DOUG MUNRO: RECORDING ARTIST, COMPOSER ARRANGER (guitar)
Master musician and guitar virtuoso Doug Munro is an established veteran of the Ney York music scene. Since 1987 he has released eleven albums as a leader and Mahas appeared on over 50 recordings as a sideman, producer, and arranger working with a diverse array of artists including Dr. John, Michael Brecker, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. Doug has over 75 originals published compositions and over 300 recorded arrangements performed by some of the finest players in the world. His current CD “A Very Gypsy Christmas” is a swinging “Django” style interpretation of 15 of your all time favorite Christmas songs.

In the performance arena Doug covers a lot of ground. He has released recordings in many jazz styles including: Soul-Jazz, Organ Trio, Latin and Gypsy Jazz.

In the recording field Doug has received two Grammy nominations and two NAIRD awards. Amazon.com picked Boogaloo to Beck, on which Dough performed, arranged, and co-produced as one of its Top Ten Jazz CD’s of 2003. Doug also did orchestration work on the Oscar winning documentary When We Were Kings.

Doug has written 4 books on jazz improvisation for Alfred Music Publications, including one entitled, From Swing to Bebop, that won the Music and Sound Retailers instructional book of the year award in 2000.

As an educator Doug created and was Director of the Jazz Studies Program at The Conservatory of Music at Purchase College from 1993-2002. He continues to teach there as Director Emeritus. This esteemed jazz program boasts a faculty that includes John Abercombie, Todd Coolman, John Faddis, Eric Alexander, John Riley and many other top jazz performers.

Having worked with a veritable Who’s Who of Jazz and Soul artists Doug has garnered high praise from both his fellow artists and the press.

Doug Munro… well he can flat out play! - Dr. Lonnie Smith

“Doug Munro is a tremendously talented guitarist and composer who deserves the ears of a large audience” - Steve Khan

“Doug Munro is one of the finest Guitarist I’ve heard perform. His music is great to listen to, very entertaining, funky, danceable, not to mention his straight ahead groove. Doug is just GREAT!!!” - Melvin Sparks

“Doug Munro plays in the tradition, but he has his own voice, combining elements of mainstream jazz guitar, Brazilian bossa nova and classical music. He has a great sound and swings with authority. I always enjoy playing with him.” - John Stowell

“In sum, Munro displays a hip musicality where discipline, audacity and an ebullient sense of joie de vivre co-mingle with devilish glee. Great Stuff!” - Chuck Berg Jazz Times

KEN PEPLOWSKI
- The late Mel Torme´said, "Since the advent of Benny Goodman, there have been too few clarinetists to fill the void that Goodman left. Ken Peplowski is most certainly one of those few. The man is magic. "The New York Times pronounced a concert of Ken's "Goodman Straight Up, With A Twist Of Lightning. "These quotes only hint at Ken Peplowski's virtuosity - not only is he an outstanding clarinetist and saxophone player, but he's also a charismatic entertainer who has been delighting audiences for over 30 years with his warmth, wit, and musicianship.

"When you grow up in Cleveland, Ohio, playing in a Polish polka band, you learn to think fast on your feet", says Peplowski, who played his first pro engagement when he was still in elementary school. "From my first time performing in public, I knew I wanted to play music for a living."

Ken, and his trumpet-playing brother Ted, made many local radio and TV appearances and played for Polish dances and weddings virtually every weekend all through high-school. "That's where I learned to improvise, 'fake' songs, learn about chord changes, etc.- it's exactly like learning to swim by being thrown into the water!"

By the time Ken was in his early teens, he was experimenting with jazz by playing in the school "stage" bands, and also by jamming with many of the local jazz musicians. "By the time I hit high school, I was teaching at the local music store, playing in our family band, and playing jazz gigs around town while still getting up early every day for school."

After a year of college, Ken joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra under the direction of Buddy Morrow. "Buddy heard me with my quartet at a Cleveland jazz festival along with Teddy Wilson's trio and the Dorsey band, and made an offer right then and there for me to not only play lead alto, but to have a feature spot on the clarinet with the rhythm section. It was a great 'road-school' - we learned the discipline that goes with playing one-nighters every day for 48 weeks out of the year, and Buddy was a great, very generous bandleader."

Peplowski met Sonny Stitt while on the road with the Dorsey band, and studied with him. "He was, and is, an inspiration to all of us who make a living 'on the road' - I've never heard anybody play with such amazing consistency as Sonny, through all kinds of settings."

In 1980, Ken moved to New York City, and was soon playing in all kinds of settings, from Dixieland to avant-garde jazz. "Everything's a learning experience in jazz music - there's always an element of the unpredictable." In 1984, Benny Goodman came out of retirement and put together a new band, hiring Ken on tenor saxophone. "I think Benny was as great a figure to the clarinet as Louis Armstrong was to the trumpet. He was an extremely tough band leader, but he was as demanding on himself as he was on us - if you showed him respect and were there to play his music for him, he respected you back, and I have yet to work with anyone else that could get such great results out of a band. Part of the key to unlocking the enigma of Benny was that he thought about music pretty much 24 hours a day, and sometimes that was to the exclusion of personal relationships. I liked him a lot, though, and he actually tried to get me signed to a record deal (with him as producer!) before I'd signed with anyone else."

Peplowski wound up signing with Concord Records, under the tutelage of Carl Jefferson, the founder and president, and recorded close to 20 albums as a leader, including "The Natural Touch" in 1992 which won Best Jazz Record of the Year by the Prises Deutschen Schallplatten Kritiken, and "The Other Portrait", recorded in Sophia Bulgaria with the symphony orchestra and highlighting Ken's classical side. His last two records were "Lost In The Stars" and "Easy To Remember" (on Nagel Heyer Records), the latter of which features Bobby Short on his last recording. "I loved Bobby Short's approach to the American songbook, and we'd talked about doing a record together for a while - I'm glad we got this one 'in the can.'

"What's in the future? "Who knows? I love all kinds of music, and I'd like to find more opportunities to bridge the gaps between different musical styles - I consider myself an interpreter of material - if something interests me, I try to put my own spin on it, without thinking or worrying about playing in any particular style. Basically, I like a challenge, I'm a sucker for a good melody, and I love playing for audiences, big or small."

And he has certainly achieved these goals, be it in small clubs, the Hollywood Bowl (where he played a sold-out concert), headlining in Las Vegas, the Newport Jazz Festival, pops concerts, European festivals´ clubs, or at home in NYC doing everything from playing on the soundtracks to Woody Allen movies, to taking on the role of music director for interactive French and Italian cookbooks ("Menus And Music").

The litany of musicians Ken has collaborated with includes: Mel Torme, Leon Redbone, Charlie Byrd, Peggy Lee, George Shearing, Madonna ,Hank Jones, Dave Frishberg, Rosemary Clooney, Tom Harrell, James Moody, Cedar Walton, Houston Person, Steve Allen, Woody Allen, & Erich Kunzel. ("Although not necessarily in that order," says Ken).

Peplowski also does many workshops for students of all ages- "My goal is to get the students to learn how to teach themselves, and to learn how to bring out their own best qualities; after all, jazz is about individuality - first you learn the rules, then you break them. I would like to think that I never stop learning, myself!"

To quote the Jazz Journal International, "Ken Peplowski is one of those fine young Americans who are currently setting so much of the pace in all that's good in jazz.

Ken Peplowski is a Buffet-Crampon artist, and plays the R-13 clarinet, with a Portnoy mouthpiece and Van Doren German-cut reeds. He also plays a Yamaha tenor sax and a Berg Larsen mouthpiece.

"Ken's next CD will be a ballad record on tenor sax and clarinet for Venus Records, and is coming out soon.

Ken's new releases include "Memories Of You" on Venus Records, and 2 upcoming releases "Little Dogs" with Greg Cohen and a 2-CD set on Venus Records.

He is receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Elkhart Jazz Festival and is musical director for "The Jazz Cruise", the Oregon Festival of American Music, and the Eugene Oregon Jazz Festival.

ERNIE PUGLIESE
Ernie is a self taught player and after his teen year garage band exploits, guitar playing was relegated to hobby status by a 30 year business career. After a “Right Sized” retirement, he has more time to devote to one of his passions, Jazz Guitar. He has played around the Delaware Valley with a number of jazz groups and counts among his favorite improvisational influences, Pat Martino and Jim Hall. Ernie, in the late 90s wrote for Jazz Improv Magazine and The Green Mountain Jazz Messenger. Through his reviews and interviews, he had the opportunity to meet and spend quality time with many of his jazz idols. His recent interest in the rhythm masters of the Big Bands and Swing Ensembles led him to Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli’s music of the 30s and 40s.

Hot Club Du Jour provides the platform not only to improvise but focus on the driving, vibrant “Pompe” rhythm style so prevalent in the Gipsy Jazz and Swing genres. For Ernie, HCDJ’s repertoire is not exclusively a Creative outlet, but playing live with them is pure joy and fun. All while moving the audience to participate in infectious toe tapping, finger snapping and head bobbing.

HOWIE BUJESE (violin)
from Flagpole Radio Café posting

Howie Bujese has been playing the violin for close to thirty years. Mr. Bujese studied formally with Jay Ungar, but as an itnerant fiddler he also learned from playing throughout the Southern United States, Great Britain, and Ireland. Upon his return from overseas, he helped organize the ensemble which would soon become Out to Lunch (http://out2lunch.lunarpages.com) and be the mainstay of his musical endeavors for the next decades. Howie lives in Western Connecticut where he also performs with his wife Pam in a jazz quartet called Cool Sruttin. He also plays with various Irish, Bluegrass and swing groups, as well as Cafe Musette.

MICHAEL GOETZ (bass)
Michael has worked with saxophonist Ira Sullivan, Steve Slagle, trumpeter Pete Minger, Ray Vega, bassist Ron Carter, singer Alice Day, guitarist Vic Juris, John Basile, Joe Puma, Dave Stzyker, Joe Beck, and composer and multi-instrumentalist David Amram, as well as the Lou Anderson Big Band. He has played throughout the metropolitan area at clubs such as BB Kings, Trumpets, The 55 Bar, Michaels Pub, Iridium Jazz Club, Cleopatra’s Needle and Smalls Jazz Club. Michael has recorded for various jingles on T.V. (Oldsmobile, American Brands, Glaxco and Faberge) and for feature films such as “Snake Eyes”, “Twilight” and “Femme Fatale”.
Michael records for Vitamin records playing on many tribute albums such as “Pink Floyd”, “The Dixie Chicks”, “Celine Dion” and “The Beach Boys” to name a few. Currently you can hear him on a new CD entitled “Big Boss Bossa Nova in the Doug Munro Group (Chase Music) and also on Underhill Jazz with John Basile (UnderhillJazz.com).

Michael has also worked on Broadway in such shows as The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Ragtime, Beauty and the Beast and Radio City Music Hall. Michael has a B.M. degree in jazz and studio music from the University of Miami, and a M.F.A. degree in jazz performance from SUNY Purchase.

CYRILLE-AIMEE DAUDEL (vocals)
Cyrille Aimée has consistently proven herself to be an unstoppable, undeniable talent in the modern age of jazz. Internationally renowned and praised for her unparalleled abilities, Cyrille's vocal stylings are synonymous with musical genius. Her culturally rich background has supplied her with the driving force of Dominican rhythm and the incredible swing of the French Gypsies. Taking these natural abilities with her across the world, she has done nothing short of receiving rave reviews and a loyal following in each country she graces with her voice.

Cyrille mastered the art of improvisation while studying at the well known conservatory of jazz at SUNY Purchase, with teachers such as Pete Malinverni, Jon Faddis and Jimmy Greene.

Cyrille Aimée was a finalist in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition of 2010, performing in front of a jury of Al Jarreau, Kurt Elling, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater... In 2007, Cyrille won both the first and public prize in the Montreux Jazz Festival Competition.

Cyrille's discography and musical history is an impressive list for any musician, jazz or otherwise. At the young age of 26, she has already released four CDs internationally, including "Cyrille Aimée & The Surreal Band" and "Smile" with Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo currently on iTunes.
The Japanese label Venus Records has just released Cyrille and Diego’s latest duo album “Just the Two of us” this past November.

Cyrille Aimée has been featured on compilations, feature film soundtracks across the globe and on the albums of Denis Chang and David Reinhardt. She fronted France's latest worldwide sensation 'Caravan Palace' on their European tour and performed in front of crowds that number over 10,000 people.

Cyrille currently lives in Brooklyn and regularly performs in Manhattan with legends of the East Coast jazz scene. She can be found any given day in the historic jazz clubs of NYC, including Joe’s Pub and Dizzy's Club, with musicians like Steve Davis, Spike Wilner, Tom Kennedy and Anat Cohen among many others.

Her latest record “Cyrille Aimée & friends Live at Smalls” features Roy Hargrove and Joel Frahm and is released under the label Smalls LIVE.