2016 Estes Park Jazz Festival - The Artists
The Estes Park Jazz Big Band
Swingin’ Big Band Sounds
Saturday Noon -12:45
The Estes Park Jazz Big Band, directed by Chuck Varilek, is made up of talented musicians from Estes Park and surrounding communities. The band features music from the Big Band Era with the swinging sounds of Duke Ellington, Les Brown, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and Count Basie; as well as newer arrangements for big band.
The Wendy Fopeano - Charles Gatschet Group
Eclectic Vocalist, Brazilian, Jazz and Originals
Saturday 2:30-3:35pm
Wendy Fopeano (vocals) and Charles Gatschet (guitar) are first cousins from a musical family in Kansas City, Missouri, where they cut their teeth at Jazz jam sessions and learned from the greats. They performed as a duo before Wendy moved to Estes Park, years ago, and since then have both fallen in love with Brazilian music. They are excited to perform an eclectic set of music with three phenomenal musicians: Victor Mestas on piano, Gonzalo Teppa on bass, and Jill Fredericksen on drums. This group is collaborative and draws from a rich tapestry of musical genres.
Jazz Saturday Night At
MAMA ROSE’S
with
The Max Wagner Quartet
Modern Mainstream Jazz and Jazz Vocals
6:30-9:30pm
On Saturday night, June 4th, The Max Wagner Quartet heats things up at Mama Rose’s Italian Restaurant from 6:30-9:30pm in downtown Estes Park. An official sponsor of the Jazz Festival, Mama’s is host to Appaloosa Jazz Records recording artist Max Wagner on saxophone and Jazz vocals, with pianist Eric Gunnison, bassist Ken Walker, and Mike Marlier on drums. Expect an exciting, entertaining and intimate evening of Live Jazz with The Max Wagner Quartet! MAMA ROSE’S is at
338 E. Elkhorn Ave.
Reservations suggested: 970-586-3330
Festival Headliner - Vanessa Rubin
World Class New York City Jazz Vocalist
Sunday 1:35-3:05pm
Endowed with the kind of liquid phrasing and sheer wisdom that comes from depth of experience on the jazz performance campaign trail, Vanessa Rubin is an ever-evolving classic singer in the making. The development of a true jazz singer is a long-range prospect, laden with learning experiences that forge the voice into a true instrument, rich with passion, deeply invested in living through life’s joys and perils; such is the journey of Vanessa Rubin, jazz singer extraordinaire. Capable of employing the gamut of emotions, the mature Ms. Rubin can range from whisper to shout in the blink of an eye; from honey-laden ballads purring like a kitten, to up tempo swinging and scatting like a fluent saxophone, she delivers the goods.
One of the surest tests of a jazz singer is her acceptance by skilled players; the relationship between instrumentalist and vocalist is so often fraught with distrust. Vanessa Rubin has never experienced such travails. From the time she joined the New York jazz community in the early 80s, under the guidance of such grandmasters as Barry Harris and Frank Foster, Rubin’s acceptance has been universal. Instrumentalists have always been impressed by her way around a song, her willingness to flow with their muse, and her innate ability to swing that music.
The list of great musicians who have graced her recordings and bandstands is quite impressive: Monty Alexander, Cecil Bridgewater, Kenny Burrell, Frank Foster, Billy Higgins, Etta Jones, Lewis Nash, Houston Person, Patience Higgins, Don Braden, Toots Thielemans, Steve Turre, Cedar Walton, Grover Washington, Jr., and James Williams are just a few of the masters who’ve lent their skills to support Ms. Rubin’s artistry. More recently she has completed auspicious global tours with Herbie Hancock, the Woody Herman Orchestra, and the Jazz Crusaders.
The range of material within Vanessa Rubin’s broad comfort zone is impressive. It takes conviction and expertise to address the work of composers ranging from Ellington, Gershwin, and Weil to Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Wayne Shorter and Sting. But all’s well when Vanessa Rubin immerses her pearly tones in such a capacious range of material, not to mention her own considerable pallet of originals.
The Max Wagner Quartet
Modern Mainstream Jazz and Jazz Vocals
Sunday Noon-1:15pm
Saxophonist / Vocalist / Composer / Lyricist …that cat can scat!
Saxophonist and vocalist Max Wagner has long been delighting Jazz audiences with his exceptional artistry. He is well known for his vibrantly lyrical saxophone playing, signature scat singing, and seamless command of many Jazz styles, as well as his great warmth and humor. His latest release, “Gratitude”, on the Appaloosa Jazz Records label, features four strong original compositions and two world class rhythm sections. “Gratitude” has been enthusiastically received by Jazz radio stations across the country, and was KUVO’s “Jazz Album of the Month” upon its release. Max has worked with many of the great Jazz Artists of our time and some of the legends of the music. Joining him on the stage at The Estes Park Jazz Festival are a well known cast of stellar musicians: Eric Gunnison on piano, Ken Walker on bass, and Mike Marlier at the drums. Each are band leaders in their own right, and they come together to make up THE MAX WAGNER QUARTET.
The Greg Gisbert Syndicate
World Class Trumpeter, Progressive NYC Jazz
Saturday 1:05 -2:10
With a large range, very personal tone, and dazzling technique, Trumpeter, Greg Gisbert, is considered by many to be the modern-day Clark Terry. A graduate of the Berklee School of Music, Greg has spent his musical life playing with stars of the Jazz world: Maria Schneider, Buddy Rich, Gary Burton, The Woody Herman Band , Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Ken Peplowski, to name a few. Greg takes the stage with a captivating quintet made out of a few of Denver’s “Young Lions” that together explore the future and reveal a few uncommon treasures of the past. This ensemble plays everything from original compositions to Monk and Ellington, with a lot of edge and joy. Greg Gisbert -Trumpet, Annie Booth -piano, Steve Kovalcheck -guitar, Patrick McDevitt -bass and Mark Emmons -Drums.
Buckner Funken Jazz
Soul Jazz and Old School Funk
Saturday 3:55-5:00pm
Denver’s 7 piece Funk powerhouse, Buckner Funken Jazz delivers real old-school Funk with authenticity and intensity. Lead by respected Jazz musician, Rod Buckner, BFJ has earned a reputation for blazing club, theater and festival shows that bring old-school Funk and Be-Bop crashing together. With a lineup of younger brother Ron Buckner (B-6) (on bass), Bobby Hill (percussion), Tyson Nemechek (tenor sax), Josh Paterson (guitar), Bobby Cole (synths and piano), and Tony Davis (drums). Buckner has cultivated a band that celebrates the timeless roots of music while exploring new ground.
Los Bohemios
Traditional Cuban and Latin American Music
Sunday 3:30-5pm
Los Bohemios is an acoustic ensemble composed of some of the best musicians in Colorado. They play traditional Cuban Son, Salsa, Cumbia and Boleros. Other styles such as Latin Rock and Latin Jazz are also performed. Los Bohemios features Ricardo Peña on vocals, guitar, requinto and piano, Amy Biondo on vocals and hand percussion, Ed Edwards on guitar and tres and vocals, Mark Diamond on upright bass, and a killer percussion section with Jose Espino and Dean Kielian on congas, bongos and timbales. A major feature of the band is their beautiful three part harmonies mostly in Español. If you love Buena Vista Social Club, Gloria Estefan, Santana, and the romantic ballads in the style of Los Panchos, you'll be in for a treat! Their high energy performance and diverse repertoire move audiences in concerts, clubs, or wherever they perform. Timeless, fun and beautiful music for you to enjoy!
Vanessa Rubin
Sunday, June 5th
Saturday, June 4th
©Karen Parry-Wagner
MAX WAGNER JAZZ
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