About Park Stickeny

Although Park Stickney claims that it wasn’t his plan at the age of 10 to become a world-traveling jazz harpist, he did, in fact, embark on that path then by competing in the first International Jazz and Pop Harp Festival.

Since then, after finishing his studies at the Juilliard School in New York, he has traveled across Europe, Asia and the U.S., as a soloist and teacher,as well as with a variety of ensembles whose music ranges from jazz to classical to rock.

Stickney has toured Hong Kong, India, and Sri Lanka four times with harpist Daphne Hellman (1995-98), taught and performed at the Umbria Jazz Festival in conjunction with the Berklee College of Music (1998), given workshops and concerts in Scotland for the Edinburgh Harp Festival (2006, 2004, 2000, 1991), the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival (1996), and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (1998, 1996). In France, he has taught and given concerts at the Academy of Pierre Jamet in Gargilesse (1999, 1997), the “Journées de la Harpe.” in Arles, and the Festival de Harpe in Avesnois. Stickney was a guest soloist at the Soka Harp Festival in Japan, the first two Caribbean Harp Festivals in Puerto Rico,the Kansas City Festival of the Harp, the Adelaide Harp Festival, and the 2002, 1999 and 1996 World Harp Congresses.

He has taught and performed in Germany at the Mosenberg Harfentreffen (1998-2006), and the Süddeutsches Harfentreffen, Violau (2007, 2004, 2002, 1999). In the fall of 1999, he was invited by electro-celtic harpist Rüdiger Oppermann to perform 25 concerts in Germany as part of his International Harp Festival. Stickney returned to Germany the following year, this time for a 10-concert solo tour. As Rüdiger and Park found themselves constantly jamming together at harp festivals, they decided in 2003 to form an “official” duo, by making the critically acclaimed CD “Harp Summit” (“Two players at the top of their game share their complementary skill and empathy with the music.”- The Harp Column), touring Germany and Korea, and performing at the Edinburgh Harp Festival. This collaboration continued in Rüdiger’s 2004 Klangwelten tour, which also featured musicians from Gambia, the Cook Islands, India, and Mongolia. In Spring 2005 Stickney & Oppermann toured 12 cities in the US, including New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Boston, and LA.

2002 saw the beginning of a long-term collaboration with the Italian bassist Dino Contenti. In duo, and with other musicians (drummer Manhu Roche, guitarist Moreno D’Onofrio, violinist Rrok Jakaj, saxophonist Claudio Fassoli), they have given numerous performances, primarily in Italy (Asti, Torino, Milano, Bergamo, Palermo, Verona, Bolzano, etc.), as well as in Switzerland, England, Germany, Albania and Spain. This duo in turn led to another group, “Sixty-three Strings”, a quartet made up of Stickney and Contenti plus the guitar duo Manomanouche, which plays the music of Django Reinhardt.

Two new recent projects are a collaboration with Swiss flutist Regula Küffer, with a program entitled “Mozart & More,” which combines classical and jazz works in an improvisational setting, and a DVD with the rock group “Crash Test Dummies” filmed in Minnesota in October 2004. Stickney also appears on the group’s recent CD “Songs of the Unforgiven.”

An active teacher, Stickney is visiting Professor of Jazz Harp at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He also teaches an ongoing jazz class at the Rotterdam Codarts Hogeschool vor de Kunsten and the Lausanne Conservatoire and has given masterclasses at the Juilliard School, the Berklee College of Music, the University of Minnesota, the Chopin Conservatory in Warsaw, the Hochschule für Musik und Theatre in Munich, the Paris Conservatory, the Barcelona and Zaragosa Conservatories in Spain, the Ecole de Jazz et Musique Actuelle in Lausanne, the Conservatories of Torino, Bolzona, and Pesaro in Italy , and has taught at every International Jazz and Pop Harpfest since 1995. He also teaches privately in Geneva, London, and New York.

Stickney recorded his first CD “Overdressed Late Guy,” in 1995, which was followed by a sequel “Action Harp Play Set” in 1999. In Summer 2005 he released “Still,Life with Jazz Harp,” a solo CD with guest appearances by Dino Contenti and drummer Peter Gotzmann

Stickney holds degrees from the Juilliard School (Professional Studies 1992; Masters of Music, 1991) and the University of Arizona (Bachelor of Music Cum Laude, 1988). His teachers included Nancy Allen and Carrol McLaughlin. He plays the Lyon & Healy Electro-acoustic harp, and is inordinately fond of black-cherry yogurt.

Please join the Friends of Tony Campise facebook group for  upcoming events devoted remembering and honoring this great Austin jazz legend.

Click Here Join the Friend of Tony Campise Group

The line-up includes: Monster Big Band, Baker’s Dozen, James Polk Sextet, John Mills Times Ten, Butch Miles Jazz Express, Tony Campise Big Band; and guest vocalists: Ray Benson, Kat Edmonson, Rick Trevino, Mandy Lauderdale and Mr. Fabulous.

Click here to RSVP at facebook.

The 15th annual event, hosted by St. James’ EpiscopChurch, begins Friday night, Nov. 13th, with Austin’s Jeff Lofton Quartet and jazz and blues singer Donna Hightower opening for Javon Jackson’s Quartet of legendary jazz artists.

Saturday night, the opening act is Austin’s Joe Morales’ Sextet. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. each night, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

The guest artists will lead the now traditional Workshop and “Informance” Saturday morning, beginning at 11 a.m. This educational session is offered FREE to jazz students and fans of all ages and begins at 11 a.m. at the church.

The music continues on Sunday with four jazz masses: at 8 a.m.with the Dream Lovers, 10:15 a.m featuring The Javon Jackson Band, Son y No Son at the 1 p.m. Service, and at the 6 p.m. Service The Donna Mehthol Trio provide the music.

Tickets for the Friday and Saturday night performances go on sale Sept. 19th at Waterloo Records, Mitchie’s Gallery, online at www.JazzAtStJames.org, and at the St. James’ Episcopal Church office, 10-2, Monday through Friday (call 512-926-6339). Advance tickets are $25. Tickets at the door, payable by cash or check, are $30 for the general public and $20 for students with i.d.

Featured performers include Kat Edmonson with Ephraim Owens, the Tony Campise Big Band, the Gabriel Santiago Quintet, and Blaze.

The Austin Jazz Fest is a FREE event for all ages. Concessions provided by ZEN.

Line-up:

5:00pm-6:00pm Tony Campise Big Band
6:20pm-7:20pm BLAZE
7:40pm-8:40pm Gabriel Santiago Quintet
9:00pm-10:00pm Kat Edmonson with Ephraim Owens

About the musicians:

Tony Campise
Campise’s first professional breakthrough occurred in the mid-70′s, when he was invited to play lead alto in the Stan Kenton band. After years of constant touring, Campise returned to Texas and backed a number of world class artists. A who’s who list of disparate names includes: Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Lyle Lovett, Arnett Cobb, Sarah Vaughan, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, Joe Henderson, and Lee Konitz. Clint Eastwood, upon recommendation from Lennie Niehaus (who wrote sound tracks for “Bird” and “Unforgiven”), became a Campise fan while in Austin filming “A Perfect World”. Campise continues to lead his own band and a big band on a regular basis, plays jazz fests, does saxophone clinics currently representing Boosey & Hawkes Keilwerth saxophones and selectively records as a sideman.

Kat Edmonson
Kat Edmonson is the best new jazz singer I have heard in years, and I know she will be around for years to come. You have to hear her.”- Al Schmitt

“memorable and contagious.”-NPR

“Edmonson might be the most promising American jazz singer to come along since Cassandra Wilson.” -The Boston Globe

“Ms. Edmonson, from Austin, Tex., is a promising young jazz singer with a kittenish voice and an amiably relaxed style…” -The New York Times

“Equal parts Billie Holiday and Bjork, it is Edmonson’s distinctive coyness that marks her as a vocalist of 2009, not merely a re-do of the 1930s.” -All About Jazz

Ephraim Owens
In the twelve years since calling Austin home, Ephraim has become more than a staple in the local music scene—he is truly the cornerstone of the intimate community of jazz artists. A native of Dallas, Ephraim began playing classical trumpet at the age of 8 later attending Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. While continuing his education on music scholarships at Weatherford Junior College and Southwest Texas State University, Ephraim gained international exposure for solo ensemble and composition. During this time he took a hands-on approach to breaking into the Austin club scene by cruising town with his horn in hand and sitting in with fellow musicians of all styles and genres. This quickly earned him a reputation as one of the hottest horn players in town. He is a master in the jazz arena, especially well known for his signature solos and ability to improvise. He has an uncanny ability to imagine his music laid on top of anything else he hears, and his adaptability makes him a welcome addition to almost any lineup. The Austin Chronicle ranks Ephraim as “Best Horn” in Austin and has named Blaze, a group that features Ephraim on trumpet, as “Best Jazz Band.”

Gabriel Santiago Sextet
Born in Brazil, on September 25th, 1980 (Ilhéus, Bahia State), Gabriel Santiago is a Composer/Arranger/Acoustic and Electric Guitar Player. His music is fresh and carries all of his influences that goes from Brazilian Music to Jazz and Classical Music. His musical background is solid, and includes a master’s degree in Musicology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro State (Unirio) in 2006, and both a bachelor’s degree in Arrangement (2004) and a Music Education Degree (2002) also at Unirio. Gabriel Santiago is currently living in Austin – Texas – USA, attending a Doctoral Program in Composition at the prestigious University of Texas at Austin; with a full scholarship from FULBRIGHT and CAPES BRAZILIAN AGENCY, where he has been composing music for the UT Jazz Orchestra (which he is a member, playing guitar) as well as music for chamber groups. The Gabriel Santiago Quintet has been performing extensively in the United States and in Brazil. They recently released a live album recorded at one of downbeat magazine’s top 10 jazz venues, The Elephant Room. They will be recording a studio album as well as filming a live DVD in Spring 2010.

Blaze
Music for listening. Music for bangin’ loud. Music for Funkin’. Music for head bobbin’ and happy footz!! BLAZE creates instrumental jamz to help you through your life. These musicians have worked with Chaka Khan, Patrice Rushen, Me’shell NDegeOcello, Horace Silver, Eddie Palmieri, Jody Watley, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Eric B. and Rakim, and so many others. BLAZE has toured in parts of the US as well as tour dates in Canada, Taiwan, Germany and Spain bringing there infectious blend of Jazz, Funk, R&B, Soul, Electronica and HipHop to all of these audiences. For 8 consecutive years Austin, Tx music lovers and Austin Chronicle readers have voted this band “Best Jazz Band” in the Austin Music Awards poll. (2000-2008) NIGHT SANGIN’ is their 4th cd release since the band’s conception in 2000. And this cd brings all of the above mentioned elements together in this super funky cd!

About Austin Jazz Society:

The Austin Jazz Society, Inc, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, was established in 2003. The purpose of Austin Jazz Society is to memorialize professional jazz musicians who, at some point in their career, performed in Austin and the surrounding areas. It is also our aim to celebrate current performing jazz artists and encourage and educate future jazz musicians. Our purpose is achieved through concerts, educational workshops, and performance opportunities.

Food and beverages brought to you by:

Production support provided by:

Custom Wood Drums Head Drums

Three bands will fill the evening with outstanding jazz in honor of these great musicians.

The program also includes an awards ceremony with a presentation to family members and friends of Horacio Rodriguez, Sandy Allen and John “Mambo” Treanor:

• Bassist Horacio Rodriguez arrived in Austin, TX from Buenos Aires, Argentina with jazz pianist Angel Sucheras during the late 1970’s to perform at new jazz club in town, McKendricks Treehouse. After the club closed, Rodriquez remained in the city and continued his music career with bands including The Austin Jazz Allstars and East of Eden as well as jazz greats Oscar Peterson, Cootie Williams, and Paul Gonsalves.

• Jazz pianist, songwriter, and arranger Sandy Allen was a prominent figure among Austin’s jazz scene. Allen performed with his band Sandy Allen Trio & Colleagues, as well as with the Austin band The Bad Boys.

• John Treanor was a jazz percussionist, who co-founded the groups 47 Times Its Own Weight and Beto y Los Fairlanes. He was famous for his hats and ties, which he made from the fur road kill animals. During his 30-year career, he played with a variety of Texas music icons including Abra Moore, Marcia Ball, and Toni Price.

The Elephant Room is located at 315 Congress Ave in downtown Austin. This a free event, but donations to the Austin Jazz Society will be accepted.

Jazz pianist, songwriter, and arranger Sandy Allen was a prominent figure among Austin’s jazz scene. Allen performed with his band Sandy Allen Trio & Colleagues, as well as with singers such as Pam Hart, Glenda Knox Dotson, Sue Bilich, Judith Miller, and Mady Kaye. During the 1980′s, Allen performed with the Austin band The Bad Boys.

Sandy Allen passed away in November 1998, only a year after releasing the album Shadow-Boxing with Reality. His contributions to the Austin jazz community will be recognized during the Austin Jazz Society’s 2009 Tribute event to be held at the Elephant Room on February 15, 2008.

Click on the music players below to experience some of  Sandy’s original compositions featured on his album, Shadow-Boxing With Reality.

Debonairin’
Sandy Allen (Music, Piano & Synthesizer), John Mills (Soprano Sax), Evan Arrendondo (Bass), and Rob Fedson (Drums).

Glad I Made You Happy
Sandy Allen (Music, Lyrics, Monologue, Vocals, Piano, and Hamond B-3 Organ), John Drendall (Monologue, Vocals), Tony Campise (Alto Sax), Evan Arrendondo (Bass), Rob Fedson (Percussion), Amber Dillon (Train Whistle)

The Flipping of a Coin
Sandy Allen (Music, Lyrics, Piano, and Vocals), Evan Arrendondo (Bass), Rob Fedson (Percussion)

Photo Credit: Niles Fuller

Jazz percussionist John “Mambo” Treanor was born in 1953 in San Antonio, Texas.

Treanor, who co-founded the groups 47 Times Its Own Weight and Beto Y Los Fairlanes, was famous for his hats and ties, which he made from the fur roadkill animals.

During his 30-year career, Treanor performed with a variety of Texas music icons including Abra Moore, Marcia Ball, Toni Price, Guy Forsyth and Kris Kristofferson, as well as with bands such as the Resentments, the Vanguards, Arson, and the Dirty Dogs.

He passed away on August 20, 2001 at the age of 48 after battling cancer. Treanor’s contributions to the Austin jazz community will be recognized during Austin Jazz Society’s 2nd Annual Memorial Event to be held at the Elephant Room on February 15, 2008.

Photo Credit: East of Eden Band album cover courtesy of Hedwig Gorski

Bassist Horacio Rodriguez arrived in Austin, TX from Buenos Aires, Argentina with jazz pianist Angel Sucheras during the late 1970′s to perform at new jazz club in town, McKendricks Treehouse. After the club closed, Rodriquez remained in the city and continued his music career with bands including The Austin Jazz Allstars and East of Eden, as well as jazz greats Oscar Peterson, Cootie Williams, and Paul Gonsalves. He was also recognized as one of Austin’s best bass players in the 1981 and 1985 editions of the Austin Chronicle’s music poll. After spending several decades in Austin, Rodriguez moved to New York City in 2005. He later returned to his homeland of Buenos Aires, Argentina where he passed away from a sudden illness.

A tribute site devoted to Horacio can be found at: www.rememberinghoracio.blogspot.com

Horacio’s contributions to the Austin jazz community will be recognized during the Austin Jazz Society’s 2009 Tribute event to be held at the Elephant Room on February 15, 2008.

The clip below is a rare recording from KUT-FM studio 1-A of Number 2 with Marbles Pt. I – Roomful of People featuring Horacio Rodriquez on bass along with Bill Averbach (trumpet), Alex Coke (tenor sax), Steve Feld (trombone), D’Jalma Garnier (acoustic guitar), Bart Madeley (acoustic guitar), Robert Atwood (acoustic guitar) Jeff Johnson (bass), Steve Schwelling (drums), Rock Savage (drums), and Booka Michel (percussion).

The Paramount Theatre introduces pianist and composer Ramsey Lewis with singer/songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway for a Valentine’s Day event on Saturday, February 14th, 2009. Special Valentine’s ticket packages, which include tickets, flowers, chocolates, parking, drinks, and more, are available through Paramount’s site. Regular tickets are available through GetTix.com.

“The great performer,” Ramsey Lewis, is an American jazz icon, composer, pianist, and radio personality that has recorded over 80 albums and has received five gold records and three Grammy Awards throughout his career.

In addition to recording and performing, Lewis hosts Legends of Jazz, a morning show on Chicago “smooth jazz” radio station WNUA 95.5 fm. The show is syndicated to stations in more than 60 cities, as well as overseas. Lewis also hosted a 13-episode television series by the same name that is featured on public TV nationwide.

Ann Hampton Callaway is a multi-platinum-selling singer, composer, lyricist, pianist, and actress. Callaway has composed over 250 songs for television, as well as various Broaway and off-Broadway productions. Her music has been performed and recorded by artists including Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein, Donna KcKechnie, and Carole King.

From her site:

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY is an insatiable creative spirit. As a champion of the great American Songbook, she has made her mark as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, educator, TV host and producer. A born entertainer, her unique singing style blends jazz and traditional pop, making her a mainstay in concert halls, theaters and jazz clubs as well as in the recording studio, on television, and in film. She is best known for Tony-nominated performance in the hit Broadway musical Swing! and for writing and singing the theme song to the hit TV series The Nanny. Callaway is a Platinum Award winning writer whose songs are featured on five of Barbra Streisand’s recent CD’s. The only composer to have collaborated with Cole Porter, she has also written songs with Carole King, Rolf Lovland and Barbara Carroll to name a few.