Joe Lovano, saxaphone
Grammy-winning saxophonist, composer and producer Joe Lovano is fearless in finding new modes of artistic expression. With a Grammy win for his 52nd Street Themes and 14 other nominations, he has won DownBeat Magazine’s Critics and Readers Polls countless times as Tenor Saxophonist, Musician of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year and Triple Crowns from DownBeat. He has also received numerous awards from JazzTimes and the Jazz Journalists Association for Tenor Saxophone, Album of the Year and Musician of the Year.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 29, 1952 he attended the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston where years later he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate. Since 2001 he has held the Gary Burton Chair in Jazz Performance and is a founding faculty member since 2009 of the Global Jazz Institute at Berklee directed by Danilo Pérez. He is a guest lecturer at New York University’s Jazz Program, Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music as well as Clinician at Universities around the globe.
From 1991 through 2016, Lovano released an unprecedented 25 records as a leader for the historic Blue Note Records. Joe Lovano Quartet: Classic! Live at Newport featuring Hank Jones was recorded in 2005 and released in 2016 to critical acclaim. In 2019, Lovano released his debut album as a bandleader on ECM Records, Trio Tapestry, with Marilyn Crispell and Carmen Castaldi. Over the next few years, Lovano saw the release of three additional ECM Records albums: ROMA, a collaboration with Enrico Rava; Arctic Riff, a special guest appearance with the Marcin Wasilewski Trio; and the sophomore release from Lovano’s Trio Tapestry, Garden of Expression. In 2021, Lovano released Other Worlds, his third album with Sound Prints, a quintet he co-leads with trumpeter Dave Douglas. The next year brought a collaboration with guitarist Jakob Bro, Once Around the Room: A Tribute to Paul Motian. Most recently, Lovano released his third Trio Tapestry recording entitled, Our Daily Bread.
In addition, composer Mark Anthony Turnage wrote a Concerto for Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra for Joe called “A Man Descending” which has been performed globally and Maestro Michael Abene orchestrated an album of all-Lovano originals called Symphonica for the WDR Symphonic Orchestra and Big Band, which was released on Blue Note and received a Grammy nomination.
Joe has performed and recorded with a long list of jazz greats including Woody Herman, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Mel Lewis, Bob Brookmeyer, Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, Tony Bennett, Abbey Lincoln, Charlie Haden, John Scofield, Gunther Schuller, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Ed Blackwell, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Hank Jones, Dave Liebman, Michael Brecker, Dave Douglas, Judi Silvano, Ravi Coltrane, Chucho Valdés, Ornette Coleman, Diana Krall, and many others. Joe has created an extensive body of work for his own ensembles including strings, woodwinds, his horn-rich Nonet, the Classic Quartet, Trio Tapestry, and more.
Joe Lovano continues to explore new horizons within the world of music as a soloist, bandleader and composer.
Joe Corsello, drums
Joe Corsello, drummer, was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. Joe has made a lifetime commitment to playing drums and continually striving to reach new highs in the drumming world.
Joe studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., under the watchful eye of drum legend Alan Dawson. After leaving Berklee, Joe enlisted in the U.S. Army band and was stationed in Staten Island, N.Y. During his Army stint, Joe studied with drummer Joe Hunt who was living in New York City. After completion of his service obligation, Joe went on tour with the Glen Miller Orchestra under the direction of Buddy DeFranco. Joe remained in New York City as house drummer for Michael’s Pub, backing such jazz artists as Red Norvo, Joe Venuti, Dave McKenna, Hank Jones, Zoot Simms, and pianist, Marian McPartland.
Joe’s longtime relationship with jazz producer/writer Michael Cuscuna, brought about the formation of the jazz/rock band, New York Mary, (Arista Records). The band recorded two successful records and toured with the B52′s, Patti Smith, Stevie Wonder and Tony Williams Lifetime band. Joe traveled with saxophonist Sonny Rollins and can be heard on recordings with Rollins, Marian McPartland, Benny Goodman, Steve Marcus, Ralph Lalama, Mike Moore, Sal Salvadore, Gene Bertoncini, Mike Mainari and the list goes on............
Joe endorses WFL III Drums and Avedis Zildjian Cymbals exclusively.
Nat Reeves, Bass
For over four decades, Nat Reeves has been one of the top bassists in jazz. His supportive and stimulating playing has uplifted a countless number of sessions and recording dates (most notably with the great altoists Jackie McLean and Kenny Garrett) and he has led his own recordings State of Emergency, Blue Ridge and Now In Time. As a bassist, he is regarded as a precise accompanist, known for his impeccable time, deep tones and great earthy, organic sound. As an educator, Nat mentors some of the future greats of jazz. Nat has made a major impact on the jazz world.
In addition to performing with Jackie McLean and Kenny Garrett, he has performed and recorded with many other great musicians: tenor-saxophonists Benny Golson and Pharoah Sanders, trumpeters Donald Byrd and Woody Shaw, drummer Art Taylor and pianists Hank Jones, Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Kirkland, Walter Davis, Walter Bishop, Larry Willis and Kenny Drew. In recent times, he has worked and recorded with many of the who’s who of jazz including saxophonists, George Coleman and Eric Alexander, trumpeters Eddie Henderson and Roy Hargrove, trombonist Steve Davis, pianists Harold Mabern, George Cables, David Hazeltine and Rick Germanson, and drummers, Jimmy Cobb, Art Taylor and Jeff “Tain” Watts, Joe Farnsworth, Lewis Nash and Eric McPherson to name a few. Nat also performs with jazz rising stars, including saxophonist Sarah Hanahan and pianists Caelan Cardello and Jordan Williams..
Known for his strong, assertive tone, Nat Reeves’ bass playing is both melodic and supportive. His ability to anchor a band rhythmically while also contributing creatively in solos has made him a versatile performer. His style blends a deep respect for jazz tradition with a modern sensibility, often contributing to both the harmonic structure and the groove of a piece.
Nat Reeves has dedicated much of his life to music education, particularly in fostering the next generation of jazz musicians. As a professor at the University of Hartford’s The Hartt School now known as the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, he has mentored many students, helping them develop both technical skills and an understanding of the jazz idiom. His approach to teaching emphasizes the importance of listening, creativity, and understanding the historical context of jazz. Reeves has retired from the University of Hartford but remains active in mentoring and educating musicians. Many of his former students have gone on to become successful professional musicians.
Outside of the formal classroom, Reeves is an active educator who has led numerous workshops and master classes around the world. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, from bass technique to improvisation, and are aimed at helping students of all levels understand the deeper aspects of jazz performance and theory.
Nat Reeves is a highly influential figure in both jazz music and jazz education. His extensive performance history with some of jazz’s most respected figures, combined with his dedication to teaching and mentoring, has left an impressive legacy in the jazz community.
Rebecca J Carda Leigh, classical piano
Meet Concert & Cake Founder & Artistic Director
Rebecca J Carda Leigh, concert pianist, studied at the most prestigious music schools in the United States, the Eastman School of Music (BA in piano performance,) she continued course work at the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music with such faculty as Nina Svetlanova, Rebecca Penneys, German Diez, Jackson Berkey, Madame Rosalyn Tureck, and Dr. Ana Maria Trenchi de Bottazzi.
As a concert pianist, she tours globally performing over 30 solo concerts a year. She has played solo performances at such venues as: Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, Steinway Hall NYC, Steinway Hall UK, The John F. Kennedy Library Boston, The Cardinals Villa Chicago, The Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series Chicago, The Moorings Naples, Caramoor, Kilbourn Hall, Howard Hanson Hall, Lena Hall Chautauqua, the Chautauqua Amphitheater, St. Augustine’s Church Bexhill-on-Sea England, London Royal Kensington Central Library, Farm Street Church Mayfair, London, Witherspoon Concert Hall, Christ Church Greenwich, The Bruce Museum Auditorium, The DiMenna Center for Classical Music NYC, Bechstein Music World Hall Singapore, Tokyo Concerts Lab Japan, and The Steinway Gallery Hong Kong.
Her prizes and honors include: The Forsythe Memorial Award, the Gertrude Vayo, the Eleanor Daugherty, the George Eastman Scholarship, and the Chautauqua Summer Music Festival. Her patrons have included Mrs. Howard Hanson (wife of the late composer/conductor Dr. Howard Hanson). She has been an appointed teacher for the American Music Scholarship Association, the Germaine Pinault School of Music, and is a member of the Leschetitzky Association. She adjudicated such competitions as the Leschetitzky Gifted Young People’s Concert and the World Piano Competition.
She holds the American Protégé International Competition 2013/2023 Diploma for extraordinary dedication and achievement in the field of teaching music.
She is a Steinway Top Teacher Award recipient for dedication to music education, artistry, quality, and exquisite musical expression.
She is the founder and artistic director of
Concert & Cake Global: London, New York City, Naples, Jackson Hole, Greenwich, Omaha, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.
