Marc Irwin with Urbnergy
Marc Irwin, piano
Kermit Driscoll, bass
Don Mulvaney, drums
Urbnergy is a multi-stylistic trio reflected by the compositions of the group's three members. Marc Irwin's music while the most mainstream of the three, is prone to free improvisation, reflective solo work and traditional hard bopping. Kermit Driscoll composes in a more dissonant aleatoric style while Don Mulvaney' music is closer to contemporary popular with an inspirational influence.
Tickets: $15/$10 students
Pianist, composer, arranger, and recording artist, Dr. Marc Irwin uses his
diverse talents as a musician within the fields of contemporary, jazz, classical,
theater, and world musics. Currently residing in the Baltimore/Washington, DC
area. Marc Irwin is a native New Yorker who has played for and with a variety of
top performers. Presently, Marc Irwin is a pianist and musical director with The
Capitol Steps, performing political satire throughout the 50 United States and
Canada.
Marc Irwin’s Broadway credits include, " Crazy For You," " City Of
Angels," "Romance, Romance," "Jerome Robbins’ Broadway," "Sunday In The
Park With George," "Cats," "The Mystery Of Edwin Drood," and "The Rink."
Marc Irwin was a pianist and vocal coach on the production staff of Comden and
Green’s "A Doll’s Life," and was Assistant Musical Director for "Mrs. Farmer’s
Daughter" by Jack Eric Williams, produced by the Pepsico-Summerfare at SUNY
Purchase, in Purchase, New York.
Marc Irwin released two jazz CDs in 1986 and 1988 with guitarist Daniel
Carillo, "Crossing of The Spirit" and "A Child’s Play." In 1997 Marc released on
line "Suite For My Father", a solo piano collection and, with the trio Urbnergy,
with bassist Marty Confurius and drummer Don Mulvaney, released "Urbnergy"
and "Three Of A Kind" in 2011.
In the 1980s Marc Irwin toured with Harry Belafonte as the sound designer
and keyboardist in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa . Since the early
1990s Marc Irwin has performed in musicals in the Baltimore/Washington, DC
area at The Kennedy Center, The National Theatre, The Hippodrome, and The
Lyric Opera House. Productions include "In The Heights," "Dreamgirls," "Damn
Yankees," "Showboat," "Cats," " Annie," and "Beauty and the Beast." Marc Irwin
was assistant conductor for The Kennedy Center’s production of "Words And
Music," a trilogy of musicals which included "Bells Are Ringing" with Faith
Prince, "Purlie" with Stephanie Mills, and "Where's Charlie?" In 2002 Marc Irwin
was assistant conductor for "Merrily We Roll Along” at The Kennedy Center as
part of the Sondheim Celebration Series. That same year he conducted "The
Three Mo’ Tenors" with performances at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in
Baltimore, Maryland and at the Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey.
In 2010 Marc Irwin was musical director for Ray Leslee's "A Chamber Christmas
Carol " at New York's Pierpont Morgan Library, starring Soprano's Uncle Junior,
Dominic Chianese.
Marc Irwin was an accompanist and arranger/composer for The Peabody
Children Chorus, under the direction of Doreen Falby, contributing over 35
choral arrangements and compositions. At the Peabody Conservatory’s
Preparatory Division he taught courses in theory and composition for commercial
music as well as a studio in jazz and classical piano. From 2004-2009 he was a
co-director of Jazz Ensembles at The Park School of Baltimore. He currently has
a studio of private students.
Marc Irwin received his Bachelor of Music (BM) with a major in Music
Theory from The Manhattan School of Music. At Manhattan, he studied music
theory with David Lewin, composition with Ludmilla Ulehla, and piano with Ada
Kopetz-Korf. Marc received his Masters in Music Composition (MM) from The
Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY- Queens College, studying composition.
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Don Mulvaney is a professional musician who has performed with many top names such as
Tony Bennett, Itzhak Perlman, Barbra Streisand, Maureen McGovern, jazz singer Mark
Murphy, Melissa Manchester, Bill Frisell, Mike Stern and the Jazz - Fusion band Mistral
featuring Randy Roos. Don was a member of the Michael Gibbs Orchestra featuring Bill Frisell
and Kermit Driscoll, New York City group Two One Two, G.R.P. recording artist Deborah
Henson - Conant and Orchectra Luna which performed concerts with Talking Heads, Dr. John
and Frank Zappa.
Don is currently on faculty at Fairfield University teaching drum-set, theory and
composition in the Jazz Department under the direction of virtuoso bassist Brian Torff. Don
released his first Cd under his own name called "Life". Marc Irwin and Don just released the
second Piano Jazz Trio Cd "Three of a Kind" with the group Urbnergy, from New York City.
Don received his M.F.A. degree in Composition from Purchase College in New York where he
studied with Anthony Newman. He started his teaching career at Purchase College where he
became a Professor. Don is a graduate of Berklee College of Music where he received his
Bachelors Degree. Don's Broadway credits include The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Golden
Land, On Second Avenue, Birds of Paradise and Falsettos.
As a director, Don Co - Founded Connecticut Children's Musical Theater - a non-profit
organization which created, directed and performed original musicals for twelve years. As a
composer/arranger, Don has written and has been commissioned to compose 20th century
music, orchestral pieces, string quartet, pop, rock, jazz, afro-cuban, brazilian and children's
songs.
He has been an ASCAP member and award winner.
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Born March 4th, 1956 in Kearney, Nebraska, USA, Kermit Driscoll began
playing piano at age 5, bass at 13. A student of Jaco Pastorius in
1974, he later attended the Berklee College of Music, graduating
Magna Cum Laude in 1978. He has recorded and performed with:
Kenny Wheeler, George Russell's Living Time Orchestra,
The American Composers Orchestra, Patti Austin, Chet Baker,
Bang-on-a-Can All Stars, Don Byron, John Cale, Dave Douglas,
Robert Dick, Buddy Emmons, Michael Feinstein, Bill Frisell
(a band member from 1987 to 1996), George Garzone, Eliot
Goldenthal, Michael Gordon, Gerry Hemingway, John Hollenbeck,
Wayne Horvitz, David Johansen, Russ Johnson, Ben E. King,
Tony Malaby, Ben Monder, The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra,
The New York Philharmonic under Kurt Masur, Phiharmonia Virtuosi,
The Pointer Sisters, Buddy Rich, Mick Rossi, Elliot Sharp, Keeley Smith,
Phoebe Snow, Soldier String Quartet, Toots Thielmans, Mel Torme,
Tony Trishka, Kenney Werner and John Zorn. A veteran of 28 Broadway
shows and numerous film scores and TV commercials, he is currently
affiliate faculty at Sarah Lawrence College.
