The Harry Allen Quartet featuring Rossano Sportiello

A swinging jazz saxophonist, Harry Allen is a highly regarded performer whose musical inspiration and interpretive approach come from the giants and innovators of mainstream saxophone, including Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Stan Getz, Illinois Jacquet, and Lester Young. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Allen has generally eschewed the modern, avant-garde, and impressionist schools of jazz of John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and Ornette Coleman. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1966, Allen grew up in a musical family as the son of big-band drummer Maurice Allen. He started off with accordion lessons before there was a fortuitous switch to saxophone. Attending Rutgers University, Allen studied with Sahib Shihab, Bob Mintzer, and John Purcell. While there, he got his first gig with the help of master bass player Major Holley, replacing Zoot Sims in a studio recording with John Bunch, George Masso, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Ruby Braff. Wholley also led Allen to Oliver Jackson, whom Allen subsequently accompanied on several tours to Europe. A 1986 session with Kenny Barron was Allen’s first recording date. After that, Allen made his debut as a leader on 1988’s How Long Has This Been Going On? From there, he delivered a steady stream of recordings under his name for such labels as Progressive, Audiophile, and Nagel-Heyer. Later, his recordings were with major-label RCA-Victor, including 1999’s Harry Allen Meets the John Pizzarelli Trio and 2000’s Plays Ellington Songs. Three of his albums were awarded a Gold Disc by Swing Journal magazine, and his CD Tenors Anyone won both the Gold Disc and New Star awards. He has also recorded as a sideman with Bucky Pizzarelli (with whom he performs quite frequently), Warren Vache, and Jeff Hamilton. Allen continues to record extensively and makes frequent appearances at jazz festivals and concerts. Highly prolific, he delivered a slew of well-regarded albums for BMG in the 2000s before moving back to boutique labels like Arbors, Sackville Records, and Challenge for albums like 2007’s Cocktails for Two with Joe Temperley, 2009’s New York State of Mind, and 2010’s When Larry Met Harry with pianist Larry Goldings. He then paired with longtime associate Scott Hamilton for 2012’s ‘Round Midnight, and explored bossa nova rhythms on 2015’s Something About Jobim. The following year he delivered The Candy Men: Harry Allen’s All-Star New York Saxophone Band, featuring fellow saxophonists Grant Stewart, Eric Alexander, and Gary Smulyan.   Award-winning jazz pianist Rossano Sportiello was born in Vigevano, Italy on 1 June 1974 and started performing professionally at the age of 16 at venues in the Milan area. In 1992, he joined one of Europe’s historic jazz bands, the “Milano Jazz Gang” touring with the group throughout Italy and West Europe until the end of 2000. In the same year, Rossano met legendary jazz pianist and educator, Barry Harris, who became a mentor and good friend. Mr. Harris has touted Rossano as “the best stride piano player” he has ever heard and on several occasions has invited Rossano to perform during his own performances. Stylistically, although international critics consider Rossano a follower of Ralph Sutton, Dave McKenna and Barry Harris, the influence of other great masters can be heard in his playing, such as Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, Count Basie, Earl Hines, Ellis Larkins and Bill Evans, to name a few. Rossano was introduced as a soloist by trombonist/arranger Dan Barrett and drew international acclaim at the 2002 Ascona Jazz Festival (Switzerland) while performing with the eight-piece, all-star American band led by Barrett, which was enthusiastically received by the audience and critics alike. Rossano has performed several times at Ascona since and standing ovations after his performances are not uncommon. In July, at the 25th anniversary of the festival, Rossano received the 2009 Ascona Jazz Award in recognition of his expertise and mastery of jazz piano, in particular stride piano. Rossano made his first trip to the United States and was introduced to the American audience at the invitation of Mat Domber (Arbors Records) to perform at the 2003 “March of Jazz” party in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Following his marriage to American writer, Lala Moore, in 2007, Rossano established himself in New York City.Rossano has performed with the world’s finest jazz luminaries, such as Slide Hampton, Clark Terry, Barry Harris, Dan Barrett, Kenny Davern, Bucky Pizzarelli, Bob Wilber, Warren Vache, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Roker, Harry Allen, Howard Alden, Joe Wilder, Eddie Locke, Joe La Barbera, Scott Hamilton, Jake Hanna, Houston Person, Bill Charlap, Dick Hyman and many others. In recent years Rossano has been in great demand in the United States appearing at New York venues such as the 92nd Street Y, Town Hall, the United Nations and My goal is to play jazz and make it understandable to everybody.Most of all, I want to see people smiling and having fun! Shanghai Jazz in New Jersey, as well as at the main jazz parties and festivals, including The San Diego Jazz Party, Chautauqua Jazz Festival, North Carolina Jazz Party, Rochester Jazz Festival, Odessa Jazz Party, Newport Beach Jazz Party, Arbors Records Invitational Jazz Piano Party, Rocky Mountains Jazz Party and the Roswell Jazz Festival. Internationally, Rossano has performed regularly at the Blackpool Swinging Jazz Party, Norwich Jazz Party, Nairn International Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Spoleto Piano Festival and Lucerne Piano Festival and at acclaimed venues such as the Philarmonie (Luxembourg), Teatro Alla Scala (Milan), Marians Jazz Room (Switzerland), Lionel Hampton Jazz Club (Paris), Blue Note (Milan ), Printzregentertheatre (Munchen-Germany) and Schloss Elmau (Germany), to name a few. Rossano has recorded four solo piano CDs including “In the Dark” (2004, Sackville); “Piano On My Mind” (2005, Jazz Connaisseur), which won the “Prix Du Jazz Classique de l’Académie du Jazz de France”; Heart and Soul” (2006, Arbors Records), selected by the French magazine Jazz Classique among the top 10 of the year; and most recently, “It Amazes Me” (2009, Sackville). Rossano has also recorded two duet CDs with bassist/singer Nicki Parrott on Arbors Records, “Do It Again” (2009) and “People Will Say We’re In Love” (2007), which was selected by The New Yorker magazine as one of the top 10 jazz CDs of 2007.   MUSIC CHARGE: $20.00REQUEST A RESERVATION