Bristol Riverside Theatre Hosts 4th Annual Jazz Weekend 7/31-8/2

Bristol Riverside Theatre will host its 4th Annual Jazz Weekend from July 31 through August 2. This year's Jazz Weekend features performances from Warren Oree & The Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble, the Eric Mintel Quartet, and guitarists Jack Wilkins and Howard Alden. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for BRT Members, and $10 for students and are available by calling the BRT Box Office at (215) 785-0100 or online at www.BRTstage.org. Bristol Riverside Theatre is located at 120 Radcliffe Street in Bristol, PA.

Warren Oree and The Apreggio Jazz Ensemble kick off the weekend with a performance on Friday, July 31 at 8:00 p.m. Temple University Public Radio has hailed the group as one of the most innovative jazz bands in the Philadelphia area. Oree has toured or recorded with Khan Jamal, Donald Byrd, Wynton Marsalis, and Odean Pope, among others. He has appeared throughout Europe, South America, the Caribbean, and the U.S. Mixing original compositions with jazz standards, Arpeggio's style fuses jazz, African, Brazilian, rhythm and blues, and hip-hop music for a repertoire that ranges from soft, contemplative melodies to heart pounding, energetic, multi-rhythmic arrangements.

On Saturday, August 1 at 8:00 p.m., the Eric Mintel Quartet returns to BRT. Pianist and composer Eric Mintel has performed at the White House for President Clinton and at the Kennedy Center. He is a Yamaha Performing Artist for the Yamaha Corporation of America and has been featured in Down Beat Magazine and on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on NPR. The Quartet has performed at the JVC Jazz Festival and is regularly heard on XM Satellite Radio Real Jazz XM 70. They opened for Dave Brubeck at the Kimmel Center and appeared on XM Satellite Radio's Live Performance Theater. Energetic and lyrical, Mintel's catchy original compositions combine standard swing with classical elements to create a sound that All About Jazz described as "easy going but at the same time cerebral and always enjoyable."

On Sunday, August 2 at 3:00 p.m., guitarists Jack Wilkins and Howard Alden will perform as a duo in a concert featuring the "Great American Songbook," with songs by Berlin, Arlen, Gershwin, Porter and others. Wilkins has been a part of the international jazz scene for more than four decades. His flawless technique and imaginative chordal approach have inspired collaborations with Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Bob Brookmeyer, Buddy Rich and many others. An accomplished accompanist, Wilkins has played and recorded with renowned singers such as Mel Torme, Ray Charles, Morgana King, Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett, Manhattan Transfer, Nancy Marano and Jay Clayton.

Alden has appeared and recorded with artists such as Joe Bushkin, Ruby Braff, Joe Williams, Warren Vache, Woody Herman and George Van Eps. He can be heard on the soundtrack to the 1999 Woody Allen movie "Sweet and Lowdown," starring Sean Penn. Alden not only played all the guitar solos, but also coached Mr. Penn - who was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as a 1930s legendary jazz guitarist - on playing the guitar for his role in the film. Jazz Times wrote of Alden, "He may be the best of his generation." The Newark Star Ledger proclaimed that he is "the most impressive and creative member of a new generation of jazz guitarists."

Since 1986, BRT has brought consistently acclaimed professional theatre to Bucks County and maintained a long-term commitment to finding and developing new plays. The theatre is the recipient of over 50 Barrymore Award nominations for Excellence in Theatre, given annually by the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. In addition to its mainstage productions, the theatre serves as a cultural hub for the community, with such programs as children's theatre, community concerts and exhibitions of local visual arts. Currently under the direction of Artistic Director Keith Baker and Founding Producing Director Susan D. Atkinson, BRT is in its 22nd season.

The 2009 Summer Season includes three Summer Musicales: It Was A Very Good Year, June 18 - 28; Woodstock at 40, July 16 - 26; and Broadway Starlight, August 13 - 23; Amazing World of Magic, June 30 - July 5; the 4th Annual Jazz Weekend, July 31 - August 2; and weekly performances from the Theatre Arts Center Children's Theatre from July through mid-August. For more information, visit www.BRTstage.org.

 

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