Ali Ryerson

Tickets are $15 per person, and $25 for both shows;
$12 per set for seniors and students

Ali Ryerson, ‘easily the most important jazz flutist to have emerged thus far this decade’ (San Francisco Express, ‘96) has toured the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, New Zealand and Africa, performing in jazz clubs, festivals and concert halls, including the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Repeatedly voted one of the top flutists in the Downbeat Jazz Poll for the last decade, Ali has released nearly 20 jazz albums as leader or co-leader, including four on European labels, two for legendary record producer Bob Thiele (Red Baron label), three for Concord Jazz and two on DMP with guitarist Joe Beck. Recent projects include ‘Flutology-First Date’ featuring Frank Wess (Capri), ‘Soul Quest’ (PACT Records) and ‘Jammin’ at the Jazz Corner’ (Sweet Jazz). Ms. Ryerson has also appeared on numerous albums as guest artist.

The daughter of jazz guitarist Art Ryerson, Ali has performed and recorded with such diverse talents as Stephane Grappelli, Dr. Billy Taylor, Kenny Barron, Joe Beck, Frank Wess, Art Farmer, Red Rodney, Laurindo Almeida, Roy Haynes, Julius Baker, and (as principal flutist with the Monterey Bay Symphony) with Luciano Pavarotti. She has performed as guest soloist with the Ft. Wayne Philharmonic, Greenville Symphony Orchestra & Festival Williamsburg String Orchestra, Vermont Jazz Ensemble, among others. Ms. Ryerson was musical director of the Hudson River Regional Jazz Festival 2001-2004. She is currently the Jazz Chair for the National Flute Association and is the founder/leader of the NFA Jazz Flute Big Band.

Hidden Valley Music Seminars in Carmel Valley, CA presents the annual Ali Ryerson Jazz Flute Master Class the first week in July, which consistently attracts students internationally. Ms. Ryerson presents a master class in New Mexico every fall and was on the faculty of the IjamJazz jazz camp in Italy 2007-08. In addition, Ali conducts jazz flute seminars throughout the country and abroad, including presentations at IAJE, the NFA convention, British Columbia Music Educators Conference, New Zealand Flute Convention, Eastman School of Music, Ohio State Univ., Univ. of Alaska, Florida Flute Association, Univ.CA Long Beach, Univ. of Mass., Villanova, Duquesne, Eastern Michigan Univ., Univ. of Southern CA, Western CT State Univ. Summer Flute Institute, and numerous others. She is the visiting artist in residence for the past 10 years at Memorial Park Middle School, a magnet school for the arts in Ft. Wayne, IN. A graduate of the Hartt School of Music, Ms. Ryerson is a Sankyo Artist and Clinician for Gemstone Musical Instruments.

www.aliryerson.com

"Together, the FAB Trio has uncommon cohesiveness and passionate positive energy. All three players write nice tunes that reflect the group's orderly, muscular mainstream approach." ~Thomas Conrad, Jazztimes Magazine, Oct. 2007

Since it's inception in early 2006, the FAB Trio has become one of the most in-demand jazz ensembles in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, not only as a trio, but also as a burnin' ready-made rhythm section in the area's jazz venues and night clubs, backing various local and national jazz artists. Individually, each of these three musicians are masters in their own right, but as a trio, they are unsurpassed as a powerful, groovin', fine-tuned instrument. Through their deep understanding of the jazz tradition, they have truly developed their own sound, and express it intuitively and passionately in their arrangements and performances of both jazz standards, as well as in their own compositions. On July 6, 2006, they were featured at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Millennium Stage, and in 2007, “The Shook/Russo Trio featuring Bob Butta: Introducing the FAB Trio” was released on Summit Records, receiving rave reviews.

Frank Russo, originally from the New York City area, is one of the premier drummers in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area. He completed a distinguished career with the Naval Academy Band, has toured internationally, and is currently the professor of Drum Set Studies at Towson University in Maryland. Because of his incredible adaptability and excellent sight-reading skills, Frank is highly in demand and is an integral part of every group he performs with. He has developed his own voice on the drums, and is sought after for the integrity he brings to the music. His previous recordings have gained national recognition in publications such as Downbeat, Jazztimes, and Modern Drummer. He has performed with Mundell Lowe, Dr Lonnie Smith, Hal Crook, Craig Handy, Keter Betts, Ethel Ennis, Greg Gisbert, Chuck Redd, Bill McHenry, John O'Gallagher, Dave Ballou, John D'earth, Denis DiBlasio, Ron McCurdy, The Coasters, Frankie Lane, Bootsy Barnes and many more. His insight and understanding of music has provided a vital role in developing the amazingly cohesive sound of the FAB Trio.

Bassist Amy Shook was born and raised in Idaho, and is now one of the most in-demand upright bassists in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, coveted for her huge sound, driving groove and supportive musicianship. She is an incredibly versatile musician who enjoys playing jazz standards as well as new music by her local colleagues. She is an accomplished composer, and her personality truly comes through in her writing. She has received national recognition in reviews of the album "Uncertain Path" by the Rob Levit Trio, a trio she performs regularly in with drummer Frank Russo. As a result, she was featured in Bassics magazine on their CD Sampler published with the magazine. She has shared the stage with such notables as Lionel Hampton, Maureen McGovern, Monica Mancini, Dee Daniels, Lanny Morgan, Claudio Roditi, Al Grey, Bill Watrous, John Stowell, Greg Gisbert, Ingrid Jensen, Ethel Ennis, Slide Hampton, Paquito d'Rivera, Ali Ryerson, Bill McHenry, Jim Snidero, Frank Lacy, Chuck Redd, Bootsy Barnes, and Walt Weiskopf, and to name a few. Amy consistently provides a solid foundation on every bandstand, and is the integral bridge between groove and harmony in the FAB Trio.

To say that Bob Butta plays fistfulls of piano would be an understatement. A native of Baltimore, Bob has performed throughout his career with some of the greatest jazz artists of our time, which, in turn, has placed him highest on everyone's list for who to call when you need a piano player. For years and years he was the house pianist in such local jazz venues such as "The One Step Down" and "The Jazz Closet," and he led a trio that backed the "heavy-hitters" that came to town to perform. He has more than earned this place of honor, having played with the likes of Gary Bartz (appearing on two recordings, "Reflections Of Monk: The Final Frontier," and "The Sun Song"), Sonny Fortune, Sonny Stitt, Curtis Fuller, Clifford Jordan, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Freddie Hubbard, Junior Cook, Stanley Turrentine, Eddie Henderson, Carter Jefferson, Woody Shaw, Buster Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Leibman, Jimmy Snidero, Buddy Tate, Mark Murphy, Keeter Betts, Jimmy Cobb, Frank Morgan, Billy Hart, Terrence Blanchard, Ralph Moore, Bob Mintzer, Roy Hargrove, Grover Washington, Emily Remler, Louie Bellson, James Moody, Marshall Allen, Buck Hill, Bootsy Barnes, Harold White, and David "Fathead" Newman to name a few. Bob is a remarkably powerful soloist, displaying incredible concept, groove, and sound, and is coveted for his supportive comping. It is these skills that help to define and round-out the powerful sound of the FAB Trio.

For more information about these artists: www.dcjazz.com/frankrusso, amyshook.com, myspace.com/bobbutta