Jazz Fest 2008 - Sunday, April 6

2pm - WEEU Big Band Day -
Miller Center for the Arts
Coming back for a second year in a row, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, an 18-piece, Los Angeles-based jazz ensemble, celebrates and personifies the best of the big band tradition with a very contemporary and original sound.
The Grammy and Emmy Award winner’s witty and insightful arrangements propel the listener on a journey through a myriad of styles: Latin, blues, swing, classical, hard-hitting jazz and even an homage to Looney Tunes!

Jazz Fest 2008 - Saturday, April 5

2pm - Sherrie Maricle and DIVA Jazz -
Presidential Ballroom at The Abraham Lincoln Hotel - ($28 ticketed)
Hard-charging. Powerful. Immersed in the history of their craft and in total command of their instruments. That’s The DIVA Jazz Orchestra – an ensemble of 15 extremely talented and versatile musicians who just happen to be women. They can’t help it – they were born that way.

Headed by swinging drummer Sherrie Maricle, DIVA exudes the excitement and force found in the tradition of the historic big bands but with an eye towards today’s progressive sound of originality and verve. With New York as their home base, DIVA performs all over the world playing contemporary, mainstream big band jazz composed and arranged to fit the individual personalities and styles of the musicians themselves. Audiences can expect to hear high-energy performances packed with unique improvisation, spontaneity and fun.

5pm - Erwin Chandler -
Jazz Dinner - L'Arte della Vita
Contemporary, classical, pop


7:30pm - Regina Carter Quintet -
Miller Center for the Arts
Jazz violin phenomenon Regina Carter combines elements of funk, African, Brazilian and soul music in her performances. Hand-picked as a young artist to join Wynton Marsalis’ Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the hit of the 4 Generations of Jazz Violin tour in 1998, she comes with her band—piano, bass, drums, and guitar—to perform classic standards and original music.



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.

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.

Channel 69 News covers the events of April 3

From the 5:30pm broadcast:



From the 10pm broadcast, featuring scenes from the Deff Leppard/REO Speedwagon/Stynx concert at the Sovereign Center Arena:

Jazz Fest 2008 - Thursday, April 3

11:30am - Erich Cawalla and Friends -
with Jenifer Kinder, Don Walker, Mike Humbert

Jazz Lunch - L'Arte della Vita

Singer/saxophonist Erich Cawalla has been entertaining audiences since 1998. Erich maintains a busy performing schedule with The Uptown Band at fairs, festivals, clubs and private parties, but also finds time to freelance with other bands as well as maintain his solo career. Erich is a native of Shillington, Pennsylvania.

6pm - Annual Meet & Greet -

The Abraham Lincoln Hotel - Lobby and Mezzanine

The annual "Meet & Greet" for festival fans will be held on Thursday, April 3, at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel starting at 6:00 p.m. in the lobby and mezzanine areas.
If you have tickets for the Nick Colionne/Brian Simpson concert set for 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln ballroom and/or the Berks All-Star Jazz Jam set for 10 p.m. at the Sheraton Reading Hotel, you are invited to attend the "Meet & Greet" with numerous artists.
It's a great opportunity to get autographs and photos taken with your favorite jazz artists.

7:30pm - Nick Colionne and Brian Simpson -

Presidential Ballroom at The Abraham Lincoln Hotel - ($32 ticketed)

Nick Colionne:

Nick Colionne's sustained chart-topping Radio history combined with his incredible live performances have propelled him to the upper echelons of smooth jazz stardom. Most recently, he won the International Instrumental Artist of the Year Award by the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards; the 2006 winner was Trumpeter Chris Botti.

Nick Colionne's latest CD Keepin' It Cool on Narada Jazz found the first single "Always Thinking of You" propelling him to the top of the charts once again. This single was #9 for the year 2006 on Radio and Records, and Nick was the #9 Artist of the Year. On the charts for 45 weeks, and Top 10 for an amazing 19 weeks, this single was also # 1 for 2006 on Radio Waves Monitor Chart (Internet Airplay) and #1 on the World Jazz Top 20 Chart. In fact, Nick is on every major top 10 list for 2006! The second single, "If You Ask Me", went top 20 and his newest single, the title track "Keepin' It Cool" is currently climbing the charts. The CD has received rave reviews around the world.

With the release of his previous CD Just Come On In, Nick Colionne joined the ranks of today's premiere jazz artists. His first single "High Flyin'" was Top 10 for 2004, reached #2 on the R&R Smooth Jazz, #1 on the radio streaming internet airplay charts per RadioWaves.com, and #1 on the World Jazz Top 20 Singles charts compiled by Top-40 Charts.com. Just Come On In's second single "It's Been Too Long" quickly climbed the R&R chart, was selected as one of the top 5 songs for summer by R&R, and reached #2 on the World Jazz Top 20 Singles chart as well as #16 on R&R. Both are among the most played in Recurrent.

Brian Simpson:

A longtime studio musician, musical director, and touring keyboardist to stars as diverse as Janet Jackson and Dave Koz, Brian Simpson’s breakthrough as a solo artist with his Rendezvous Entertainment debut It’s All Good was the genre’s major story of 2006. Focusing once again on compelling acoustic piano melodies, bright jazz improvisations and spirited f

unk grooves, Simpson keeps the extraordinary momentum hopping--and, true to the moniker he chose for the new album, soaring--with Above The Clouds.

Placing his success in pop aside, Brian Simpson has always been a working jazz musician. He has toured with some of the greats of recent jazz history, including George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton, George Howard, Billy Cobham, and Gerald Albright. Along with Mr. Duke, Brian has had another major influence, both on and off the stage. Brian has been the musical director for jazz saxophonist Dave Koz for the past 10 years, and most recently, musical director for the "Dave Koz and Friends Cuise" as well as the "Smooth Jazz Cruise" hosted by Wayman Tisdale.

Jazz Fest 2008 - Wednesday, April 2

7:30pm - Bill Evan's Soulgrass -
The Presidential Ballroom at The Abraham Lincoln Hotel -
($32 ticketed)

Bill Evans:
Throughout his 20-year career as a solo artist, multi Grammy nominated saxophonist Bill Evans has explored a variety of musical settings that go well beyond the confines of traditional jazz, including hip-hop, fusion, reggae, Brazilian and slamming funk. Evans steps into more adventurous territory on Soulgrass, blending jazz, funk and roots music into a seamless and wholly unique hybrid of quintessentially American styles.

Sam Bush:
Though he admits a certain discomfort with the moniker "King of Newgrass," Sam Bush has more than earned it. Besides helming the ever-popular Sam Bush Band, featured on the upcoming release Laps in Seven, the mandolin prodigy from Kentucky has been a prodigious influence on musicians young and old. Bands like Nickel Creek, Yonder Mountain String Band, and String Cheese Incident, to name just a few, are indebted to Bush's example, not only in his wide-ranging choice of material and rock-based acoustic grooves, but by his captivating, high-energy live shows, which have made him an in demand headliner, and fan fave at important festivals like Telluride and MerleFest.

Update:  watch a video clip from Channel 69 news of this performance.

Jazz Fest 2008 - Sunday, March 30

11am - Marty Mellinger Trio -
Jazz Lunch - L'Arte della Vita
Marty Mellinger is the keyboardist for the Ladies of Jazz, he has been a performer, composer, producer and arranger for almost twenty five years.Trained in both jazz and classical music, he was originally tapped by Bruce Springsteen as the original keyboard player for the East Street Band.Currently, he produces a roster of artists of all types, from jazz singers to classical pianists, writes, arranges and performs original music for artists, television and radio.

1:30pm - Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead -
The Miller Center
Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead shines spotlight on talented youth during the VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest. Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead, a music residency program for young people, is coming to the Berks Jazz Fest. There is no cost for tickets. 610-898-1930 www.berksjazzfest.com (allaboutjazz.com)

7pm - Grover Washington Tribute -
The Sovereign Center
To Grover With Love - with Patti LaBelle, Walter Beasley, Everette Harp, Kim Waters, Maysa, Phil Perry, Chuck Loeb, Will Lee, Buddy Williams, Ralph MacDonald, and music director Jason Miles

Legendary saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. may be gone in body, but his warm, uplifting spirit and the musical treasures he left behind are very much still a part of the contemporary jazz landscape.
Over eight years since his sudden passing in December 1999, top radio stations in the format continue to play his classics “Winelight,” “Let It Flow” and “Just The Two of Us,” and numerous genre artists have paid tribute to him on disc and on tour.
The show includes the highly revered singer and songwriter Patti LaBelle; triple threat of popular veteran smooth jazz saxophonists Walter Beasley, Kim Waters and Everette Harp; longtime Berks favorite, guitarist/producer Chuck Loeb; percussionist Ralph MacDonald, who produced Winelight and wrote “Mr. Magic”; legendary NYC drummer Buddy Williams; and the incomparable vocalists Phil Perry and Maysa.

Jazz Fest 2008 - Saturday, March 29

5pm - 7:30pm - Sharon Bailey Quartet
Jazz Dinner - L'Arte della Vita
(Mark Huber, piano; Steve Beskrone, bass; Lew Leabman, drums; Sharon Bailey, vocals)
Sharon broke into the jazz scene four years ago in the Reading area during Berks Jazz Fest. Since that time, she has been performing regularly in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including Bethlehem Muskifest and radio jingles. As well as her own ensembles, she is a featured vocalist with a big band, jazz harmonic orchestra, Pops Orchestra, and Ladies of Jazz show in the area.

7:30pm - Chris Botti -
Soveriegn Center - (Tickets)

Trumpeter Chris Botti is a gifted instrumentalist, a talented composer and a charismatic performer who -- since the release of his first solo album in 1995 -- has created a series of recordings that have made him a virtual genre-of-one in the realm of contemporary jazz while at the same time capturing the attention of the pop music world.
Through his singular combination of lush atmospheres and thoughtful improvisations, Botti has earned both critical acclaim and mainstream appreciation for a succession of best-selling albums including When I Fall In Love (2004, No. 1 Top Jazz Album, No. 37 Billboard Top 200), To Love Again: The Duets (2005, No. 1 Top Jazz Album, No. 18 Billboard Top 200), and Chris Botti Live with Orchestra & special guests (2006, No. 2 Top Jazz Album).
Now, inspired by the sounds and atmosphere of Italy, Chris Botti has created a vibrant and sensual set of performances drawn from sources ranging from classical opera to the soundtracks of Ennio Morricone.
Recorded in the United States, England, and Italy, Italia is a brilliant showcase for Botti's musical versatility as performer, composer and collaborator.
Italia, released in September 2007, includes the newly-composed title track featuring the passionate vocals of renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli as well as a new interpretation of "The Very Thought of You" with guest vocalist Paula Cole.

8pm - Jump Rhythm Jazz Project -
Miller Center - (Tickets)

Jump Rhythm Jazz Project is a not-for-profit arts organization founded in 1990 whose mission is both to honor and innovate the art of jazz-based American rhythm dancing, and to celebrate the joys of shared rhythm-making in dance, music and song among individuals of diverse ages, backgrounds and cultures. The company continues to pursue this mission by offering a comprehensive program of performances in conjunction with demonstrations, classes and workshops that affirm both the artistic and community-bonding values of rhythmic expression.

10pm - Kenny Blake Quartet -
Late-night Jazz Cabaret - L'Arte della Vita (tickets)

Intimate late-night jazz shows on Friday, March 28, and Saturday, March 29 in L'Arte della Vita

Jazz Fest 2008 - Friday March 28

5pm - Ed McCartan and Mike Ciliberti -
Jazz Dinner in L'Arte della Vita
Guitarist Ed McCartan and Keyboardist Mike Ciliberti perform a wide variety of classic jazz and contemporary instrumentals. The two have worked together in many ensembles, and as a duo, for the past 8 years performing around the region and East Coast. Their exciting performances blend creative arrangements with stimulating improvisations. Check the Upcoming Shows page to see them.


7:30pm - Nancy Wilson -
Sovereign Center - (tickets)
At this stage of her incredibly accomplished career, song stylist Nancy Wilson performs only select engagements.
Therefore, the VF Outlet Berks Jazz Fest will be in very select company on Friday night when it showcases the three-time Grammy Award winner with its opening-night "An Evening with Nancy Wilson" at the Sovereign Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m.
The 18th annual Berks Jazz Fest, presented by the Berks Arts Council, runs Friday through April 6 and features an expansive array of musical styles, including contemporary and traditional jazz, blues and big band, with some gospel and even bluegrass thrown in. Shows are held at major venues, clubs and restaurants throughout Reading and Berks County, making it a truly unique festival.
Nancy Wilson has done it all in her nearly five-decade-long career.
The legendary vocalist has adrotily sung jazz, blues, pop, cabaret, R&B, and everything in between. She has hosted her own network TV variety show, profiled the legends of jazz on National Public Radio and acted in numerous television programs.
As a jazz performer she is renowned for her exciting collaborations with such greats as Cannonball Adderley, George Shearing and Ramsey Lewis. Her debut single, "Guess Who I Saw Today," was so successful that between April 1960 and July 1962 Capitol Records released five Nancy Wilson albums. In 1963 "Tell The Truth" became her first truly major hit, leading up to her performance at the Coconut Grove in 1964 that turned her almost overnight into a jazz icon.
Through the years Wilson's talent remains incandescent. She won Grammy Awards in 2005 and 2007 for her MCG Jazz albums R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal) and Turned to Blue.

10pm - Kenny Blake Quartet - Late-night Jazz Caberet -
L'Arte della Vita ($15 ticketed)
Intimate late-night jazz shows on Friday, March 28, and Saturday, March 29