Pittsfield CityJazz Festival

On Saturday, Oct. 18, he Pittsfield CityJazz Festival presents an evening of Jazz vocals featuring two of the finest groups on the scene today. Teri Roiger is familiar to Hudson Valley Jazz fans, and she will be backed by the John Menegon Trio. Ron Gill is based in Boston, where in addition to his performances and recordings he is familiar to listeners of WGBH-FM. The festivities take place in the Grand Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, which will be converted to a Jazz cabaret for the occasion.

Applauded by jazz writers and fans around the world, from Jazz Hot in Paris to Playboy magazine, Teri Roiger’s uniquely compelling vocal style is full of soul, swing, sincerity and sass. She delivers something very exceptional in her performances of innovative jazz standards and original compositions. Referred to by musicians and jazz critics as “the real thing,” she has been compared to jazz legends Abbey Lincoln, Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae and Anita O’Day, but Teri has developed into a true individual jazz musician with her own sound.

At the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival, she will focus on her notable treatment of the music of Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. The musicians who accompany her include some of the most in-demand players on the New York scene. They comprise the John Menegon Trio: Warren Bernhardt (piano), John Menegon (bass), and Tani Tabbal (drums).

Ron Gill has been part of the Boston jazz scene for more than 20 years, performing in concerts and on radio, television and variety shows. Known for his extensive knowledge of the American songbook, Gill toured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, directed by Mercer Ellington. His recent CD, The Songs of Billy Strayhorn, represents the centerpiece for his performance at the Pittsfield CityJazz Festival.

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