Riverdale Y Hosts An Evening Of Jazz With Nicki Parrott and Rossano Sportiello 10/17

The Riverdale Y kicks off its annual jazz series on Saturday, October 17 at 8 pm with a return performance by jazz great Nicki Parrott, who will be performing with noted jazz pianist Rossano Sportiello. Tickets are $25 / $20 for seniors, and are available online at www.RiverdaleY.org.

Jazz bass player and vocalist Nicki Parrott came to New York in 1994 on an Arts Council grant from Australia to study with internationally acclaimed bassist Rufus Reid. Until his recent death, she played regularly with the legendary guitarist Les Paul at Iridium. She's performed with Clark Terry, Billy Taylor, Skitch Henderson, the New York Pops, Bucky Pizzarelli, Warren Vache, Ken Peplowski and Randy Sandke. She's appeared at major jazz festivals throughout the US and the world including the Newport Jazz Festival, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, the Bern Festival in Switzerland, the Edinburgh and Grimsby Jazz Festivals in the UK, the Ottawa Jazz Festival and several festivals in Australia . Ms. Parrott appeared last May in Australia with Judy Carmichael who played at the Riverdale Y last fall. She is also a favorite on the cruise ship circuit. She has appeared twice before at the Riverdale Y, once with Klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals and last year with an all-star jazz quartet; and recently toured Europe with Klezmer clarinetist and band leader David Krakauer. Her album, Moon River, which was released in Japan was named Best Vocal Record for 2008 by Swing Journal Magazine.

Italian jazz pianist Rossano Sportiello's goal is "To play jazz and make it understandable to everybody. Most of all, I want to see people smiling and having fun." Rossano was born in Vigevano Italy and graduated from the Italian Conservatory. He began his musical career at age 18 with Milano Jazz Gang one of Europe's historic jazz bands. He grew up listening to jazz greats like Fats Waller and Jelly Roll Morton and became an accomplished stride pianist. His style also pays homage to Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Bud Powell and Bill Evans. His mentor, bebop pianist Barry Harris, (an elder statesman of jazz piano) says "Rossano makes me smile when he plays." He is a composer, arranger and teacher as well as a performer and has played with many of the current American jazz favorites such as Ken Peplowski and Warren Vache. He is well known on the European jazz circuit and often performs in major European jazz festivals. His solo piano recordings include In the Dark, Piano on My Mind, and Heart and Soul. His recording People Will Say We're In Love, with bassist/vocalist Nicki Parrott, on the Arbors label, was selected by New Yorker Magazine as one of the 10 best CDs in 2007. Their latest CD is called Nicki Parrott and Rossano Sportiello Do It Again, also on the Arbors label.