ELIXIR presents pianist NEAL MARTIN and bassist DAVID WESTPHALEN - Thursday, June 12

 

ELIXIR at the FREIGHT HOUSE presents

Pianist NEAL MARTIN and Bassist DAVID WESTPHALEN

- Thursday, June 12^th  

 

ELIXIR at the Freight House, White River Junction’s premier destination for fine dining and live music, presents the jazz duo of pianist NEAL MARTIN and bassist DAVID WESTPHALEN on Thursday, June 12, 2008 from 7 to 10pm.  Neal Martin, who now calls New Hampshire home, has performed nationally and internationally for over four decades with a host of jazz luminaries.  The duo will play songs by such composers as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and Antonio Carlos Jobim, as well as a few originals.  Call ELIXIR at 802-281-7009 for reservations.  There is no cover charge for the music.

 

NEAL MARTIN, who did his first gig at age 14, played piano in college and was the pianist with the U.S. Army Band in Tokyo.  He has recorded two CDs under his own name and has performed for many years in clubs and hotels in cities around the country, including New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, where he had a television show called “Jazz on 5” and performed with his trio and special guests such as Cannonball Adderley.  Martin has worked with Billy May in New York City and the Voice of America Jazz Orchestra in Washington, DC.  He has performed with such jazz greats as bassist Keeter Betts, saxophonists Zoot Sims and Jack Nimitz, and flautist Paul Horn, and has accompanied a long list of famous singers, including Ethel Ennis and Shirley Jones.  A New Hampshire resident, Martin operates a teaching and recording studio and has created unique and individualized teaching programs which emphasize improvisation for piano players and vocalists as well as ensemble playing techniques for other instrumentalists.  The program also includes history and concepts of improvisation.  Martin is founder of the New Hampshire Jazz Society. 

 

DAVID WESTPHALEN is a well-known bassist, trombonist and bandleader in the Upper Valley.  For many years his band Swing Machine has performed at dances, Dartmouth College functions, weddings and other private events around northern New England.  After graduating with a major in music from Tufts University, he taught high school music in Vermont for two years.  David currently plays bass with a number of Vermont-based musicians, including Fred Haas, Michael Zsoldos, Bob Merrill and Dave Ellis.  He also works with several small combos, including a duo with guitarist Billy Rosen, and occasionally sings jazz standards.  David plays trombone with the Vermont Jazz Center Big Band, based in Brattleboro, as well as the seven-piece, traditional jazz band The Almost Legendary Thundering Muskrats. 

 

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.