Jazz Club of Sarasota presents the Eddie Metz Jr. Trio plus Harry Allen;
acclaimed musicians perform at Riverview Performing Arts Center on Friday, January 20
SARASOTA, FL: The Jazz Club of Sarasota presents the Eddie Metz Jr. Trio with special guest Harry Allen at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 20, at Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota. Students are admitted free to this concert. Admission for members is $30; for guests, $35.
American drummer Eddie Metz Jr. heads this trio of internationally acclaimed musicians, which includes Australian bassist/vocalist Nicki Parrott and Italian pianist Rossano Sportiello. Special guest artist Harry Allen contributes his highly regarded talents on saxophone.
The Eddie Metz Jr. Trio played for the Jazz Club of Sarasota in January 2016 and returns again by audience demand. Eddie Metz Jr. is considered one of the great multi-talented drummers of the past three decades that have been the driving force of both large and small groups. He has over 30 featured albums on the Concord, Arbors and recently the Nagel-Hier labels. It was not surprising that Benny Goodman chose him to be his drummer when he restarted his band. He was also the drummer in the re-created Count Basie Band. Sometimes called “the perfect time-keeper,” Metz has been the driving force of small groups and large bands for over three decades, including those fronted by Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey and others. He has also accompanied dozens of headliners across the musical spectrum including Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Rosemary Clooney, the Coasters and Ben Vereen. Metz has toured with the Bill Allred Classic Jazz Band, the Les Brown Orchestra and many others. He has also worked with such greats as Sarah Vaughn, Arturo Sandoval, Rosemary Clooney, Michael Feinstein, Chick Corea, and Patti Page. He continues to record with top jazz artists and perform at jazz festivals and events around the country.
Nicki Parrott is a giant among female jazz entertainers and perhaps the busiest as she travels the globe playing the bass and adding her vocal stylings. Among her numerous credits, Nicki was Les Paul’s bassist for ten years for their Monday night performances at the Iridium in NYC. She has more recently played in numerous venues around the world and recorded many albums on the Arbors label.
The incomparable Rossano Sportiello is a master of classical and jazz piano who can transition from one to the other with ease. He has emerged as one of the greats of swing and stride piano. Rossano departed from his classical training in Milan, Italy, to pursue jazz in the U.S. because he felt that few in his area wanted to listen to jazz. Since moving to the U.S. he has rapidly become well- known through his work here and abroad, including numerous tours of Europe. He is a featured artist on many Arbors recordings.
Tenor saxophone player Harry Allen, a longtime favorite with Sarasota jazz fans, has over 30 recordings to his name along with numerous awards. Three of his CDs have won Gold Disc Awards from Japan’s Swing Journal Magazine, and his CD “Tenors Anyone?” won both the Gold Disc Award and the New Star Award. He has performed at jazz festivals and clubs worldwide, frequently touring the United States, Europe and Asia with many other highly regarded jazz musicians. He is featured on many of John Pizzarelli’s recordings including the soundtrack and an on-screen cameo in the feature film The Out of Towners starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. He has also done a series of commercials for ESPN starring Robert Goulet
For tickets and information call 800.838.3006, visit BrownPaperTickets.com, phone the Jazz Club office at 941.366.1552 (Wed.-Thurs.-Fri.) or email [email protected]
The Jazz Club of Sarasota, founded in 1980, is dedicated to preserving, promoting and presenting jazz, America’s original musical art form. The Club has provided over 50 jazz-related events annually for more than 35 years. Chief among them is the highly respected Sarasota Jazz Festival, with the 36th Festival set for March 5-11, 2017. In addition to producing numerous jazz events, over the years the Club has granted approximately $200,000 to aspiring young jazz musicians. To learn more, visit www.jazzclubsarasota.org.
