Matt LoRusso Quartet with Special Guests (3 sets) 2014

2014 Aug 2, Saturday – 3 sets – Main Stage North
3:00-4:00 wsg Chris Lawrence
5:30-6:30 wsg Marcus Elliot
8:00-9:00 wsg Twyla Birdsong

Matt LoRusso Trio

How do you make a Matt LoRusso Quartet?

You start with the Matt LoRusso Trio. Three students attending MSU in Jazz Studies — Matt on guitar, Joe Vasquez on bass, and Nick Brucewell on drums. They built a reputation for their signature mix of jazz, funk and fusion, including original compositions and arrangements. They performed together at senior recital when graduating last December. They continue playing gigs together, including as house band for Suits Tavern in Lansing.

Mike Jellick on Piano.

Add one well-seasoned piano player — Michael Jellick. A student of classical piano at Eastern Michigan University, he paid his rent playing with a jazz trio at bars near campus. After college he bounced around the jazz scenes in Detroit and Ann Arbor, writing and arranging music, before answering the call of Chicago’s diverse jazz scene in 2008. Two years later he returned to Detroit a stronger and more confident musician, playing one choice gig after another with such established band leaders as Rodney Whitaker, Dwight Adamas, Vincent Chandler, Karriem Riggins and Marion Hayden.

On Saturday the foursome anchors the North Stage through three sets of great jazz, each enhanced by a different special guest.

Chris Lawrence on Trumpet

3:00-4:00 : : Chris Lawrence, trumpeter and composer — is quickly gaining respect as a young artist with an original voice. In 2011, he was selected as one of five finalists to the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition, the most prestigious competition for jazz tumpeters in the world. He currently performs with Pike and Eel, an improvisational post rock/hip hop unit of 4, and Modern Mayors, a chordless quartet based in Detroit. Hs is also a member of the Jeff Haas Quintet. Since graduating from Western Michigan University in 2005 with a degree in Music/Philosophy, he has toured nationally, and abroad, sharing the stage with an abundance of brilliant, creative musicians, including icons in various musical genres. Chris currently is on faculty at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. http://www.chrislawrencemusic.com

Marcus Elliott

5:30-6:30 : : Marcus Elliot, tenor sax — is a saxophonist, composer and educator who is quickly gaining recognition for his imaginative improvisation, and  fervently thoughtful voice on the saxophone. Marcus began playing professionally in the Detroit jazz scene when he was 15 years old. His talent earned him a scholarship to attend Michigan State University, where he studied with Diego Rivera, Wes “Warmdaddy” Anderson, and Rodney Whitaker. As a band leader, Marcus has led the Marcus Elliot Quartet for the past eight years. He self-released his first album, Looking Forward, in 2010, and a new album is due out this fall. As a sideman, Marcus has performed with  Bob Hurst, Karriem Riggins, James Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Geri Allen, Marcus Belgrave, Mulgrew Miller, Rodney Whitaker, Talib Kweli and many others. As an educator he has been the Artist-in-Residence at Troy High school, and Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Civic Jazz Band. He currently lives in Detroit where he composes and performs music with local ensembles.

Twyla Birdsong

8:00-9:00 : : Twyla Birdsong, vocalist — From the first moment she sets free a first soulful note, audiences know what has made Twyla one of Lansing’s most loved vocalists since 2002. She has sung with numerous Blues greats, including Larry McCray and Freddie Cunningham. In 2012 she and Mike Eyia were duet winners of Capital Area Blues Society’s “Blues Brawl,” and performed at Old Town BluesFest . She is currently lead singer of The Hoopties, who in 2011 competed in the Memphis International Blues Challenge. In addition to session recording, Twyla collaborates in a ‘Women of the Blues Review’ with BMA winner Sharrie Williams, Detroit Princess of the Blues Thornetta Davis, and BMA nominee Kathleen Murray.

But Twyla isn’t all about the Blues anymore. She has embarked on a journey with Jazz, seeking to reconnect audiences with the joy of jazz review shows of days gone by. Uptown ~ A Modern Review has brought standing ovations and calls for encores, as she delivers a fresh mix of jazz standards and sultry songs of today. Now you won’t want to miss the jazzy sounds that Matt LoRusso et al bring out in Twyla!