The Redd Brothers Trio returns to the Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland for an evening of classic jazz on Thursday April 3 at 7:30 pm. The Redds will be joined by Michael Bowie on bass. Admission is $20. For information and reservations call 410-639-9133 or visit http://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
This evening of jazz standards will feature Chuck Redd on vibes and drums and Robert Redd on piano. They will be joined by a long-time colleague, Michael Bowie on bass. The evening will include classic American songs by Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen and others as well as some bossa nova numbers the Redds played when they both played with Charlie Byrd.
Chuck and Robert Redd are Mainstay favorites who have played music together since their teens. With a deep understanding of each other’s approach, they finish each other’s musical phrases and intuitively augment each other’s leads. Their most recent recording together is “When Redd is Blue.”
Chuck Redd is well known internationally as a performer on drums and vibraphone. He began recording and touring the globe when he joined the Charlie Byrd Trio at the age of 21 and was a member of the Great Guitars (Barney Kessel, Byrd and Herb Ellis.) To his credit are 25 European tours and six tours of Japan, with the Barney Kessel Trio, Ken Peplowski, Terry Gibbs and Conte Candoli. He served as Artist-In-Residence at The Smithsonian Jazz Café in Washington, DC from 2004-2008 and was featured vibraphonist with the Mel Torme All-Star Jazz Quintet from 1991 until 1996.
Some of Chuck Redd’s career highlights include a concert with the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet in Africa for the Namibian Independence Celebration, a recital at the White House with the Barney Kessel Trio, concerts at Carnegie Hall with Mel Torme’s Quintet, and an appearance on The Tonight Show. In 2008, he was a featured soloist in the finale concert at The Lionel Hampton International Jazz festival with The Lionel Hampton Big Band and the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. In February 2013, Chuck co-led the Dream Band with Jeff Hamilton in a salute to vibes legend Terry Gibbs.
Robert Redd was a member of the Keter Betts Trio for 13 years, until Betts’ death in 2005. The trio performed many concerts and festivals and could frequently be heard at venues such as the Kennedy Center and Blues Alley. They performed regularly throughout the school year at Wolf Trap as part of Early Learning Through the Arts, a program which Betts helped start and develop, presenting live music to young audiences. Robert has continued to work with this program as a member of the Wolf Trap Jazz Trio.
From 1995-1998, Robert was pianist and musical director for singer/songwriter Kenny Rankin. While touring with Rankin, he performed with Michael Moore, Oscar Castro-Neves, Roy McCurdy and John B. Williams, among others. They appeared regularly at venues in New York City such as The Rainbow and Stars and The Bottom Line, and performed in the guest artist series with the U.S. Air Force Band at DAR-Constitution Hall, in Washington, D.C.
Robert also worked with Charlie Byrd and can be heard on Charlie Byrd’s last recording, “For Louis”. He performs frequently with the Smithsonian Masterworks Organization, and is often featured at Blues Alley, where he co-leads a group with his brother, Chuck.
Michael Bowie is a touring musician and educator. He has toured with Abbey Lincoln, Elvin Jones and Sarah Vaughn and teaches at the early childhood education program at Wolf Trap. This is his first Mainstay appearance.
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. More information is also available at the Mainstay’s website http://www.mainstayrockhall.org.
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