Jazz @ Kilburn Mill
Sunday November 14th, 2p to 5p (doors open at 130p)
Tickets $25 in advance
Ron Murray Trio
Guitarist Ron Murray brings his Spanish, Latin and blues influences to the stage, with former Ahmad Jamal drummer Arti Dixson and bassist Mark Gerhert. From Swing to Samba, Bossa to Blues, this versatile trio highlights the entertaining aspects of jazz performance and puts on a great show.
Ron is a Whaling City Sound recording artist with a long history of performing jazz with great players on stages across North America. Ron was manager and Music Director for New England favorite Rebecca Parris for several years, and invited guests such as sax masters George Coleman, Mike Monaghan and Igor Butman; pianists Eddy Higgins and Rachel Z, bassists Richard Evans and John Lockwood, drummers Alan Dawson and Marty Richards, and trumpeter Jack Sheldon to join Rebecca and him on stage at Boston’s Regattabar, Scullers and jazz venues across the country and in Europe. Ron also produced many jazz concerts featuring the Modern Jazz Quartet, John Faddis, Sonny Rollins, Astor Piazzola, Gary Burton, Joe Pass, Jim Hall and many others while working in Boston with Fenton Hollander and Fred Taylor, two legendary jazz impresarios. Ron also was classical guitar instructor and New England Conservatory and taught The Business Of Music Production at Berklee College of Music, while producing recordings for providence’s North Star Records. Upon moving to Connecticut in the early 90s, Ron led his own groups, featuring former Ahmad Jamal drummer Arti Dixson, at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino, where Ron was hired to run musical aspect of the outreach program for corporate entities’ awards weekends, which entailed Ron writing arrangements for his 8-piece Avalon Express to entertain the 1500-2000 guests attending such gatherings, as well as providing music for any functions the client presented. Ron’s background in classical and flamenco guitar shaped his jazz playing, giving him a unique sound and approach to playing and composing, with an entertaining combination of Latin, Spanish, Blues and Bop influences.
Arti Dixson was born in Catskill, New York and graduated from The University of Albany in New York. Later he studied with Jack DeJohnette, who inspired him to pursue a musical career.
He played The Four Seasons Hotel circuit from Montreal to Vancouver, Canada and throughout the United States with a show band “Living Color”. During this time he began playing with “Sweet Box,” a band in England. He then toured the world with Janis Ian, performing and recording. When that tour ended, Arti returned to the New York and Connecticut region, playing with a plethora of talented musicians.
In 1993, Arti toured the world once again; this time with pianist Ahmad Jamal. Once back in the U.S., Arti began working at the Foxwoods Casino as one of the house drummers where he played with many great artists, including Harry Connick, The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Connie Francis and Ray Cousins.
Arti formed his own band to perform jazz education concerts and workshops throughout the school systems in Connecticut for young audiences. He has also done shows like Phantom Of The Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, and “Ella Off The Record,” as well as TV shows like the HBO Joe Louis sports special and The Pool Hall staring James Earl Jones. Arti has recently worked on the PBS special “Driving While Black.”
In 2020, Arti completed his rhythm instructional book, entitled “Rhythmasvir” — an antidote to treat rhythm and apply it to the drum set.
Arti is the inventor of the patented Bass Drum Lift and The Spur Extender. The Bass Drum Lift is sold in over 22 countries as the Evans Dixson Bass Drum Lift.
Arti continues to perform and record throughout the region and is the percussion instructor at Greens Farms Academy.
For over 25 years, Mark Gehret of Old Saybrook, CT, has been a professional bass player with an emphasis in jazz. He has performed with musical groups ranging from orchestral and musical theatre, to jazz trio and 21-piece big band, as well as all-original music bands, such as The Rivergods of New London. Mark has backed numerous notable talents over the years including: Frankie Avalon, Wayne Burgeron, Petula Clark, Bob Dorough, Fabian, Eartha Kitt, Nellie McKay, David Pittsinger, Don Rickles, Mike Renzi, Patricia Schuman, Donn Trenner, the stars of the Lawrence Welk show, and Tom Wopat. For more information, please visit: www.markonbass.com.
Rebecca Cline Trio
Rebecca Cline Trio brings years of Latin influence to American jazz, a perfect combo of world rhythms and sounds, mixed with jazz we all love!
For over two decades, Rebecca Cline has lived in Boston as an educator, presenter, and performer specializing in Latin and jazz piano. As the author of Latin Jazz Piano Improvisation: Clave, Comping, and Soloing on Berklee Press, she has led over twenty workshops in the US, Asia, Europe, South America and the Caribbean on improvising within the context of the clave and on Cuban piano improvisation styles. She has taught ensembles, Cuban piano styles, and jazz studies to undergraduate students for 18 years at Berklee College of Music.
In 1993, she conducted original research in and around Brazil in support of her honors thesis. In 1995, she moved to Puerto Rico in order to experience and study the “salsa” dance music. She also began studying folkloric percussion and dance at the National Art School for Music in Havana. She returned the following year for private studies with the great pianist and bandleader, Jesús “Chucho” Valdés.
Ms. Cline continued to study and perform Cuban and Puerto Rican music in the Caribbean for several more years. Realizing that the music of her inspiration (Irakere, Gonzalo Rubalcaba) also borrowed heavily from the tradition of North American jazz, she spent much of that time studying jazz vocabulary. Her education was greatly supplemented by her mentor, Jerry González, until she returned to the U.S. to study music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and ultimately, joining the faculty.
Together with co-leader Hilary Noble, she formed Enclave, a quartet that performed original material that sought to build on the tradition laid primarily by the Fort Apache Band, led by Jerry González. After releasing two CDs, Enclave (2003) and Diaspora (2008), Ms. Cline went on to form the dance band, Obbini Tumbao, with co-leader Anita Quinto on timbales. In Caracas, Venezuela, Obbini Tumbao recorded Llegó La Hora on Cacao Música (2008), with Pedrito Martínez on vocals and congas.
Ms. Cline joined the Cuban-influenced Latin-pop band, Mango Blue, led by Alex Alvear, in 2006, and recorded Mango in 2009. She has also collaborated with many Boston-based groups while focusing primarily on performing with the Rebecca Cline Trio. Ms. Cline holds a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies, with a Minor in Music, from UNC-Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Music in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music.
Mark Walker, a multiple Grammy winning drummer, composer and educator, began his career in Chicago in the late 1980’s. He became a first-call jingle session player and began touring regularly with the Lyle Mays Quartet and Paquito D’Rivera’s Havana/New York Ensemble in the early 1990’s.
He moved to New York in 1995 and immediately started touring with the Caribbean Jazz Project (featuring D’Rivera, Dave Samuels and Andy Narell). He soon got the gig with Michel Camilo, playing in his trio and recording projects produced by Camilo. He also began his long stint with seminal world-fusion group Oregon, featuring Ralph Towner. During this time, he also worked extensively with Eliane Elias, Linda Eder, the WDR Big Band, the NDR Big Band and Cesar Camargo Mariano, as well as local gigs with the best musicians in New York.
In 2001, he was appointed professor at Berklee, where he authored his instructional book, World Jazz Drumming (Hal Leonard), developed curriculum, and taught labs, ensembles and private students. He also authored the Berklee online course Afro-Cuban Drums. A member of the association of Latin Faculty at Berklee, he regularly teaches workshops in Latin America for Berklee Latino. He maintains his own lesson website, http://www.markwalkerlessons.com.
More recently, as a composer, he has had three of his compositions recorded by Oregon and one recorded by Paquito D’Rivera. One of the compositions recorded by Oregon, “Deep Six,” was nominated for a Grammy award in 2008 in the category of best instrumental composition. He has played on over 60 recordings, which have earned 6 Grammy and Latin Grammy awards, as well as 8 Grammy nominations. He also has recorded original tracks for music licensing sites, and has sold music worldwide. He also has composed music for film. He currently operates his own studio, Coolidge Hill, where he composes, records and produces his own music, and regularly records drum and percussion overdubs for various projects.
Mark Walker is a Paiste, Yamaha, Vic Firth, Meinl Percussion and Remo artist and clinican. He can be heard on new albums by Steve Khan, Lyle Mays, Paquito D’Rivera and Oregon.
New York City native Gregory Ryan has established himself as an in-demand sideman on both acoustic and electric bass. His big supportive sound, swinging style, and complete
understanding of harmony and his role on the bandstand combine to create his ability to make even the most complex modern composition swing in the tradition of the great bass players.
At home in a variety of musical worlds — accomplished in Brazilian, Cuban, funk, and mainstream jazz styles — he performs in festivals and concerts worldwide. Mr. Ryan has
appeared with pianists James Williams, Mulgrew Miller, and Benny Green; guitarists Jim Hall and Pat Martino; vocalists Karrin Allyson, Peter Cincotti, and Dena DeRose; and numerous jazz luminaries including Regina Carter, Wycliffe Gordon, Billy Harper, Tom Harrell, and Joe Locke, among others. Mr. Ryan’s growing Latin Jazz credits include performances with the Lincoln Center Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the Chico O’Farrill AfroCuban Jazz Orchestra, Arturo O’Farrill, Papo Vazquez’ Pirates Troubadours, and Bobby
Sanabria’s Quarteto Aché.
New Bedford JazzFest 