Brazilian drummer Sam Martinelli, presents a Brazilian Jazz concert featuring guest Ken Peplowski, “... arguably the greatest living jazz clarinetist.” BBC Ken has worked with names like Mel Torme, Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman, George Shearing, Woody Allen, Cedar Walton, and many others. Brazilian music and Jazz have a long history of music integration, especially after the Bossa Nova movement that took place in Rio in the late 50s and spread throughout the world after the Carnegie Hall concert in 1962, where Tom Jobim, Joao Gilberto, and many others were presented to the world. Jazz and Brazilian musicians always had respect and appreciation for one another, and this performance is part of a series of interviews and concerts that Mr. Martinelli is developing with the goal of keeping this beautiful cultural exchange between these two music cultures – Jazz, a truly American art, and Samba, a truly Brazilian art.

www.SamuelMartinelli.com

Fred Lipsius was the original saxophonist, arranger and conductor with the groundbreaking jazz/rock group “Blood, Sweat & Tears” (1967 to 1971). He also doubled on keyboards. While in the band, he won nine Gold Records, a Grammy Award for arranging the hit song “Spinning Wheel”, plus a Grammy for ‘Best Album of the Year”. He also arranged and co-arranged, respectively, the hit singles “Hi-De-Ho” and “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy”. Fred brought the “jazz” element to the public with his sax and piano solos and arrangements. In both the Downbeat and Playboy jazz polls he placed in the top ten of the alto sax category. Rock and Roll history books credit him as the first saxophonist to mix jazz and rock styles in his solos. Fred has composed, arranged and produced radio and TV commercials, including 2 CBS TV logos - themes introducing the season‘s upcoming shows. In the spring of 1982, he toured in Japan and Europe with Simon and Garfunkel and was a featured soloist. He has performed with jazz greats Cannonball Adderley, Thelonious Monk, Zoot Sims, Eddie Gomez, Al Foster, George Mraz, Rodney Jones, Randy Brecker and many others and has written music for, and performed on, over 30 CDs as both a leader and sideman.

www.FredLipsius.com

Few musicians embody the spontaneous energy of jazz like Matt Wilson. The New York-based drummer combines buoyant zeal, idiosyncratic style, infectious humor, joyous swing and an indomitable spirit of surprise. Together, with his universally recognized personal warmth, these qualities have made Wilson one of the most in-demand players and educators on the modern jazz scene, both beloved and respected by his peers, elders and students. Not bad for a mischievous Midwestern boy from Knoxville, Illinois. Whether anchoring an all-star group at the White House, juggling tricky rhythmic swerves with his own quartets, celebrating the holidays with his Christmas Tree-O, exploring the poetry of Carl Sandburg, sensitively supporting vocalists such as Dena DeRose, presenting concerts at a neighborhood church or donning a superhero cape to inspire young musicians to embrace their individuality, Wilson approaches music as a man on a mission: fostering a lively and passionate connection between music and people, whether they be playing or listening to it.

www.MattWilsonJazz.com

Jazz Brunch returns to the Palace Theater Poli Club on Sunday June 16 with Father’s Day Jazz Brunch. Litchfield Jazz Fest Presents "Earth Wind & Wonder” Jazz Brunch where you can celebrate with Dad and Litchfield Jazz Camp! Starring Don Braden, saxophonist and LJC Music Director, and joined by LJC Faculty members, Jen Allen, pianist, Matt Dwonszyk, bass, Ian Carroll, drums and Winner of 2024 Litchfield Jazz Camp Talent Search, violinist Conor McMillen. Brunch is 11 AM - 2 PM (doors open at 10:30). This fourth Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Poli Club is presented by New England Arts & Entertainment and Litchfield JazzFest Presents and will feature an assortment of sweet and savory favorites along with fruit and pastries. Tickets are $69

www.DonBradenJazz.com

Warren Chiasson is a highly regarded musician in the jazz world who has been called "one of the six top vibraphonists of the last half century" by the New York Times. Originally a member of the George Shearing Quintet, he has emerged as his own man with a distinctive four-mallet technique that he weaves into a percussive, melodic style. Prior to forming his own group, Chiasson was for many years best known for his creative contributions to the Chet Baker Quartet, the Tal Farlow Trio, and jazz/pop diva Roberta Flack. In addition to recording his own albums, he has played on over 100 recordings with such artists as Eric Dolphy, Bill Dixon, Hank Crawford and was featured on a Grammy Award winning album with B.B. King. His own albums include "Quartessence", "Good Vibes for Kurt Weill" (which was selected as a Billboard Pick of the Week), and "Point Counterpoint" with guitarist Chuck Wayne. Chiasson, a self-taught musician, was born in the tiny French Acadian fishing village of Cheticamp, Nova Scotia, and grew up in the rich, joyous culture of Cape Breton folk music. His family moved to the larger town of Sydney and his formal musical training began at age nine with classical violin lessons. By thirteen he was playing sessions with noted Scottish fiddlers of the day, performing at dances, stage shows and radio shows. Later, he played the trombone in high school.

www.WarrenChiasson.com

Five-time Juno Award winner, Jane Bunnett has turned her bands and recordings into showcases for the finest musical talent from Canada, the US, and Cuba. She has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, received The Order of Canada, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, and, most recently, The Premier’s Award for Excellence. With Maqueque, Bunnett has created something new and phenomenal in the world of jazz. What started out five years ago as a project to record and mentor young brilliant Cuban female musicians, has become one of the top groups on the North American jazz scene. Since 2015, they have played in major jazz festivals like Newport and Monterey, been featured on NPR’s program Jazz Night in America, won a Juno Award for their first album, Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, were nominated for a Grammy Award for their second release, Oddara and were nominated for a Juno Award for their latest release, On Firm Ground/Tierra Firme. Most recently, were voted as one the top ten jazz groups by the prestigious DownBeat magazine’s critics poll. An internationally acclaimed musician, Bunnett is known for her creative integrity, improvisational daring, and courageous artistry. Her exploration of Afro-Cuban melodies expresses the universality of music, and her ability to embrace and showcase the rhythms and culture of Cuba has been ground-breaking. She has toured the world bringing her own special sound to numerous jazz festivals, displaying her versatility as a flutist, saxophone player, and pianist.

www.JaneBunnett.com

JRaised in the vibrant music scene of the DC area, flutist, vocalist and composer Alex Hamburger was immersed in the world of art from her earliest years. Growing up as the daughter of accomplished artists—a drummer and a dancer—Alex's passion for music ignited at a young age. After exploring other musical landscapes and studying at prestigious institutions in New York and Switzerland, Alex has returned to DC with a renewed sense of purpose and a desire to make a resounding impact. Her debut album “And She Spoke” (released in November 2021) brings together a collection of music inspired by the diverse and ever changing concept of the female voice, featuring original compositions heavily inspired by poetry written through the female voice and personalized arrangements of female-written compositions. Featuring world renown bassist Doug Weiss along with producer/pianist José Luiz Martins and drummer Chase Elodia, “And She Spoke” is “An album whose spontaneity and subtle sophistication reveal new treasures with each listening” (Patrick Dallongeville, Paris- Move). The album's CD release tour, spanning six cities across the United States, was made possible by the Jazz Road touring grant, a national initiative of South Arts funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation She recently won the John Lennon Songwriting Competition’s Stuck at Home Edition for her children’s song “Wash My Hands,” which encouraged everyone to stay safe during the pandemic.

www.AlexHamburger.com