ELIXIR at THE FREIGHT HOUSE presents
River City JazzFest @ ELIXIR
Thursday, Friday & Saturday, Sept. 27-29
Featuring
FRED HAAS TRIO with SABRINA BROWN
AMANDA CARR
MICHAEL ZSOLDOS TRIO
Plus TERRY DIERS
ELIXIR, White River Junction, Vermont’s fabulous new restaurant which opened in June at the recently refurbished Freight House, presents River City JazzFest @ ELIXIR -- three evenings of outstanding jazz on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, September 27-29, 2007. Co-sponsor of the event is Harpoon Brewery. Call ELIXIR at 802-281-7009 for reservations. There is no cover charge for the music.
On Thursday, September 27, from 7:30 to 10:30pm, local jazz icon FRED HAAS, called “a totally world-class saxophone player” by renowned jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, performs an eclectic mix of jazz standards and bossa novas with his trio, including SABRINA BROWN on vocals and JASON ENNIS on 7-string guitar.
On Friday, September 28, from 8 to 11pm, Boston-based vocalist AMANDA CARR, whose elegant, honey-voiced phrasing is reminiscent of the singer/goddesses of the ‘50s and ‘60s, sings with pianist PHIL COMEAU. Amanda’s new CD Soon has been a Best Seller on both Amazon and CDBaby since September 5, when a review by legendary jazz critic Nat Hentoff appeared in the Wall Street Journal.
Also on Friday, guitarist/ TERRY DIERS will perform an early evening set of jazz, gospel and blues from 4 to 7 pm.
On Saturday, September 29, from 8 to 11pm, saxophonist MICHAEL ZSOLDOS, who studied under the tutelage of Branford Marsalis, brings the weekend to a peak as he performs seldom heard classics by the likes of saxophone masters Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.
FRED HAAS is a 1973 Dartmouth graduate who teaches saxophone, jazz piano, improvisation, jazz history, and music theory at Dartmouth College. He has performed with countless artists, including Oscar Peterson, Ray Charles, Clark Terry, Sheila Jordan, Pat Metheny, Lena Horne, Dionne Warwick, Joe Morello, Attila Zoller, and Milt Jackson. In 1996, he founded Interplay Jazz Camp in Woodstock, VT, which provides an opportunity for musicians of all ages to participate in a relaxed and supportive learning environment as they focus on the improvisational art of jazz with an experienced, all-star faculty. Fred’s record label, JazzToons, has produced several CDs, including Interplay with guitarist Gene Bertoncini, Strike Up the Band and Friends with the Paul Broadnax Quartet, and I thought About You with pianist Bob Hallahan, which all feature Fred on saxophone. His most recent CD, Telling Stories, is a collection of twelve original compositions featuring Fred on sax and piano, Gene Bertoncini on guitar, and Michael Moore on bass. Visit www.interplayjazz.com for more information about Interplay Jazz Camp and JazzToons.
AMANDA CARR, whom jazz critic Nat Hentoff called “a true jazz singer in a time of wannabes” in a recent Wall Street Journal feature (http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118894712728617428.html), began her career as a vocalist, pianist, and composer in the pop genre, but soon followed in the footsteps of her big band musician parents to focus on fresh interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Her 1997 CD Carr Toons made national news when her version of “Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree” was heard in a popular commercial. In 1998, Amanda headlined the EuroJazz festival in Ivrea, Italy, sharing the stage with James Moody and George Mraz. The attention she received prompted a return in March 1999, and Live in San Giorgio was recorded and released that same year. Her critically acclaimed 2005 release, Tender Trap, earned four stars from All Music Guide and Jazz Review. Amanda’s hot-selling new CD Soon includes such classics as Tadd Dameron’s “If You Could See Me Now” and Jorge Ben’s “Mais Que Nada” sung in Portuguese. As a composer, she has received numerous awards for her work for television, including three documentaries for PBS. Visit www.amandacarr.com for more information.
MICHAEL ZSOLDOS is a saxophonist, teacher, composer, and arranger whose stylistic influences bear strong traces of the great master saxophonists Lester Young, Don Byas, and Coleman Hawkins. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Masters in music theory and jazz studies from Michigan State University, where he studied with Branford Marsalis for three years. Michael has performed with Peter Bernstein, Matt Wilson, Rebecca Parris, and Jerry Bergonzi, and has opened for piano legend McCoy Tyner with his group The Other Three Tenors, which includes saxophonists Fred Haas and John McKenna. In May 2007, Michael performed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival with the Dartmouth Gospel Choir horn section, for which he is the lead arranger. He also plays with the Discover Jazz Festival Big Band in Burlington and the Vermont Jazz Center Big Band in Brattleboro. Michael has been the Band Director at Woodstock Union High School and Middle School for the past five years and is also Chairman of the Connecticut Valley Music Festival Association and an instructor at Interplay Jazz Camp. An accomplished composer, he wrote and performed a full-length score for the award-winning documentary “Birdsong and Coffee: A Wake-Up Call” (www.olddogdocumentaries.com), which has aired on PBS and Link-TV.
Located at The Freight House, 188 S. Main Street, White River Junction, VT, ELIXIR Restaurant and Lounge presents chef/owner Robb Taylor preparing fun, eclectic fare, small plates and satays. ELIXIR features special martinis, local beers, and an international wine list. Eat, Laugh & Drink..
Elixir Restaurant & Lounge - Large Plates, Small Plates and Satays Artfully Created Using Local Foods ~ Martinis, Wine, & Beer
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ELIXIR ENTERTAINMENT
FRED HAAS TRIO
MICHAEL ZSOLDOS
AMANDA CARR
Terry Diers - A masterful multi-instrumentalist (6 and 12 string guitars, slide guitar, mandolin, w/ a piano splash) -- and a talented singer. Hear cuts from his latest CD, "Dream Walkin" and a fascinating mix of other material. The essence of No. New England w/ a country overlay.
ELIXIR at the FREIGHT HOUSE in WHITE RIVER JUNCTION presents
SAXOPHONIST / VOCALIST JESSE CARR
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11th
ELIXIR, White River Junction, Vermont’s exciting new restaurant which opened in June at the recently refurbished Freight House, is proud to present eclectic jazz saxophonist, vocalist, and composer JESSE CARR, performing with pianist BOB MERRILL and bassist DAVID WESTPHALEN on Thursday, October 11, 2024 from 7:30 to 10:30pm. Call ELIXIR at 802-281-7009 for reservations.
Jesse Carr has sung and played tenor sax with his trio and quartet regularly throughout New England. But his composing, arranging and performing has been heard internationally on the soundtracks of ten films, including eight documentaries by Ken Burns. For “The Civil War” soundtrack, which won a GRAMMY® Award for best folk album, Jesse researched the music, wrote all the charts, arranged the sessions, and also played on four cuts and was recognized by the Recording Academy for his work in Music Research, Coordination and Performance. He later performed on a Civil War music tour with Jay Ungar and Molly Mason and sang bass with Ronnie Gilbert of the Weavers.
Elixir at THE FREIGHT HOUSE presents:
PIANIST/VOCALIST MICHAEL SUCHER and BASSIST DAVID WESTPHALEN
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4th
ELIXIR, White River Junction, Vermont’s fabulous new restaurant which opened in June at the recently refurbished Freight House, presents an exciting evening of jazz by the popular dynamic duo of pianist/vocalist MICHAEL SUCHER and bassist DAVID WESTPHALEN on Thursday, October 4, 2024 from 7:30 to 10:30pm. Call ELIXIR at 802-281-7009 for reservations.
Michael Sucher has established a reputation as an excellent keyboard player and composer over the past two decades as a member of some of the premier progressive jazz, soul and blues ensembles in the Washington, D.C. area and, more recently, Vermont and New Hampshire. Originally from Maryland, he has worked extensively along the East Coast and beyond, playing jazz, R&B and pop. His skills on piano, electric piano, organ and synthesizer have kept him in demand for work in nightclubs, concerts, television and recording sessions. Michael was a founding member of the legendary D.C. progressive jazz group Rush Hour and has appeared with many D.C. area notables, including the late, great guitarist Danny Gatton. Since moving to Montpelier, Vermont in 1996, Michael has worked with R&B diva Sandra Wright, bassist Ellen Powell, and vocalist Allison Mann. In the summer of 2004, Michael toured internationally with two-time GRAMMY®-nominated soul and blues artist Mighty Sam McClain.
David Westphalen is a well-known bassist, trombonist, and bandleader in the Upper Valley. For many years, his band Swing Machine has performed at dances, Dartmouth College functions, weddings and other private events around northern New England. After graduating with a major in music from Tufts University, he taught high school music in Vermont for two years. David currently plays bass with a number of Vermont-based musicians, including Fred Haas, Michael Zsoldos, Bob Merrill and Dave Ellis. He also works with several small combos, including a duo with guitarist Billy Rosen, and occasionally sings jazz standards. David plays trombone with the Vermont Jazz Center Big Band, based in Brattleboro, as well as the seven-piece, traditional jazz band The Almost Legendary Thundering Muskrats.
Oct. 4 - Pianist/vocalist Michael Sucher and bassist David Westphalen
Oct. 11 - Saxophonist/vocalist Jesse Carr, with pianist Bob Merrill and bassist David Westphalen
Oct. 18 - Pianist Michael Arnowitt with bassist David Westphalen
Oct. 25 - Vocalist Sharen Conner with guitarist Norm Wolfe and bassist Peter Concilio
Located at the Freight House, 188 S. Main Street, White River Junction, VT, Elixir Restaurant and Lounge presents chef/owner Robb Taylor preparing fun, eclectic fare, small plates and satays. ELIXIR features special martinis, local beers, and an international wine list. Eat, Laugh & Drink.
