ELIXIR at The Freight House presents vocalist TYRA PENN - Thursday, July 17

 

ELIXIR at The Freight House in White River Junction

Presents Vocalist TYRA PENN

with pianist Christopher Bakriges and bassist Rich Mollin

 – Thursday, July 17^th

 

ELIXIR, White River Junction, Vermont’s premier destination for fine dining and live music, presents vocalist TYRA PENN in an evening of jazz standards as well as unusual versions of songs by such pop artists as Tom Waits and Joni Mitchell, on Thursday, July 17, 2008 from 7 to 10pm.  Tyra performs with renowned pianist CHRISTOPHER BAKRIGES and bassist RICH MOLLIN.  Call ELIXIR at 802-281-7009 for reservations.  There is no cover charge for the music.

 

TYRA PENN began her career as a professional vocalist in her early twenties, when she was a regular performer at Gentry on Halsted, a cabaret bar in Chicago’s hip and happening Boys Town neighborhood.  Since 2003, she has been the featured vocalist of the Worcester, MA-based swing and blues band “The Red Riders.”  She is also the vocalist and band leader of “Tyra Penn and her Army of Snakes,” a quintet doing its best to unify the fields of jazz, folk-rock and Middle Eastern music, featuring her musical co-conspirator Paul Courchaine on guitar, John Funkhouser on bass, and Mighty Mike Connors on the drums.  Tyra has been a featured artist at such top Massachusetts jazz clubs as Ryles and the Acton Jazz Cafe and has had the opportunity to work with many outstanding musicians, including pianists Sai Ghose, Mike Valdez and Molly Flannery; bassists Chuck Gabriel, Dave Zox and Roger Kimball; and Worcester's favorite oud player, Ed Melikian.  Jazz fans in Central New England -- or on the Internet -- may also be familiar with her as the voice of “A Tasteful Blend” and “Jazz New England” on WICN 90.5 FM, www.wicn.org.

 

CHRISTOPHER BAKRIGES is a pianist, composer and educator who combines jazz, Mediterranean elements derived from his Greek heritage, and the rich African American cultural milieu in which he grew up, into a unique form of musical storytelling.  A Detroit native, Chris has led his own groups since the early ‘80s and has performed internationally since 1990, including tours in India, Pakistan, Turkey, England, France, Canada, and the Czech Republic.  Besides performing his own compositions, Chris has had the opportunity to accompany many acclaimed artists, including Kenny Burrell, Bernard Purdie, Lee Shaw, and Pat Metheny’s original rhythm section of Danny Gottleib and Mark Egan.  A published scholar, Chris earned his doctorate in ethnomusicology from York University in Toronto and regularly lectures around the world.  His singular approach to composition and performance has been influenced from study with artists who embrace the entire scope of African American and jazz history, including Jaki Bayard, Nadi Qamar, Harold Danko, Billy Taylor, Frederick Simmons, and Anthony Braxton.  He has also worked with Indian classical masters Pandit Sushil Mukherjee and Tanjore Vishwanathan as well as with Indonesian gamelan composer Sumarsam.  Chris is currently Artist-in-residence and lecturer at Elms College in Chicopee, MA.  He was music director and house pianist at Vermont’s Mo’Jazz Café from the late ‘90s until its closing in late 2007.  For more information, visit:  www.bakriges.com.

RICH MOLLIN is a bass professor at S.U.N.Y. Oneonta.  He has been part of the music industry as a performer, recording artist, teacher and talent booker for more than twenty years.  Rich has been a leader of modern musical groups, including show bands, rock, jazz, rhythm and blues, funk, jam and other popular musical genres.  In New York State, he has performed for Mayor Rudolph Guiliani, Governor George Pataki, and President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.  He maintains a private studio of bass students and has taught String Bass and Jazz Studies at Grinnell College in Iowa.

 

Located at The Freight House, 188 S. Main Street, White River Junction, VT (802-281-7009), ELIXIR Restaurant and Lounge presents eclectic fare and small plates and features special martinis, local beers, an international wine list and live music nightly.  Eat, laugh & drink.