President Doris Leuthard snaps and scats; "Centerpiece" closing Jazzaar's 2010 Great American Songbook Concert

As I sit and drink my coffee, finally relaxed at home, I can enjoy my triumph accomplishment at the 2010 Jazzaar American Songbook Concert featuring The Aargau Youth Orchestra, plus Buster Williams on bass, Corey Allen; piano, Danny Gottlieb; drumss, Steve Reid; trumpet, Mark Gross; alto, George Robert; clarinet. Fritz and Helen Renoud put together two fantastic concerts and this program is a study/workshop/concert experience for young musicians. I sang for the President of Aarau and she was snappin' and tappin' on my encore where eight hundred of the crowd scatted "Centerpiece" with me and call and answered '4's' scatting, plus great solo's with Buster & student Dave on bass, drummer/student Dave, Mark Gross' sax section and non-stop clapping - an unbelievable close to a great show. Kevin Fields - is a great conductor, Bob Freedman's charts were interesting and entertaining. I will write more soon about Fritz and Helen's incredible hospitatlity in the face of all of the musicians that were held up in Aarau because of the Volcanic Eruption! Many are still there, I am lucky to be home after a 4 day layover in Aarau. Thank you Fritz and Helen.

Jazzaar -2010 www.jazzaar.com - 3 days & Counting!

We have three days to go before Saturday's concert. Here is a photo of our rehearsal with Kevin Fields as Maestro! He's excellent. The kids are fantastic, we've been coaching a rhythm section and each boy will play on certain songs with me; Yannick on piano, Dave and Dave on bass and drums. Buster Williams has been great on bass and as a hanging buddy. Danny Gottlieb and Corey Allen, the same - both great musicians and teachers. I'll print pics soon of my workshop with Annette Phillip, Sharmistha Chaterjee, Ujwal Nagar and Chayan Adhikari - wonderful Indian singers and we had a great workshp!

Jazzaar -2010 www.jazzaar.com - The Great American Songbook

Fritz and Helen Renold Present the most amazing program for young musicians to participate in. The Aargau Youth Pops Orchestra play: The Great American
Songbook, arranged by Bob Freedman – Roseanna Vitro, Vocalist –
Kevin Field, Conductor – http://www.jazzaar.com (April 11th – 17th – Jazzaar 2010 – Aarau, Switzerland...).
April 16th will be a special "Indian Night" featuring a host of great Indian singers and musicians. Check out the link: http://www.jazzaar.com

9:am. WBGO Interview!!! April 5th -New Jersey City University - Kevin Mahogany Featured with the NJCU Big Band, directed by Ed Joffe Also: Ms. Roseanna Vitro

April 5th -please join us at 7:30 pm. at the Margaret Williams Theatre (http://www.njcu.edu/) 2039 Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07305 Tickets:  $10. students and seniors; $15. adults



Here these two Together! 

March 5th - Trumpets Jazz Club - The Randy Newman Project !

 Roseanna Vitro vocals

Please join us tomorrow night at
March 5th !

www.trumpetsjazz.com   6 Depot Square  Montclair, NJ.
(973) 744-2600         8:30 pm. & 10:30 pm.                                                                                                            

The Randy Newman Project

Mark Soskin piano


                                                                            Sara Caswell violin

 

                        

                                                              


Andy Eulau bass

Marko Marcinko drums

Jazz Stories - duets - Roseanna Vitro and Kenny Werner

February 8th - My old friend Kenny Werner and I headed back out to Charlestown Studios in Clinton, NJ. to finish our duo record.  We had a great time.  Kenny is playing fantastic and I was more comfortable and felt free to be creative and express stories that have meaning for me.  We covered some amazing music:  The Midnight Waltz (Cedar Walton),  Some Other Time,  The Circle Game (Joni's),  Sweet and Lovely.  I'm touching up tracks now and hope to have this finished very soon.

The Grammy's, Vitello's & Cathy Segal Garcia's Workshop -

 Bill Cunliffe receiving his Grammy!

I'm just coolin' my heels back home in Jersey recovering from a whirlwind five days in LA.  The infamous "Grammys" were sunday afternoon and night. There's always a conversation about the live broadcast and of course,  'who won' .  In my category, Kurt Elling finally won a Grammy for his Coltrane/Hartman Tribute. This was Kurt's ninth nomination, so it's nice that he finally got one of these coveted prizes for all of his hard work.  Bill Cunliffe, who played piano on my gig at Vitello's on Friday night (Jan.28th) won a Grammy also for a medley that he wrote on "West Side Story".  Major congratulations for Bill.  This was our first gig and it was really great to work with him.                                            

   Tom Warrington played bass at Vitello's.  Tom and I played together on my first gigs in New York in 1978.  It was cool to play with him again and dig how much he's progressed and appreciate his level of professionalism.  Tom printed up his music, listened to the mp3's of the new Randy Newman charts and was ready to go.  Man, did I appreciate that!  Paul Kreibech was on drums and he was very swinging and a quick study.  Steve Cardenas is teaching at Cal Arts this semester and was able to join us on guitar and he is an amazing musician - what a smokin' band I had for my first gig.  Thanks guys.

I'm waiting for pictures from Cathy Segal Garcia of my workshop on sunday afternoon in Granada Hills.  I'll post about that when Cathy sends the photos.  It was a great workshop with eight wonderful singers.