The Peggy Stern Trio comes to Russell Library May 18th

On Thursday, May 18th at 7:00pm, concert goers will be delighted by the music of The Peggy Stern Trio at the Hubbard Room of the Russell Library. Sponsored by The Friends of the Russell Library and the Arthur & Edythe Director Family Fund of Congregation Adath Israel, the concert is the last of the library's concert series this spring. 

Peggy Stern. (photo by Brenda Ladd)

In this concert, The Peggy Stern Trio explores the Great American Songbook - a timeless soundtrack written almost entirely by Jews, which gave voice to a saga of love, determination, and assimilation. A few examples include: Cheek to Cheek, My Romance, White Christmas, Embraceable You, Easter Parade, Stormy Weather, and dozens of other songs we all know and love.
Peggy Stern is a musician's musician. She has made her mark in Philadelphia, San Francisco, New York City, Europe, Seattle and now Austin. Her multi-hued musical world view also includes classical, salsa, Latin rock, jazz and Rhythm and Blues. She has toured throughout Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan. She is joined in this concert by bassist Rich Syracuse and saxophonist George De Leon.

Peggy Stern’s musical adventure has been rich and varied: from Machito to progressive jazz, she has a particularly broad and eclectic background. Peggy is well known as a composer, with four of her tunes featured in the Sher Real Book series. She has worked extensively with Lee Konitz, Emily Remler, Jay Clayton, Diane Schuur, Stanley Turrentine, Gary Peacock, George Mraz, Billy Drewes, and Thomas Chapin, to name a few. Most recently she was featured at the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center.

George De Leon is a noted psychologist in the addiction treatment field. He has also maintained a parallel career in Jazz.Tenor saxophonist in the house band of the Art Directors Club, New York City, during the 1970s, he shared the stage with guest artists including Roy Eldridge. Teddy Wilson, Zoot Sims and Joanne Brackeen. As producer of the ' Jazz vs. Junk” series at Phoenix House drug rehabilitation center he led the house band that included Billy Hart, Lyn Christie and Hal Galper with guest headliners such as Clark Terry, Al Cohn, Lee Konitz and Phil Woods. In recent years he was a regular member of the Jazz at Noon series in NYC and has been 'giggin” and recording in Hudson Valley venues with area Jazz colleagues.

Rich Syracuse has been a mainstay in the New York area scene for more than three decades. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music in New York City. He has performed with numerous jazz groups which included Pianist's John Mehegan, Joey Calderazzo, and Ted Rosenthal. He is the Bassist in the 'Nick Brignola Quartet' playing at numerous clubs, festivals, and precipitating in many recording sessions. Besides his years with Brignola, Rich has performed with Mose Allison, Kurt Elling, Dave Liebman, Brubeck Brothers, Warren Bernhardt, Sumi Tonoka, David Torn, Mike DeMicco, Peter Levin, Sam Morrison, Bernard Purdy, Jeff 'Siege' Siegel, Dena DeRose, John Medeski, Michael Musilliami and Ali Demogli. For the past 22 years, Rich has been the Bassist for Pianist Lee Shaw.