggie Young is arguably the most recorded guitarist in the history of music.

Known as “The Time Keeper,” legendary drummer Steve Ferrone has worked with an incredibly diverse group of artists, from Chaka Khan and Tom Petty to AWB, Duran Duran, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, David Sanborn, Scritti Politti and Jaco Pastorius.

The Soul Survivors, originally from New York City, grew up listening to the R & B groups of the 1950s. The sounds of groups like the Moonglows, Heart-beats, and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers had a great influence on brothers Charlie and Rich Ingui.

Since 2002, the locally based Berks Jazz Fest Horns have been adding another dimension to special performances by many acts appearing at the Fest. Consisting of Rob Diener on trumpet, Mike Anderson on sax and John Loos on trombone, this group has played with artists like Gregg Karukas, Jeff Kashiwa, Gerald Veasley, Special EFX, Chuck Loeb, L.A. Chillharmonic, the Heads Up Super Band, and others.www.jasonmilesmusic.com

The Tierney sUTTon BanD• Friday, March 27, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

One of the most acclaimed jazz vocalists of her generation, Tierney Sutton’s decision in the mid-’90s to move from New England to South-ern California led to an incredible decade-plus collaboration with her current bandmates, pianist Christian Jacob, bassists Trey Henry and Kevin Axt and drummer Ray Brinker — who collectively have worked with everyone from Natalie Cole and Diana Krall to Ray Charles and Randy Brecker. Twelve years and seven critically acclaimed CDs later, Sut-ton and her ensemble demonstrate what collective consultation and dedicated teamwork can achieve.

The Tierney Sutton Band just released their latest Telarc album, Desire, earlier this month.

While The New York Times has called her a “serious jazz artist who takes the whole enterprise to another level,” the Wisconsin-born singer has expand-ed her brand into the realms of film and TV commercials. She has appeared on the soundtracks to “The Cooler” and “Twisted” and she and her band scored the independent feature “Blue in Green,” which was released by the Unica Project. Sutton’s unique voice is also regularly featured in commercials representing such organizations as BMW, Coca-Cola, Dodge and J.C. Penney.

Educated at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Sutton became a semifinalist in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocal Competition in 1998. One year later, her first solo CD, Introducing Tierney Sutton, was released to rave reviews and nominated for a 1999 Indie Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Since signing with Telarc Jazz, The Tierney Sutton Band has released popular and critically acclaimed recordings: Unsung Heroes (2000), Blue in Green (2001), Something Cool (2002), Dancing in the Dark (2004), I’m with the Band (2005) and On the Other Side (2007). I’m with the Band was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album and earned her JazzWeek’s Vocalist

of the Year Award. Upon the release of the Dancing In The Dark, Sutton completed one of the

most critically acclaimed and commercially successful runs in the history of New York’s legendary Oak Room. This renown eventually led to her February 2005 Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Pops. I’m With The Band was her first live recording. In October 2006, Sutton won the Jazz Vocalist Award at the 23rd annual L.A. Jazz Society Awards.www.tierneysutton.com

Take 6 PlUs Wayman TisDaleSunday, March 29, 7:30 p.m., Scottish Rite Cathedral

On Sunday March 29, Berks Jazz Fest presents a unique R&B, jazz and gospel-driven double bill featuring the multiple Grammy-winning a capella group Take 6 and former NBA All-Star turned contemporary jazz bass giant (literally!) Wayman Tisdale.

With its roots in gospel, doo wop and the sophisticated jazz-influenced singing groups of mid-century America like the Hi-Los, the eight-time Grammy-winning a cappella vocal group Take 6 is both a throwback to an earlier, more genteel era of American music and a precursor for a num-ber of male pop groups of the ’90s and 2000s. Its members currently include David Thomas, Alvin Chea, Cedric Dent, Mark Kibble, Claude V. McKnight III and Joey Kibble (who replaced Mervyn Warren).

Their eponymous 1988 debut won two Grammy Awards and hit the Top Ten on both the Billboard Contemporary Jazz and Contemporary Christian Charts. The group went on to record or appear with a number of luminaries, including Quincy Jones, Joe Sample, Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder. After starting the 2000s with a new musical approach including rich instrumentation on Beautiful World (2002), Take 6 returned to its roots on Feels Good, the group’s debut on Take 6 Records. Their 2008 Heads Up debut The Standard features performances by Al Jarreau, George Benson, Aaron Neville and Claude’s brother Brian McKnight, and was nominated for several Grammy Awards.

If there’s one thing Wayman Tisdale learned from his NBA career, it’s that there’s no substitute for hard work. Emerging as one of the most consistent and admired players during his 12 years in the league — segueing from the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team to stints with the Indiana Pacers, Sacra-mento Kings and Phoenix Suns — the crowd-pleasing bassist’s towering frame, exceptional strength and relentless work ethic made him one of the game’s most dominating power forwards. His career stats include scoring more than 12,800 points and pulling down over 5,000 rebounds. Even before retiring after the 1997 season, Tisdale was making a transition toward his musical goals, releasing a string of albums featuring titles inspired by his ongoing pas-sion for basketball: Power Forward (1995) and In The Zone (1996), which were followed later by Hang Time (2004) and Way Up! (2006).

He kept that tradition thriving with his 2008 release Rebound, which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart and featured a remake of Barry White’s “Never Never Gonna Give You Up” with Toby Keith. A survivor of a recent bout with bone cancer, Tisdale is returning to the stage this year after having his lower right leg amputated in August. He was inducted into the

Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 2002 and in 2004 was nominated by the NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Jazz Artist.”www.take6.com; www.waymantisdale.com

The Derek TrUCks BanD• Saturday, April 4, 10:30 p.m., Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

The Derek Trucks Band has been a work in progress for over 10 years, blending jazz, rock, blues, Latin, Eastern Indian and other world music into the sound that now defines the DTB. The band’s mission has been to assemble a group of musicians that share a passion for improvisation and musical exploration, and to develop a united musical vision by performing with this core group of players for an extended period of time. The DTB aims to create progressive roots music in an effort to move the art form forward and re-establish substance over hype.

Truck’s musical career began at the age of 9, when he picked up a $5 acoustic guitar at a yard sale. What had begun as a weekend activity quickly became a life’s pursuit, and would eventually result in the versatile, Grammy-nominated musician becoming the youngest player to make Rolling Stone’s

“100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” list. He got his first paying gig at age 11 and formed his first band at age 12. After sitting in and touring with the Allman Brothers Band, from age 10-11 on, Derek Trucks was formally made a full member of the group in 1999.

Bassist Todd Smallie, who played with many jazz and blues musicians in the Atlanta area, entered the picture in 1994, when Trucks was 15 years old. In 1995, Yonrico Scott rounded out the band’s permanent rhythm section. Born in the Bronx and raised in Washington, D.C., keyboardist, flutist and vocalist Kofi Burbridge joined the band in 1999.

In 2002, The Derek Trucks Band heard about vocalist Mike Mattison after recommendations by both DTB producers Craig Street and John Snyder in the same week. Originally from Minneapolis, the singer lived and played in Brooklyn for a number of years before finally being drawn to the Southeast and settling in Atlanta with the rest of his DTB bandmates.

DTB’s discography includes their 1997 self-titled debut, Joyful Noise (2002), Soul Serenade (2003), Live At Georgia Theatre (2004), Songlines (2006) and the DVD “Songlines Live.”www.derektrucks.com

mCCoy Tyner QUarTeT feaTUrinG Gary BarTz• Saturday, April 4, 7:30 p.m., Miller Center for the Arts

Known for his groundbreaking work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a nearly five-decade-long solo career, legendary Philly-born pianist McCoy Tyner’s blues-based piano style — replete with sophisticated chords and an explosively percussive left hand — has transcended conven-tional styles to become one of the most identifi-able sounds in improvised music. His harmonic contributions and dramatic rhythmic devices form the vocabulary of a majority of jazz pianists. Tyner has released nearly 80 albums under his

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artist profiles / major concerts by jonathan widran

Tierney sUTTon

Take 6

Wayman TisDale

mCCoy Tyner

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mccoy tyner, contInUeD from PAGe 16name, earned four Grammys and was awarded Jazz Master from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2002.

At 17, he began a career-changing relationship with Coltrane, who was then Miles Davis’ saxophon-ist. Tyner joined Coltrane for the classic album My Favorite Things (1960), and remained at the core of what became one of the most seminal groups in jazz history. The band, which also included drummer Elvin Jones and bassist Jimmy Garrison, had an extraordinary chemistry, fostered in part by Tyner’s almost familial relationship with Coltrane.

In 1965, after over five years with Coltrane’s quartet, Tyner left the group to explore his destiny as a composer and bandleader. His 1972 Grammy-nominated Sahara broke new ground with the sounds and rhythms of Africa. Since 1980, he has also arranged his lavishly textured harmonies for a big band that performs and records when possible. In the late 1980s, he focused on his piano trio featuring Avery Sharpe on bass and Aaron Scott on drums. Today, this trio is still in great demand. He returned to Impulse in 1995 with Infinity, a critically acclaimed album featuring Michael Brecker, and a year later he recorded a special album with the music of Burt Bacharach. In 1998 he changed labels again and recorded a Latin album (McCoy Tyner & The Latin All-Stars) and another featuring Stanley Clarke for Telarc.

In the summer of 2005, Tyner joined forces with the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York and became the first client of Blue Note Management. That summer, Tyner began work on some unique projects, including performances with tap-dancer Savion Glover and the development of the Impulse! Septet, featuringhis trio of some of today’s top horn men.

Tyner’s partnership with the Blue Note has led to the formation of his own record label, aptly titled McCoy Tyner Music. The label is a subsidiary of the Blue Note’s In-House record label, Half Note Records. In 2008, he released Guitars, his second album on the label; it features Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette and five of popular music’s most accomplished string specialists: Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, John Scofield, Derek Trucks and Bela Fleck. www.mccoytyner.com

UnIteD StAteS Army JAzz AmbASSADorS• Monday, March 30, and Tuesday, March 31, 7:30 p.m., Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

The Jazz Ambassadors is the United States Army’s premier touring jazz orchestra. This 19-member big band, formed in 1969, has re-ceived great acclaim both at home and abroad performing America’s original art form, jazz.

Concerts by the Jazz Ambassadors are designed to entertain all types of audiences. Custom compositions and arrangements high-light the group’s creative talent and gifted soloists. Their diverse repertoire includes big band swing, bebop, Latin, contemporary jazz, standards, popular tunes, Dixieland, vocals, and patriotic selections.

The band has appeared in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Japan, India, and throughout Europe. Notable performances include concerts at international jazz festivals in Montreux, Switzerland; Newport, Rhode Island; Toronto, Canada; Brussels, Belgium; and the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands. The band has also been featured in unique joint concerts with major orchestras, including the Detroit and Baltimore symphonies.

The Ambassadors will be joined by the Berks High School All-Star Jazz Band for their March 31 show.www.army.mil/FIELDBAND/pages/ensembles/ja.html

THe UPTown JazzUP feaTURing eRiCH Cawalla & JenifeR KindeRSaturday, March 28, 10 p.m., The abraham lincoln Hotel Jazz Cabaret

The Uptown Band is making their third appear-ance at the Berks Jazz Fest. The group originated during the 2006 festival with the intent to perform a wide variety of music with a jazz flavor. They recently released their much-anticipated debut CD, Waiting for Her, at a sold-out Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base. The album is receiving airplay on numerous online radio stations, including The Que 98.2 out of Salt Lake City. www.uptownbandmusic.com

THe MUSiC of STevie wondeR:gerald veasley Band with najee, nnenna freelon, Joe McBride and the Berks Jazz fest Horns

• Saturday, March 28, 10:30 p.m., Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

In the great Berks Jazz Fest tradition of tribute con-certs to the music of R&B legends, The Gerald Veasley Band will be joined by special guests Najee, Nnenna Freelon, Joe McBride and the Berks Jazz Fest Horns to pay homage to Stevie Wonder.

“Stevie is one of my favorite composers and his mu-sic was an essential part of the soundtrack of my life,” says Veasley, whose breakout hit as a recording artist was an instrumental version of Wonder’s classic “Do I Do.” “His songs are quintessentially American, filled with hope and optimism, and I believe that had the Stevie Wonder catalog never been written, there would be a giant void in American culture.

“The idea for this show,” he adds, “is to collaborate with great jazz artists who love his song book as much as I do. I always hope to bring something special to the Berks Jazz Fest every year, whether it’s a celebration of the music of an influential artists like Charles Mingus, Ray Charles or Stevie, or a collaboration with the most exciting voices in jazz.”

Founder of The Jazz Base at the Reading Crowne Hotel and one of contemporary jazz’s most prolific and versatile artists and performers, bassist Gerald Veasley launched his career with Grover Washing-ton Jr. and has recorded exclusively for Heads Up since 1992’s Look Ahead. 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 studio album is 2008’s Your Move.

Following in the groundbreaking, groove-oriented footsteps of his chief influences Grover Washington Jr. and David Sanborn, Najee is one of contem-porary jazz’s true pioneers. Creating a fresh and pulsating “rhythm and jazz” dynamic, the versatile saxophonist — whose first two recordings, 1986’s Grammy nominated Najee’s Theme and 1988’s Day By Day, went platinum — inspired the urban vibe that defined the instrumental world in the ’90s. Najee paid homage to Wonder in the 1995 when he released Najee Plays Songs From The Key Of Life: A Tribute To Stevie Wonder; his latest album is Rising Sun (2007).

Nnenna Freelon is an American jazz singer, composer, producer and arranger. She has been nominated for five Grammy Awards for her vocal work, and has performed and toured with such top artists as Ray Charles, Ellis Marsalis, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Dianne Reeves, Diana Krall, Ramsey Lewis, George Benson, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock and Terence Blanchard, just to name a few.

She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Ellington Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Apollo Theater, Montreux Jazz Festival, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and more.

Like many of his Heads Up labelmates, keyboardist Joe McBride is some-thing of an annual fixture at Berks Jazz Fest, bringing his spirited melodic funk to a multitude of unique settings over the years. 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). His most recent album, 2005’s Texas Hold ’Em, is a tribute to his adopted home state and the current poker craze.

Since 2002, the locally based Berks Jazz Fest Horns have been adding another dimension to special performances by many acts appearing at the Fest. Consisting of Rob Diener on trumpet, Mike Anderson on sax and John Loos on trombone, this group has played with artists like Gregg Karukas, Jeff Kashiwa, Gerald Veasley, Special EFX, Chuck Loeb, L.A. Chillharmonic, the Heads Up Super Band, and others.www.geraldveasley.com; www.najeeonline.com; www.nnenna.com

PeTeR wHiTe and Mindi aBaiR• friday, March 27, 7:30 p.m., Scottish Rite Cathedral

The 2009 Berks Jazz Fest begins with an exciting opening night concert at the Scottish Rite Cathedral featuring Peter White and Mindi Abair, two veteran superstar performers who have defined the joyful, melodic and 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 2006’s Playing Favorites, has participated regularly over the years in the annual all-star Guitars & Saxes tours, and in 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 last May — 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 commer-cial 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 follow-up 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. While keeping her core fans excited, she also is quickly establishing herself as a distinctive voice in a new generation of singer-songwriters. Even while establishing herself as a popular and influential instrumentalist, she has been working toward this breakthrough a long time, doing pop tours with Adam Sandler, Duran Duran, Josh Groban and even The Backstreet Boys on their famed Millennium tour back in 1999-2000.www.peterwhite.com; www.mindiabair.com

viCToR wooTen• friday, March 27, 10:30 p.m., Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom (formerly Sheraton Reading Hotel)

Bass extraordinaire Victor Wooten will be joined by drummer J.D. Blair for a stop on their 2 STIX and 4 STRINGZ tour.

Like Marcus, “Victor” is the lone name among bass fans that signals the last great hero of the in-strument, Victor Wooten. Also like Miller, Wooten’s musical reach extends far beyond the four-string. Born in Idaho to a military family, raised on the island of Oahu and on the West Coast, Wooten received bass lessons at age 3 from his brother, Regi. By the age of 5, he had made his stage debut with his four older brothers, collectively known as The Wootens.

In 1988, Wooten moved to Nashville, where he worked with vocalist Jonell Mosser and met New Grass Revival banjo ace Béla Fleck. Within a year, Fleck, Wooten, Wooten’s brother Roy (a.k.a. Futureman) and Howard Levy formed the Flecktones, and were on their way to their first of three Grammys. Wooten also formed Bass Extremes with fretless 6-string savant Steve Bailey, and then released his remarkable 1996 solo debut, A Show of Hands.

Wooten’s recording and/or touring credentials quickly expanded to include a range of artists like Branford Marsalis, Dave Matthews, Bruce Hornsby, Prince, Mark O’Connor, Gov’t Mule, Susan Tedeschi, Bill Evans, Vital Tech Tones (with Scott Henderson and Steve Smith), the Jaco Pastorius Word Of Mouth Big Band and India.Arie.

The versatile musician also took big steps forward in the field of education, offering music and life lessons though his popular Bass Nature Camps in his home base of Tennessee, and his enlightening novel, “The Music Lesson.” He currently maintains an ambitious dual solo/sideman pace, regularly recording and touring with the Flecktones (who have released a dozen albums), Mike Stern and Chick Corea’s Elektric Band.

With each new solo CD (six so far), Wooten has expanded his musical focus and knack for genre-uniting via his songwriting, producing and multi-instrumen-tal skills — all while maintaining the kind of stellar level of bass playing that drives Palmystery, his most recent solo release on Heads Up. Later in 2008, he, Miller and Stanley Clarke released Thunder, an explosive joint trio venture recorded under the name S.M.V. www.victorwooten.com

artist profiles / major concerts by jonathan widran

U.S. aRMy Jazz aMBaSSadoRS

nAJee

nnenna fReelon

geRald veaSley PeTeR wHiTe

mInDI AbAIr

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GAry bArtz

eRiCH Cawalla and JenifeR KindeR

Andy Narell and the Catonsville High School Steel Drum Band will give VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest fans a taste of the tropics with their Tuesday, March 31, performance at 7:30 p.m. at the Miller Center for the Arts. Narell and Catonsville performed once before at the Berks Jazz Fest, in 2001.

Before their evening show, Narell and the Catonsville Steel Drums will perform for nearly 500 Reading School District and local parochial school students, an event organized by Reading Eagle Company’s NIE program and the Reading Musical Foundation’s Colonial Oaks Founda-tion grant.

With his 2007 Heads Up release, Tatoom, in 2007, pan master Narell once again took the sound of the big steel band into uncharted jazz territory. He had been co-leader of the Caribbean Jazz Project with Dave Samuels and Paquito D’Rivera in the mid-1990s and performed as part of Sakesho, as well as having a dynamic solo recording career.

Under the direction of James Wharton, the Catonsville High School Steel Band was founded in 1991. From a band with one lead pan, a set of double second pans, a set of guitar pans, and a set of tenor-bass pans, the band grew to its present instrumentation of five leads, four double tenors, four double seconds, three sets of guitar pans, a set of cello pans, a set of tenor-basses, and two sets of six-basses.

Formed as a means for students to study and perform music from a culture other than their own, the band shares the music of Trinidad and Tobago with audiences throughout the Maryland region and beyond, with over 30 performances annually. The band has produced six CDs, the most recent being Ray Jam 2007.

andy narell, Catonsville High team up for steel pan concert

This year’s official logo for the 19th annual VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest will appear on a variety of souvenir merchandise. A sample of that merchandise is shown here. These and other items will be available for sale during the festival at all major venues.

jazz merchandise

A18 Sunday, March 22, 2009 reading eagle, reading, Pa.

Severn Records: Soul & Blues RevuesThe VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest wouldn’t be complete without the blues.

This year’s festival is serving up a whopping dose with shows by Joe Bonamassa, The Billy Price Band featuring special guest Fred Chapel-lier, and the Derek Trucks Band.

But kicking things off will be two back-to-back Severn Soul & Blues Revues, presented by Severn Records.

“This is a rare opportunity for Severn to put together a two-day showcase of some of our best artists,” said David Earl, president of Severn Records. “We are thrilled to bring this level of talent to the Reading area!”

Each of these shows features an impres-sive roster of blues artists, both of which are backed by the Severn Records All-Star Band of Robb Stupka, Steve Gomes, Alex Schultz, Karla Chisholm and Todd Goggins; and the Severn Horns — Dave Finnell, Kenny Ritten-house, Frank Mitchell and Morgan Price.

On Friday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m., Steve Guyger, Big Joe Maher, Tad Robinson, Roy Tyler & New Directions will be rocking The Inn at Reading.

For over 30 years, legendary blues har-monica player Steve Guyger has been honing his skills on the harmonica and delighting blues audiences, whether that be with his own band, The Excellos, or touring with celebrated blues-man Jimmy Rogers.

Joseph Maher a/k/a “Big Joe” Maher has been a performing drummer/singer over the past 30 years. His list of credits is like a “who’s who of blues & jazz,” having performed with greats like Clark Terry, Urbie Green, Mudell Lowe and James Moody, just to name a few. In the late ’80s, Maher formed his own five-piece blues jump group “Big Joe & The Dynaflows.” In between touring and local performances with the Dynaflows, in the mid-90s Joe accepted the role as musical coordinator for Fleetwoods, Mick Fleetwood’s club in Alexandria, Va.

Tad Robinson would have fit in snugly with the blue-eyed soul singers of the 1960s. His vocals virtually reeking of soul, he’s capable of delving into a straight-ahead Little Walter shuffle

or delivering a vintage O.V. Wright R&B ballad. Add his songwriting skills and exceptional harp technique and you have quite the total package.

Roy Tyler & New Directions’ stirring music is carefully chosen and is simply remarkable in its blending of old and new. Their faith and heartfelt passion in singing is absolute. Most American music, jazz and soul, certainly R&B and rock, have their roots in Southern gospel and/or blues music. That becomes a direct link to Tyler’s modern music that many listeners might not be conscious of, but can’t help but

“feel it” just the same. Blues fans can come back for more Severn

soul and blues with their second revue at the Inn at Reading on Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m., this time, with Clarence Spady, Darrell Nulisch, Lou Pride and the Severn All-Star Band.

Once you’ve seen and heard Clarence Spady, you know you’ve been witness to one of

the great blues guitar players of our time. He plays with a depth and sensitivity that can’t be taught. Effortlessly combining blues, jazz, funk and rock, the music seems to emanate from his soul, flow through his guitar and encom-pass the audience. In short, Spady is one of those artists that can actually move people. He brings out in his listeners a range of emotions throughout his performances and recordings.

Growing up in Dallas, Darrell Nulisch was surrounded by blues and soul music at an early age, and has been a mainstay on the blues scene for almost three decades. He’s been with Maryland-based Severn Records since releasing The Whole Truth in 1998 and his 2000 W.C. Handy Award-nominated I Like It That Way.

Born outside of Chicago, singing is some-thing that seemed to come naturally for Lou Pride. Like many of the artists he’s commonly compared to (Bobby Bland, ZZ Hill and Little Milton), he got his start singing in the choir of the First Baptist Church whose pastor was Rev-erend E.J. Cole (Nat King Cole’s father). Pride has several recognized works with his WMB Records release Love At Last, which earned critical acclaim from Living Blues Magazine (“among the year’s best soul/blues albums”), and Twisting the Knife (Ichiban) in addition to I Won’t Give Up on Kingsnake/Icehouse. Lou continues to tour the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Earl said the Severn Soul and Blues Revue has performed at numerous festivals through-out the world including the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival and The Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland. All of these artists have performed with each other with the exception of Oakland-based Roy Tyler, who will make his first East Coast performance in over 15 years.

“The audience can expect 2 days of solid Rhythm and Blues ranging from the styles of Southern Soul, Uptown Chicago Soul, Chicago and Texas Blues and Funk,” Earl said. “We pride ourselves on being a family and the audi-ence can expect to be part of that family.”

With two diverse lineups, the two Severn shows are sure to bring blues audiences exactly what they’re looking for to please their souls.

STeve guygeR Big joe maheR

Tad RoBinSon Roy TyleR

claRence Spady daRRell nuliSch

lou pRide

if you go...friday, march 27The Inn at Reading • 7:30 p.m. • $38

• Steve Guyger• Big Joe Maher• Tad Robinson• Roy Tyler and New Directionsand the

• Severn Records All-Star Band Robb Stupka Steve Gomes Benjie Porecki alex Schultz Karla Chisholm Todd goggins

saturday, march 28The Inn at Reading • 7:30 p.m. • $38

• Clarence Spady• Darrell Nulisch• Lou Prideand the

• Severn Records All-Star Band Robb Stupka Steve Gomes Benjie Porecki alex Schultz Karla Chisholm Todd goggins

Music, as a whole, makes deep, emotional connec-tions with people. But sometimes, it goes beyond that, having a more definite purpose and even deeper meaning.

That’s how it is for guitarist Joyce Cooling. The title of her 2007 Narada Jazz release, Revolving Door, is a reference to mental illness, and the seemingly endless cycle in which families find themselves when deal-ing with it firsthand.

She knows about this phenom-enon because she’s gone through it herself, along with her family. Her brother was diagnosed with schizo-phrenia at age 19, and Cooling and her family have been caught in that revolving door ever since.

“You feel so helpless,” Cooling said.

The shame that is so often attached to the issue of mental illness prevents it from receiving the atten-tion it needs in the form of advocacy, research and breakthroughs.

And so the cycle of illness and helplessness and shame continues.

Cooling decided to break that relentless cycle by partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and holding benefit concerts, donating some of the proceeds from merchandise and CD sales at each show.

“We need to raise money,” Cooling said. “Where there’s money, there’s research. Where’s there’s research, there are breakthroughs. And where there are breakthroughs, there’s relief.”

In 2007, Cooling hooked up with NAMI Berks County for her Berks Jazz Fest show with Nelson Rangell and Philippe Saisse at the former Sheraton Reading Hotel ballroom.

This year, she’ll again be donating some of her CD sales proceeds from her Saturday, April 4 show with East Bay Soul to NAMI Berks County, as well as NAMI’s Lancaster County affiliate. The show will be at 2 p.m. at the Reading Crowne Hotel.

Cooling, who is known for her eclectic and swinging style, is recognized as one of the most dynamic and popular contemporary jazz guitarists in the world.

“She’s wonderful to work with,” said Mary Lou Guntz, executive director of NAMI Berks County. “She’s a very caring person. It’s very easy for her to relate to

individuals in our membership.”Both Berks County and Lancaster

County NAMI organizations will be on hand at the Reading Crowne on April 4 with materials on member-ship as well as free literature on mental illness.

“We’re very, very pleased that Joyce Cooling uses her talents to support the NAMI organization,” said Vivian Spiese, president of NAMI, PA’s Lancaster County affiliate.

Cooling’s aim is really twofold.“It’s not just the dollar amount; it’s the awareness,”

Cooling said. “That’s half the battle sometimes — get-ting the word out.”

Mental illness is a “biologically-based brain disorder,” she said.

“It’s a physical illness, but because it affects behav-ior, people are ashamed. It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she stressed. “These are the bravest people I know. These are not people to be thrown away.

“They often have so much to offer, so many abilities, but need help in expressing them.”

In doing her part in getting the word, she decided to approach it in a light, fun way.

“We want to have fun with this; at the same time, we are doing some serious stuff,” she said. “I want to uplift. I don’t feel devastated; yes, frustrated, but very hopeful.”

What does Cooling hope all of this work ultimately leads to?

“I am hoping to lift the load of the work off the family and into professional hands,” she said. “You end up doing much of it yourself as a family. We just don’t know enough.”

Cooling’s latest album, Global Cooling, on the

Group2 Productions label, is set to be released April 7, but pre-release CDs will be available to fans at the show April 4, the kickoff of her Global Cooling tour.

Her seventh studio album is a collection of dance-able jazz, featuring her signature, colorful, body-moving sound.

“It’s eclectic -- you can dance to it, you can trance to it,” Cooling said. “It’s up to you.”

Along with songwriting partner Jay Wagner, Cool-

ing has crafted a stunning collection of songs that embody places, feelings and thoughts.

Some, like “Cobra” and “The Red Rose,” paint soundscapes of exotic lands; others, like title track

“Global Cooling” and “We Can,” are driven by Cooling’s optimism and love of things global and universal.

”Jay and I wanted to make music in the spirit of that interconnectedness that I like to call our global neighborhood,” she said.

Reading eagle, Reading, Pa. Sunday, MaRch 22, 2009 A19

joyce coolingGuitarist blends CD release with NAMI benefit during fest

What: East Bay Soul featuring Greg Adams, Phil Perry, Michael Paulo, Lee Thornburg, plus Joyce Cooling BandWhen: Saturday, April 4 • 2 p.m.Where: Reading Crowne Hotel ballroom

hoW to help: Portion of proceeds from Joyce Cooling’s CD sales are donated to NAMI’s Berks and Lancaster county affiliates. Get Joyce Cooling Band’s new CD, Global Cooling, at the concert, before the official April 7 release date!tickets: $39

at the festival...NAMI BERKS/LANCASTER COUNTY BENEFIT

VF Outlet providing free shuttle service to hotel guests

www.joycecooling.com / www.namiberkscounty.com / www.nami.org / www.berksjazzfest.com

For the second straight year, VF Outlet shuttle will take fans staying at participating hotels to major festival concerts — and back to their respective hotel for free.

For more information or to make a reservation, please call 610-208-5498. Space is limited and reservations are required 48

hours in advance.Participating hotels: Best Western; Comfort Inn; Country Inn & Suites

by Carlson; Days Inn/Wyomissing; Hampton Inn; Holiday Inn Express; Reading Crowne Hotel; Abraham Lincoln Hotel/Wyndham; and The Inn at Reading.

MARK YOUR CALENdARS!20th annual vf outlet berks jazz fest

march 19-28, 2010www.berksjazzfest.com

Reading Eagle Company is proud to be the major sponsor of the Kutztown University Performing Artists Series

Wednesday, April 1 • 7:30 p.m. • Schaeffer Auditorium

Giordano Jazz Dance ChicagoFor more than 40 years, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, the nation’s original jazz dance company, has brought the excitement of American jazz dance to audiences throughout the world. Never content to rest on its fl eet-footed laurels, the company consistently introduces fresh approaches to the jazz genre, stretching their vocabulary in athletic and witty directions.

For information: 610-683-4511 • www.kutztownpresents.orgTICKETS: $30 • Students: $27

A20 Sunday, March 22, 2009 reading eagle, reading, Pa.