Piedmont Piano Company is pleased to present
Laura Klein Trio with Mary Fettig
Marian McPartland 100th Birthday Celebration
Marian McPartland, pianist, composer, author,educator, and radio host, was one of the most beloved figures in jazz. At a time when female instrumentalists were marginalized, she achieved wide recognition and always championed her fellow jazzwomen. An all-star group of Bay Area women will celebrate her 100th birthday by performing Marian's gorgeous but rarely heard original compositions, as well as other music associated with her. Featured guest artist, saxophonist/flutist Mary Fettig, recorded and performed extensively with Marian.
$20 General Admission
Laura Klein, pianist
Laura, a pianist, composer, recording artist and bandleader, is delighted to be leading this celebration of Marian McPartland. When Laura was first starting out, she heard and met Marian on many occasions, and performed for her. Marian's lyrical, personal musical storytelling and rich harmonic sensibility have deeply influenced Laura both as a player and a composer. In 2017, Laura, along with bassist Jeff Neighbor and drummer Jason Lewis, performed a program of Marian's compositions at SF Jazz. Laura and her husband Tony Corman are co-leaders of the FivePlay Jazz Quintet, which performs their original compositions.FivePlay has appeared at many festivals and concert venues, and their CDs have received critical acclaim and international airplay. Laura also has a busy free-lance career performing with numerous Bay Area luminaries, from vocalists and horn players to big bands. Recently she had a show of her compositions broadcast on KCSM's "In the Moment". Laura is also an Associate Professor of the Alexander Technique at the California Jazz Conservatory. lauraklein.net
Mary Fettig, saxophone and flute
Mary, a Bay Area native, broke barriers at a young age when she was the first woman to join the Stan Kenton orchestra. Ever since, she has had a stellar career as a performer, teacher, and clinician. Within a year of their meeting in 1978, Marian McPartland invited Mary to perform at the world’s first Women’s Jazz Festival in Kansas City. After that, Marian and Mary did many concerts together, including festivals at Concord, Detroit, Chicago and Buffalo. They recorded on Marian’s At the Festival (with Jake Hanna and Brian Torff), and Mary’s In Good Company (with Peter Sprague, Ray Brown and Jeff Hamilton.) Mary has toured with Flora Purim and Airto, Tito Puente, Toninho Horta, and Joe Henderson, and has played with many jazz greats including Carla Bley, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, and others. She has appeared at numerous jazz festivals, including Concord, San Francisco, Monterey, Playboy, Hollywood Bowl, Mt. Hood, Chicago, Detroit, Mobile, Buffalo, Montreux, and North Sea. Mary has played on many movie soundtracks and in Broadway pit orchestras. She continues to perform and teach widely, and is on the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. maryfettig.com
Ruth Davies, bass
Ruth, an outstanding bassist on the SF Bay Area scene, has performed and/or recorded with many jazz and blues greats including Keb' Mo', Clark Terry, John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, Jay McShann, Van Morrison, Ernie Watts, Maria Muldaur, Junior Mance, Barbara Morrison, Etta Jones, Terry Gibbs, Jimmy Witherspoon, Jackie Ryan, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Toots Thielemans, and Little Jimmy Scott. She toured the world for ten years with the late Charles Brown, and continues to spend considerable time abroad, touring with Denise Jannah, Dmitri Matheny, European pianist/composer Amina Figarova, and Elvin Bishop. Ruth is deeply involved in music education and has taught in public schools, at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, and as part of San Francisco Symphony’s "Adventures in Music". In all, she's presented music programs to over one thousand school groups. ruthdavies.com
Kelly Fasman, drums
Kelly is dynamic drummer whose propulsive style adds excitement to any musical performance. She has performed with Kenny Loggins, The Moody Blues, Joan Baez, and Joan Rivers. She was the house drummer for The American Musical Theatre of San Jose, and worked with Teatro Zinzanni, Broadway By the Bay, and Theatreworks. Kelly is a highly in-demand drummer on the Bay Area scene, and a music educator.