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October
17
Tuesday,
7:30 pm $16 - $19 adult;
$12 - $14 student
Upper level seats are listed first. Includes all fees.
The ensemble has brought an exciting, entertaining and educational show to the stage. Since 1983, the Side Street Strutters have captured the vitality of jazz, an indigenous American art form. Jazz is a genre that molds and reflects our moods. It grips our soul. And best of all, it’s fun. Jazz couldn’t have found a more fertile place to grow than in America, with its freedom of expression and its wide array of influences and cultures. The Strutter’s vast repertoire includes traditional jazz of New Orleans, featuring the legendary sounds of such artists as Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. Popular melodies of Porter and Gershwin are stunningly reworked into brilliant new works without losing any of their essential charm. Exciting swing sounds of the big band era—Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Count Basie—are featured.
Music associated with 16-piece orchestras is beautifully crafted specifically for the Strutters. Audiences will feel the searing rhythms of “Sing, Sing, Sing” and savor the lush harmonies of “Stardust” and “Mood Indigo.”
In addition to exciting musical arrangements, the entertaining show style presentation by The Strutters includes colorful costumes, tap dancing, vocal selections, novelty numbers and the use of rare and unusual musical instruments.
The Strutters grew out of musicians attending Arizona State University in Tempe. They possessed a burning desire to explore the colorful nuances and creative challenges of jazz. In tribute to the quaint little side streets where jazz was first heard in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the band decided to call itself the Side Street Strutters.
Shortly after the ensemble’s inception, they were accepted into the Arizona Commission for the Arts Touring Roster and represented the state at the Cervantino International Music Festival In Mexico. In 1984, the Strutters were awarded first place honors at the International Association of Jazz Educators Jazz Competition, made numerous television appearances including the Today Show, the Merv Griffin Show and the Jerry Lewis National Telethon. They also performed for former President Reagan at the White House. Their innovative jazz style and magnetic audience appeal led them to Disneyland in California where guests have been enjoying weekly performances since 1985.
With the Los Angeles area as their new home, the Side Street Strutters continued to gain popularity and attract audiences. They were recommended by the National Endowment for the Arts for international touring and have shared their music throughout Holland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Sweden. The ensemble has recently debuted their Symphony POPS Orchestra program and their seventh CD recording project. Members include:
Robert Verdi received his Music Education Degree in 1984 from Arizona State University where he was featured soloist with the Phoenix Symphony, performed in several chamber ensembles and taught junior high school music. Shortly after participating in the Disney World All-American Band, he relocated to southern California to accept his current position with the Entertainment Division at Disneyland. He enjoys collecting rare antique saxophones, directing school clinics as well as performing and recording with various ensembles in the Los Angeles area.
Vince Verdi holds an undergraduate degree in Education and a Masters Degree in Business Management from Arizona State University. Originally from Ossining, N.Y., he began studying clarinet at age 10 with encouragement from his father, a school teacher and self taught drummer. Although always involved with music, Verdi’s undergraduate degree is in cabinetmaking, a hobby which he continues to enjoy. He has held the position of business manager and tour director for the Side Street Strutters since 1983.
Greg Varlotta began studying trumpet under his father’s direction in Lockport, IL at the age of 5 and received his music degree in Trumpet Performance from Arizona State University in 1985. He has performed with numerous symphony orchestras and ensembles and is the recipient of the prestigious Arion Trumpet Award. In addition to trumpet and trombone, he also enjoys singing, tap dancing, playing the banjo, piano, guitar, tuba and slide trumpet. Varlotta has a strong interest in music technology and enjoys working with computers, programming synthesizers, composing and arranging music.
Paul Johnson began his musical training at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and continued at Arizona State University in jazz performance. While there he was an active professional drummer, backing up such artists as Milton Berle, Red Skelton and Sammy Davis Jr. before leaving the Phoenix area to tour with Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd. While on tour, Johnson also had the opportunity of performing with guest artists including Joe Williams, John Hendricks and Clark Terry.
John Noreyko also began his musical studies at Interlochen Arts Academy with additional training at the University of Illinois. He continued his musical studies at Arizona State in 1982 under the direction of internationally recognized tuba instructor Daniel Perantoni. With a strong interest in classical tuba, Mr. Noreyko enjoys performing with symphony orchestras, brass quintets and other chamber groups. He has received several honor including being the recipient of the American Bandmasters Association Award for Outstanding Musicianship and the Outstanding Soloist award presented at the Breda International Jazz Competition, Holland. He enjoys the challenge of playing jazz tuba and is the Side Street Stutter’s featured vocalist.
Roger Bissell, the trombonist and arranger, earned B.S and M.A. degrees in music from Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. From 1971-1985 he free-lanced as a musician in Nashville, Tennessee, playing on numerous local and national television broadcasts, commercial “jingles,’ and phonograph records, as well as in a variety of local jazz and dance bands. He also played three seasons at Opryland. In 1985 he joined the Disneyland Band in Anaheim, California, and continues his free-lance work in Southern California. Among his arranging clients are Marty Robbins, Glenn Campbell and the Oak Ridge Boys. Some of his many recording credits include albums with Bobby Goldsboro, Michael Johnson, Tom Jones, Crystal Gayle, B. J. Thomas and Boot Randolph. Information about his recently released jazz duo album, “The Art of the Duo,” can be found at
http://www.gemtone.com.
Mark Massey, a jazz pianist-composer, was born and raised in Lynwood, California where he showed early talent on piano. He studied music composition under Dr. Philip Weston and later graduated from California State University, Long Beach with bachelors and masters degrees in music. While attending California State Long Beach, Massey was recipient of the Carmen Dragon Fellowship for composition. He has performed throughout the U.S. Europe, Russia, the Far East and India, and performed with David Benoit, Freddie Hubbard, Louie Bellson, Tony Williams, and Poncho Sanchez. His debut album, Acoustic Piano International, features nine original compositions inspired by his musical travels around the planet. Following in the lineage of jazz piano giants Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson and Chick Corea, Mark adds his own distinctive stamp, both as a composer and improviser.
www.sidestreetstrutters.com
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