Nineteenth Rio Jazz Concert Kicks Off Jazz Appreciation Month at DCC
Release Date March 9, 2006

Matt Finley & Rio JAZZ perform in concert for the 19th year in a row at Dutchess Community College on Tuesday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m., in Louis Greenspan North Cafeteria, Drumlin Hall, at the main campus in Poughkeepsie. The concert is sponsored by the DCC Office of Student Activities and in part by the Music Performance Funds as administered by the American Federation of Musicians. Admission and refreshments are free. For information contact the Office of Student Activities at (845) 431-8050. For more information on Matt Finley and Rio Jazz, visit www.riojazz.com.

This year’s concert helps the College kick off Jazz Appreciation Month, an annual celebration of Jazz music sponsored by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History along with several education, music, arts, and humanities organizations.

Rio JAZZ, the Hudson Valley's premier Brazilian/American concert jazz band, was formed by trumpeter and arranger Matt Finley in 1988. It plays contemporary and cutting edge music of Brazil, Brazilian jazz standards, and original compositions by Finley and other band members. The band performs at select locations during the year, always where there is free admission.

Brazilian music may be commonly known by the easy-going Bossa Nova style, but Finley noted that new music can have a rock influence, with heavier drum sound, electric bass, and guitars playing synthesizer sounds. This concert, which will feature selections from Finley’s new CD, Brazilian Wish, includes Finley, Mark Egan (from Sting and Pat Metheny), Joel Rosenblatt (from Spyro Gyra), Jeff Ciampa, Kelly Conner, Tomas Martin Lopez, and Denise Jordan Finley.

This is the National Museum of American History’s fifth annual Jazz Appreciation Month. The celebration, created to be observed every April, encourages people to attend jazz concerts, listen to jazz recordings, support jazz programs, and simply enjoy the music's verve, pulse, and power.

"Jazz Appreciation Month seeks to raise public awareness of jazz as one of America's—and the world's—cultural treasures and to nourish an appetite for the music," said John Edward Hasse, curator of American Music at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and one of the driving forces behind designating April as Jazz Appreciation Month. "It will provide teachers with added reason, opportunity, and ideas for teaching their students about jazz." The celebration is geared to provide an opportunity for teachers to incorporate jazz into their curricula; bring more people into the jazz audience; increase public awareness of jazz as a historical and living cultural treasure; encourage amateur jazz musicians; boost employment opportunities for professional jazz musicians; and encourage sale of jazz recordings, books, and method books. For more information on Jazz Appreciation Month, go to http://www.smithsonianjazz.org/ or http://www.menc.org/guides/jazz/Intro.html

Rio Jazz Band Bios:

Matt Finley, trumpet. Matt plays trumpet, flugelhorn and soprano sax and can get by on tenor sax, flute and alto flute, WX5, and vibes. He performed for many years with Grammy-winning baritone saxophonist Nick Brignola and was a featured trumpet soloist and arranger with the Albany Jazz Workshop. He studied composition with Edgar Curtis, Director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Matt has led Rio JAZZ since 1988. He lives in Pine Plains, New York. Look for Matt's new CD on Kingsmill Music, Brazilian Wish featuring nine of Matt's original Brazilian Jazz compositions and an all-star lineup produced by Jon Werking.

Mark Egan, bass. One of the world's pre-eminent fretless bass players, Mark leads the group, Elements with Danny Gottlieb, David Mann and Gil Goldstein. A multiple Grammy winner, Mark has recorded extensively with Pat Metheny, Gil Evans, Sting, David Sanborn and many others, and manages his own active record label, Wavetone. Mark lives in Warwick, New York.

Jeff Ciampa, guitar. Jeff recently recorded with Harry Belefonte and Dave Matthews and often performs with Mark Egan and Danny Gottleib. He recorded Project Ivan Lins with the Brazilian singer Kenia, and has just released his second solo CD, "House of Mirrors" for Wavetone Records. Jeff lives in Warwick, New York.

Kelly Conner, piano. Kelly is professor of music at Dutchess Community College and has performed with Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer and Joe Lovano. He was the first-prize winner at the 1995 Jazz Composers Alliance composition contest. Kelly lives in Stanfordville, New York.

Joel Rosenblatt, drums. Joel was the drummer for the acclaimed group, Spyro Gyra for 14 years. [It doesn't get better than that.] Joel lives in Yonkers, New York. Tomas Martin Lopez, Latin percussion. Tom has performed with top Latin bands, including Grammy Nominee Lalo Rodriguez, Orq, Broadway, Louie Ramirez. He currently plays with Master Drummer John Amira in Afro Cuban & Haitian Drum & Dance in NYC, teaches Latin Percussion in the Hudson Valley area, and fronts his own band, Caribe Sol. Tom lives in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Denise Jordan Finley, vocals. Denise is an extraordinary singer/songwriter with national performing credits who joins us on special occasions to preview her live concerts, featuring her original compositions. She is often backed up by Rio JAZZ musicians under the musical direction of husband Matt Finley. Denise lives in Pine Plains, New York.

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