Jazz on the Mountain

Antonio Hart Quartet
9pm

Antonio Hart takes no prisoners. One of the most imaginative (and intense) musicians of his generation, his album Blessings is one of the best albums of 2015. “Antonio Hart’s horn sound has matured, which is not to imply it’s mellowed. Hart still has that blues-rich swagger that’s descended from Adderley and Donaldson, yet his tone sounds even bigger, with the heft of a tenor saxophone while maintaining the steely litheness of an alto.”- Jazz News

Vinnie Martucci Trio
10:30am

Pianist Vinnie Martucci (former Chair of Music, SUNY New Paltz) is joined by drummer Jeff “Siege” Siegel (Adjunct Professor of Percussions, SUNY New Paltz) and bassist Rich Syracuse (Professor for String and Electric Bass Studies, Skidmore College, Hotchkiss School, and SUNY New Paltz) to round out this trio of accomplished music professors from local universities.

Darmon Meader Trio
3pm

Recognized in both the jazz vocal and instrumental worlds, Darmon Meader has achieved international recognition as the founder, musical director, chief arranger, and vocalist with New York Voices. Also an accomplished saxophonist, Darmon shares standards and stories with Mohonk audiences.

Remembering Frank Wess at 100: The Octet
9pm

The great Frank Wess, saxophone/flute giant and distinguished alumnus of the Count Basie band, would have been 100 this January. Frank’s character and personality are as legendary as his playing and writing, and he was a valuable mentor to many. To honor this much-loved figure, Scott Robinson has reassembled the Octet that he and Frank started back in the early 1990s, including some of New York’s finest players. The Octet will present a program of the original arrangements, many written by Frank himself, that the group performed with Frank on many occasions, kindly provided by his widow Sara Tsutsumi, who will be in attendance. Please join us for this fun and exciting tribute to one of the true greats of Jazz. Featuring Scott Robinson on tenor & baritone sax, alto clarinet; Bill Easley on alto & tenor sax, flute; Frank Greene on trumpet; Brandon Lee on trumpet; Steve Davis on trombone; Michael Weiss on piano; Martin Wind on bass; and Dennis Mackrel on drums.

Parlor Games Jam Session
10:30am

This year our all-star concert will feature the artists of the weekend returning for an encore or two.

Saluting the Manhattan Minstrel: Joyful Jazz for Eddy Davis
3pm

Saxophonist Scott Robinson used to refer to his regular Wednesday night session at the Cajun Restaurant, in a 7.5-year run as a member of the band led by banjoist Eddy Davis, as his “doctor’s appointment.” When you hear this music, we think you’ll see why. Eddy was a veteran of the old Chicago bands and longtime associate of Woody Allen. He was a character, a curmudgeon, a big-hearted and fiercely loyal friend, and a virtuoso of the banjo with a sound and style all his own. His loss to Covid was a terrible blow to many. In his honor we have assembled an admixture of his old band from the Cajun with Jon Kellso’s EarRegulars, who perform every Sunday at the Ear Inn. Please come out for a set of fun and swinging traditional jazz, done in the spirit of Eddy Davis. We’ll fix what ails ya! Featuring Scott Robinson on C-melody saxophone, Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpet, Matt Munisteri on guitar and vocal, Conal Fowkes on piano, and Neal Miner on bass.

Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez
9pm

This Brooklyn-based rising singer/songwriter’s soulful sound infuses Jazz and R&B with emotional depth and a fresh edge. Raina invites us into her sonic world with harmonic nuance and lyrical ferocity. Her six piece ensemble includes Luke McCrosson, Zach Berns, Juno Arreglado, Barrie Lobo Mclain, and Tatiana Weschler.

Pete Malinverni Trio
10:30am

Mohonk welcomes back the Pete Malinverni Trio. Pete’s newest recording, “On the Town – Pete Malinverni Plays Leonard Bernstein,” featuring Ugonna Okegwo and Jeff Hamilton, will be out this month! Copies will be available at the shows. “Pete Malinverni is one wild cat…his playing can be dark, gritty and oddly rapturous…he digs into the piano and emerges with exotic treasure…” – Karl Stark of The Philadelphia Inquirer 

Pete Malinverni

Pete Malinverni has a career with many facets: he’s led fifteen well-received recordings, including in solo, violin/piano duo, trio, quartet, quintet, choir and big band formats. For eighteen years he served as Minister of Music at the predominantly African-American Devoe Street Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY and currently serves in that capacity at the Pound Ridge, NY Community Church and as Pianist/Conductor at the Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, NY. He enjoys teaching, too, and is Chair of Jazz Studies at Purchase College (SUNY). Pete’s newest recording, “On the Town – Pete Malinverni Plays Leonard Bernstein”, featuring Ugonna Okegwo and Jeff Hamilton, will be out this month! Copies will be available at the shows.

Antonio Hart

Antonio Hart is an excellent altoist who gained recognition for his work with Roy Hargrove and studied classical saxophone at the Baltimore School for the Arts for four years. He sat in with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, toured with Hargrove for a few years, and in the mid-’90s formed his own group. Hart, who is most influenced by Cannonball Adderley and Gary Bartz, has recorded for Novus with Hargrove, and as a leader on a number of his own CDs.

Vinnie Martucci

Arranger, composer, producer, educator, and musician Vinnie Martucci has toured extensively on the international jazz festival circuit as co-leader of the Jazz Fusion Quartet “The Dolphins” with Dan Brubeck and Mike DeMicco. Vinnie has composed and produced numerous cable network TV themes for Lifetime, the Travel Channel, CNN, as well as daytime TV dramas “As the World Turns” and “Guiding Light”. As a producer, engineer, and studio musician, he worked on numerous productions such as WGBH and the Tony award winning play “Having Our Say”. Vinnie is an educator, teacher, and clinician, giving master classes across the US, Europe, South America, and China. During his time as Professor of Jazz Studies and chair of the Music Department at SUNY New Paltz, Vinnie developed a broad range of courses and programs in Jazz, improvisation, recording technology, and music industry studies.

Jeff “Siege” Siegel 

Jeff Siegel is a veteran of the New York Jazz scene and has worked with a virtual “who’s who” of artists. A member of the Sir Roland Hanna Trio from 1994-’99, Siegel’s diverse career has also led him to perform and/or record with legends such as Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Jack DeJohnette, Benny Golson, Sheila Jordan and many others. His most recent release with his quartet is the 2018 release on ARC entitled “London Live” and “When You Were There” (2019) with Hetko, Syracuse & Siegel. Siegel teaches Jazz drumming and jazz ensembles at The New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music, SUNY at New Paltz as well as at Western Connecticut State University. He’s performed clinics throughout Europe, United States, China, South America and South Africa. He holds a Master’s Degree in Jazz from Queens College where he studied Composition with Jimmy Heath.

Rich Syracuse

Rich Syracuse has been a mainstay on the New York area scene for more than four decades. He began his performing career at an early age in New York City and went on to become the winner of the prestigious Congress of Strings Award. Not long after he received a Bachelor of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music. He has performed with jazz groups and artists including John Mehegan, Ted Rosenthal, Kurt Elling, Brubeck Brothers, Michael and Randy Brecker, Warren Bernhardt, Vinnie Martucci, Sumi Tonooka, David Torn, Mike DeMicco, Pete Levin, Sam Morrison, Adam Nussbaum, Jeff “Siege” Siegel, Eddie Henderson, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Dena DeRose, John Medeski, and Ale DeMogli. For over 22 years, Rich was bassist for legendary pianist Lee Shaw. He is the Professor for String and Electric Bass Studies at Skidmore College in Saratoga, New York, Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, and SUNY at New Paltz. Rich is a member of the International Association of Schools of Jazz.

Darmon Meader

Darmon Meader is a highly respected vocalist, arranger and saxophonist. Darmon has achieved international recognition as the founder, musical director, chief arranger, composer, producer, saxophonist, and vocalist with New York Voices. As a member of New York Voices, he has released numerous recordings on the GRP, RCA/Victor, Concord and MCGJazz labels. He has toured internationally, performing at such renowned venues as Carnegie Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival and Blue Note Jazz Clubs (New York and Japan). In addition, Darmon is actively involved in music education, working as a clinician and guest artist at both the high school and university levels.

Scott Robinson

Scott Robinson, one of today’s most wide-ranging instrumentalists, has been heard on tenor sax with Buck Clayton’s band, on trumpet with Lionel Hampton’s quintet, on alto clarinet with Paquito D’Rivera’s clarinet quartet, and on bass sax with the New York City Opera. On these and other instruments, he has been heard with a cross-section of jazz greats representing nearly every imaginable style of the music, from Braff to Braxton. His discography now includes more than 275 recordings. Scott has performed in some 30 nations, in such diverse venues as Carnegie Hall, the Village Vanguard, the Library of Congress, and the Vienna Opera House. Scott’s group was selected to be the closing act at the Knitting Factory’s Sun Ra Festival in New York City. Scott has also written magazine articles and liner notes, and was an invited speaker at the Congressional Black Caucus Jazz Forum in Washington, D.C. Scott’s recent all-tenor album “Tenormore,” featuring Helen Sung, Martin Wind and Dennis Mackrel, won #1 Best New Release of 2019 in the JazzTimes reader’s poll.

Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez

Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez is a singer/composer based in Brooklyn, NY. Rooted in Jazz and R&B, Raina builds a unique sonic world with harmonic nuance and lyrical poetry. Releasing her four debut singles in 2018, Raina has over 600k streams on Spotify and a budding global audience. “Raina will leave you defenseless – her infectious voice will tear apart your guard and leave you bare to soak up the emotional sounds.” – Music Ninja

Martin Wind

Martin Wind, bassist and composer, has become a regular at all major jazz clubs in New York and is also in demand as a session player; his credits include movies such as “The Alamo,” “Intolerable Cruelty,” “ Mona Lisa Smiles,” and “Fur ”. He has recorded and/or performed with the following artists, among many others: Guidon Kremer, Clark Terry, Mark Murphy, Slide Hampton, Toots Thielemans, Jim McNeely, Buddy DeFranco, The Metropole Orchestra, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Curtis Fuller, Phil Woods, Bud Shank, Johnny Griffin, Bucky Pizzarelli, Mike Stern, Terell Stafford, Larry Goldings, and Village Vanguard Orchestra.