Fredonia Jazz Festival, performers and bios, in order of appearance.
Thursday, October 19, 2023
5:30 pm & 8:00 pm
Domus Fare, 41 W. Main Street, Fredonia, NY
Nick Finzer Quartet
Nick Finzer, trombone, was inspired early in life by the work of Duke Ellington, leading him to study jazz at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School in NYC. He has now been GRAMMY-nominated for his work with Anat Cohen’s Tentet, and he has released eight critically acclaimed albums as a composer and bandleader, the most recent being “Dreams, Visions, Illusions” as part of a New Jazz Works project through Chamber Music America. Finzer has performed around the world with a long list of renowned musicians.
Miki Yamanaka, piano, has been calling New York City home since 2012. She has quickly established herself as a masterful pianist, and she has gained an international reputation for her recordings and as a bandleader. Critics laud her “light, expressive touch and solidly crafted, mainstream approach.” Originally from Japan, she has a large collection of kimonos, which she proudly loves to wear wherever she performs.
Raul Reyes, bass, moved to the United States from Cuba in 2010. He has been described as a bassist with “advanced rhythm, beautiful sounds, time and solos.” With degrees from the University of Central Oklahoma and the University of North Texas, he is currently on the faculty of Tarleton State University and holds down the bass chair of the Juilliard Artist Diploma program.
TJ Reddick, drums, is a recent grad of the Juilliard School who has already established himself as a star, having shared the stage with Wynton Marsalis, Chick Corea, Emmet Cohen and many more.
Friday, October 20, 2023
7:00 pm
Rosch Recital Hall, Mason Hall, SUNY Fredonia Campus
Alumni Jazz Band
Craig Fattey, director
Members of the band will be identified at the concert.
Fredonia Jazz Orchestra
Nick Weiser, director
Members of the band will be identified at the concert.
Saturday, October 21, 2023
12:00 pm
1891 Fredonia Opera House
Morgan Street Stompers
The Morgan Street Stompers was started in 1972 by drummer John Bacon’s father. This traditional Dixieland band is from Buffalo, NY.
Gordon Webster, piano
John Curry, bass
John Bacon, drums
Tim Clarke, cornet
Brendan Lanighan, trombone
Peggy Farrel, vocalist
1:15
1891 Fredonia Opera House
Deanna Witkowski
Deanna Witkowski is a versatile pianist, composer and vocalist, equally comfortable in jazz, Brazilian, classical, and sacred music. Her book, Mary Lou Williams: Music For The Soul, published in 2021, was the winner of the 2022 ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award and the 2022 Jazz Journalists Association Award for Biography of the Year. She has established herself as an authority on Williams who, through the 30s and 40s, was at the forefront of the genre with a consistent track record of successes as a pianist, a composer, and a mentor to generations of musicians. Deanna's performance will be tribute to Williams, with compelling examples and commentary.
2:30
1891 Fredonia Opera House
Dave Golando’s SaxTime
Dave Golando is a former music teacher at Dunkirk High School, and he has put together a program honoring the work of Supersax, one of the hottest jazz groups of all time. Supersax was famous for transcribing solos by Charlie Parker and arranging them for multiple saxophonists, creating an energy and sound that captivated musicians and listeners alike.
Saxes: Dave Golando, Mike Teager, Vince Cirallo, Mike Ihde, and Laura Anderson.
Joe Baudo, piano
Mark Harris bass
John Anderson, drums
4:00
1891 Fredonia Opera House
David Jonathan and the Inner City Bedlam
David Jonathan's Inner City Bedlam incorporates jazz with funk and R&B. With a message of love and social justice, Inner City Bedlam is a blend of many musical styles, at once familiar and innovative.
David Jonathan, drums
Armani Works, piano
Alex Overton, bass
Oscar Woodrich, guitar
Tyler James, organ
Rob Huff, percussion
7:00
1891 Fredonia Opera House
Nicole Zuraitis Quartet
with an opening set by the Nick Weiser Sextet
Nick Weiser, piano, is the head of Jazz Studies at the State University of New York (SUNY) Fredonia. He is steeped in both jazz and classical idioms, and Nick’s creativity intrigues the listener with its transparency, textures and communication. Nick has performed widely, including the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy, and Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival.
Kieran Hanlon, bass, is professor of bass at SUNY Fredonia. His is principal bass with the Erie Philharmonic and a member of the Chautauqua Symphony. He performs jazz frequently, including as a member of the Faculty Collective quartet.
John Bacon, Jr, drums, has been a leader for jazz in Buffalo for years. John was voted Jazz Musician, Jazz Educator and Jazz Drummer of the Year in 2015 and 2016 by JazzBuffalo. He teaches jazz and percussion at Villa Maria College and at SUNY Fredonia.
Elliot Scozzaro, saxophone, has studied at Capital University (Ohio), and The University of North Texas. He appears at many of the major music festivals and has toured extensively with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. He teaches at Buffalo State University and SUNY Fredonia.
Mark Filsinger, trumpet, is a versatile trumpet performer. He has performed with orchestras, ensembles, and artists including the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, The Temptations, Irish Tenors, Harry James Orchestra, and on several Broadway National Tour Shows. He is on the music education faculty of Buffalo State University.
Brandan Lanighan, trombone, studied at the Eastman School of Music and at the Juilliard School of Music. He has established himself as a performer, composer/arranger, educator and bandleader. He has performed internationally with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and is active with his own group, the Brandan Lanighan Octet.
Nicole Zuraitis, piano and voice, is a New York-based bandleader, and winner of the prestigious 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal. She performs with her own quartet and quintet, Dan Pugach’s Nonet, and the Birdland Big Band. She appears with orchestras, and frequently headlines at iconic NYC jazz clubs. She has been GRAMMY nominated for her arrangements with Dan Pugach. She teaches at NYU and SUNY Purchase.
Idan Morim, guitar, was born into a family of artists in Israel. Early on, through his studies and performances in Tel Aviv, he began to distinguish his own sound, shaped as equally by jazz traditions and its masters as it by rock and blues. He then came to New York to study at The New School. Ever since, he has been performing constantly with innovative musicians in jazz and beyond.
Sam Weber, bass, grew up in Indiana and moved to Brooklyn, NY in 2012. Since then, he has been in demand in with theater artists, dancers, rappers, crooners, avant-garde improvisers and all the rising stars of the NYC jazz scene. He is an alumnus of Western Michigan University.
Dan Pugach, drums, was born in Israel and moved to the United States in 2006. He is the leader of The Dan Pugach Nonet, a nine-piece ensemble that focuses on his original music and arrangements. His arrangements have been nominated for a GRAMMY award, alongside Nicole Zuraitis.
Thanks to our supporters!
James and Marcia Merritns
Members of our Board of Directors
Rotunda Grapevine Railroad Farm
Hodgson Russ LLP
Presented by the
Fredonia Jazz Society