Description

Safety Protocols:

• Vaccination Card or Excelsior Pass required to attend.
• Children under 12 must present a negative COVID test done within 3 days prior to the event.
• Mask wearing will be required for all audience members throughout the concert.

IN-PERSON at
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Concert Hall
www.bkcm.org
58 Seventh Ave (at Lincoln Pl.) in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Since this event is indoors, proof of vaccination is required to attend in accordance with local protocols and safety recommendations.

LIVE STREAMING from:
Connection Works Facebook page,
www.facebook.com/connectionworksinc

www.connectionworks.org

WideOpenWorks is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council. Also, it is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC).

Our contributors include:
Aaron Copland Fund for Music
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
New York State Council on the Arts
Brooklyn Arts Council

About the artists:

WORKS: “Michel Gentile, Daniel Kelly and Rob Garcia, akaWORKS, bring their gift for improvisation and a vocabulary that enlarges the conversation with depth, humor and discovery that reminds us of why we are drawn to this music in the first place” (Paul Pines, Lake George Festival).WORKSis the driving force behind the vibrant nonprofit organization ConnectionWorks. This group has exploited its unique instrumentation of flute, piano and drums to forge a distinct and powerful musical voice, putting the “focus on the dynamic writing and deep simpatico of the trio itself” (The Village Voice).WORKS performs primarily as a trio, but has also placed itself at the center of several adventurous projects, from performing with classically influenced projects such as chamber orchestra and string quartet; to commissioning big band pieces featuring the trio; to playing with a long line of esteemed guests, such as jazz heavyweights Joe Lovano, Sheila Jordan, Dave Liebman, Joseph Jarman, Scott Colley, Donny McCaslin and many more. Their self-titled CD was named one of the best albums of 2013 by the prestigious Downbeat Magazine.

Michel Gentile:
Composer, flutist and teacher Michel Gentile is an active member of the New York jazz scene.  He received his Master of Music degree with distinction from the New England Conservatory of Music where he studied with Jimmy Giuffre, Dave Holland, Geri Allen, and Mick Goodrick. Michel has appeared on record with Ray Charles, Anthony Braxton, Dave Kikoski, Jane Ira Bloom, and has performed with Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Fred Hersch, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Joseph Jarman, Yusef Lateef, Sheila Jordan and many more. He studied composition with George Russell, John Heiss, Muhal Richard Abrams and Donna Doyle. Michel has composed for everything from solo instruments to a quintet with flute and string quartet and a triple concerto for flute, piano and drums with chamber orchestra. He has composed for radio, television and film media. His compositions have been featured on “Seize the Moment” 1994, “Trapeze Contortionist” 2001 “Red Balloon” 2005, “Flesh and Steel” 2008 and “Rock, Paper, Scissors” 2011 by Gentile-Romano. His 2013 release with the collaborative ensembleWORKSwas named among the best CDs of the year by Downbeat Magazine. He was also a Rising Star in the 2015  Downbeat critic’s poll.
www.michelgentile.com

Daniel Kelly:
An artist who has been called “stunningly original” with “a visionary imagination,” composer and pianist Daniel Kelly explores the meeting place of music with literature, visual art and journalism, captivating audiences across the country. A prolific composer and tireless musical explorer, Kelly continually seeks out new avenues for his creativity.
Kelly’s music has been declared “powerfully moving” by Time Out New York, and he has brought his unique talent to performances with Grammy award-winning jazz legends Michael Brecker and Joe Lovano, hip-hop star Lauryn Hill, and modern classical giants the Bang on a Can All-Stars, to name a few.
Kelly has toured throughout Southeast Asia and India as a part of the Kennedy Center and US State Department-sponsored Jazz Ambassador program. Other notable international performances include benefit concerts for orphan children in the Kangemi slums of Nairobi, Kenya and a concert for the president of Costa Rica.
A recipient of the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Adventurous Programming Award, Chamber Music America Residency Partnership Grant, New York State Arts Council Individual Artist Grant and the Aaron Copland Fund, Kelly is also the co-founder and co-artistic Director of ConnectionWorks, an artist-run non-profit organization based in Brooklyn that, since 2007, has presented workshops for young people & produced over 300 concerts, featuring artists such as: Grammy award-winner Joe Lovano, NEA Jazz Masters Dave Liebman & Shelia Jordan and MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipients Dafnis Prieto & Steve Coleman. Kelly has also composed for chamber orchestra, string quartet, film and multi-media theaterworks. He has released five CDs of original compositions.
www.danielkellymusic.com

Rob Garcia:
“A prime mover in the current Brooklyn jazz scene” (Time Out-New York) and “one of New York’s great jazz drummers and composers.” (Capital New York), Rob Garcia continues to be a strong presence in the New York and international jazz scene as a sideman and bandleader. He has collaborated with such stellar artists as Joe Lovano, Sheila Jordan, Dave Liebman, Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Myra Melford, Joseph Jarman, Kris Davis, Anat Cohen, Vince Giordano, Reggie Workman and Wycliffe Gordon. He has played on over 70 albums including Grammy winners. Rob has released 8 critically acclaimed albums as a bandleader and 5 as a co-leader which feature such artists as Joe Lovano, Noah Preminger, Kate McGarry, Dan Tepfer, John O’Gallagher, Gary Versace, Joe Martin, John Hebert, Dave Kikoski and Mike Formanek. His most recent album “Illumination” was released on Fresh Sound Records in December 2020. His albums have been on “top albums of the year” lists and have received praise from publications such as Downbeat, The New York Times, Jazz Times, and Time Out New York. Rob has also self-released a solo drums album called “Drum Solos For Dancers Only” in 2018. Rob’s groups have performed at venues such as The Ottawa Jazz Festival, The Toronto Jazz Festival, The Kingston Jazz Festival, Birdland, Iridium, Kitano, Smalls, The Rex and Firehouse 12. His group has toured Europe, the northeast and west coast of the U.S. Rob has received grants from Meet The Composer, DCA and NYSCA to support his performances. He is also a member of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop.
Rob has also been a major force in artist-run jazz organizations. He is the founder and artistic director of ConnectionWorks, a member of the Brooklyn Jazz Underground and a founding member of the Douglass Street Music Collective.
www.robgarciamusic.com