Vincenzo Gentile was born in Ancona in 1969. At the age of seven he began studying the piano and later the violin, obtaining his Diploma at the G. Rossini Conservatory of Music in Pesaro, Italy.
Maestro Gentile alternates his orchestral work with his violin show appearances touring worldwide: Europe, United States, South America, Middle East,  Central America, Africa, Asia and Australia.
In the past years he has appeared in Italy’s most renowned theatres such as Rome, Turin, Palermo,  Florence, Milan and Venice with a number of symphonic and lyric institutions: the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Orchestra Ente Luglio Musicale Trapanese, Orchestra Internazionale d`Italia, Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino and the Orchestra del Teatro A. Belli di Spoleto, touring as well through France, Lebanon and Ethiopia.
Maestro Gentile held for over four years the position of Leader in the Orchestra of the Accademia d`Arte Lirica e Drammatica di Osimo and Orchestra Sinfonica Giordani di Fermo, Italy.

Visit Vincenzo Gentile at http://www.vincenzogentile.com/

Alberto M. Suarez

Alberto Suárez was born in Matanzas, Cuba – a city famous for its rich musical history and rumba rhythms. Alberto began to play percussion at the age 13, and completed formal years of training at both the Matanzas provincial music school and the National Conservatory of Music in Cuba’s capital, Havana.
Alberto worked at several hotels and nightclubs in Varadero, Cuba, before gaining a lucrative position in the acclaimed International Orchestra, directed by Carlos Tarafa. Since his arrival in Canada in 2003, Alberto has taken part in International percussion festivals in Toronto and Longueil, Québec, and has brought a new perspective to Toronto’s Latin music community. Besides being CaneFire’s resident percussionist, he has also performed with Nick Ali, Ruben Vasquez, Jane Bunnett, and Proyecto Charanguero.
Mobile Phone: 647 678 1707

 CD’s that feature Alberto M. Suarez’s performances

Kaiso Blue

 http://www.canefire.ca/

Cimarron

 http://www.myspace.com/bongokopter

Let’s face it. We all like to make an impression and booking quality entertainment for your wedding, private party, or other event shouldn’t be an exception. So, when your ready to book the piano player, why not take it a couple notches higher and get a piano player, a vocalist (one who can actually sing!) and a band all in one! From The Eagles to Chris Daughtry – The Commodores to Elvis. The One Man Piano Band will ensure that your upcoming party or event is a phenomenal success….and an affordable one at that!

So who is the one man piano band?

Hugh Hession, that’s who! And no, he’s not related to Hef (Just in case you were wondering!). Hugh has gazoodles of experience as a performer, composer, session player, keyboardist, vocalist and producer. Known for both is exceptional vocal ability and keyboard talent, Hugh is no stranger to the stage. He’s played with an array of famous rock acts, and knows what it takes to deliver a quality performance each and every time.

WARNER ROBINS, GEORGIA

PHONE: 478.390.8955

Booking: booking@ompb.net

Info: info@ompb.net

The original Cannon began in 1984 as a five piece rock/dance band and remained together for 12 years until our lead guitarist was transferred to Pretoria. Soon after this I left the band to continue my singing career with various other bands until my retirement from music in 1999. During this time, Cannon performed at most of the top hotels and venues in and around Cape Town including 5 years as the resident band at the Blue Peter Hotel. We were the first band ever to play at the Lord Charles and were subsequently signed up for 2 x three month contracts. Other Hotels that used our services were the President, the Mount Nelson, the Cape Sun, The Ambassador and many others. I am pleased to announce that we have recently re-formed with three of the original members, including myself (Keith Wilford) original lead vocalist, the original Keyboardist (Sakkie du Toit) and bassist (Steve Hare). In addition to this well known Cape Town line up, we are pleased and fortunate to have been joined by two additional well known Cape Town musicians. Drummer Brian Woodland, plays Roland electronic drums to give us CD sound quality. Lead guitarist Kevin Danielsen plays a Fender Stratocaster second to none. Shakedown is proud to announce that we have a new female member in Cheslyn Keightley who has recently joined the band as a lead and backing vocalist. Chezzie is 28 years old, tall, blonde and attractive with the voice of a diva. We have also decided to change our name to SHAKEDOWN which is a name that I have used in a previous band. We play mostly cover versions of popular hits of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s along with some modern songs by artists such as Snow Patrol, Shane Ward, Hoobastank, Santana, Kelly Clarckson and many others past and present. Our repertoire is extremely versatile and may be varied to accommodate all tastes and styles of music including rock, ballads, country and instrumental dance music such as enjoyed by serious dance studio members. Our set lists vary according to the requirements, age and taste of the audience. Our goal is to play only for the up-market Hotels and Restaurants, weddings, private and corporate functions. We are well presented and totally professional on and off stage and would appreciate an opportunity to prove ourselves to you.

I may be contacted on the following email: kwilford@vodamail.co.za

Lead Vocalist: Keith Wilford

Lead guitar: Kevin Danielsen

Keyboards: Sakkie du Toit

Bass guitar: Steve Hare

Roland electronic drums: Brian Woodland.

Lead and backing vocals: Cheslyn Keightley

Chris Potter

Born in Chicago on New Year’s Day 1971 and moving to Columbia, South Carolina as an infant, the prodigious youngster began fooling around on guitar and piano at the age of three. He took up the alto sax at the age of ten and played on his first jazz gig at the age of 13. But his eclectic musical education really began with his personal investigation of his parents’ record collection. Spanning everything from Bach to Schoenberg, and gamelan music to the Beatles, Chris explored it all avidly, taking a special interest in albums by Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck.

When piano legend Marian McPartland first heard Chris at 15 years old (an encounter that eventually led to his contract with Concord Records in 1994), she told his father that Chris was ready for the road with a unit such as Woody Herman’s. But finishing school was a priority and by the time he graduated, he was playing alto, tenor and soprano saxophone, bass clarinet and alto flute.

At 18 Potter moved to New York to study at the New School, and then Manhattan School of Music. There he formed a lasting friendship with one of his professors, pianist Kenny Werner, later making a duet recording together. He also re-connected with trumpet great Red Rodney, with whom he had played earlier at a jazz festival in Columbia. He spent four important years with Rodney, honing his skills at the side of the bebop heavyweight, until shortly before Red’s passing in 1994.

Graduating from Manhattan in 1993, Potter began a long series of sideman activities with top names like the Mingus Big Band, Paul Motion, Ray Brown, Jim Hall, James Moody, Dave Douglas, Mike Mainieri and many more.

After playing on Marian McPartland’s 1993 Concord recording, In My Life, the adventurous saxophonist became a surprising member of the Concord roster, eventually recording five CDs for the label, as well as the aforementioned duo with Werner. His final Concord CD, 1998’s Vertigo, was named one of the year’s top ten CDs by both Jazziz and The New York Times.

Chris also performed on Steely Dan’s Grammy-nominated, gold album Two Against Nature, touring with them in 1994, which also resulted in the live CD, Alive in America.

Potter received his own Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Jazz Solo for his work on Joanne Brackeen’s Pink Elephant Magic. And he’s the youngest recipient ever to receive the annual Danish Jazzpar Prize.

Although he’s performed extensively with the incredible bassist/composer Dave Holland’s various ensembles, Potter has been performing all over the world with his own groups since the release of Gratitude early 2001. He has performed all over Europe (including Paris, London, Florence and the North Sea Festival), Canada (festivals in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) and in top clubs in the U.S. as well as a featured performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival.

Following a European tour with Steve Swallow’s Trio in December 2001, Potter recorded Traveling Mercies in January, 2002, before taking his quartet out on a West Coast tour in February. In March and April, he toured the U.S. with Holland’s and Dave Douglas’ quintets respectively, and in the fall, he began his extensive touring with his own group, working throughout the U.S. in September and October, and in Europe during November and December.

Multi-reedman/composer Chris Potter is often cited by critics, musicians, and a steadily increasing number of fans as the finest saxophonist of his generation. Like most young jazz musicians, Chris is well schooled in the masters. His critically acclaimed 2001 album, Gratitude (Verve) pays tribute to many of those titans who’ve influenced him, including John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Eddie Harris, Wayne Shorter, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Ornette Coleman and Charlie Parker.

But like many other of his contemporaries in and out of jazz, Chris’ musical influences come from many and varied sources.

“My aesthetic is based in Bird and Lester Young and Sonny [Rollins]. I want my music to have that emotional impact. What I learned from them in terms of phrasing, sound, approach to rhythm will never be outdated. I would like to basically use the same aesthetic sensibility with more contemporary harmonic and rhythmic concepts, being influenced by classical, world music, funk, rock, rap, country, whatever…digesting new ideas, new influences to keep the freshness alive.”

Along with limitless creativity, a vibrant sense of swing, and a full awareness of past, present and future, that broad-based musical sensibility has brought Chris into the line of vision of a diverse and heady array of artists, including James Moody, Jim Hall, Marian McPartland, Dave Douglas, Larry Carlton, Steely Dan, and Dave Holland, with whom Chris has been performing regularly since 1999.

“Each band leader, each great musician I’ve had the chance to work with has inspired me in a certain way…Without all those experiences I don’t think I’d be ready to be doing this now.”

The “this” to which he refers, is leading his own ensemble, an endeavor that has been consistently bringing him greater acclaim and new fans all over the world. An unabashedly rhythmic player, Chris’ most recent CD Traveling Mercies, his second for Verve, is a groove-oriented date that makes no sacrifices or compromises in the quest for musical integrity and communication with his audience.

“I want people to dance if they can, to feel the music and not think of it as something complicated and forbidding. I want to be communicating something. You can do that and not sacrifice anything artistically.”

Aaron Goldberg

For the Boston-born, New York-based Aaron Goldberg, Worlds his 2006 release on the Sunnyside label, is an encyclopedic circumnavigation of his ever-evolving musicality, which began with piano lessons at the age of seven. In high school Aaron got hooked on jazz by Bob Sinicrope of Milton Academy and continued his pursuit with saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi, two master educators.

“At first improvisation was a mystery and a puzzle, but soon it became a profound inner and outer journey as life and music entwined.” After receiving awards from Berklee School of Music and DownBeat, Aaron left at age 17 for NYC. At the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in 1991 he had his first taste of jazz in the big city, and at school he met many of his current contemporaries and friends, including Omer Avital, Brad Mehldau, Roy Hargrove, Ali Jackson and others.

In 1992 he returned to Boston and enrolled at Harvard College. While at Harvard, Aaron worked with a wide variety of artists from nearby Berklee and beyond, and won the International Association of Jazz Educators’ prestigious Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellowship award as well as first place in National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Recognition and Talent Search in 1993. Soon he was discovered by vocalist and first lady of jazz Betty Carter and was a founding member of her historic Jazz Ahead program.

He continued to perform at clubs around both New York and Boston, often commuting in the wee hours, and it was not long before he met Rogers and Harland. Aaron graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in 1996 with a degree in History and Science and a concentration in Mind, Brain and Behavior. On the weekends he held a long-time residence at Wally’s Cafe in Boston, and the fall after graduation he moved to Brooklyn.

Aaron wasted no time in the Big Apple. He quickly established himself as a stellar sideman, performing with a vast array of leaders including Al Foster, Nicholas Payton, Stefon Harris, Tom Harrell, Freddie Hubbard, Mark Turner, and others. In 1998 he joined the band of Joshua Redman, with whom he toured for 4 years and recorded two albums (Beyond, 2001 and Passage of Time, 2002).

Most recently, in addition to leading his telepathic trio Aaron has been touring and recording with young guitar guru Kurt Rosenwinkel. In 2005 he also toured South America with Madeleine Peyroux and spent 6 months performing with Wynton Marsalis in his quartet as well as with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

Aaron’s long and impressive list of recorded credits includes work with a diverse spectrum of artists ranging from Guillermo Klein to Terry Gibbs/Buddy DeFranco, as well as with fellow leaders of the next generation including John Ellis, Jimmy Greene and Eli Degibri. In 2004, Aaron produced and performed in Jazz for America’s Future, a fundraising concert for John Kerry’s presidential campaign that also featured Savion Glover, Brad Mehldau, Michael Brecker, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Christian McBride and others.

He is currently the musical director of All Souls at Sundown, a jazz and poetry series at Manhattan’s All Souls Church. His first recording as a leader, Turning Point, was released on the J Curve imprint in 1999, followed by Unfolding in 2002. He’s also a member of the OAM Trio, which recorded Trilingual (1999) and Flow (2002) for the Fresh Sound/New Talent label, as well as two collaborations with saxophonist Mark Turner: an upcoming studio project and the acclaimed Live in Sevilla (2003) on Lola Records.

Lorraine Feather

Lyricist/singer Lorraine Feather’s work has been heard on numerous records, in films and on television. Her songs have been covered extensively by adult contemporary and jazz artists, including Phyllis Hyman, Kenny Rankin, Patti Austin, Diane Schuur and Cleo Laine. As a jazz singer, Lorraine has recorded nine albums, three with her vocal trio Full Swing and seven as a soloist. All of her work as a recording artist has featured her own lyrics, and her CDs have received glowing reviews in every major jazz magazine. Jazz Times has called her “a lyrical Dorothy Parker” and her work “pure genius,” and Dave Frishberg “the best of the new crop of jazz lyricists.” Her 2001 release, New York City Drag, featured contemporary lyrics to formerly instrumental pieces written by Fats Waller; she did similar treatments with Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn instrumentals on Cafe Society, Such Sweet Thunder (all-Ellington/Strayhorn), and Dooji Wooji. Lorraine’s 2008 CD, Language (Jazzed Media), was her most successful solo venture to date, reaching the #1 spot on both the national charts and the Amazon jazz vocal charts; Language was co-written with Russell Ferrante, Shelly Berg, Eddie Arkin, Tony Morales, Terry Sampson, and the Hornheads’ Michael B. Nelson. Tierney Sutton, Janis Siegel and Cheryl Bentyne guested as vocalists.

Lorraine began working in television as a lyricist in 1992 and has received seven Emmy nominations. Her lyrics for children include Disney’s Dinosaurs series on ABC with composer Ray Colcord, and an ongoing body of work with composer Mark Watters, including the MGM films Babes In Toyland and An All Dogs Christmas; the theme for MGM’s TV shows All Dogs Go To Heaven and The Lionhearts; Candy Land and the My Little Pony films for Hasbro; and “Faster, Higher, Stronger,” the finale to the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics, sung by Jessye Norman, and also recorded by Ms. Norman for the Philips label.

In 2003, Lorraine co-wrote the songs for Disney’s feature film The Jungle Book 2 with Australian composer Paul Grabowsky. In 2004, Lorraine and Larry Grossman were asked to hand-tool a song for Julie Andrews to sing in The Princess Diaries 2. This marked the first onscreen singing performance by Ms. Andrews in many years. Both releases were hits for Disney.

In 2009, Lorraine and New York animator George Griffin completed an animated short based on “You’re Outa Here,” from New York City Drag. As of September 2009 it had been accepted to 30 festivals worldwide and won several awards, including Best Music Video at the South Beach Animation Festival.

Lorraine’s newest project is another solo album, also with Jazzed Media, due out in February of 2010; it showcases her lyrics as always, to music by Russell Ferrante, Eddie Arkin, Shelly Berg, Dick Hyman and Béla Fleck.

Ted Sirota

In Chicago’s jazz scene, drummer/composer/producer Ted Sirota is perhaps best known for his extensive work with guitarist Jeff Parker and for leading his avant-garde/post-bop band the Rebel Souls. The politically outspoken Sirota is not the sort of avant-garde improviser who plays atonal music exclusively–far from it. Sirota has favored an inside/outside approach, and while he can be abstract, intellectual, angular, or cerebral, the Midwesterner can also be quite musical and melodic.

Compositionally, Sirota brings a long list of influences to his recordings–a list that includes, among others, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, reggae icon Bob Marley, and the late Nigerian star Fela Kuti (who was greatly influenced by modal jazz). And as a drummer, Sirota has been affected by explorers who range from Ed Blackwell, Andrew Cyrille, and Rashied Ali to Elvin Jones and Max Roach. Although jazz-oriented, Sirota is far from an elitist jazz snob. He has gladly acknowledged the influence of reggae, calypso, soca, and African music, and the drummer spent two years backing veteran blues singer Eddie Kirkland; also, he has done studio work for Chicago-based rappers Longshot and Diverse.Sirota was born in Champaign, IL, on May 3, 1969, but spent most of his pre-adult years in the Chicago suburbs. He began studying the drums when he was 11 in 1980, and at 18 Sirota moved to Boston to attend the well-known Berklee College of Music.

The drummer spent half a decade in Boston, where he graduated from Berklee in 1991 and was a member of an avant-garde jazz group called the Last Kwartet (which also included trombonist Sara P. Smith, bassist Chris Lopes, and frequent companion Jeff Parker). Sirota didn’t play jazz exclusively in Boston; he also played in various soca and reggae bands in that New England city. Although Boston has long had a healthy and attractive music scene, Sirota opted to move back to Chicago in 1992–and the other members of the Last Kwartet moved there with him. Sirota’s two-year association with Eddie Kirkland began in 1993, and in 1995, he became a member of a Chicago-based outfit called the Sabertooth Jazz Quartet (which frequently appeared at the Green Mill, one of the Windy City’s best known jazz clubs).

It was in 1996 that Sirota formed his group Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls, which sounds like the name of a reggae band but specializes in instrumental avant-garde and post-bop jazz. The band has had different lineups along the way; the members have included Parker, tenor saxophonist Geof Bradfield, cornetist Rob Mazurek, trombonist Jeb Bishop, and bassists Noel Kupersmith, Josh Abrams, and Clark Sommers. Sirota’s first album with his Rebel Souls, Rebel Roots, was recorded for the British Naim label in 1996; that CD was followed by Propaganda (a 1999 release on Naim) and Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls vs. the Forces of Evil (a 2001 release). In 2003, Sirota and the Rebel Souls recorded Breeding Resistance for Chicago’s long-lasting Delmark label.

SOURCE: Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Home: Evanston, IL

Press Quotes

”Sirota is one of the most highly regarded youngish drummers in Chicago, a crisp and lively player with a keen sense of dynamics.” –John Corbett, The Reader

Dejan Ilijic

Musician Dejan Ilijic pulls listeners through a deep groove of love, life and loss. Ilijic and his highly permeable musical soul has been punctured and inundated by dozens of musical traditions, from his grandmother’s traditional lullabies in lilting 7/8 time to the pounding beats of Coltrane and the soothing tug of John Scofield’s fusion. He has the languages of music under his fingers, from Mozart to Piazzolla, Bill Frisell to Moby, and the beat of his people is in the simple twist of his wrist across the black and whites. From Macedonia to New York, this completely original music is both new and old, gorgeous in its execution and its implications. His projects and ambitions run deep, and the heart in everything he touches runs deeper. Listen to his music for true depth of understanding; from politics and religion to freedom, love, suffering, and more, Ilijic’s music explains much of the inexplicable in life… And more importantly, it’s highly listenable! Yugoslavia

Mark Siracusa

Born: December 31, 1955

Mark Siracusa – Drums, Vocals and Percussion

I’ve been on the music scene for 40 years and have played with many bands doing everything from big band to reggae. Having been on the music scene for so long, I’ve acquired a great deal of knowledge regarding the entertainment industry herein Southwest Florida and the surrounding area. Originally from the Central NY area, I made my way down to Naples, Florida in 1986 and have been performing professionally ever since. Currently I can be heard on Marc Vee’s latest smooth jazz CD called “Inspiration” available through cdbaby.com.

Education At the age of 10, I became interested in drums thanks to my parents love for big band swing music. However, witnessing the British Invasion in my living room via the Ed Sullivan show solidified in my mind that becoming a drummer was my true calling.

My brother, Dan, helped to set up formal lessons for me with his friend, local drummer Lenny Nocelli. While working with him, I also completed Breeze Easy Method’s for Drums by John Kinyon. Lenny left for college and I continued formal training at the Dick Howard School of Percussion. In my free time, I simultaneously completed Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer by Jim Chapin and Stick Control for the Snare Drummer by George Lawrence Stone.

Later, while performing in the New York state area, I was also briefly schooled by renowned drummer David Hanlon and continued tutoring myself through the Rockin’ Bass Drum book by John Lombardo. Returning from the road for a period, I earned my Associates Degree at a local college, where I also played in the music department “stage band” and performed music on weekends in the local area.

Home: Naples, FL