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| The Russ Kassoff Big Band at New York City Baha'i Center The Russ Kassoff Big Band, led by renowned jazz pianist, composer and arranger Russ Kassoff, will perform in concert at John Birks Gillespie Auditorium, NYC Baha'i Center in New York City on Tuesday, April 24th. Guest vocalist Catherine Dupuis will be featured on the evening's concert. The RKBB is comprised of top New York recording and Broadway musicians who all get a chance to play Kassoff's new hard-swinging charts. The RKBB is led by Russ Kassoff, an accomplished jazz pianist, conductor, composer, orchestrator and arranger. The RKBB recently played Birdland with Big Band Broadway. Big Band Broadway, which stars Tony award winner Debbie Gravitte, was originally presented in November 2005 at the Ridgefield Playhouse. In June 2004, the RKBB was the featured performer for the Milford, PA Music Festival. The Russ Kassoff Big Band was recently featured on the local 802 radio jingle promoting live music in New York. Kassoff toured extensively with legends Frank Sinatra ('80-'91) and Liza Minnelli ('82-'01). Russ's repertoire for his band is eclectic. All members of the Russ Kassoff Big Band are among a small group of the best free lance musicians in the world. Together they form a vast bio of many worlds of performing experience. Russ - Sinatra, Minnelli, Rita Moreno, Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, Chris Connor, Bucky Pizzarelli, Debbie Gravitte, and countless others - is joined by the other band members who also bring their experience - with Count Basie, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, Gerry Mulligan, Sting, Natalie Cole - just about everyone in the traditions of American jazz and show business - not to mention the Broadway shows currently being played by these magnificent players. Kassoff can be heard on NPR with Marion McPartland on Piano Jazz in early May celebrating his critically acclaimed solo/trio CD, Somewhere. Guest vocalist Catherine Dupuis is delighted to be singing with the RKBB. Dupuis' three CDs recorded for Bearheart Records have received rave reviews. About Rules of the Road (2005) (arranged and conducted by Russ Kassoff, featuring the Russ Kassoff Trio, Bucky Pizzarelli, Ted Nash, Marvin Stamm and Joe Cohn), Scott Yanow (All Music Guide) writes: "Although not overly famous, Catherine Dupuis shows on this CD that she is one of the most interesting jazz singers of the early 21st century. Her song selection is particularly strong, with a few standards performed in fresh ways and joined by vintage obscurities and newer material. "I've Never Been in Love Before" and "Lonesome Road" are reinvented. The Rules of the Road is highly recommended and a perfect introduction to the singing of Catherine Dupuis." write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |