- July 13, 2024 - 7:00 PM
- Gordon Hall, Music Mountain
HARRY ALLEN QUARTET
The Genius of Duke Ellington
Harry Allen, Tenor Saxophone
Aaron Kimmel, Drums
Rossano Sportiello, Piano
Neal Miner, Bass
“Sheer Excellence” (Gene Lees)
Underwritten by Roxann & Warren Whitaker and Julie & Steve Brandfield
THE ARTISTS
HARRY ALLEN, TENOR SAXOPHONE
In 2024, Harry Allen was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame and in 2020 into the Jazz Monsters Hall of Fame at SOKA University of America and was a top-three finalist for France's Acadamie du Jazz's Prix du Jazz Classique for his CD, “Under a Blanket of Blue,” with guitarist Dave Blenkhorn. Not only was this CD recorded remotely during the pandemic, but also mixed and mastered by Harry.
He has recorded over 70 CDs as a leader and many more as a sideman. Three of Harry's CDs have won Gold Disc Awards from Japan's Swing Journal Magazine, and his CD Tenors Anyone? won both the Gold Disc Award and the New Star Award. His recordings have made the top ten list for favorite new releases in Swing Journal Magazine's reader's poll and Jazz Journal International's critic's poll for 1997, and Eu Nao Quero Dancar (I Won't Dance), the third Gold Disc Award winner, was voted second for album of the year for 1998 by Swing Journal Magazine’s reader’s poll. The Harry Allen - Joe Cohn Quartet won the New York Nightlife Award for Outstanding Jazz Combo Performance of 2006 and was nominated for Best Jazz Combo by the Jazz Journalists Association for the same year. Harry also won the 2010 New York Nightlife Award for Best Jazz Solo.
Harry has performed at jazz festivals and clubs worldwide, frequently touring the United States, Europe and Asia. He has performed with Rosemary Clooney, Jay Geils, Ray Brown, Hank Jones, Frank Wess, Flip Phillips, Scott Hamilton, Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Kenny Burrell, Herb Ellis, John Pizzarelli, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gus Johnson, Jeff Hamilton, Terry Gibbs, Warren Vache, and has recorded with Tony Bennett, Johnny Mandel, Ray Brown, Tommy Flanagan, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Kenny Barron, Dave McKenna, Dori Caymmi, Larry Goldings, George Mraz, Jake Hanna, and Al Foster, among others.
Harry is featured on many of John Pizzarelli's recordings including the soundtrack and an on-screen cameo in the feature film The Out of Towners starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. He has also done a series of commercials for ESPN starring Robert Goulet.
Harry was born in Washington D.C. in 1966, and was raised in Los Angeles, CA and Burrillville, RI. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 1988 from Rutgers University in New Jersey, and currently resides in North Bergen, New Jersey.
AARON KIMMEL, DRUMS
Aaron Kimmel, originally from Pennsylvania, has resided in New York City for nearly two decades where he works as a freelance drummer. He holds a bachelor of music degree from The Juilliard School, where he studied with Kenny Washington and Billy Drummond. He frequently appears at Smalls and Dizzy's Club, and many venues around the world. You can see him performing as a sideman with Aaron Diehl, the Benny Green trio, Ben Wolfe, among others. He has also played with such jazz luminaries as Harry Allen, Ken Peplowski, Eric Alexander, Joe Magnarelli, Grant Stewart, Terell Stafford, Ryan Kisor, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Mary Stallings, and Jon Faddis.
ROSSANO SPORTIELLO, PIANO
Award-winning jazz pianist Rossano Sportiello was born in Vigevano, Italy on 1 June 1974. He began studying piano at the age of 9 under the tutelage of Italian classical pianist Carlo Villa and continued until his graduation in classical piano from the Conservatory in 1996. At 16, he was performing professionally at jazz venues in the Milan area, and in 1992, he joined one of Europe’s historic jazz bands, the “Milano Jazz Gang” touring with the group throughout Italy and West Europe until the end of 2000. That same year, Rossano met legendary jazz pianist and educator, Barry Harris, who became a mentor and good friend. Mr. Harris has touted Rossano as “the best stride piano player” he has ever heard.
Stylistically, although international critics consider Rossano a follower of Ralph Sutton, Dave McKenna and Barry Harris, the influence of other great masters can be heard in his playing, such as Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, Count Basie, Earl Hines, Ellis Larkins and Bill Evans, to name a few. Rossano was introduced as a soloist by trombonist/arranger Dan Barrett and drew international acclaim at the 2002 Ascona Jazz Festival (Switzerland) while performing with the eight-piece, all-star American band led by Barrett, which was enthusiastically received. Rossano has performed several times at Ascona since and standing ovations after his performances are not uncommon. At the 25th anniversary of the festival, he received the 2009 Ascona Jazz Award in recognition of his expertise and mastery of jazz piano, in particular stride piano. Rossano made his first trip to the United States and was introduced to the American audience at the invitation of the late Mat Domber (Arbors Records) to perform at the 2003 “March of Jazz” party in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Following his marriage to American writer, Lala Moore, in 2007, Rossano established himself in New York City.
Rossano has performed with many of the world’s finest jazz luminaries, such as Slide Hampton, Clark Terry, Barry Harris, Dan Barrett, Kenny Davern, Bucky Pizzarelli, Bob Wilber, Warren Vache, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Roker, Harry Allen, Howard Alden, Joe Wilder, Eddie Locke, Joe La Barbera, Scott Hamilton, Jake Hanna, Houston Person, Bill Charlap, Dick Hyman. He has been in great demand in the U.S. appearing at New York venues, such as Lincoln Center, the Blue Note, Birdland, Feinstein's, the 92nd Street Y, Carnegie Hall, the United Nations, the Café Carlyle and Town Hall, Smalls, Mezzrow as well as at main jazz parties and festivals, including the San Diego Jazz Party, Chautauqua Jazz Festival, North Carolina Jazz Party, Rochester Jazz Festival, Odessa Jazz Party, Newport Beach Jazz Party, Arbors Records Invitational Jazz Piano Party, Rocky Mountains Jazz Party and the Roswell Jazz Festival. Internationally, Rossano has performed in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Romania, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and in acclaimed festivals and venues such as the Norwich Jazz Party, Nairn International Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Spoleto Piano Festival, Lucerne Piano Festival, the Philarmonie (Luxembourg), Teatro Alla Scala (Milan), Teatro dell’Opera (Rome), Marians Jazz Room (Switzerland), Lionel Hampton Jazz Club (Paris), Blue Note (Milan ), Printzregententheater (Munchen-Germany) and Schloss Elmau (Germany), to name a few. Since 2008, Rossano has performed regularly with the Harry Allen Quartet. Also since 2008 Rossano has been part of the “Three Wise Men”, the glorious European trio led by the Dutch clarinettist and saxophonist Frank Roberscheuten with Viennese percussionist Martin Breinschmid performing more than 500 concerts in Europe in the last 12 years.
On 4 May 2011, in his home town of Vigevano, Italy, Rossano received the prestigious Vittorio Ramella award, bestowed upon native persons of Vigevano who through their profession have made a significant contribution to the world and distinguished themselves in the international community. As an educator, Rossano has given lectures on jazz and/or masterclasses on piano at institutions such as the University of Toronto Jazz Studies, University of Central Florida and Claremont College (California) and St. John’s College (Cambridge, UK).
In 2016 Rossano played at the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival in piano solo, invited by the legendary pianist and promoter George Wein.
Rossano has recorded six solo piano CDs, including “In the Dark” (2004, Sackville); “Piano On My Mind” (2005, Jazz Connaisseur), which won the “Prix Du Jazz Classique de l’Académie du Jazz de France”; “Heart and Soul” (2006, Arbors Records), selected by the French magazine Jazz Classique among the top 10 of the year; “It Amazes Me” (2009, Sackville); “Pastel” (2017, Arbors Records) and “That’s It!” (2020, Arbors Records) and two duet CDs with bassist/singer Nicki Parrott on Arbors Records, “Do It Again” (2009) and “People Will Say We’re In Love” (2007), which was selected by The New Yorker magazine as one of the top 10 jazz CDs of 2007. Rossano also has three jazz CDs featuring classical music, Chopin in Jazz (2010), Schubert in Jazz (2011) and Listz in Jazz (2011) on the SwingBros label. The Rossano Sportiello Trio (Frank Tate and Dennis Mackrel) recorded “Lucky to Be Me”, (2010, Arbors Records), several other trio recordings are available with drummer Ed Metz and bassist Nicki Parrott and many others as co-leader and sideman. Please consult the discography page for complete details.
NEAL MINER, BASS
Neal Miner was introduced to the world of Jazz by his first teacher – his father Bill Miner, a respected jazz record collector and discographer. Bill’s love of jazz kindled a passion in his son from an early age. Bill shared the music of his vast record collection, took Neal to clubs and concerts, and ensured he received the best musical instruction.
Born and raised in Manhattan, Neal received his high school diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy, and attended the Manhattan School of Music. Most notable of his private teachers were classical bassist, Orin O’Brien of the New York Philharmonic, and Jazz bassist, John Webber.
Since the age of 19, Neal has been a solid fixture on the New York City jazz scene and is a favored bassist to a host of musicians. Neal toured and recorded with Jon Hendricks, and backed Annie Ross steadily at her weekly engagement at the Metropolitan Room in New York City. In 2007, Neal joined Jane Monheit’s band with which he has been performing at major festivals, jazz clubs and concert halls around the world. Neal has written arrangements for and plays on Jane’s last four albums.
Neal has six releases as a leader that showcase his compositions and arrangements.