Jazz Fest 2008 - Friday, April 4

11:30am - Ken Gehret and Al Seifarth -
Jazz Lunch - L'Arte della Vita
Ken Gehret has been performing publically for nearly forty years, primarily as a guitarist/violinist in varied musical styles and situations. Ken's creative experiences stem from an insatiable curiosity for music, ranging from Bach to Rock, which include: Country, Bluegrass, Jazz, Classical, Rock, R&B, World, (Cletic, Latin, Indian, Klezmer, Oriental), reflecting a significant influence on his own compositions


5pm - Dave Wilson Trio -
Jazz Dinner - L'Arte della Vita
Dave Wilson Jazz groups, (Quartet, Trio, Duo), have been active for some time playing concerts, clubs, and private functions, mostly in the south central Pennsylvania area. The Dave Wilson Quartet’s inaugural CD “Through The Time”, (featuring: Dave Wilson-Tenor and Soprano Saxophone; Kirk Reese-Piano; Steve Meashey-Acoustic Bass; Jeff Stabley-Drums), has been received with critical acclaim and has received some airplay on WRTI-FM jazz radio in Philadelphia.


7:30pm - Caribbean Jazz Project -
Presidential Ballroom at The Abraham Lincoln Hotel - ($32 ticketed)
A group that is adding and certainly providing their own unique contribution to the world of Latin Jazz is the Caribbean Jazz Project. The three main principles are Dave Valentin (flute), Steve Kahn (guitar), Dave Samuels (vibes & marimba) are all outstanding musicians of their respective instruments and leaders of their own groups. You will hear the essence of their love for Latin music and its strong association with Jazz. The interaction and ability of these three talents to come together and play this style is truly amazing. The sound that they have created is out of hard work, dedication and respect for the music's rich tradition.
The Caribbean Jazz Project was formed in 1993. Over the course of eight acclaimed recordings, a Grammy in 2003 and 2 Grammy nominations in 2004 & 2005, the inventive Latin Jazz ensemble has blended scintillating rumbas, sambas, boleros and cha-chas with the uncut spirit of jazz improvisation. As ringleader Dave Samuels once explained, "Caribbean defines part of what we do, and Jazz defines the other part."
Dave Samuels has established himself as the top mallet player of his generation, and started The Caribbean Jazz Project in 1993.
His group won a Grammy in 2003 for The Gathering, a 2004 Grammy nomination for Birds of a Feather, and another in 2005 for Here and Now all for “Best Latin Jazz Album."
Now in its 15th year, the project has released 10 albums to date. The latest, Afro Bop Alliance, was just released March 25 on Heads Up International.
Samuels' special guest is renowned Grammy winning saxophonist, Paquito D’Rivera, who has just won a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album for his album, Funk Tango.
D’Rivera was also awarded the Frankfurt Music Prize on March 11.
The prize is awarded annually to personalities from the world of music for special achievements in the fields of interpretation, composition, musicology, and teaching.
The Caribbean Project is all about energy, spontaneity, and improvisation, but while its personnel may have changed from recording to recording, their style, Latin- Jazz, or Jazz-Latin, as Samuels calls it, has not.
Their new album, a first for the Project, has a total of 19 musicians playing on at one time or another on each track.

10pm - Joe McBride Trio -
Late-night Jazz Cabaret - L'Arte della Vita ($15 ticketed)
Born and raised in Fulton, MO, keyboardist/singer Joe McBride began playing the piano at age four. His uncle Bake McBride was an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland Indians. His earliest influences were gospel music, bebop, straight-ahead jazz, Motown, and '70s R&B and funk. As a teenager, he began singing and playing at jazz clubs. Around this time, McBride was stricken with a degenerative eye disease that eventually claimed his sight, but his passion for music didn't diminish. He continued his musical studies at the Missouri School for the Blind and Webster University in suburban St. Louis, where he majored in jazz performance. He also attended the University of North Texas.
McBride's debut album, Grace, released in 1992, instantly made him a core artist at smooth jazz radio. McBride's other albums are A Gift for Tomorrow (1994), Keys to Your Heart (1996), and Double Take (1998). A stellar guest list of artists that have appeared on his releases includes Grover Washington Jr., Richard Elliot, Phil Perry, Peter White, Dave Koz, Rick Braun, and Larry Carlton, among others.