Bob Albanese and Café Simpatico

Bob Albanese, a native of Newark, New Jersey, began playing the piano when he was eight. He attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied classical piano, composition, and jazz improvisation. He has performed extensively in clubs and done studio work in New York as well as Puerto Rico with notable Latin jazz artists such as David Sanchez, John Benitez, Richie Flores, and Jerry and Andy Gonzales. He performed with Mauricio Smith and his Latin Band at the Rainbow Room in New York and toured with Buddy Rich and his big band. He was a guest pianist with the Hawaii Symphony and the Honolulu Symphony, and he has performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Jazz a Junas (France), the Sunset Club in Paris, and the Catskills Jazz Festival.

Bob Albanese, a native of Newark, New Jersey, began playing the piano when he was eight. He attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied classical piano, composition, and jazz improvisation. He has performed extensively in clubs and done studio work in New York as well as Puerto Rico with notable Latin jazz artists such as David Sanchez, John Benitez, Richie Flores, and Jerry and Andy Gonzales. He performed with Mauricio Smith and his Latin Band at the Rainbow Room in New York and toured with Buddy Rich and his big band. He was a guest pianist with the Hawaii Symphony and the Honolulu Symphony, and he has performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Jazz a Junas (France), the Sunset Club in Paris, and the Catskills Jazz Festival. Albanese is on the faculty at New York University in the jazz/contemporary music department, specializing in Latin jazz.

Flutist/saxophonist Jay Collins learned his craft on the West Coast playing gigs on the street and with bebop bassist, LeRoy Vennegar. Moving to New York in 1992, Collins recorded with Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid, Ben Riley, and Joe Locke. He then began playing soprano saxophone and studying the flute and the bansuri (classical Indian flute). He has worked extensively in the bands of Andrew Hill, Jacky Terrasson, Gregg Allman, and Bobby Sanabria. He currently studies voice and is a private instructor in saxophone, flute, and music theory with emphasis on improvisation.

Drummer David Meade is a native of Oakland, California. He received a bachelor’s degree in jazz performance at San Jose State University and a master’s in jazz performance from the Manhattan School of Music. He has performed with Aretha Franklin, the Mammas and the Papas 1994 Australian tour and the 2000 Bobby McFerrin Emergency Exit USA tour. Performances include the Rainbow Room in New York with Mauricio Smith and Robert Albanese, the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Aspen Jazz Festival, and the Monterey Jazz Festival.

Eric Stiller, bassist, was born in Cleveland and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has studied privately with David Young of the Los Angeles Opera, and Louis Kabok. He toured with Maynard Ferguson, and appeared with Gary Burton, Makoto Ozone, Ernie Andrews, Bobby Shew, Lanny Morgan, Pete Christlieb, and Chris Calloway. He has recorded with Eric Marienthal, Oscar Brashear, Bob Dorough, Justo Almario, Alex Acuna, and Bob Mintzer. Currently he is a member of the Greenwich Village Orchestra in New York City.

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5/27/03: Bob Albanese and Café Simpatico

Latin Jazz quartet Bob Albanese and Café Simpatico includes Bob Albanese (piano), Jay Collins (flute and saxaphone), David Meade (drums), and Eric Stiller (bass). This performance kicks-off their U.S. Department of State Jazz Ambassadors tour.

Bob Albanese and Café Simpatico

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Bob Albanese and Café Simpatico

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