The University of Delaware Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Professor Tom Palmer brings the energy and excitement of big band jazz to the Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland with guest soloist Todd Groves on saxophone on Thursday April 17 at 7:30 pm. Admission is free and a donation will be requested.
University of Delaware Jazz Ensemble has played the Mainstay several times as part of their Spring schedule, each year bringing an outstanding group of 18 to 20 excellent musicians. They capture the energy and excitement of big band jazz with saxophone, trombone, trumpet, wind and rhythm sections as well as solo vocalists. This free concert will feature a number of big band favorites, standards from the Great American Songbook and some swinging surprises.
Each year the University of Delaware Jazz Ensemble brings a seasoned jazz soloist to perform with them. Their guest soloist this year is New York musician and faculty member Todd Groves on saxophone.
UD Jazz Ensemble will play at the Mainstay, April 17.
Groves is a New York City-based musician who performs on saxophones, flutes, clarinets, recorders and ethnic flutes. He performs regularly in a variety of musical settings including jazz, classical, commercial and ethnic music. Since 2003, he has been an adjunct professor of saxophone for the University of Delaware Department of Music, where he is a member of the University of Delaware Faculty Jazz Ensemble. He is an active composer and arranger and often gives clinics throughout the area at universities and high schools. He has been a featured soloist with the UD Wind Ensemble, Delaware Steel and UD Jazz Ensemble I and has performed with the Del’Arte Wind Quintet.
A graduate of the University of the Arts, Mr. Groves’ current gigs include the New Jersey Saxophone Quartet (NJSQ), the original funk band Raw Deal, New Orleans’ funk group Loose Cannon and the Justin Rothberg Group. His original composition for saxophone quartet, “Delaware Jazz Suite”, received its world premiere by the NJSQ at the 2006 World Saxophone Congress in Slovenia and was subsequently performed by the group at their Carnegie Hall debut.
Groves has worked extensively with some of the country’s most notable performers, including Audra McDonald at Carnegie Hall, Michael Feinstein, Kristin Chenoweth, Deborah Voigt, Michael Crawford, Natalie Cole, Lou Rawls, Aretha Franklin, Linda Eder, Grover Washington Jr., Joel Grey, Tommy Tune, Paul McCartney, Gino Vannelli, the New Jersey Symphony, the American Symphony and many others.
As a NYC commercial musician, he has been a member of the Broadway pit orchestras for Motown the Musical, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Follies, Catch Me If You Can, Women On the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Ragtime, White Christmas, Sunday in the Park with George and Grey Gardens.
Groves has been lead alto for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular since 2009. Other NY performances include Damn Yankees, The Wiz and Fiorello at City Center; Happiness at Lincoln Center; Edward Scissorhands and Play Without Words at BAM; See What I Wanna See at Public Theater, Mother Courage and Her Children for Shakespeare in the Park, and Broadway on Broadway live in Times Square.
Groves can be heard on the Broadway cast recordings for the above shows, has appeared or been heard on the Late Show with David Letterman, the Tony Awards, and the Emmy Awards. Other recordings include R Kelly, Boyz II Men, Lucky Stiff (film), Victoria Clark, Carols for a Cure 2009 and 2010 and Duo – with Rob Brosh, Kayle Brecher, Jane Norman, MTI Junior, Lars Halle, Joshua Kobak, Minas, Marlon Spike, NJSQ, Eric Kearns, Raw Deal. He has appeared as guest soloist with The Wind Symphony of Southern New Jersey, the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey, and the University of the Arts Big Band.
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. For information and reservations call the Mainstay at 410-639-9133 or at mainstayrockhall.org
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