Gary Versace

Since basing himself in New York City in June of 2002, jazz organist, pianist, and accordionist Gary Versace has quickly become one of the busiest and most versatile musicians on the scene, often featured in bands led by musicians such as John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Maria Schneider, Matt Wilson, Lee Konitz, Eliot Zigmund, Scott Wendholt, Joe Magnarelli, Danny Gottlieb, Seamus Blake, John Hollenbeck, Andy LaVerne, Adam Nussbaum, Brad Shepik, Ingrid Jensen, Tim Ries and many others. Versace was voted a "rising star" on the Hammond organ in the last three Downbeat critics polls, and was the subject of a feature article in the July 2004 issue of Keyboard magazine. Versace has been a featured soloist on several critically acclaimed recordings of recent years: accordionist on Maria Schneider's Grammy-winning recordings "Concert in the Garden" and "Sky Blue" and as the pianist on John Hollenbeck's Grammy-nominated large ensemble recording, "A Blessing." Over the past five years, Versace has appeared as a leader for the Criss Cross and SteepleChase labels, and as a sideman on over 50 recordings with artists on various labels including Palmetto, ACT, Omnitone, Songlines, Pirouet, High Note, Justin Time, ArtistShare, Fresh Sound, Kind of Blue, and many others. As a pianist, Versace performed in a two-piano recital with Marian McPartland, and in April of 1999 appeared on her acclaimed National Public Radio program, "Piano Jazz." McPartland has called him "...endlessly inventive...(Versace) really has an extraordinary talent." Gary Versace has a masters degree in music performance from the Eastman School of Music, and spent eight years as a tenured associate professor in the jazz studies department at the University of Oregon

About (or On), First Visit

By Ellery Eskelin

Label: Ezz-thetics
Released: 2025
Track listing: About (or On)...Rumination (Ellery Eskelin) Memories of You (Eubie Blake); About (or On)...Monk (Ellery Eskelin) Off Minor (Thelonious Monk); About (or On)...Conjuring (Ellery Eskelin) Witchcraft (Cy Coleman); About (or On)...Desire (Ellery Eskelin) Lover Come Back to Me (Sigmund Romberg); About (or On)...Endless (Ellery Eskelin) How Deep is the Ocean (Irving Berlin); About (or On)...Celestial (Ellery Eskelin) The Midnight Sun (Lionel Hampton & Sonny Burke); About (or On)...Happenstance (Ellery Eskelin) Just One of Those Things (Cole Porter); About (or On)...Monk (Ellery Eskelin) We See (Thelonoius Monk); About (or On)...Aspiration (Ellery Eskelin) My Ideal (Richard A. Whiting & Newell Chase); About (or On)...Regret (Ellery Eskelin) After You've Gone (Turner Layton); About (or On)...Flame (Ellery Eskelin) Flamingo (Ted Grouya & Edmund Anderson).

Festival International de Jazz de Montr��al 2025

by Mark Sullivan
July 16, 2025

Various Venues Festival International de Jazz de Montr��al Montr��al, Canada June 28-July 2, 2025 The headliners of the 45th edition of the festival included names like Gospel legend Mavis Staples, Canadian rockers Blue Rodeo, Canadian Inuk musician Elisapie, New Orleans musician Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Nigerian singer/songwriter Ayra Starr, Canadian ...

The Maria Schneider Orchestra at Birdland

by Paul Reynolds
June 4, 2025

Maria Schneider Orchestra Birdland Jazz Club New York, NY May 30, 2025 The late set by Maria Schneider and her orchestra on Friday at Birdland Jazz Club was so engrossing as to be a world unto itself. Every aspect of the performance--even including, in the best way, the musicians' identities--bowed to ...

Ellery Eskelin Trio New York: About (or On), First Visit

by Mark Corroto
May 25, 2025

It might be tempted to say that Ellery Eskelin's Trio New York is deconstructing the eleven standards on the two-disc set About (or On) First Visit. But that would be a misreading. This is not a breakdown of classic material in search of alternative meanings or structural analysis. Rather, Eskelin, alongside organist Gary Versace and drummer ...

Kandace Springs, Brandee Younger, Melissa Kassel, Atlantic Jazz Collective With Norma Winstone, Joe LaBarbera & More

by Mary Foster Conklin
May 12, 2025

This broadcast celebrates the beginning of May with new releases from Kandace Springs, Brandee Younger, Melissa Kassel & Tom Zicarelli Group and the Atlantic Jazz Collective featuring Norma Winstone and Joe LaBarbera, with birthday shoutouts to Connie Crothers, Shirley Horn, Angela Bofill, Andrea Brachfeld, Liz Terrell Brydge, honorable men Duke Ellington and Keith Ganz, among others. ...

Big Ears Festival 2025

by Mark Sullivan
April 8, 2025

Big Ears Festival Knoxville, TN March 27-30, 2025 This year's festival again featured several spotlighted events (but none of them required special ticketing, as was tried last year). “Across the Horizon" was a series of concerts combining Americana and ambient music, curated by Bob Holmes and the band SUSS. “Age ...

Frakmont

By Luzia von Wyl

Label: Lu Records
Released: 2024
Track listing: Thunder; Funicular; Mulino; Ronk; Ringel; Rubb; Frakmont.

DAY

By Rudy Royston

Label: Greenleaf Records
Released: 2024
Track listing: Morning; Five-Thirty Strut; Thank You For this Day; Limeni Village; Look to the Hills; The Mokes; Five-Thirty Strut; Missing You; Keep It Moving; It's Time To Sleep; A.M. Hours.

Harbour

By Christine Jensen

Label: Justin Time Records
Released: 2024
Track listing: Passing Lion's Gate; Swirlaround; Wink; Surge; Harbour; Cascadian Fragments; Fantasy On Blue.