Gypsy Jazz Christmas

Come celebrate the holidays with the swingingest Gypsy Jazz versions of Christmas favorites! These are not the same old tired versions of traditional Christmas songs but brand new, reworked arrangements.

Jazz guitar virtuoso Doug Munro has an insatiable appetite for all things jazz. On his critically acclaimed CD, “A Very Gypsy Christmas” Doug demonstrates his long standing love affair with the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Doug has been presenting this annual holiday show to enthusiastic audiences since its 2011 release.

Featuring Howie Bujese, Michael Goetz, and Vinny Raniolo

“It’s tough to keep the knees and feet from moving!  Wonderful!”  -Wall Street Journal

Doug Munro: Master musician and guitarist Doug Munro is an established veteran of the New York music scene. Since 1986 he has released 18 albums as a leader and has appeared on over 75 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 original published compositions and over 300 recorded arrangements performed by some of the finest players in the world. Doug’s latest release, “Doug Munro and La Pompe Attack: The Harry Warren Songbook” is a Gypsy Swing infused tribute to Doug’s great uncle Harry Warren.  In the recording field Doug has received two Grammy nominations and two NAIRD awards. Amazon.com picked Boogaloo to Beck, on which Doug 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. In 2011 “A Very Gypsy Christmas “ was picked as one of the top five holiday releases by the Wall Street Journal. 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.

Howie Bujese: A native of Bergen County, New Jersey, Howie first became interested in the violin in the late ’60 when watching a PBS special he heard American Traditional fiddling for the first time. He began traveling to the fiddle conventions in Virginia and North Carolina to learn to play. Over the years Howie studied and learned the traditional fiddling styles of the Southern Appalachians, Ireland, and Scotland and his curiosity eventually led him to Gypsy Jazz. Having no formal training he learned by way of the aural tradition, listening, watching and playing. Howie performs internationally and has played with a broad range of artist from Jonathan Edwards to David Amram to Noel Redding to name a few. Along with Swing du Jour and Le Pompe Attack , Howie and his wife Pam Bujese are members of  Cool Struttin’, a quartet playing the Great American Songbook, and also for over thirty years with the NYC area acoustic swing band Out to Lunch.

Michael Goetz: Michael has worked with saxophonist Ira Sullivan, Steve Slagle, trumpeter Pete Minger, Ray Vega, bassist Ron Carter, singer Alice Day, guitarist Vic Juris, Joe Puma, Dave Stzyker, Joe Beck, Doug Munro and composer and multi-instrumentalist David Amram, as well as the Glenn Miller Big Band and Lou Anderson Big Band. He has played throughout the metropolitan area at clubs such as the Angry Squire, the 55 Bar, Michaels Pub, Iridium Jazz Club, and Smalls Jazz Club in Greenwich Village, as well as recording for various jingles on T.V., films (Snake Eyes, Twilight, Femme Fatale) and radio features for Oldsmobile, American Brands, Glaxco and Faberge. 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. Currently Michael is performing with the Doug Munro group which he has been performing with for the last seven years. Most recently he has been performing around the tri-state area promoting Doug Munro’s latest CD “Big Bossa Nova 2.0.”

Vinny Raniolo: Vinny is best known for his accompanying skills and is a very high demand rhythm guitarist. His dynamic playing has taken him to 14 countries on three continents (and still growing), and he has performed in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, Lincoln Center, and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.  Often featured on National Public Radio in duo with Frank Vignola, Vinny has become a familiar
figure on Public Television, featured previously on three popular shows, including the heavily programmed Tommy Emmanuel and Friends. Frank and Vinny’s own PBS special, Four Generations of Guitars premiered in the 2014-15 season as part of the forthcoming 13 episode series Music Gone Public.  Vinny also has worked with artists like Leon Redbone, Vince Giordano, Deana Martin and Olli Soikkeli as well as on screen appearances on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.

All seats are general admission and include one beverage (wine, beer, or two gourmet soft drinks). Advance tickets on sale until 4pm the day of the performance / $35 at the door.