Requinte Trio plays at Senate Garage
Jazzstock will present The Requinte Trio on Thursday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m. at The Senate Garage, 4 N. Front St., Kingston.
The group features vocalist Janis Siegel, Nanny Assis providing drums, percussion and vocals, and John di Martino on piano. The trio will be joined by Leo Traversa on electric bass.
Siegel is a member of the Manhattan Transfer. Over the years, her unmistakable voice has become one of the group’s most recognizable trademarks. She sang lead on some of the Manjattan Transfer’s biggest hits, such as “Operator,” “Chanson D’Amour,” “Twilight Zone,” “Birdland,” “The Boy from New York City,” “Spice of Life,” ”Ray’s Rockhouse,” “The Shaker Song,” and “Mystery.” She also cowrote and sang lead on the Grammy-winning “Sassy.”
Siegel also gained a reputation as a vocal arranger by writing five of the charts for the group’s acclaimed masterwork, “Vocalese,” seven charts for the group’s Grammy-winning album “Brasil.” She won a Grammy herself in 1980 for her arrangement of “Birdland.” In 1993, she and her Manhattan Transfer colleagues received their honorary doctorates from the Berklee School of Music, and in 1999 they were among the first class of inductees into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
More recently, her 10th solo CD, released on Palmetto Records, is called “NightSongs.” Her two most recent solo collaborations are “Honey & Air” a Brazilian/jazz vocal adventure with The Requinte Trio, and “Some Other Time,” a tribute to Leonard Bernstein with trombonist/ singer Nils Landgren.
Di Martino is a jazz pianist, arranger and producer. Based in New York City, he has been described as a “shape-shifter” for his creativity across musical genres. He has performed and recorded with David “Fat Head” Newman, Pat Martino, Houston Person and Taj Mahal.
Di Martino is a soughtafter musical director. He has accompanied Jon Hendricks, Keely Smith and Billy Eckstine, along with Siegel. His talents as an arranger and pianist can be heard on recordings with Gloria Lynn, and Grady Tate.
Di Martino’s discography includes many Grammynominated CDs, including “Love,” with Issac Delgado; “Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B” and “Live And In Clave,” with Bobby Sanabria.
Anybody who sees Assis performing immediately feels that music for him is more than just a career. Some Times, it is how he translates rhythms and notes into pure essence — often snatching audiences away. Other times, he energizes them enough so they can stand up and dance “and sweat until you can’t sweat no more,” like Bob Marley once said. His ability to make any kind of music sound smooth makes Assis a notable and gifted artist.
A native New Yorker, Traversa has distinguished himself as a musician and educator. His extensive knowledge of a variety of musical genres and cultures and his mastery of their playing techniques makes him one of the most versatile and proficient bassists on the scene today. Press reviews have described him as “perfect in technique and brilliant in providing instrumental background”, “master of the 5-string bass”, and “without question, one of the top bassists.”
Traversa has performed and recorded with a wide range of internationally known artists, including David Krakauer, John Pizzarelli, The Birdland Big Band under the direction of Tommy Igoe, Ruben Blades, Janis Seigel, John di Martino, Ben E. King, Phil Woods, Leslie Uggams, Duduka Da Fonseca and Maucha Adnet. His most recent highlights include touring India with di Martino’s Quartet of the Americas, performances with David Krakauer’s Ancestral Groove, the Bobby Sanabria Big Band, KJ Denhert and Giada Valenti.
Tickets are $25. They are available by calling (845) 802-0029, visiting jazzstock.com or going to Rhino Records, 6 N. Front St., Kingston.