Concerts with the finest Jazz artists brought to your home
GMF ONLINE CONCERT SERIES
Solo Concerts with some of the finest artists in Jazz today
Each concert will be 30 minutes long and will be followed by a Q&A session with the performing artist.
The concerts will be live on Zoom. We have done all we can to achieve the best possible audio experience but we can only work within the bounds of the technology available at present. We advise using headphones.
ADVANCE BOOKING ESSENTIAL
Booking closes 30 minutes before the start of concert to allow time to process payments and send out the meeting ID and password. With the increased amount of traffic in cyberspace at this time some replies are being delayed. To ensure that you receive your meeting ID and password in time please book as far in advance as possible. The meeting ID will be sent to you approximately 1 hour before the concert starts.
JIM RIDL
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 20
9.00 PM PARIS / 8.00 PM LON / 3.00 PM NY / 12.00PM LA
TICKET PRICE €10.00 / £10.00 / $13.00
Jim Ridl is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger and teacher residing in the New York City area. He performs internationally with the Jim Ridl Trio and Quartet, the Dave Liebman Big Band, the Mingus Big Band, Ximo Tebar’s IVAM Jazz Ensemble of Spain, and the Tim Horner Quintet.
Jim’s tenure with jazz guitar legend Pat Martino received many critically acclaimed reviews of performances around the world and produced 3 outstanding recordings: Interchange, Night Wings and The Maker.
Additionally, Jim has performed and/or recorded with Randy Brecker, Marc Johnson, James Moody, Slide Hampton, Clark Terry, Mickey Roker, Billy Hart, Mark Murphy, Ravi Coltrane, the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Bill Stewart, Denis DiBlasio, Rich Matteson, Marko Marcinko, Tim Horner, Ralph Bowen, Donny McCaslin, Mark Walker, Michael Pedicin, Jean Michel Pilc, Dick and Ted Nash, Ari Hoenig, Jimmy Bruno, Tim Warfield, Terrell Stafford, Vic Juris, Paul Nash, Carla Cook, Francois Moutin, Bruce Williamson, Matt Wilson, Sherman Ferguson, Tyrone Brown,…
Commissions as a composer/arranger have included the BMI New York Jazz Composers Orchestra, the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Lamont School of Music Chamber Orchestra, the Singing Patriots of Germantown Academy, the Manor Singers, the Off-Broadstreet Theatre, soprano Katja Rothfuss, and St. Andrew’s Church of Trenton.
In addition to his work with the New York Jazz Workshop Jim has maintained a private piano studio for over 3 decades and currently teaches adjunct jazz piano at the City College of New York. He has conducted piano master classes at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia, PA), Metropolitan State College (Denver, CO), and West Chester University (West Chester, PA).
Jim was the Art Tatum Scholarship Artist in Residence at the University of Toledo (Ohio) where he taught master classes and performed solo piano concerts.
Jim was raised on a farm and ranch in North Dakota, and discovered his love for piano and jazz at an early age. He attended college at the University of Colorado at Denver, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Scoring and Arranging, and was awarded its Student Achievement Award for composing “Ocean Sojourn,” an orchestral tone poem which he performed with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, James Setapen, conducting. He is listed in the Who’s Who of American Colleges and Universities. In Denver, Jim began his professional career performing and touring with local and nationally recognised musicians, including the Grammy-nominated vocal jazz group, Rare Silk.
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Booking closes 30 minutes before the start of concert to allow time to process payments and send passwords.
Like an impressionistic painting that requires you to stand back from the brushstrokes to see the true image, his music is simply beautiful. It does not need to be anything more." - Jazz Review.com
A True Living Legend of Music
CHARLES MCPHERSON
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27
9.00 PM PAR | 8.00 PM LON | 3.00 PM NY | 12.00PM LA
TICKET PRICE €10.00 / £10.00 / $13.00
Charles McPherson - alto saxophone Rob Thorsen - bass
THIS IS A RARE ONLINE LIVE PERFORMANCE BY ONE OF THE GREATEST ALTO PLAYERS IN THE HISTORY OF THE MUSIC. AT 81 YEARS OF AGE CHARLES MCPHERSON IS A FORCE OF NATURE. HE PLAYS WITH THE FIRE AND VITALITY OF A 20 YEAR OLD, THE VIRTUOSITY OF A GREAT MASTER, AND THE WISDOM AND SOUL OF A GREAT SAGE ALL COMBINED.
After growing up in Detroit, Charles studied with the renowned pianist Barry Harris and started playing jazz professionally at age 19. He moved from Detroit to New York in 1959 and performed with Charles Mingus from 1960 to 1972. While performing with Mingus, he collaborated frequently with Harris, Lonnie Hillyer (trumpet), and George Coleman (tenor sax).
Charles has toured the U.S., Europe, Japan, Africa and South America with his own group, as well as with jazz greats Barry Harris, Billy Eckstine, Lionel Hampton, Nat Adderly, Jay McShann, Phil Woods, Wynton Marsalis, Tom Harrell, Randy Brecker, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, and others.
Charles was the featured alto saxophonist in the Clint Eastwood film “Bird,” a biopic about Charlie Parker. Charles has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Don Redman Lifetime Achievement Award and an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from California State University San Marcos. Charles performed this past April at the NEA Jazz Master’s 2019 performance during Stanley Crouch’s tribute. Widely recognized as a prolific composer, Charles is now Resident Composer for the San Diego Ballet, where he has written three original suites for chamber music and jazz combos.
Charles is joined for this this concert by the renowned bassist, Rob Thorsen, one of California’s most in demand and popular bassists.
UPCOMING ALBUM RELEASE:
Charles McPherson’s Jazz Dance Suites captures his groundbreaking collaboration with the San Diego Ballet, an association that began in 2015. A family affair, Jazz Dance Suites is inspired by McPherson’s daughter Camille McPherson, a soloist in her 8th season with the prestigious dance company. Joining McPherson on Jazz Dance Suites are some of the most exciting names in modern jazz; Terrell Stafford on trumpet, Lorraine Castellanos on vocals, Jeb Patton, and Randy Porter on piano, Billy Drummond on drums, David Wong on bass and Yotam Silberstein on guitar.
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Last minute booking will close 90 minutes before the start of concert to allow time to process payments.
“Charles is the very definition of excellence in our music. He’s the definitive master on his instrument. He plays with exceptional harmonic accuracy and sophistication. He performs free-flowing, melodic and thematically developed solos with unbelievable fire and an unparalleled depth of soul.” - Wynton Marsalis
BRIGITTE BERAHA & GEORGE CROWLEY
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30
9.00 PM PAR | 8.00 PM LON | 3.00 PM NY | 12.00PM LA
TICKET PRICE €10.00 / £10.00 / $13.00
Brigitte Beraha - vocals and piano George Crowley - saxophones & Clarinet
Born in Milan to a Turkish father and Turkish-British mother, Beraha grew up on the Côte d’Azur in France. This musical, multinational and multilingual upbringing combined to inspire and mould one of the most creative vocalists and composers on the UK scene.
Embracing a wide variety of music influences and genres, from jazz and latin to classical and, more recently, electronic, Beraha’s sound is free and fluid with an emphasis on exploration and expression.
The main current collaborations Brigitte is involved in are Babelfish, Solstice and Red Skies Trio. Find out more about these and others on the Projects page.
Brigitte has worked with an extensive list of established artists and musical luminaries, having performed and/or recorded with Kenny Wheeler, Yazz Ahmed, Ethan Iverson, Mandhira de Saram, The BBC Concert Orchestra, Evan Parker, Stan Sulzmann, Huw Warren, Jason Rebello, Gwillym Simcock and many more.
Beraha has also been involved in a number of cross-genre projects such as the recreation of Basil Kirchin’s music as part of Hull City of Culture 2017 with the BBC Concert Orchestra, the re-imagining of Eddie Parker’s 12-piece Debussy Mirrored Ensemble, and Raising Hell with Henry Purcell led by Ethan Iverson at Kings Place in 2018.
George Crowley is active across a range of styles; whether infusing melodic through-composed writing with open, searching improv in his own Can of Worms, channelling fiery avant-parade ghosts in Brass Mask, weaving through the polyrhythmic Ghanaian trance of Vula Viel or exploring more traditional repertoire, Crowley's energy and expressive, warm saxophone sound mark him out as a musician who demands attention.
playing with bands and musicians such as Melt Yourself Down, Julian Argüelles' Septet, Yazz Ahmed, Red Snapper, the Michael Chillingworth Septet, Rick Simpson's Klämmer and the Olie Brice Quartet featuring Jeff Williams. Outside of the world of jazz and improvised music he has worked with artists such as Boy George and Culture Club and Mount Kimbie.
