The Lou Donaldson Quartet
Friday, September 10

On Sept. 10, one of the legends of jazz, alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson will kick off our season. From his early recordings with Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk, and the famous “A Night at Birdland” with Art Blakey and Clifford Brown, LouDonaldson has had a long and distinguished career. His latest quartet is sure to get our season off to a swinging start.

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The Mike Moreno Quartet
Friday, September 24

Guitarist Mike Moreno and his quartet will bring a mixture of standards and originals to our stage. He has played with Joshua Redman, Terence Blanchard, Wynton Marsalis and others. His debut CD was “Between the Lines,” with a follow-up CD on Criss Cross. He also plays on Capitol Region saxophonist Brian Patneaude’s CD “River View.”

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Jeanne O'Connor and Nat Phipps
Friday, October 8

Capital Region favorites Nat Phipps, piano, and Jeanne O’Connor, vocals, are two of our local heroes. They will bring their swinging stylings to the First Unitarian Society, backed by an outstanding bassist and drummer.

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The Bruce Barth Trio; The J.D. Allen Trio
Friday, October 22

On Oct. 22, we have A Pair of Threes; two unique trios. Pianist Bruce Barth will play the first half of the concert with Greg August, bass, and Rudy Royston, drums. Barth has made three solo piano tours of Japan, and has also performed with his trio throughout the United States and Europe. All About Jazz has described his trio as “marked by keen empathy, sensitivity, and power.”

The brilliant young saxophonist J.D. Allen will take the stage for the second half with the same fiery rhythm section. His first CD, “In Search Of,” won him the Best New Artist in Italy that year. His follow-up release, “Pharaohs Children,” was one of Jazziz magazines Critics Picks Top 10 Albums of 2001.

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