Peter Epstein – alto saxophone
Sam Minaie – bass

Bolero Jazz music at 5C Cafe Every Wednesday!

Check this out! Undaunted by the element of time, New York city bassist Joe Falcon and the famously unkown guitarist Luis Rodriguez from the Johnny Pacheco Band, have been appearing steadily @5C and playing 2 sets: 1 at 8pm, 1 at 930pm. Suggested donation: $5

The Bolero Jazz project also features the newly recruited percussionist singer Master Street-Sonero & Rumbero, Ismael Rosado. Andrea Oliva, Kate Hess and Alexandra Castano are the alternate singers. Mr. Nzumo who plays the poc ket trumpet, is a gifted improviser who adds contrast to the picture with his tone. Both Ms. Oliva and Ms. Castano, trained singers, specialize in the slow middle tempo bolero giving them a dstinctive sound with their intonation and /or lay-back use of vthe vibrato. Ms. Hes is a jazz singer in the style of Peggy Lee and Carmen MaCray. She sings jazz songs with a strong latin beat. Some or all the songs are perfomed in either English or in Spanish.

So far, so good?! Bolero Jazz is a project of Grupo COCO RICO and 5C Cafe. It draws its main ideas from the standard and popular Latino music repertoire. The group, with good sense of improvisation and music-sensibility and history; take songs and brings them back to life by reconstructing and modifying their melodic and rhythmitic structiures. This is specially true in the call and response portion of the music. In salsa music this is called: (coro y sonero) This is where singer-percussionist Ismael Rosado demonstrates his skills. It’s exciting to watch them do, specially when they synchronize their voices and instruments as one; they make it look easy. The music is soft and gentle and middle temp; nothing fast; except, maybe when they, purposely and on cue, shift tempos to provoke and call attention to the extraordinary work of lead-guitarist Luis Rodriguez who plays everything with musical intelligence and immediacy. this is how it is every Wednesday. Also, and not to be missed, are the silent film shorts that film connoisseurs Will show as the group performs. You check it out!

The cafe provides an intimate living room space for performing music and sits about 35. Tea, coffee, wine and beer and other items are available with the help of cafe mainstay, Jenn.

Note: Because musicians lead complicated lives, its is best that you call 5C @ 212 477 5993 to get updates of any program changes and /or apperances.

BURT ECKOFF a seasoned artist, jazz piano at its best!

Between the mid-1960’s and the mid-1990’s, Burt has played regularly with an impressive list of prominent jazzmen, including Howard McGhee, Maynard Ferguson, Art Blakey, Sonny Stitt, and Archie Shepp. He has accompanied such outstanding vocalists as Dakota Staton, Eddie Jefferson, Dionne Warwick and the Drifters.

Upon graduating in 2007 with a BA in Jazz Studies from Purchase Conservatory of Music, Bobby moved to Brooklyn, NY. In 2005, Avey was specially invited by the saxophone great David Liebman to adapt and arrange art songs from the Classical and Romantic era for re-interpretation, creating a vehicle for improvisation. The project, culminating with the album Vienna Dialogues, was released on ZOHO in 2006 and received rave reviews. Scott Albin of Jazz Times writes, “Highlights are many… Avey’s strong chording; Avey’s beautiful intro…Avey’s sparkling solo and accompaniment on Debussy’s “Fleur des Ble?s,” graced with a bell-like sound, his playing here so impressive, it overshadows Liebman’s.” Bobby won the esteemed Pressor Scholarship while attending Purchase and was named the 2006 international Yamaha Young Performing Artist on piano.

An active composer, Avey has received multiple commissions since moving to NY, most recently a 30 minute score to a ballet and a four-movement work for piano and string quartet. Over the past five years, his composing has been the conceptual thrust behind the Bobby Avey Trio, as it focuses on exploiting the unique strengths of the members as well as those of the collective unit. A New Face, Bobby’s first CD as leader features this band and continues his association with David Liebman, who appears on four tracks. The project, comprised exclusively of his originals, will be released in August 2010 on jayDell Records. Avey has appeared as a leader at esteemed New York Venues including: Symphony Space, the 55 Bar, and The Jazz Gallery.

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Vicki Burns is a jazz singer who has been delighting audiences for years. A vocalist with impeccable taste, a sure sense of rhythm and a glorious tone, she infuses each song with heartfelt expression, digging into the lyrics and melody for their richest interpretation. No wonder the great jazz drummer; Max Roach once described Vicki’s singing as “a gold mine”!

Some of Vicki’s performing highlights in New England include: singing with the great jazz drummer, Alan Dawson, for the Martin Luther King Jr. “Journey into a Dream” Concert series in Boston and opening for Billy Taylor and Max Roach in the “Bright Moments” Concert series in Amherst, MA. She has performed regularly at these Boston area jazz clubs: Ryles, 1369 Club, the Starlight Roof and the Turtle Café. She has also been featured on “Music America”, a syndicated WGBH broadcast hosted by Ron D’Ella Chiesa.

While still a student, she sang with a popular big band, The Clayton Poole Jazz Orchestra and was chosen by John Coltrane’s biographer Bill Cole among others for the New England Touring Arts program.

On the West Coast Vicki has performed at Garden City in San Jose, The San Jose Museum of Art’s “Women in Jazz” series, a featured spot in the San Jose Jazz Festival , The Great American Music Hall with the Oakland Jazz Choir, Kimball’s East with Madeline Eastman and the Oakland Jazz Choir and the Fillmore Street Jazz Festival . She became a favorite performer at Enrico’s San Francisco’s acclaimed beatnik haunt, establishing a firm fan base which included the infamous Carol Doda. She was featured at Yoshi’s with flautist Nika Rejto and at the Plush Room where she collaborated with acclaimed pianist, Ken Muir noted for his long association with Paula West.

In 2005, Vicki released her debut CD which features original music, lyrics and arrangements of both familiar and rare standards. Entitled Siren Song it is produced by Vicki and the acclaimed flugal hornist, Dmitri Matheny, who also arranges some of the material. Matheny described her voice as a “wonderful, rich instrument”. Jazz critic Dan Ouellette said of her debut recording that she “succeeds with rapturous, mystical beauty”.

In October of 2008, Vicki released a second CD, Vicki Burns Quartet: Live At Anna’s Jazz Island. Receiving broad critical acclaim and airplay, it has served as a delightful introduction to the New York City jazz scene where she now finds herself. Recently, she has performed to enthusiastic audiences at North Square in the Washington Square Hotel and the 5 C Cultural Center in the East Village.

Bossa Nova & Light Vocal Guitar Duo