Features the John Brown Quintet and the Greg Brink Trio

On September 6, All That Jazz, a very special evening of jazz with performances by the John Brown Quintet and the Greg Brink Trio with special guest Tim Smith, will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh. Join jazz aficionados for extraordinary performances by these acclaimed artists.

The John Brown Quintet performs an exciting mix of hard driving, bebop-influenced swing, and straight-ahead jazz. Their music balances high energy, relaxed grooves, and contemplative ballads. They play jazz – music that infuses melody and rhythm with mood and musings. The moods range from pensive reflection to sly and sassy. But the true magic of the group is its ability to make this music truly accessible and full of life. Listening to this group is at once a universal and intimate experience.

The Greg Brink Trio performs traditional jazz standards, overlaying new melody and rhythm on the familiar harmonies to give the audience a new experience of the well-known jazz numbers. Greg’s particular joy as a musician is to use a song the audience recognizes as a foundation for self-expression. By improvising on harmony, rhythm, and texture, he gives new life to jazz standards and popular tunes.

All That Jazz will take place on Saturday, September 6, at 7 p.m. in UUFR’s Sanctuary. Tickets are $25.00 for adults and $20.00 for students. For information, or to purchase tickets, call the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh at (919) 781-7635, or email office@uufr.org.

About John Brown

John Brown is the bassist and bandleader of the John Brown Quintet. He is a native of Fayetteville, NC, and a graduate of the School of Music at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the School of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. John started piano when he was very young, and at the age of 9, he began studying the bass. He has been performing ever since. John began performing with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra at thirteen, and was playing Principal Bass with that orchestra while still in high school. At UNC-Greensboro, he studied bass with Jack Budrow, and while still an undergraduate, he began performing regularly with the North Carolina Symphony. He currently serves as Professor and Director of the Jazz Program at Duke University, and he also serves part time on the faculties of UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. He is the Director of the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble.

John has performed in the U.S. and abroad with artists like Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Elvin Jones, Nnenna Freelon, Diahann Carroll, and Rosemary Clooney. John received a Grammy nomination for his performance and co-writing on Nnenna Freelon’s 1996 Concord release, Shaking Free. His extensive experience includes performances at notable venues like Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Blue Note, Blues Alley, and the Hollywood bowl and at major jazz festivals like the Playboy Jazz Festival, the JVC Jazz Festival, and the Montreal Jazz Festival. John is also gifted in other areas of performance, and he has performed in major theater productions and movies.

Recent releases by the John Brown Quintet include Terms of Art - A Tribute to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Vol. 1. 2007, which spent 16 consecutive weeks at #8 on the national JazzWeek chart, and a second 2007 release, Merry Christmas Baby, which was among the top albums added to play lists at jazz radio stations across the country. For more information on John Brown and his quintet, visit his website www.jbjazz.com.

The Greg Brink Trio

The Greg Brink Trio includes pianist and bandleader Greg Brink, drummer Tom Bernett, and bassist Steve Boletchek. The group met in the Raleigh Jazz Orchestra and have been playing together for about three years.

Greg Brink grew up in Ohio, where he studied music at Capital Conservatory in Columbus and Ohio University in Athens. His passion since his early years has been jazz and blues. Since relocating to the Triangle in 1997, he has worked with numerous fine musicians in a variety of venues.

Special Guest Singer and Saxophonist Tim Smith studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and he received the first degree in Jazz Saxophone Performance ever awarded by the Oberlin Conservatory. He has performed with The Squirrel Nut Zippers, Jazz Squad, Countdown Quartet, and the Raleigh Jazz Orchestra, touring nationally and internationally. He currently leads the Tim Smith & the Dynamite Family Band, a group that performs a blend of Ska, Reggae, Jazz, and Funk throughout the East Coast.

Drummer Tom Bernett has been playing and studying drums and voice since an early age, and has been performing professionally since 1968. Over the years he has played backup to Steve Allen, Tiny Tim, Julius LaRosa, the Lettermen, the Spinners, the Temptations, Rodney Dangerfield, Redd Foxx, Phyllis Diller, Bill Cosby, Bozo the Clown, and a whole bunch of others that he's forgotten. He also leads Swing Street, a 9-member swing band that features a big band sound.

Bassist Steve Boletchek studied piano, classical guitar, the trombone, and the bass as a child. He started performing professionally on the bass at the age of 19. After performing in a variety of pop and rock bands in the early 80's, Steve played bass for seven years with the Washington D.C. based hard bop quintet The Big Beat.

 

Parking at UUFR

For information on parking at UUFR, go to Parking.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh.