Jerry Vivino toured the country with Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons in 1978 and 1979. Jerry did not want to continue with lengthy tours, and wanted to make a living in New York, so he got off the road and started working steadily in the tri-state area. Jingle work and show work quickly followed. Jerry found himself working with Joan Rivers, Rodney Dangerfield, Tony Bennett and Ray Charles, to name a few. Jerry played in the band in many Broadway shows, including Leader of the Pack, Annie, A Chorus Line, Cats, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Starlight Express, Just Once, Groucho and Grease.
In 1989 Jerry was asked if he would play on a record with a relatively unknown band called Killer Joe. It was started by Joe Delia and Max Weinberg, who decided to contact a few session musicians in the NY area to form the group. A recording was released in 1990 and even though the project never really got off the ground, this is how Max Weinberg got to know Jerry.
In 1993, when Max was asked if he would put together a band for a late night talk show, he contacted Jerry to find out if he would like to audition for Late Night With Conan O'Brien. At that time, Jerry and his brother Jimmy were both playing with Donald Fagen and New York Nights, and were on the verge of making a commitment to the first Steely Dan Reunion tour. More than a few people thought they made the wrong decision, passing on a great opportunity to tour with Fagan and Becker for just the slim possibility of a TV show. Yet, Jerry eagerly agreed to the audition, and as it turned out, the Steely Dan Reunion tour only lasted five weeks! Jerry can still be heard nightly, playing in the Max Weinberg 7 on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
If you don't know Jerry personally, you certainly have heard him play. Featured on countless recordings, TV commercials and movie soundtracks, his resume reads like a Who's Who In Entertainment. Jerry has played with Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Son Seals, Paul Shaffer, Frankie Valli, Al Kooper, Dion, James Brown, Phoebe Snow, Donald Fagen, Dr. John, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis and the legendary Keely Smith, to name just a few.
Recordings for ESPN, Oreo cookies, Charmin and Wendy's head the list of advertisement (or jingle) work. Jerry has also played on many movie soundtracks, including such recent films as Maid in Manhattan, Auto-Focus, The Tao of Steve and the Sundance Official Selection for 2003, Camp. Jerry plays tenor, alto, soprano, baritone and bass saxophones, b-flat, e-flat and bass clarinets, flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, ocarina, recorder and Irish penny whistle.
Jerry's true passion in music is Jazz and R&B. In addition to being a member of the Max Weinberg 7, he can be heard playing with his brother Jimmy in the Vivino Brothers Band. He also is the leader of a really fun group with bass player Mike Merritt, drummer James Wormworth, keyboard player Brian Charretteand frequent guests, trumpet player Lew Soloff and guitarist Melvin Sparks.
Jerry's saxophone influences include Ben Webster, John Coltrane, King Curtis, Johnny Hodges, Cannonball Adderly, Michael Brecker, Sonny Rollins and Dexter Gordon. Clarinet influences include Benny Goodman, Buddy deFranco, Aker Bilk, Pete Fountain, Sidney Bechet and Eddie Daniels. Flute influences include Jean Pierre Rampal, Hubert Laws, James Galway and Ian Anderson. However, Jerry's favorite musician is his wife, flutist Laura (Renino) Vivino.
Meet The Band:
Rick Savage - Trumpet - Rick brings a sound & soul to jazz not commonly heard today. Deeply rooted in the "sound & soul" of Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard & Woody Shaw, Rick heard them all live many times & soaked it all in. Some of the great artists that Rick has performed/recorded with include; Tania Maria, Jack McDuff, Nancy Wilson, Tony Bennett, Gerry Mulligan, Mel Lewis, Toshiko Aikioshi, Warne Marsh, Eliot Zigmund, Randy Brecker, Anthony Jackson, Nestor Torres.
Rave Tesar - Keyboardist, Composer, Producer, Engineer
Growing up in a musical household, Rave began playing piano at an early age, and developed an affinity for all styles of music. He began his career working on the Jazz scene in and around New York with numerous groups and leaders. His reputation soon led to national and international tours as a side man with singer Frankie Randal, rock and roll hall-of-famers "The Shirells" and the minimalist pop group "Tirez Tirez", led by Mikel Rouse. Rave is, perhaps, best know for his long-standing collaboration with singer Annie Haslam and her progressive rock band "Renaissance". Serving as a co-writer and producer, Rave worked on several of Haslam's solo projects as well as the 2001 Renaissance "live" from Japan CD, "The Land of the Rising Sun", and the most recent Renaissance studio album, "Grandine il Vento", on which he also served as primary producer.
In addition to his work in jazz and pop music, Rave has written and recorded numerous works for film and television. He is also an educator, and is featured as such in the public television series, "Exploring the World of Music".
Currently, Rave is finishing up his third CD with the Rave Tesar Trio, following the success of the albums "You Decide" and "Defragment Now". The trio has received high critical praise, with "You Decide" having been presented as one of the favorite piano trio releases of 2008 by several jazz critics. The trio includes bassist Kermit Driscoll and Rave's brother, Bill Tesar, on drums.
Sue Williams - Acoustic and electric bassist Sue is a New York City based freelance musician who has performed with Eric Clapton, Steve Cropper, Joe Walsh, Eddie Brigati, Bernard Purdie, Jon Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, Vanessa Williams, John Popper, Darlene Love, Ben E. King, Robert Palmer, JD and The Straight Shot, South Side Jonny and The Asbury Jukes, Phoebe Snow, Richard Hell and The Voidoids, La Bamba and the Hubcaps, Milt Hinton Bass Quartet, Cab Calloway’s Swing Orchestra, and many others.
Regular performances include jazz trios, Broadway shows, blues and rock clubs, worship services and recording studio work. As a Broadway pit musician, Sue has played in numerous Broadway shows including Mr Saturday Night starring Billy Crystal and Little Shop of Horrors.
Sue holds a Master of Science Music Technology degree from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Music degree from William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ (jazz studies program) and is a Pro Tools specialist with Avid Operator certification.
Teaching credits include: Adjunct instructor at Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ (18 years), Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ and Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ specializing in music technology courses.
Drummer - Warren Odze Drummer - Warren Odze Warren has performed with some of biggest names in the biz including Woody Herman and Judy Collins and played in countless b’way shows spanning decades from Chorus Line to Shrek, and Chicago to King Kong to name a few. He is known as a 1st call NYC B’way show drummer.
show less
