April Williams performs a swinging evening of music with a world class Trio – Alan Pasqua on piano, Darek Oles on bass and Peter Erskine on drums.
“Her shining eyes, warm smile and melodious voice are instant reminders of her early career as a singer/actress, performing frequently with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. The daughter of parents who were active in the arts – her mother as a dancer, her father as a first-call studio trumpeter – she grew up with an insider’s view of the entertainment world, from every perspective. That’s just the beginning of the remarkable list of achievements in the expansive, colorful resume of a woman who is rapidly establishing herself as a vital presence in the creative world. In a community filled with multi-hyphenate high achievers, April Williams is a standout with her own remarkable list of titles”. …….Don Heckman – International Review of Music.
Alan Pasqua, piano His career in L.A. broadened as he started playing with more rock and pop artists. He has performed in the bands of Bob Dylan, and Santana. Some of his other album and touring credits include: Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Ry Cooder, Aretha Franklin, Al Jarreau, Elton John, Queen Latifa, Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach. In the late 1980s, In addition, he has worked with composers John Williams, Quincy Jones, Dave Grusin, Jerry Goldsmith, Henry Mancini and Maurice Jarre on motion picture soundtracks. He is recognized as the co-composer of the “CBS Evening News Theme” In the jazz world, Pasqua is a highly regarded pianist and composer. His two CD releases, Milagro and Dedications on the Postcards Label hit the top of the jazz charts. All-stars Jack Dejohnette, Paul Motion, Dave Holland, Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker are featured on these recordings. In addition, Pasqua has played and recorded with the likes of Joe Henderson, Stanley Clarke, Gary Burton, James Moody, Gary Peacock, Gary Bartz, Eddie Daniels, Dave Weckl, Tom Scott, Peter Erskine, John Patitucci, Reggie Workman, The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Sam Rivers, Sheila Jordan, Joe Williams, Ivan Lins, Frank Foster, Alphonso Johnson, Narada Michael Walden, Les McCann, Stan Kenton and Don Ellis.
Darek Oles bass - Darek “Oles” Oleszkiewicz was born on February 20, 1963 in Wroclaw, Poland.
Darek participated in various jazz festivals and national competitions for young musicians. In 1983, he was the most awarded musician at the Jazz Juniors in Cracow, winning the first individual prize, first prize for jazz composition and a second prize in jazz combo category. Later that year Darek was invited by Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski, a jazz legend in Poland, to join saxophonist’s quartet on tour. In the following five years Darek Oleszkiewicz was working steadily with some of the best jazz bands in the country such as: Zbigniew Namyslowski Quartet, Tomasz Szukalski Quartet, Henryk Majewski Quintet, Wojciech Karolak Trio and Andrzej Jagodzinski Trio and Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski Quartet. With those groups he recorded for Polish Jazz, Polskie Nagrania, East Wind and also for the radio and television in Poland and abroad. Darek was touring extensively in Poland, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Cuba, Mexico and performed at major festivals, concerts and jazz club venues.
Peter Erskine –drums was born in Somers Point . He began playing the drums at the age of four. He graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy Following his four years in Weather Report (having recorded five albums with them – including the Grammy Award winning “8:30?), he began to play with Mike Brecker, Mike Mainieri, Don Grolnick and Eddie Gomez in the group Steps Ahead. Erskine’s other touring and recording credits (600 albums & film scores) include Steely Dan, Diana Krall, Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Gary Burton & Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, Kurt Elling, Sadao Watanabe, Eliane Elias, Mike Stern, Kate Bush, Miroslav Vitous and Jan Garbarek; the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, the ASKO, Avanti, Remix & Absolute Ensembles, Bass Desires (with John Scofield, Bill Frisell, and Marc Johnson), the John Abercrombie Trio, the Kenny Wheeler Quintet & Big Band, the Yellowjackets and the Bob Mintzer Big Band. He has also recorded with his own groups, including trios with John Taylor, Palle Danielsson, Rita Marcotulli, and bands with guitarist Nguyen Le and bassist Michel Benita (“Trio E_L_B”), as well as a trio he shares with pianist Alan Pasqua and Darek Oles, plus his “New Trio” featuring his nephew Damian Erskine on bass and pianist Vardan Ovsepian.
show less
