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| Kettle Moraine Jazz Festival The West Bend Sunrise Rotary Foundation, Inc., producers of the annual Kettle Moraine Jazz Festival, announced that the line up for the 2010 event, to be held Fri., Sept. 10—Sat., Sept. 11, would once again feature an internationally diverse collection of musicians and vocalists. The event, which will take place along the banks of the upper Milwaukee River at Riverside Park in West Bend, Wis., will showcase seven play slots, three on Sept. 10, and four on Sept. 11. The entertainment line up is as follows: Friday, September 10 5:15 p.m.: Alex Bugnon Swiss-born pianist and composer Alex Bugnon has created one of the most recognized styles in smooth jazz—a sultry mixture of contemporary jazz, funk, and R&B with hints of gospel. Growing up in Montreux, Switzerland—the home of the Montreux Jazz Festival—Bugnon started playing classical piano at age six. Guided by his father, a jazz guitarist and classical opera singer, Bugnon acquired a love for a wide range of music. He studied at the Paris Conservatory and the famous Mozart Academy in Salzburg, Austria. Then at age nineteen, he moved to the U.S. and attended the Berklee School of Music. He spent four years in New York working as a session musician and touring with urban and jazz luminaries such as Patti Austin, Freddie Jackson, James Ingram, Earth Wind and Fire, and Keith Sweat. Bugnon began his recording career in 1989 with his debut album, Love Season, which reached the pop charts and the Top 40 of the R&B charts, as did subsequent releases. His latest album, Going Home, was released in December 2009. 7:15 p.m.: Chieli Minucci & Special EFX, with Karen Briggs Guitarist, composer, and arranger Chieli Minucci is the leader of the Grammy-nominated jazz-fusion group Special EFX, which he co-founded with the late George Jinda in 1984. A major force on the jazz and world music scene for 25 years, Special EFX's newest release, "Without You, " is a diverse collection of jazz-fusion, world rhythms, and the effortlessly flowing guitar artistry that Chieli is known for. Special EFX is one of the most prominent world fusion groups of the era. During the course of the band's phenomenal rise to the top of the jazz charts, they released 25 CDs, including Chieli's eight solo releases and a live concert DVD. Seminal songs like "Daybreak, " "Cruise Control, " "Bella, " and "Seduction" were among their chart-topping hits. Chieli also has recorded and performed with top artists Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Lopez, Jewel, Mark Anthony, Jessica Simpson, Anastasia, Marion Meadows, Alex Bugnon, Nestor Torres, and many others. Renowned in the jazz and pop world, he is also a gifted television and film composer with three Emmy Awards and 10 nominations for his eclectic compositional work. 9:15 p.m.: RnR—Rick Braun & Richard Elliot The exciting collaboration between trumpeter Rick Braun and saxophonist Richard Elliot has been in the making for over a decade, as they've toured together for years and made appearances on each other's records. They have 24 solo albums and a massive catalogue of chart-topping radio hits between them. Two-time winner of the Gavin Report's smooth jazz artist of the year award, Braun is no stranger to collaboration. Shake It Up, an album that partnered him with Boney James, is one of his best-selling releases to date. Elliot put out his first solo album in 1976, and in subsequent years became a pioneering voice in contemporary jazz with consistent radio hits and dynamic concerts. Their 2007 album, RnR, is a collection of original funk, R&B, jazz, and pop songs that jazzreview.com called "greatly anticipated... mainly due to the exceptional chemistry they deliver during their live performances." Saturday, September 11 1:45 p.m.: Dotsero To jazz fans worldwide, Dotsero is smooth jazz at its best, full of energy, spontaneity, and excitement—a unique group that is as much fun to watch as it is to listen to. Dotsero's critically acclaimed CD Off the Beaten Path launched them to national prominence in 1990 and paved the way for the amazing success of their eight subsequent albums, which have received rave reviews from jazz critics across the nation. In 1998, Dotsero co-created a live jazz emporium, Jazz@Jack's, where they are the house band. The people of Colorado voted it the Best Live Music Venue for Denver 7's A-List. Dotsero has performed with a number of leading jazz acts over the years including Spyro Gyra, the Yellowjackets, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Sample, Dave Grusin, Richard Elliott, Nancy Wilson, David Sanborn, the Rippingtons, Norman Brown, Stanley Jordan, and Jeff Lorber, among others. Whether at home in Colorado or on the road the world over, Dotsero takes pride in making their live show something people will remember. 3:45 p.m.: Craig Chaquico Guitarist, songwriter, producer, and bandleader Craig Chaquico, originally of Jefferson Starship/Starship and now in his fourth decade of topping national charts, returns to the festival bringing rock origins to the new age smooth jazz genre. Boasting a combined 20 gold records between Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, Chaquico was instrumental in making one of the most successful bands in history. Among the songs he has penned or co-penned are the hits Jane, Find Your Way Back, and Layin' It on the Line. Chaquico began his smooth jazz career with 1993's Acoustic Highway, Billboard's No. 1 New Age Album and Adult Alternative Album of the Year. His latest smooth jazz album, Follow the Sun, was released in 2009. 6:15 p.m.: Spyro Gyra For more than three decades, Spyro Gyra has maintained a position at the forefront of modern jazz. Founded in 1974 by saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, the band released its first album in 1976. The 1979 Top 40 single "Morning Dance" went platinum and placed Spyro Gyra as one of the most popular artists in contemporary jazz. In its long and successful jazz career, Spyro Gyra has released more than 30 albums and received Grammy nominations for the 2006 album Wrapped in a Dream, the 2007 album Good To Go-Go, and the 2008 album A Night Before Christmas. The group's latest album, Down the Wire, features the current members of the band: Jay Beckenstein on sax, Tom Schuman on keyboards, Julio Fernandez on guitar, Scott Ambush on bass, and Bonny B. on drums. "When you're improvising in front of a crowd, you're really walking down that wire, " said Beckenstein. "There are always surprises that way, but our openness to those surprises is what makes this band what it is." 8:30 p.m.: Jeff Lorber Fusion The spirit of jazz-fusion is back with keyboardist and composer Jeff Lorber and his band, the Jeff Lorber Fusion. More than three decades since the group's self-titled debut album, Lorber has come full circle with his new recording, Now Is The Time, released June 1, 2010. The album delves back into his early catalog and reinvents some of the most compelling compositions from the Jeff Lorber Fusion heyday. This new incarnation of the Jeff Lorber Fusion includes bassist Jimmy Haslip (who co-produced with Lorber and Bobby Colomby), saxophonist Eric Marienthal, trumpeter Randy Brecker, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., and drummers Vinnie Colaiuta and Dave Weckl. The group combines traditional jazz with elements of rock, R&B, funk, and other electrified sounds. In some ways, Now Is The Time is a culmination of all that has come before—and a nod to the raw energy and enthusiasm that fueled the music of the early days, while representing a transition in Lorber's creative perspective. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Jazz News :: home page |