Local jazz pianists Robin Connell and Steve Talaga recorded a duo jazz piano concert this week, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, sponsored by Aquinas College. And those needing a little “post-election” diversion can catch it tonight on Facebook.
The concert is set to be available for free at the college’s Facebook page, see here, on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. The concert may also be available later on YouTube.
“It was so fun to play duo piano with Steve,” Connell said to WKTV.
Both Connell and Talaga are no strangers to the local jazz scene.
Robin Connell (Supplied)
Originally from Detroit, according to her website, Connell is equally at home as a jazz pianist or jazz pianist/vocalist, performing regularly in clubs, concerts, and private parties as solo pianist, leader of her own trio/jazz quartet, or side woman with other musicians.
Pianist, composer and arranger, Talaga has been performing professionally for more than 40 years, according to his website. He was chosen as the West Michigan Jazz Society’s 2008 Jazz Musician of the Year, and has released eight compact discs under his own name. His most recent project is the band, Lifeline, featuring himself on keyboards, his son Stephen Talaga on guitar, Caleb Elzinga on sax, and Larry Ochiltree on drums. Their debut CD, “No Worries”, dropped in October 2019.
From a recent Jazz In the Sanctuary concert at Grand Rapids Fountain Street Church, Xavier Davis, Matt Brewer and Robin Connell. (Supplied/Robin Connell)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Local jazz mainstays Robin Connell and Paul Brewer have plenty to be proud of with the jazz music baselines being put down by two members of their family tree, and local audiences will get a chance to hear evidence of their pride over the next few weeks.
First, Connell and Brewer’s young son Benny Brewer will be on the bass Thursday, May 30, from 8-11 p.m., as the Robin Connell Trio hits the stage at downtown Grand Rapids’ One Trick Pony, with Connell on keyboards and Tim Froncek on drums. (For more information on One Trick Pony, visit here.)
Also, expected to sit in at the gig will be Paul Brewer on trombone, Peter Sage on trumpet, Evan Davis on trumpet and “maybe some other friends.”
Then Paul’s son and Connell’s step-son, Matt Brewer — a big-time jazz bassist who has played with the likes of Terence Blanchard, to name just one — will be featured in the upcoming Aquinas Jazz Camp faculty concert on June 19, at 7:30 p.m. at Aquinas College’s Kretchmer Recital Hall in the Art & Music Building. Admission to the concert is free.
“Matt is a world renown jazz bassist performing and recording with artists such as Antonio Sanchez, Ben Wendel, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, among many others,” Connell said to WKTV. “Matt has been doing his dad a favor by teaching (at the jazz camp) every year for the past several years … (but) Paul (Brewer) is retiring so the Aquinas Jazz Camp will be changing … so this will be the last time Matt teaches at the camp. Therefore its very likely this is the last time he will perform in Grand Rapids.”
Matt Brewer, according to a supplied biography, was born into a musical family and was surrounded by music from an early age — both his father and grandfather were jazz musicians, and his mother an avid music lover and radio DJ (who, even before Matt was born, would play classic jazz albums for him).
After graduating from the Interlochen Arts Academy, Matt attended the inaugural class of The Juilliard Jazz Program and studied with bassists Rodney Whitaker and Ben Wolfe. After spending two years at Juilliard, he decided to leave school to make embark on a busy touring schedule. Since then he has worked with artists such as Greg Osby, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Lee Konitz, David Sanchez, Terence Blanchard, Antonio Sanchez, Vijay Iyer, Adam Rogers, Steve Coleman, Dave Binney, Aaron Parks, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and many others.
He recently recorded his second album as a leader on the Criss Cross Jazz label. He is an adjunct faculty member at The New School, and has been a frequent guest artist/teacher at the Banff Center.
At the planned Aquinas concert, the other faculty performing include Paul Brewer, Connell, Benje Daneman on trumpet, Froncek, Mike Hyde on guitar and Tom Lockwood on saxophone.
