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Jazz Bridge Presents Sumi Tonooka at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Media (PA) on March 16

Source: Suzanne Cloud
March 1, 2011
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For the last piano concert of this season, Jazz Bridge presents award-winning jazz artist

Sumi Tonooka

piano
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Sumi Tonooka in a rare piano concert in the Philadelphia area at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 145 W. Rose Tree Road in Media, PA, on March 16, 2011. With her will be bassist

Mike Boone

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Boone and drummer

Alan Nelson

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Alan Nelson.

Initiation, her most recent recording on the ARC label, earned a “Best of 2010" mention in the Village Voice and her trio's CD Long Ago Today was Jazz Improv NY magazine's 2008 “Best of Jazz" pick. Peter Watrous of Musician Magazine writes: “Revelatory . . . reminds you that originality is possible. She's made her phrasing and touch personal; her lines breathe. . . . Her compositions . . . are rock solid without a moment of indecision or mistake. Technique is mastered by imagination, inspiration by intellect. She comes to her own conclusions, which is what jazz is all about." This concert will be dedicated to the people who were the greatest influence on her:

Mary Lou Williams

piano
1910 - 1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Lou Williams,

Bernard Peiffer

piano
1922 - 1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Bernard Peiffer,

Kenny Barron

piano
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenny Barron,

Hank Jones

piano
1918 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">Hank Jones,

Abdullah Ibrahim

piano
b.1934

" data-original-title="" title="">Abdullah Ibrahim and Thelonius Monk, and those great Philadelphia musicians we have recently lost, including Sid Simmons,

Trudy Pitts

organ, Hammond B3
1932 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">Trudy Pitts,

Charles Fambrough

bass
1950 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Fambrough, and Emmanuel Thompson.

Tonooka is also one of the subjects of a documentary film “A Note of Hope" which follows the journey of five American jazz musicians who are musical ambassadors for the cause of children left parentless by HIV/AIDS in Africa. Her most recent compositions are inspired by this emotionally-charged concert tour to Uganda, Ethiopia and Zambia and Ghana and the people they met while there.

Tonooka's prolific career has been chronicled in several highly regarded jazz books, including Living The Jazz Life by Royal Stokes, In The Moment by Francis Davis, and Madame Jazz by Leslie Gourse (all on Oxford University Press). To date she has released seven recordings as a leader, and many more as a collaborator, most notably with the celebrated bassist

Rufus Reid

bass, acoustic
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Rufus Reid and violinist John Blake, Jr.

One Show: 7:30-9 p.m. $10/$5 students. No advance sales. For info: 610-745-3011 Free refreshments.

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