2020 Series – The COVID Concerts

Guitar Master Bruce Forman

Bruce Forman’s name inspires smiles, laughter, and fear! He is known the world over for his incredible prowess, energy, and creativity. “Bruce Forman is one of the great lights of our age.” Barney Kessel, Jazz Times. Eighteen recordings as a leader, including his newest release, Junkyard Duo; countless sideman recordings including Ray Brown, Bobby Hutcherson, Roger Kellaway; soundtrack performances on three of Clint Eastwood’s distinguished films—most notably Academy Award-winning Million Dollar Baby; producer, arranger, acclaimed educator, in residence at USC’s Studio/Jazz Guitar Dept., when does Bruce Forman rest? Tune in for a live performance and conversation.

Debo Ray and Nando Michelin & Ebinho Cardoso

Debo Ray is a leading vocalist in Boston and New York’s elite jazz and world music circles. A composer at heart, Debo has the ability to work as a musician thinking forward, while maintaining terrific focus on the sound being made in the present. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2013, Debo has made a name for herself as a musician who blends theory with emotion in her performances. Debo is also a spirited and cooperative collaborator, having shared stages with multiple Grammy award winners such as Bobby McFerrin, Esperanza Spalding, Antonio Sanchez, and Terri Lyne Carrington. She is featured in Carrington’s latest project, Social Science, which features other prolific musicians Aaron Parks and Matt Stevens, as well as Esperanza Spalding and Marcus Jamal Warner, among many others. Debo is also well known as a featured vocalist and music director of the award-winning, critically acclaimed group, Women of the World, who regularly tours internationally and has performed on such stages as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Newport Jazz Festival.

Nando Michelin & Ebinho Cardoso present music from their recent CD featuring songs using poems by Manoel de Barros. Their music, deeply rooted in the tradition of Brazilian Popular Music and Jazz, builds on the beauty of the simple things just like De Barros intended in his poems.

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Nando came to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. After graduating, he studied with Charlie Banacos, Jerry Bergonzi, and Danilo Perez. His discography includes Facing South and Common Grounds for Brownstone, Art, Chants, Live at the AJC, and When Einstein Dreams for Double Time, Duende, featuring Esperanza Spalding, for Fresh Sound, Reencontro independently, and Entre Amigos with guitarist Claudio Ragazzi. The duo Ragazzi-Michelin has performed at the Wang Center and Kimmel Center for the Arts among other places.

Ebinho Cardoso is a virtuoso on his instrument. Due to the uniqueness of his music and technique, he is one of the most respected Brazilian bassists. Composer, arranger, singer and producer, Ebinho uses atypical elements of the electric bass, showing its range of possibilities. In addition to playing the bass as an accompanying instrument or as a solo instrument, he has found a unique way of playing chords on the bass that characterizes his playing style; a style that combines precision and refinement. In part, he is able to achieve his sound by tuning his instrument in new ways and at higher pitches. His music blends traces of jazz with the idiosyncrasies of classical music interwoven with the rich sounds of his native Brazil.

Alexei Tsiganov

Alexei needs no introduction from those who know the New England/New York scene. At 17, Alexei was working at the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall and by 1991 he had arrived in the USA to begin a career that now spans genres and continents. His prowess has made him a first call among top names in jazz including Claudio Roditi, Antonio Sanchez, Chico Freeman, Esperanza Spalding, Bob Moses and Greg Osby. We are so pleased to have him return to the Summit.

Yoko Miwa and Maxim Lubarsky

“Pianist Yoko Miwa displays unpretentious melodies, elegant phrasing, and the lyrical sensibility of a jazz poet.”–Jazziz Magazine

“She has the enviable ability to play in any context with authenticity, clarity, and spontaneity…” -Wilbert Sostre, JazzTimes

Internationally acclaimed pianist/composer Yoko Miwa is quickly becoming known as one of the most powerful and compelling performers on the scene today. Her trio – with its remarkable telepathy and infectious energy – has brought audiences to their feet worldwide. Of Miwa’s 2017 release Pathways, Dan McClenaghan of All About Jazz said, “4 stars–This is Yoko Miwa at her extroverted best…her finest recording to date.” Pathways – her seventh as a leader – which spent 4 weeks on the Jazz Week top 10 radio charts and is earning wide critical acclaim.

Miwa was the subject of a feature article in the September 2017 issue of DownBeat that referenced her “impressive technique and a tuneful lyricism that combines an Oscar Peterson-ish hard swing with Bill Evans-like introspection.”She plays regularly at major jazz clubs in their home city of Boston, as well as venues around the world. A favorite of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Miwa was chosen to play on “Marian McPartland & Friends.” Miwa also appears regularly at New York’s famed Blue Note Jazz Club and has performed and/or recorded with a wide range of jazz greats including Sheila Jordan, Slide Hampton, Arturo Sandoval, George Garzone, Jon Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi, Esperanza Spalding, Terri Lyne Carrington, Kevin Mahogany, John Lockwood and Johnathan Blake among others. In the late 1990s, the classically-trained artist auditioned for Berklee College of Music on a lark and ended up winning a full scholarship. She arrived at the school from her homeland of Japan in 1997, intending to stay for a year. In 2017, she’s still in Boston, enriching the city’s musical life and serving as one of the most popular professors in the Berklee piano department.

Maxim Lubarsky

“Here you have a marvelously endowed talent. This is the musicianship and artistic sensitivity at its highest level. Of such ingredients are great musical memories made and lives enriched thereby” – Joyce Miller (The Item, Sumter, SC)

A native of Odessa Ukraine, Maxim Lubarsky is a virtuoso at the piano. A vivid performer, blending together various musical styles, Maxim takes you on a journey that merges Jazz creativity with European lyricism and rhythms of South America. Maxim’s performances are known for spirited and captivating improvisations, interplay and spontaneity. When not performing locally, he tours nationally and internationally with concerts and masterclasses. For more information visit www.maximlubarsky.com

May 16th, 1-2:30 Warren Wolf

Warren Wolf is a multi-instrumentalist from Baltimore, MD. From the young age of three years old, Warren has been trained on the Vibraphone/Marimba, Drums, and Piano. Under the guidance of his father Warren Wolf Sr., Warren has a deep background in all genres of music.

Beginning with classical music, Warren had studied classical composers from Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Paganini, Brahms, Vivaldi and Shostakovich. Warren also studied ragtime music learning music from the songbooks of Scott Joplin, Harry Brewer and Geroge Hamilton Green. In Jazz, Warren has studied artist and composers from Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown, Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson, Cal Tjader, Return to Forever, Weather Report, Wynton Marsalis and many others.

At Berklee, Warren studied with Caribbean Jazz Vibraphonist Dave Samuels for seven of eight semesters. During this time, Warren began to explore more deeply into jazz. Some musicians who’ve helped Warren reach his musical goal were musicians such as Jeremy Pelt, John Lamkin, Darren Barrett, Wayne Escoffery, Richard Johnson, Kendrick Scott, Walter Smith, Jason Palmer, Rashawn Ross and many others. Warren became an active performer around the Boston area, gigging frequently on the Vibraphone, Drums and Piano. One of the highlights of Warren’s stay in Boston was co-leading a quintet with Boston-based trumpeter Jason Palmer at the historic jazz club Wally’s Cafe. Warren was also the house drummer at Wally’s for two years, performing every Friday and Saturday.

Warren is currently the drummer of choice for Alto Saxophonist Tia Fuller, who tours with internationally renowned pop star Beyonce Knowles. Warren is also a member of the Donal Fox Group which includes bassist John Lockwood and drummers Dafnis Preito and Terri Lyne Carrington. He has performed throughout the United States of America, South America, Canada, Italy, Spain, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Scotland, London, Greece, Singapore, Thailand, Jarkata, Bangkok, Tokyo, Paris, Moscow and many other countries.

Warren has several recordings as a leader. Warren’s first two records are on the M&I label which is based in Japan. The first record is titled “Incredible Jazz Vibes” which features Mulgrew Miller on Piano, Vicente Archer on Bass and Kendrick Scott on Drums. The second record is titled “Black Wolf”. That record features Mulgrew Miller on Piano, Rodney Whitaker on Bass and Jeff “Tain” Watts on Drums. Warren has a self-produced CD which is titled “RAW”. That record features Darren Barrett on Trumpet, Walter Smith on Tenor Saxophone, Jason Palmer on Trumpet, Plume on Alto Saxophone, Kris Funn on Bass, Peter Slavov on Bass, Lawrence Fields on Piano/Fender Rhodes and Charles “Dogg” Haynes on Drums. On “RAW” Warren performs on both the Vibraphone and Drums. The fourth recording is titled Warren “Chano Pozo” Wolf featuring Tim Green on Alto Saxophone, Lawrence Fields on Piano/Fender Rhodes, John Lamkin on Drums, Dana Hawkins on Drums, Kris Funn on Bass, Louis Cato on Electric Bass, Delandria Mills on Flute, Tabreeca Woodside on Vocals and Integriti Reeves on Vocals. Warren has recently signed to the Mack Ave recording label.

Musicians that Warren has played with or recorded with are Wynton Marsalis and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Jeremy Pelt and “Creation”, Nicholas Payton, Tim Warfield, Adonis Rose, Donal Fox, Anthony Wonsey, Aaron Goldberg, Cyrus Chestnut, Lewis Nash, Willie Jones, Eric Reed, Mulgrew Miller, Terri Lyne Carrington, Yoron Israel, Larry Willis, David “Fathead” Newman, Stefon Harris, Reuben Rogers, Kevin Eubanks, Curtis Lundy, Steve Davis, Duane Eubanks, Ron Carter, Wycliffe Gordon, Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spaulding and many others.