ROSS PATTERSON AND THE LITTLE BIG BAND RETURN MAY 4th
Ross Patterson continues his monthy gig at THE METROPOLITAN ROOM (34
West 22nd Street, NYC - 212-206-0440 -
http://www.metropolitanroom.com/
) on Friday, May 4th at 10:30 pm. The first Friday of each month has
been designated as JAZZ FRIDAY at NYC's hottest new nightspot, with
The Ross Patterson Little Big Band! Accomplished pianist and arranger
Ross Patterson lends his eclectic taste and style to standards and
his own original tunes. Joined by Aaron Heick on sax, Antoine Silverman
on violin, Tom Hubbard on bass and Eric Halvorson on drums, The Little
Big Band promises an evening full of energy, great melodies and a
touch of humor.
Ross Patterson's career in music has been as varied
and eclectic as the many styles he loves to play. Ross started playing
the piano at the age of seven and continued on the "traditional"
path throughout his teens. Along with discovering the magic of Mozart
and Chopin two distinct events, separated by almost 10 years, had
a profound affect on Ross' experience of music. One was receiving
a book of Boogie Woogie from his very first teacher and the other
was attending his first rock concert; BB King opening for Janis
Joplin and the Full Tilt Boogie Band. That's when he discovered
the Blues and he wanted to know how to play them. So he sought out
a teacher. And he found one. His name was Herbie Hancock. Yes. At
age 16 Herbie Hancock taught Ross how to play the 12 bar blues.
Amazing!
After high school Ross decided to continue with his
classical studies and attended The Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
After leaving Oberlin, Ross spent two years on the road as Musical
Director for the Ice Capades before heading to NYC. There he quickly
became one of the most sought after pianists by singers in the city.
This led to Ross musical directing, arranging and recording for
many of the top cabaret artists in New York. In 1997 he was honored
with the Backstage Bistro Award for outstanding musical direction.
For the past six years Ross has been the arranger,
musical director and band leader for the critically acclaimed BROADWAY
BY THE YEAR concert series at THE TOWN HALL, as well as for the
BROADWAY UNPLUGGED series, also at THE TOWN HALL. For these concerts
he is joined on stage by his 5 piece band, the Ross Patterson Little
Big Band. In 2005 Ross was honored by Donald Smith and the Mabel
Mercer Foundation with the first ever Bart Howard Award.
Although classically trained and best known for his
work with singers, Ross' inspiration for his own original music
comes from such great artists as varied as Thelonious Monk, Keith
Jarrett, Ella Fitzgerald, the Talking Heads and Frank Zappa. His
own writing style is hard to describe; a little Scarlatti, a little
Glass and a little world conversation. But however you describe
it, his melodies are beautiful and reflect his unique artistry and
his sensitive view of life. This is evident in his CD, 8 Themes
for Living, a live recording of his solo concert at St. Paul's Chapel
in NYC.
Whether playing solo piano or with the Ross Patterson
Little Big Band, one gets a sense of Ross' deep classical roots,
tinged with his sense of humor and commitment to great music. And
even more important than all of his musical influences, is the influence
of his beautiful wife Elissa and his 3 loving children, Jenna, Rachel
and Mercer. They are a daily reminder of how special the journey
is.
There is a $20 Cover plus a 2 Beverage Minimum.
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