Grammy Nom. Organist Pat Bianchi & Trombonist Steve Davis (Wynton Marsalis)

8 P T Barnum Square,Bethel CT 06801

26 April, 2023

Description

Indoor Seating Chart Doors open at 6:00pm. Try to be seated by 6:30pm to have your dinner order taken. Showtime begins at 7:45pm when we transform the space into a theater. Out of respect for the performers and other patrons, please keep talking to a whisper during the performance. Very Limited Occupancy. Tables seating 2, 4, 5 guests, with tables for 6, 8, 12 available upon request. Single, general admission tickets are also available. See The Attached Seating Chart. Admission Is $15.00 - $20.00 Per Person, Ticket prices may be higher for special performances. Tables Of Two = $35., Four = $75., Five = $87.50 Six = $105., Eight = $130, Twelve = $210. Have problems with the ticketing system? Call 203-247-4273 Joe Strasser Drummer / Percussionist Joe Strasser, is a native son of Bethel , CT. He is a “one of a kind stylist”, with his own take on jazz drumming… his own sound. A colorist, who is mindful of the effect of each stroke on the musicians around him as a whole, Strasser mines the rest of the components of the drum kit with equal parts of efficiency and artistry. Everything is very meticulous and everything is musical. He's tremendously versatile and traditional in the sense that he's got a real foundation. Strasser says his idol was Jimmy Cobb first and then Philly Joe Jones - the classic bebop drummers who were also great percussionists. Strasser has played and recorded with musicians such as: Trumpet player Joe Magnarelli, Guitarist Peter Bernstein, and with groups such as Full House, Planet Jazz, The Omer Avital Group, Yves Brouqui Trio. Steve Davis - Trombone is widely regarded as one of today's leading voices on the trombone. After graduating from The Hartt School's Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz ('89), Davis first gained widespread recognition in 1990 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. As the last to join the Jazz Messengers, Steve’s first record dates would be Blakey's last, including the composition One For All (A&M), penned by Davis.  Over the years since, Davis has worked with a broad range of jazz luminaries such as his first mentor Jackie McLean, Chick Corea, Benny Golson, Cecil Payne, Harold Mabern, Larry Willis, Freddie Hubbard & The New Jazz Composers Octet, Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Hank Jones, Roy Hargrove & Willie Jones III. Raised in Binghamton, New York, Steve has performed at major venues around the world including appearances on The Jimmy Fallon Show with Stevie Wonder and at The White House Tribute to Ray Charles (PBS). Davis appears on over 150 recordings, including 20 as a leader. Davis' 2019 release, Correlations (Smoke Sessions) features rising stars Joshua Bruneau & Jonathan Barber, as well as renowned veteran, stars Xavier Davis, Wayne Escoffery & Dezron Douglas. Correlations have garnered rave reviews and spent months atop the JazzWeek Radio Charts. The CD features an exciting collection of original compositions and time-honored classics. Other notable releases include Think Ahead & Say When: Celebrating J.J. Johnson (Smoke Sessions), For Real, and Gettin’ It Done (Positone). In 2019, in addition to performing with his own Correlations Band, Steve appears on Chick Corea's My Spanish Heart Band CD, "Antidote" and toured Europe with the group in July. Davis also continues to work regularly with the collectively-led sextet One For All (feat. Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, David Hazeltine, John Webber & Joe Farnsworth), bassist Nat Reeves' Quintet, as well as playing with John Lee's Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, Jimmy Heath, Ron Carter, and Christian McBride big bands. Steve’s original composition, “Optimism” appears on the McBride Big Band’s Grammy Award-winning release Bringin' It (2018). Davis plans to record with both his son, guitarist Tony Davis and his wife, vocalist Abena Koomson-Davis. As always, Steve maintains an active presence on the vibrant local CT jazz scene & appears on bassist Matt Dwonzsyk's Wonderful World CD. A long-time educator, Steve has guided a broad range of emerging musicians at the Hartt School's Jackie McLean Jazz Studies Division, University of Hartford, CT where he was recently honored for over 25 years of service. Other ongoing prestigious educational endeavors include joining the San Francisco Conservatory's RJAM faculty, Jamey Aebersold’s Summer Jazz Workshops, Skidmore Jazz Workshop, Jazz.  Pat Bianchi, Grammy-nominated organist, winner of Downbeat Magazine’s 2016 rising star poll, and Hot House magazine’s 2019 poll, Pat Bianchi has established himself as one of the premier organists on the international scene today. His command of the instrument, harmonic prowess, rhythmic intensity, and versatility are rivaled by few. Bianchi has had the honor of being a long-time member of the jazz guitar icon, Pat Martino’s trio, and also performed with NEA Jazz Master and saxophone legend, Lou Donaldson’s quartet for a number of years as well. Born in Rochester New York, Bianchi comes from a musically gifted family. He began playing the organ at the age of 7 and was playing his first professional gigs by the age of 11. While in grade school, he enrolled in The Eastman School of Music’s preparatory program for piano and music theory while at the same time being mentored by numerous musicians in the Rochester music scene. Bianchi continued his studies at Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) and is now a member of the faculty at this prestigious college. While having the honor to perform with such greats as: Red Holloway, Terell Stafford, Peter Bernstein, Chuck Loeb, Dakota Staton, RalphPeterson, Tim Warfield, George Benson, and many others, Bianchi has released six CD's as a leader and is also a featured artist on over 30recordings. His newest release, "In The Moment” rose to #1 on the Jazz Week Radio Charts and features an array of guests including PatMartino, Kevin Mahogany, Joe Locke, Peter Bernstein, Paul Bollenback, Byron Landham, Carmen Intorre, Jr. Joshua Bruneau - Trumpet was born June 23, 1988 in Waterbury Center, Vermont. While growing up, Josh was frequently found on the baseball field. After seeing a Time-Life commercial, he was instantly drawn to classical music. Josh asked for classical tapes and records by composers like Bach, Mozart, and Chopin. His life took a dramatic turn when he was introduced to the trumpet and subsequently, jazz. Josh began to study the art of music and took trumpet lessons when he was 10 years old. These formative years proved very important as Josh discovered many recordings of musicians such as John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker. He immediately fell in love with these musicians and made a conscious decision to try to emulate these people’s playing. He started forming his own groups and playing locally from a young age. He was soon traveling with a local big band. He honed his skills all through high school at Harwood Union High School in Duxbury, Vermont. In the fall of 2006, Josh began his studies at the Jackie McLean Institute at The Hartt School. Josh was introduced to his two most important mentors, Nat Reeves and Steve Davis. He immediately started gigging around the Hartford area with local musicians and fellow students. Josh received the opportunity to travel to Ireland with Nat in his freshman year. Ever since, Josh has been playing with his instructors, Nat and Steve, on a regular basis. That same year he played with Nat, Steve, Eric McPherson, Alan Palmer, and Jovan Alexandre opening for Dionne Warwick. Because of his established relationship with his two mentors, Josh now frequents New York City to perform at world-famous Jazz clubs such as Smoke and Smalls. In September 2011 he played at the Detroit Jazz festival with another of his great mentors, Curtis Fuller. He has also shared the stage with artists such as Harold Mabern, Mike LeDonne, Eric Alexander, Joe Farnsworth, Carl Allen, John Webber, Ken Fowser, and Larry Willis to name a few. Now with the 2014 release of his debut album as a leader, Bright Idea (Cellar Live), Josh continues to look forward musically and push himself and his colleagues further. We're sorry, there are no refunds after tickets have been purchased. In the event of rain, snow, or other forms of weather which prohibit a performance, the performance date will be postponed and rescheduled for another date within a reasonable amount of time. If the new date is postponed, a future alternate date will be picked at the discretion of Bethel Jazz and the musical artist. The ticket holder will be notified of postponements, cancellations, and rescheduled dates via email. Tickets are non-refundable and may be transferred to another person in the event a purchaser can not make the rescheduled date. In the event, an artist cancels a date, and Bethel Jazz is unable to reschedule the artist, Bethel Jazz reserves the right to provide a substitute performer of equal quality without notice to the ticket purchaser. If a date is canceled and not rescheduled, Bethel Jazz will provide a refund (in some cases minus the Eventbrite fee) or credit for another performance at the choice of the ticket holder. Bethel Jazz will always do its best to accommodate for changes in seating, table sizes, or changes to tickets.