Denison's Vail Series Welcomes Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio
Posted: October 5, 2004
GRANVILLE -- Denison University's Vail Series continues its 25th season at 8 p.m. on Friday (Oct. 15) in Swasey Chapel with Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio. Guitarist Frank Vignola, and bassist Jon Burr will accompany O'Connor to bring their Grappelli/Reinhardt-influenced, instrumental jazz to Denison.
O'Connor, who appeared at Denison in October 2000 with violinist Rachel Barton on a Vail program, is a Grammy Award winner, and has appeared at The White House, the Presidential Inauguration Celebration and the ceremonies of Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Games for which he composed "Olympic Reel." He is often featured on major network television shows, and past appearances include "Great Performances" on PBS, the "Kennedy Center Honors" and America's celebration of Israel's 50th birthday televised on CBS. In 2000, O'Connor contributed solo instrumentalist talents to the Oscar-nominated score of "The Patriot."
He is founder of the internationally recognized Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camps held twice yearly near Nashville, Tenn. The camps routinely draw participants from across the U.S. and Canada, as well as from Europe, South America and Asia.
O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio has performed in concerts throughout the United States, playing three sold-out nights at Jazz@Lincoln Center in New York in February 2002. The trio released "In Full Swing" on Sony's Odyssey imprint in January 2003.
Vignola, who appeared at the recent Denison Jazz Guitar Festival, will accompany O'Connor. He began guitar lessons at the age of six, and when he was 12 took up the banjo. Within nine months he was crowned the National Banjo Champion of Canada at 13 years old. He founded Hot Club USA in 1997, a group born of the sounds created in Paris in the 1930s by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Hot Club USA has toured extensively in the United States and Europe. Currently Vignola and master percussionist Joe Ascione perform as "The Frank and Joe Show." Their debut record, produced by Joel Dorn and Gene Paul, is on the Hyena Record Label. They perform on Sunday nights in downtown New York City at Sweet Rhythm. He has performed and/or recorded with a vast array of artists including Madonna, Ringo Starr, Chet Atkins, Lionel Hampton, The Boston Pops, and The New York Pops.
Burr has toured and recorded with many jazz masters, including Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Horace Silver, Hank Jones, Art Farmer, Stephane Grappelli, Sir Roland Hanna, Dorothy Donegan, and Buddy Rich. From 1980-1985 he toured with Tony Bennet, and later formed his own quartet in 1991. The Jon Burr Quartet has performed in New York clubs such as Birdland and the Blue Note. The quartet's second recording, "3 for All," was released by Cymekob Records in 1996. Burr has worked on Broadway as the bass chair for the revival "Me and My Girl" and "The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public."
Other Vail Series events at Denison this year are:
Denison's Vail Series, made possible by a generous gift from the late Foster and Mary McGaw in memory of Jeanne Vail, a 1946 alumna, is part of the Vail Program that provides the University with a range of support for fine arts activities, including art history, cinema, dance, music, studio art and theatre. Each year the program underwrites performances by major artists through the Vail Series and provides for one or more Vail artists-in-residence who work with faculty and students to expand and enrich the cultural opportunities at Denison.
For more information about the Vail Series, link to http://www.denison.edu/vailsereies/
For more information about Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio, link to http://www.sonyclassical.com/music/87880/ or http://www.markoconnor.com/current.projects/hot.swing.trio.html
(A limited number of tickets at $15 each are available to the public. For information on availability, call the Vail Hotline at 740-587-6557. Orders may be sent to the Vail Series, Denison University, Granville, Ohio 43023. Please enclose a stamped and self-addressed envelope. Requests will be filled in order of receipt while tickets are still available.)
O'Connor, who appeared at Denison in October 2000 with violinist Rachel Barton on a Vail program, is a Grammy Award winner, and has appeared at The White House, the Presidential Inauguration Celebration and the ceremonies of Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Games for which he composed "Olympic Reel." He is often featured on major network television shows, and past appearances include "Great Performances" on PBS, the "Kennedy Center Honors" and America's celebration of Israel's 50th birthday televised on CBS. In 2000, O'Connor contributed solo instrumentalist talents to the Oscar-nominated score of "The Patriot."
He is founder of the internationally recognized Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camps held twice yearly near Nashville, Tenn. The camps routinely draw participants from across the U.S. and Canada, as well as from Europe, South America and Asia.
O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio has performed in concerts throughout the United States, playing three sold-out nights at Jazz@Lincoln Center in New York in February 2002. The trio released "In Full Swing" on Sony's Odyssey imprint in January 2003.
Vignola, who appeared at the recent Denison Jazz Guitar Festival, will accompany O'Connor. He began guitar lessons at the age of six, and when he was 12 took up the banjo. Within nine months he was crowned the National Banjo Champion of Canada at 13 years old. He founded Hot Club USA in 1997, a group born of the sounds created in Paris in the 1930s by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Hot Club USA has toured extensively in the United States and Europe. Currently Vignola and master percussionist Joe Ascione perform as "The Frank and Joe Show." Their debut record, produced by Joel Dorn and Gene Paul, is on the Hyena Record Label. They perform on Sunday nights in downtown New York City at Sweet Rhythm. He has performed and/or recorded with a vast array of artists including Madonna, Ringo Starr, Chet Atkins, Lionel Hampton, The Boston Pops, and The New York Pops.
Burr has toured and recorded with many jazz masters, including Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Horace Silver, Hank Jones, Art Farmer, Stephane Grappelli, Sir Roland Hanna, Dorothy Donegan, and Buddy Rich. From 1980-1985 he toured with Tony Bennet, and later formed his own quartet in 1991. The Jon Burr Quartet has performed in New York clubs such as Birdland and the Blue Note. The quartet's second recording, "3 for All," was released by Cymekob Records in 1996. Burr has worked on Broadway as the bass chair for the revival "Me and My Girl" and "The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public."
Other Vail Series events at Denison this year are:
Denison's Vail Series, made possible by a generous gift from the late Foster and Mary McGaw in memory of Jeanne Vail, a 1946 alumna, is part of the Vail Program that provides the University with a range of support for fine arts activities, including art history, cinema, dance, music, studio art and theatre. Each year the program underwrites performances by major artists through the Vail Series and provides for one or more Vail artists-in-residence who work with faculty and students to expand and enrich the cultural opportunities at Denison.
For more information about Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio, link to http://www.sonyclassical.com/music/87880/ or http://www.markoconnor.com/current.projects/hot.swing.trio.html
For press inquiries:
- Name
- Barbara Stambaugh
- Position Title
- Director, Media Relations
- Primary Email
- stambaughb@denison.edu
- Business Phone
- (740) 587-8575