The spectacular jazz pianist Dick Durham along with Max Murray on bass and Frank Russo on drums, returns to the Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD on Saturday November 9 at 8:00 p.m. Admission is $20. For information and reservations call 410-639-9133. Information is also available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
Dick Durham is a brilliant pianist, arranger and composer. His concerts are always magical, filled with surprises, his upbeat, offbeat humor and his one-of-a-kind, dazzling work at the piano. His compositions have earned him two separate Maryland Governor’s Citations for excellence in the performing arts in 2003 and 2005 and his jazz variations on the scores of musicals like “West Side Story” earn standing ovations every time. He’ll have new arrangements and a new CD “Live at the Mainstay” made at last year’s Mainstay concert.
Dick Durham lives in Church Hill, MD. He holds a BA in English, M.A. in music; has been playing jazz for 45 years and has performed with, or has been on the bill with the likes of Count Basie, Stanley Turantine, Grover Washington, Ernie Watts, Stef Scaggiari, and many others.
His early influences included pianists Errol Garner, Oscar Peterson, Teddy Wilson and Monty Alexander. His first TV appearance was the Morning Show in 1969 and he has performed in solo and combo concerts across the country since.
With the trio, Durham works at keeping alive the standards from the Great American Songbook, riffing on the ideas put forth by some of the great piano trios of the 40s to the 60s like the Oscar Peterson Trio, The Bill Evans Trio, Nat King Cole Trio, and George Shearing, but with a “big band flair” not often found in the piano trio format.
Max Murray, bassist, grew up with music, joined the Navy band system, toured the world, and eventually retired from the United States Naval Academy Band in 2000. He has shared the stage with major artists such as Henry Mancini, Mose Allison, Neil Sedaka, Gene Bertoncini and Jimmy Witherspoon, and has been featured on recordings with Suede, Rob Levit, Uptown Vocal Quartet and his close friend drummer Frank Russo.
Frank Russo, percussionist, grew up in a musical family in the New York City area. He finished a distinguished career with the Naval Academy Band and now teaches at Towson University. Credits during his playing/recording career have included playing with Keter Betts, The Coasters, Ethel Ennis, Franki Valli, Bill Watrous, Denis DiBlasio, and area musicians Chuck Redd, Alan Blackman, Dick Durham, and his good friend Max Murray. Concert venues have included the Kennedy Center and jazz festivals in the USA and Europe.
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. It is a 501(c)(3), non profit dedicated to the arts, serving Rock Hall, MD and the surrounding region. It is committed to presenting local, regional and national level talent, at a reasonable price, in an almost perfect acoustic setting. Wine, beer, sodas and snacks are available at the bar.
The Mainstay is supported by ticket sales, fundraising including donations from friends and audience members and an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
For information and reservations call the Mainstay at 410-639-9133. More information is also available at the Mainstay’s website https://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
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