Jazz All-Stars Series
Cassandre McKinley Quartet
Sunday, October 22, 2023
The Press Room, Portsmouth, NH
Two Jazz Brunch Shows:
10:30-11:30 a.m and 1-2 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before show!
Tickets for 10:30 am show still available (doors open at 10 am)
limited bar seating on day of show
Cassandre McKinley Quartet
Cassandre McKinley, vocals; Tim Ray, piano;
Jesse Williams, bass; David Mattacks, drums
Tickets: $15 Reserved Seats ($20 at door)
Cassandre McKinley, vocals; Tim Ray, piano;
Jesse Williams, bass; David Mattacks, drums
Tickets: $15 Reserved Seats ($20 at door)
In this “Jazz All-Stars Series,” the Seacoast Jazz Society is thrilled to bring back the remarkably dynamic vocalist, Cassandre McKinley, to The Press Room after many years. She is joined by three amazingly talented musicians, each a “star” in their own right.
Cassandre and Band will be performing a genre-bending mix of music, influenced heavily by jazz that is infused with the essence of soul, country, blues and R&B.
About the Musicians:
Cassandre McKinley, vocals
"There’s a music style called 'jazzsoul' (we made it up) and our anointed queen is Boston native Cassandre McKinley."
-- The Boston Globe
Boston native, Cassandre McKinley, is a singer, recording artist, composer, producer, vocal coach, and associate professor of voice at Berklee College of Music. As an artist and singer, she explores genres ranging from Jazz to Soul, to Blues, R&B, Pop and Country—unifying them into a singular sound and unique vocal style. By age 19, after attending Boston Conservatory, she was signed with an agent, doing acting, singing, dancing, print modeling, and voice-overs. She recorded five solo albums. Her most recent, “Dragonfly”, 2018, features the robust and sublime vocal interpretations for which she is known. “Til Tomorrow: Remembering Marvin Gaye”, 2006, received critical acclaim, hailed by JazzTimes as “a rich, sensual salute” to Marvin Gaye’s music.
Among artists she has collaborated with are Peter Eldridge (New York Voices), Duke Levine, Dave Mattacks, Clay Osborne, Bernard Purdie, Doug Bell, and Herb Pomeroy. She was a featured artist on legendary guitarist J. Geils’ “Jazz & Blues Review”, which entertained sold-out audiences throughout New England with a trip through America’s jazz and blues music roots. She has been a guest artist with the Boston Pops, performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, and played the role of “Rosalie” in the 1991 New York production of West Side Story.
She has been featured in JazzTimes, Jazziz, DownBeat, the Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Today Cassandre continues to perform frequently as a solo and featured artist, in addition to teaching and coaching.
Tim Ray, piano
Tim Ray has been an active and in-demand jazz artist since 1978. His wide-ranging skills as a soloist and accompanist have afforded him the opportunity to perform with legendary performers from all walks of music. Many know him as the music director and pianist for Tony Bennett, with whom he played from 2016 until Bennett’s retirement in 2021. Before that, he performed on the road with singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett, touring for more than 15 years. He’s appeared on over 100 recordings and performed in concert with an extensive list of pop-music icons, notably Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt, Jane Siberry, and Soul Asylum. He regularly performs with leading figures in the jazz world, among them Terri Lyne Carrington, Gary Burton, Esperanza Spalding, Kurt Elling, George Garzone, Dave Douglas, Lewis Nash, and Brian Blade. His classical credits include solo performances and concerts with the Boston Pops, Gunther Schuller, and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Tim has released seven albums under his own name, including his just released 2023 CD, “Fire & Rain”, featuring John Lockwood on bass and Mark Walker on drums. His 2020 CD, “Excursions & Adventures”, feature Terri Lyne Carrington and John Patitucci. Tim has toured all over the world, including performances at Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Kennedy Center, and the 1992 Presidential Inauguration. He continues to be in high demand as a musical director, composer, arranger, private instructor, and clinician.
Jesse Williams, bass
Jesse Williams prides himself on his musical depth AND breadth! He has performed almost 10,000 shows worldwide, from clubs in New York City to Lincoln Center to the Montreal Jazz Festival, and more. Currently, he is bassist with the multi-Grammy-nominated, North Mississippi Allstars. Formerly he toured and recorded with Al Kooper, Duke Robillard, and Johnny A, among others. He has appeared on numerous award-winning records, including two Grammy-nominated recordings, Duke Robillard’s “Guitar Grooverama” and Joe Louise Walker’s “Between a Rock and The Blues”. He has also recorded on nine W.C. Handy/Blues Music Award-nominated albums. Throughout his career, Jesse has backed up a long list of artists: Bucky Pizzarelli, Maria Muldaur, Johnnie Johnson, Ruth Brown, Jay McShann, Jimmy McGriff, John Hammond, Percy Sledge, Jay Geils, Susan Tedeschi, Charles Neville, Elan Trottman, John Sebastian, Henry Butler, Jimmy Vivino, the New Black Eagle Jazz Band, Julien Kasper, and more. In addition to recording and performing, Jesse has been teaching since 1991 at Berklee College of Music and Phillips and Milton Academies.
Dave Mattacks, drums
Dave Mattacks recorded five CDs with Paul McCartney and recorded and/or toured with many other top musicians including: Elton John, George Harrison, Jimmy Page, Everything But The Girl, Sandy Denny, Chris Rea, XTC, Jethro Tull, Joan Armatrading, Brian Eno, Nick Drake, “Procul Harum’s” Gary Brooker, Peter Green, John Gorka, John Martyn, The Proclaimers, Cat Stevens, and Loudon Wainwright. His illustrious career started in the UK with big bands before joining the influential folk-rock group “Fairport Convention”, freelancing extensively throughout his 13-year tenure while with the band. In 2000, Dave left the UK and moved to Boston, where he continues to enjoy a full career in music spanning live and studio work, both as a musician and producer. Among his credits since moving to the United States are recording and/or concerts with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Richard Thompson, Juliana Hatfield, John Jennings, Teddy Thompson, Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez, Steeleye Span, Susan Tedeschi, Martin Sexton, Dennis Brennan and Rosanne Cash. As well as his performance, recording and studio-production schedule over the last few years, Dave has given several Master Classes at London’s Royal Academy of Music, taught at the Berklee College of Music, and has been the ‘house drummer’ at the Marblehead Arts Festival for the last seven years. He was the featured artist/interviewee on the front cover of the March/April 2011 popular “DrumHead” magazine and has been reviewed in many other prestigious jazz publications as well.
Cassandre and Band will be performing a genre-bending mix of music, influenced heavily by jazz that is infused with the essence of soul, country, blues and R&B.
About the Musicians:
Cassandre McKinley, vocals
"There’s a music style called 'jazzsoul' (we made it up) and our anointed queen is Boston native Cassandre McKinley."
-- The Boston Globe
Boston native, Cassandre McKinley, is a singer, recording artist, composer, producer, vocal coach, and associate professor of voice at Berklee College of Music. As an artist and singer, she explores genres ranging from Jazz to Soul, to Blues, R&B, Pop and Country—unifying them into a singular sound and unique vocal style. By age 19, after attending Boston Conservatory, she was signed with an agent, doing acting, singing, dancing, print modeling, and voice-overs. She recorded five solo albums. Her most recent, “Dragonfly”, 2018, features the robust and sublime vocal interpretations for which she is known. “Til Tomorrow: Remembering Marvin Gaye”, 2006, received critical acclaim, hailed by JazzTimes as “a rich, sensual salute” to Marvin Gaye’s music.
Among artists she has collaborated with are Peter Eldridge (New York Voices), Duke Levine, Dave Mattacks, Clay Osborne, Bernard Purdie, Doug Bell, and Herb Pomeroy. She was a featured artist on legendary guitarist J. Geils’ “Jazz & Blues Review”, which entertained sold-out audiences throughout New England with a trip through America’s jazz and blues music roots. She has been a guest artist with the Boston Pops, performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, and played the role of “Rosalie” in the 1991 New York production of West Side Story.
She has been featured in JazzTimes, Jazziz, DownBeat, the Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Today Cassandre continues to perform frequently as a solo and featured artist, in addition to teaching and coaching.
Tim Ray, piano
Tim Ray has been an active and in-demand jazz artist since 1978. His wide-ranging skills as a soloist and accompanist have afforded him the opportunity to perform with legendary performers from all walks of music. Many know him as the music director and pianist for Tony Bennett, with whom he played from 2016 until Bennett’s retirement in 2021. Before that, he performed on the road with singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett, touring for more than 15 years. He’s appeared on over 100 recordings and performed in concert with an extensive list of pop-music icons, notably Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt, Jane Siberry, and Soul Asylum. He regularly performs with leading figures in the jazz world, among them Terri Lyne Carrington, Gary Burton, Esperanza Spalding, Kurt Elling, George Garzone, Dave Douglas, Lewis Nash, and Brian Blade. His classical credits include solo performances and concerts with the Boston Pops, Gunther Schuller, and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Tim has released seven albums under his own name, including his just released 2023 CD, “Fire & Rain”, featuring John Lockwood on bass and Mark Walker on drums. His 2020 CD, “Excursions & Adventures”, feature Terri Lyne Carrington and John Patitucci. Tim has toured all over the world, including performances at Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Kennedy Center, and the 1992 Presidential Inauguration. He continues to be in high demand as a musical director, composer, arranger, private instructor, and clinician.
Jesse Williams, bass
Jesse Williams prides himself on his musical depth AND breadth! He has performed almost 10,000 shows worldwide, from clubs in New York City to Lincoln Center to the Montreal Jazz Festival, and more. Currently, he is bassist with the multi-Grammy-nominated, North Mississippi Allstars. Formerly he toured and recorded with Al Kooper, Duke Robillard, and Johnny A, among others. He has appeared on numerous award-winning records, including two Grammy-nominated recordings, Duke Robillard’s “Guitar Grooverama” and Joe Louise Walker’s “Between a Rock and The Blues”. He has also recorded on nine W.C. Handy/Blues Music Award-nominated albums. Throughout his career, Jesse has backed up a long list of artists: Bucky Pizzarelli, Maria Muldaur, Johnnie Johnson, Ruth Brown, Jay McShann, Jimmy McGriff, John Hammond, Percy Sledge, Jay Geils, Susan Tedeschi, Charles Neville, Elan Trottman, John Sebastian, Henry Butler, Jimmy Vivino, the New Black Eagle Jazz Band, Julien Kasper, and more. In addition to recording and performing, Jesse has been teaching since 1991 at Berklee College of Music and Phillips and Milton Academies.
Dave Mattacks, drums
Dave Mattacks recorded five CDs with Paul McCartney and recorded and/or toured with many other top musicians including: Elton John, George Harrison, Jimmy Page, Everything But The Girl, Sandy Denny, Chris Rea, XTC, Jethro Tull, Joan Armatrading, Brian Eno, Nick Drake, “Procul Harum’s” Gary Brooker, Peter Green, John Gorka, John Martyn, The Proclaimers, Cat Stevens, and Loudon Wainwright. His illustrious career started in the UK with big bands before joining the influential folk-rock group “Fairport Convention”, freelancing extensively throughout his 13-year tenure while with the band. In 2000, Dave left the UK and moved to Boston, where he continues to enjoy a full career in music spanning live and studio work, both as a musician and producer. Among his credits since moving to the United States are recording and/or concerts with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Richard Thompson, Juliana Hatfield, John Jennings, Teddy Thompson, Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez, Steeleye Span, Susan Tedeschi, Martin Sexton, Dennis Brennan and Rosanne Cash. As well as his performance, recording and studio-production schedule over the last few years, Dave has given several Master Classes at London’s Royal Academy of Music, taught at the Berklee College of Music, and has been the ‘house drummer’ at the Marblehead Arts Festival for the last seven years. He was the featured artist/interviewee on the front cover of the March/April 2011 popular “DrumHead” magazine and has been reviewed in many other prestigious jazz publications as well.
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77 Daniel Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire