FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 5, 2011
phone: (707) 224-JAZZ
info@NapaValleyJazzSociety.org

Napa Valley Jazz Society Presents
“Khalil Shaheed Quartet”

WHEN: Sunday, May 15, 2011 4:00 pm

WHAT: Khalil Shaheed Quartet (KSQ) featuring renown jazz trumpeter Khalil Shaheed, with the amazing rhythm section of the Bay Area Legend Eddie Marshall on drums, Glen Pearson on piano and Rob Belcher on bass. Noted as one of the best Jazz trumpeters since Miles, Khalil will bring a mastery of the trumpet rarely seen – sure to be one of the best jazz concerts you have been to in years.

WHERE: Silo’s Jazz Club, 530 Main Street, Napa, CA

TICKETS: (707) 224-JAZZ, or online at www.napavalleyjazzsociety.org – members: $20, non-members: $40

MORE INFO: www.napavalleyjazzsociety.org

Sunday afternoon, May 15th, NVJS brings to Silo’s Jazz Club in Napa The Khalil Shaheed Quartet a world-class jazz trumpeter along with his amazing rhythm section of Bay Area Legend Eddie Marshall on drums, Glen Pearson on piano and Rob Belcher on bass.

These wonderful jazz artists are presented by the Napa Valley Jazz Society. This renown Jazz trumpeter and his elite group of the Bay Area’s Jazz players is not to be missed.

An individual, award-winning performer of international repute, Khalil Shaheed’s accomplishments are as memorable as they are many: In addition to touring with Buddy Miles for 7 years, He has also performed with Jimi Hendrix, Woody Shaw and Taj Mahal, John Handy, and Billy Higgins and has been featured as a jazz soloist with the Oakland East Bay Symphony Orchestra. As a recording artist he has appeared on over 30 albums, many with Miles and Hendrix, as well as Ledisi and Babatunde Lea. And as a performer, he maintains an active schedule playing with four different bands: Big Belly Blues, Mo’ Rockin Project, the jazz improvisation group Open Mind Ensemble, and the Redwood Brass, a classical quartet. — Shaheed’s musical style is accented by many influences, including R&B, funk, African, bebop, blues, and of course, jazz. Constantly improvising, Shaheed loves to stretch the bounds of his – and especially his students’ – creativity in
experimenting with new sounds and forms, and delights in encouraging collaborations between musicians.

A living legend of the San Francisco jazz scene, drummer and band leader Eddie Marshall has a resume that reads like a modern jazz honor role, including long-term stints with Stan Getz, Bobby Hutcherson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Bobby McFerrin and additional collaborations with the likes of Freddie Hubbard, John Hendricks, Dexter Gordon, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. As “Down Beat” wrote of the hard working percussion-master: “If in the last 30 years a fan on the West Coast has missed seeing Eddie Marshall behind a set of drums, it can’t be blamed on lack of opportunities. He has single-handedly done his part to keep jazz alive and swinging this side of the Rockies.”

Pianist Glen Pearson has brought sensitivity and expression to the widest variety of music imaginable. His performances on stage, television, radio, and in recording studios have included his well known position as principle keyboardist for Regina Belle, as well as pianist and orchestrator with such notables as Jimmy Scott, Ernestine Anderson, Dianne Reeves, Marlena Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson, Delfeayo Marsalis, James Moody, Frank Morgan, Chico Freeman and Will Downing. Mr. Pearson also served for eleven years as the Musical/Band Director for the world renowed Boy’s Choir of Harlem. — A native of Oakland, California, Glen is the current head of music studies at the College of Alameda. — Glen has appeared both on record and in videos with Will Downing and Gerald Albright. He has worked both on and off Broadway with Savion Glover, Gregory Hines, Arthur Miller, Patrick Stewart and George Wolfe.

Bassist Ron Belcher travels the world from France to Japan and throughout the United States bringing his rhythmically buoyant, emotionally uplifting style to the stage for a wide diversity of jazz artists. Performing or recording with such international stars as Branford Marsalis, Regina Carter, Rodney Franklin, John Handy, and Pete Escovedo, as well as a literal “who’s who” of the San Francisco jazz scene, Ron has garnered a reputation as one of northern California’s first-call jazz bassists. — A passionate teacher and advocate for children’s education, Ron has served on the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley, Young Musicians’ Program, and has contributed to several seasons for the San Francisco Symphony’s Adventures In Music outreach program. Ron ‘s own studies include jazz improvisation and acoustic bass at several Bay Area colleges, culminating in a degree from Texas College, where he had the honor of membership in
the East Texas All-Stars.

About the NVJS Parlor Jazz Series

The NVJS show is part of the NVJS’ Parlor Jazz series, which aims to provide jazz in an intimate setting. “Parlor Jazz” is a concept that emerged from the major jazz cities of the world – New York, Chicago, Paris, New Orleans, San Francisco, Kansas City, and Memphis. A group would gather in someone’s “parlor” to share food and drink and enjoy live jazz. Participants would kick in what they could afford. Some of it went to supporting the musicians; some of it went to paying the rent.

The Napa Valley Jazz Society seeks to recreate the spirit of these events, drawing on local musicians who enjoy the opportunity for a local gig, and mainstream artists who enjoy playing in intimate settings. We might stretch the definition of “parlor” from homes to small clubs and wineries, but the spirit of “Parlor Jazz” prevails.

About the Napa Valley Jazz Society

Sitting at the top of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Napa Valley claims a rich heritage of jazz music. Live performances thrive, special venues attract appreciative audiences, and educators pass on their special brand of traditional and contemporary jazz knowledge. Great food, great wine, and great jazz – it doesn’t get much better than that.
NVJS supports the art of jazz in the Napa Valley through events, education and community outreach, in collaboration with arts organizations throughout the Bay Area.

NVJS endeavors to lead the way, making jazz more widely available up and down the Napa Valley, cultivating audiences, and encouraging participation in this exciting art form. We believe the performing arts are an essential ingredient in the quality of life in our community, and jazz music, with its rich heritage and continued evolution, deserves an important place in the local performing arts scene. As a not-for-profit (501c3), the NVJS exists for the good of the community, and is committed to the highest standards of professionalism, scholarship, collaboration, inclusiveness, and enjoyment.

Your participation is not only welcomed, it is encouraged. Become a member of the Napa Valley Jazz Society, attend our events, and support jazz.

NVJS memberships begin at $40 ($20 for students). Please visit www.napavalleyjazzsociety for details.

Photo Credit: James Knox

For immediate release

November 8, 2010

Contact: www.napavalleyjazz society.org

Cavallaro photos: http://www.redheadmusic.com/pages/media_kit.htm

The Napa Valley Jazz Society’s Parlor Jazz Series continues on Sunday, November 28 with three of the Bay Area’s top vocalists, billed as the Sirens of Song. The 4 p.m. concert will be held at Silo’s, Napa’s premiere music club in the historic Hatt Building.

Singers Denise Perrier, Maye Cavallaro, and Lavay Smith will be backed by an all-star women’s quartet consisting of pianist Sue Crossman, bassist Carla Kaufman,  Drummer Ruthie Price and Mary Fettig on sax and flute.

NVJS board member and co-founder Bruce Hopewell is serving as producer for this concert. “This is a historic coming together of these three notable Bay Area vocalists,” he said. “Women and jazz have long been linked with the very best of the music’s rich heritage.  I was familiar with many of the great ladies of jazz such as Ella, Dinah, Sarah, Lena and Carmen.  This is the time to honor their unique contributions to the beginnings of jazz.  With the Siren’s of Song, we can experience it first-hand in Napa.”

Denise Perrier has spent much of her thirty-year career as one of the San Francisco Bay  Area’s most popular performers. Her latest CD, “The Second Time Around,” with guest Houston Person, shows off her rich contralto voice and her ability to swing, sing ballads and blues with equal artistry. Denise has a welcoming straight-ahead style, concentrating on the standards and adding blues and Latin. She has been called  “the voice with a  heart.”

Maye Cavallaro , an exceptionally sophisticated and emotional vocalist, has been singing classic songs since she discovered her mother’s “Sing Along with Mitch” records at age six. She soon began borrowing from her brother’s collection of vintage blues, studied piano, and became a huge fan of Carmen McRae, Billie Holiday, Esther Phillips and Miriam Makeba. Her eclectic and wide ranging musical tastes have continued to encompass jazz, modern pop and rock as well as classical and world music.

Lavay Smith grew up in Southern California and the Philippines and has become an internationally exponent of  jazz and blues. Whether singing her own compositions or drawing on a large repertoire of classics, Lavay provides an instant recipe for dancing and good times, often performing with her seven-piece group, the Red Hot Skillet Lickers. The sultry chanteuse evokes a sensuous era of jazz queens adding a modern, feminist twist.

The parlor jazz concept was conceived and grew up in Harlem, with so many famous musicians of the day working and residing there such as Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Ethel Waters, Lena Horne, Johnny Hodges, James P. Johnson, and a multitude of others.  Many of their acquaintances and friends could not afford to see these musicians downtown so they’d get together and arrange “Sunday Parlor Jazz Concerts” to share food and drink for whatever the attendees could afford and support the musicians.  Some of the proceeds went to pay the musicians and some went to pay the rent.  The tradition continues today.

The Napa Valley Jazz Society seeks to recreate the spirit of these events, drawing on local and regional musicians who enjoy the opportunity for a local gig, and mainstream artists who enjoy playing in intimate settings. Admission is $20 for NVJS members and $40 for non-members. Those joining on the NVJS website or at the door will receive the members’ discount and can pay using PayPal at www.napavalleyjazzsociety.org.

The NAPA VALLEY JAZZ SOCIETY
Parlor Jazz Series Presents

An Evening With
NAPA VALLEY JAZZ ALL-STARS
and SPECIAL GUESTS
Chris Amberger – Kent Cohea – Mimi Fox –Wesla Whitfield – Mike Greensill – Mary Jenson – Noel Jewkes – Denise Perrier – Alan U’Ren – Larry Vuckovich – Benny Barth – Wesla Whitfield – Herb Gibson (more to follow)

Sunday, January 31 – 4:00pm
At Silo’s Jazz Club
530 Main St. , Napa

Admission: NVJS Members: FREE
Non-Members: $20/person

For RESERVATIONS and MEMBERSHIP and to pay with Credit Card
call (707) 224-JAZZ
Or send your reservation request and check to:
Napa Valley Jazz Society
P,O, Box 6080
Napa , CA 94581

Membership details available at www.NapaValleyJazzSociety.org