PiZZAJaZZ Big Night! Saturday, November 7

Pompanuck Farm Hosts an Evening of Fine Jazz
Saturday, November 7th

(Cambridge, NY) On Saturday, November 7th, Pompanuck Farm will hold its Fall Pizza/Jazz Big Night! From 6:30pm to 11:00pm, the last of Pompanuck’s Music-and-Meal nights of 2009 will happen with enough great music and pizza to take us through Thanksgiving and into the New Year. Come hear fine Jazz and enjoy wood-fired pizza in the Roundhouse at Pompanuck in a benefit night for Pompanuck’s programs and children’s scholarship fund.

Featured this evening will be three outstanding jazz singers from the surrounding area: Jeanne O’Connor from Saratoga NY, Evita Cobo from Pownal VT and Leah Carroll from Greenwich NY. Each of these singers has a personal and soulful approach to singing, whether it’s a toe-tapping Gershwin favorite, a tender ballad, a Brazilian classic or a funky blues. Featured musicians will include Pompanuck’s own Bruce Williamson (sax, flute, piano) as well as Mal Stein (drums), Bob Bowen (bass) and Khabu Doug Young (guitar), all from New York City.
There are always surprise musical guests in this Pompanuck event that has been popular for over 15 years.
Reservations are required. Tickets are $25.00 before March 15th ($28 after and at the door) and $15 (and $18 at the door) for students.

Pompanuck Farm is a 501c3 non-profit and eco-retreat learning center dedicated to educational exploration in a range of performing, healing, movement and nature arts for children and families, located at 494 Chestnut Hill Road in Cambridge NY. Call 518-677-5552 or email: info@pompanuck.org for reservations, directions and/or information. Please visit www.pompanuck.org


Additional information on the featured musicians:

Jeanne O’Connor (vocalist) - has brought her jazz singing to New York's Blue Note, Elaine's, Sweet Rhythm, the Rainbow Room, Smoke, and many other jazz clubs. Jeanne was recently a featured vocalist on opening night of "Midsummer Night's Swing" at Lincoln Center, sharing the stage with Nicholas Payton. In the New York Capital Region, Jeanne has sung at the legendary Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, Justin's jazz club in Albany, and the Saratoga Springs Arts Festival. As a member of the String of Pearls jazz female vocal trio, Jeanne has appeared at the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall, Town Hall, and other venues in the U.S. and abroad. The New York Times calls Jeanne “a captivating jazz singer, “ while the Albany Times Union, says, "Exquisite... a buttery alto and nimble, graceful phrasing.”

Evita Cobo (vocalist) – has performed both locally and in NYC for the last 10 years. She has studied (and performed) with jazz divas Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton & Rhiannon. Her 2004 debut CD “Invitation” received critical acclaim.

Leah Carroll (vocalist) - started training classically at fourteen, but loves jazz because it's limitless and liberating - no boundaries. She has been performing at various venues in the capital region for the last five years, exploring many styles of music such as folk, jazz, soul, funk, blues and latin jazz.

Mal Stein (drums) – is a versatile and eclectic drummer/ percussionist, playing full-time in New York City and around the world. He loves all kinds of music; jazz, blues, funk and Middle Eastern. He works with dancers (both Joffery ballerinas and Belly Dancers), curates weekend jazz at the Cupping Room in Soho, NYC and tours with the Middle-Eastern group Taksim.

Bruce Williamson (sax, flute, piano) – most often heard in this area with long-time collaborator Art Lande (piano) or at Bennington College where he teaches jazz courses, Bruce has also performed with Fred Hersch, Bobby McFerrin, Gary Peacock, Jack McDuff, Dave Douglas, Paul McCandless and many others. Bruce has received two NEA grants for Jazz Compoistion. He can be heard on dozens of jazz recordings and over a dozen filmscores, the most recent being “Public Enemies” (accompanying Diana Krall singing “Bye Bye Blackbird”).

Bob Bowen (bass) - After moving to NYC more than 12 years ago from Cincinnati Ohio, Bob has performed with many notable and legendary musicians around the world including Lee Konitz, Jack Wilkins, Tony Trischka, Mike Clark, Joe Lovano, John Hicks, Art Lande and Matt Wilson.

Khabu Doug Young (guitar/ukulele) - Originally from the great state of Texas, Khabu has played with a remarkable assortment creative NYC musicians in many different ensembles including OK/OK, Slog, and the E String Band. Recently he has been expanding the realm of solo ukulele playing and you can see some of that work at the Ukulele Cabaret (http://www.ukulelecabaret.com)

Pompanuck Farm Presents Songwriters Exchange December 7th

(White Creek, NY) Following the success of November’s songwriter’s event Pompanuck Farm will be presenting their second songwriters showcase on Sunday, December 7th at 6:30 pm. This time the event will feature two accomplished songwriters from the surrounding region. The artists will share original material with the audience and then discuss the songwriting process in an open forum setting. Audience members and the songwriters are encouraged to participate in a lively, in-depth conversation about the creative process of forming original music. Joining co-hosts Scott Carrino and Deena Chappell Smith the featured songwriters will be Aislinn O’Connor and Ferrilyn Sourdiffe.

The featured songwriters will be:

Scott Carrino: Scott spent his early years listening to and singing along with the radio and "playing" percussion on whatever surface that he had nearby. Scott started writing songs the moment he picked up a guitar at age seventeen. Often, in those early days when he attempted to learn a favorite song, a heartfelt song of his own would emerge. He has surrendered to the process and knows that songs will come through him when he is open and able to hear them. Scott continues to play percussion any chance he can and was a founding member of "Conundrum" a local percussion ensemble made up of drumming friends and their drums and a very popular local jam band in the 1990's.

Deena Chappell Smith: Born into a family of musicians, Deena Chappell Smith has been performing professionally since the age of fourteen. Her vast musical background includes performances in Bluegrass, Rock and Roll, Folk, Swing and Jazz. Deena was also the co-creator of the popular “Musical Chairs” children’s program where she has led countless children of all ages and backgrounds through the songwriting and recording process. However, her career as a singer/songwriter is just beginning. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Goddard College where she is creating a body of music that reflects her understanding of and experience with the ‘voices’ of archetypal theory. www.deenachappell.com

Aislinn O’Connor: Songwriter and bassist Aislinn O’Connor founded The Feral Throes in Johnson City, Tennessee, in 2005 with Scot Hinson on guitar, Mike Brobeck on lead guitar and Sam Quinn of The Everybodyfields on drums (later replaced by Stephen Bashor of 1986). After releasing Envy’s Pretty Sister in 2007 and the EP Blacktop in 2008, core members O’Connor and Hinson relocated to New York. Influenced by rock, post-punk and folk, O’Connor melds melodic bass lines with brooding vocals that tell stories of unshakable pasts, lingering desires and other quirks of the human condition. Sonicbids.com/FeralThroes, Myspace.com/TheFeralThroes.

Ferrilyn Sourdiffe: Ferrilyn has performed with the group Dafé Brudäjo since 1996 as well as various other groups in the area. Her musical interests range from folk to jazz to rock and roll and the blues. In 2005 she co-founded the acoustic folk group Adesso (www.alcorngallery.com/adesso) with whom she also performs regularly. Her recordings have been heard on Wanda Fischer's Hudson River Sampler on WAMC and she has been heard live on WSPN's Sunday morning folk show Simpatico and WAMC's Performance Place. She wrote and recorded the song “Oh Alan” for Alan Chartock of WAMC (as well as a phone number jingle) to help promote upcoming fund-drives. She has performed at Caffè Lena, The Harte Lounge at The Egg, the Bennington Center for the Arts and many other venues throughout the tri-state area. Ferrilyn's original material is solidly within the Americana tradition, drawing from the blues, country and folk genres that have shaped her music since childhood.

There will be an $8 charge for audience members. Desserts, coffee and tea will be available for purchase.

Please contact Scott Carrino or Deena Chappell Smith if you'd like to sign up as a performer for future Exchanges.
Please visit www.pompanuckfarm.blogspot.com for more information and other events, as well as, directions to Pompanuck Farm 494 Chestnut Hill Road Cambridge, NY 12816 518.677.5552
This program is sponsored by Pompanuck Farm Institute, a not for profit educational retreat center dedicated to sustainable community and individual potential through the visual, musical, movement, environmental, and healing arts.