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cotajazz

 

 

11 PM Saturday, starting January 19, with a repeat on Thursdays at 9:00 PM, subject to preemption.

cota jazz

The festival was recorded by WVIA-FM and WVIA-TV in September. (WVIA-FM broadcast comprehensive coverage in November). This was the 30th edition of the festival. WVIA recorded all 17 sets on the main stage, the TV coverage will include music from all 17, plus interviews and background on the festival and artists, hosted by series producer and WVIA-FM jazz host George Graham, with interveiws by Wendy Wilson.

Saturday, January 19th 11pm - Absolute Trio/ Co-Op Bop
Thursday, January 24th 9pm - repeat

Saturday, January 26th 11pm - John Coates/ Kate & Richie Roche
Thursday, January 31st 9pm - repeat

Saturday, February 2nd 11pm - JARO/ Nancy & Spencer Reed
Thursday, February 7th 9pm - repeat

Saturday, February 9th 11pm - Phil Woods/ Urbie Green
Thursday, February 14th 9pm - repeat

Saturday, February 16th 11pm - Roamin' Gabriels/ Bill Mays' Inventions Trio
Thursday, February 21st 9pm - repeat

Saturday, February 23rd 11pm - Bob Dorough/ The COTA Cats
Thursday, February 28th 9pm - repeat

Saturday, March 22nd 11pm -David Liebman, Zambomba, Bill Goodwin's QT+ 2
Thursday, FMarch 27th 9pm - repeat

Saturday, March 29th 11pm -Eric Doney and Friends, The Bottom of the Fox All-Stars
Thursday, April 2nd 9pm - repeat

Here are a few more details on each episode:

Program 1: The Absolute Trio:Guitarist Bill Washer, bassist Paul Rostock and drummer Glenn Davis opened the festival.
Co-Op Bop, bebop quintet with Hammond organ. Features a special guest appearance by legendary jazz and soul drummer Bernard Purdy.

Program 2: John Coates & Pocono Friends. Pianist John Coates has been one of the main catalysts for the Pocono jazz scene for his over 40 years performing regularly in the area. He is joined by such Pocono friends as Phil Woods, Urbie Green, and Nancy Reed.
Kate & Richie Roche: Musical couple who performed at the first festival return for engaging set with their band.

Program 3: JARO (Jazz Artists Repertory Orchestra). Big band comprising many of the top jazz musicians in the Poconos, led by pianist/arranger Wolfgang Knittel.
Nancy & Spencer Reed: Another musical couple who go back to the first festival. Both guitarist Spencer and bassist Nancy Reed do vocals, and they are joined by a band.

Program 4: The Phil Woods Quintet: Multiple Grammy-Award winning saxophonist Phil Woods was a founder of the festival. He brings his full quintet to perform at COTA for the first time in several years in a memorable set.
Urbie Green: Urbie Green is the most recorded trombonist in the history of jazz, having worked with everyone from Billie Holiday to adding his trombone to the Village People's "Y.M.C.A." He is joined by his family, including his son pianist Jesse Green, and wife vocalist Katthy, with special guests.

Program 5: The Roamin' Gambriels. Funk and groove music from a popular regional organ-based group.
Bill Mays' Inventions Trio. Renowned jazz pianist Bill Mays performs with a group that explores the intersection of classical and jazz, with Marvin Stamm on trumpet and Alisa Horn on cello. They perform an original suite by Mays.

Program 6: Bob Dorough: A jazz renasisance man, Bob Dorough wrote songs that became jazz standards in the 1950s, created the music for the Schoolhouse Rock series, and also some music for Sesame Street, and was also the only vocailist to appear on a Miles Davis record. For this set, he is joined by a trio of outstanding women vocalists dubbed "The Bobettes."
The COTA Cats. Each year, the Celebration of the Arts assembles a big band comprising outstanding students throughout the region, many of whom have gone on to careers in music. This is the 27th edition of the COTA Cats, and Phil Woods puts in a guest appearance.

Program 7: David Liebman. Renowned saxophonist Liebman, a veteran of Miles Davis' band, and with nearly 100 albums to his name, assembles a new group of "neighbors" for this performance, including a couple of former COTA Cats.
Zambomba: Latin-American flavored jazz featuring vocalist and flute player Katchie Cartwright.
Bill Goodwin's QT+ 2. Veteran jazz drummer (Phil Woods Group) assembles a distinctive group including a turntable artist.

Program 8: Eric Doney and Friends. Pianist Doney performs with a trio, including teenage bassist Mark Williams, and also engages in an remarkable piano tag-team performance with three of his present and former students.
The Bottom of the Fox All-Stars. The Bottom of the Fox was a popular venue in Delaware Water Gap at the time of the first festival. Some of the musicians who performed there are reassembled from around the hemisphere to put in a great finale to the festival.

 

For more information and background on this non-profit all-volunteer jazz and arts festival, see:
http://www.cotajazz.org