December Jazz at Pizzeria Lauretano Includes Brazilian Beats and Bossanova

Bethel, CT- December J A Z Z @ Pizzeria Lauretano

“Jazz sizzles at the red-hot series served at Pizzeria Lauretano!”
- Owen McNally, Jazz Corridor, WNPR

Sunday December 13 - Michael Leventhal & Orgone Jazz Quintet
Sunday December 20 - Jerrod Cattey Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas, The music of Vince Guaraldi
Sunday December 27 - Karen Johnstone Quintet

Pizzeria Lauretano is located at 291 Greenwood Ave, Bethel CT. All shows begin at 6PM on Sunday. Cover charge is $15 for all shows (unless noted). Reservations recommended, call 203-792-1500 pizzerialauretano.com facebook Serving renowned wood-fired pizza and modern Napolitana cuisine in a comfortable bistro setting. Salute!

Bios:
Sunday December 6

Sambeleza
Isabella Mendes, vocals & piano; Joe Carter, guitar; Jeff Fuller, bass
Boas Festas! Sambeleza features the crystalline vocals of Sao Paulo native Isabella Mendes, along with Brazilian specialist Joe Carter on guitar, and accomplished jazz bassist Jeff Fuller (Lou Donaldson, Paquito Rivera, Hilton Ruiz). With Isabella also on piano, the trio performs a gorgeous blend of jazz and Brazilian, doing classics and originals in the bossa nova, samba, and jazz traditions. Sambeleza derives its name from two words: samba, the national dance of Brasil, and beleza, Portuguese for ‘beauty’. Sambeleza Live! is their new CD. http://www.sambeleza.com/

Sunday December 13
Michael Leventhal & Orgone Jazz Quintet
Michael Leventhal, saxophone; Dan D’Onofrio, trumpet & flugelhorn; Chris Morrison, guitar; Henry Lugo, bass; Bobby Leonard, drums

Five of CT’s best jazzers align in this new quintet named for Willam Reich’s “universal life force,” playing straight-ahead and some beautiful swing. Mike Leventhal (Basie Orchestra, Manhattan Transfer, Eartha Kitt) and Dan D’Onofrio have both played professionally for more than 30 years. Chris Morrison is a sought-after guitarist and college instructor, and Henry Lugo is a popular local bass player (Maydie Myles, Marshall McDonald). Bob Leonard (Woody Herman, Dave Liebman, Randy Brecker) is one of the area’s leading drummers.

Sunday December 20

Jerrod Cattey Trio with A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Music of Vince Guaraldi
Jerrod Cattey, drums; Darren Litzie, piano; Kevin Smith, bassist

Our annual holiday concert! A Pizzeria Lauretano tradition, it features three talented and very busy WestConn music graduates: Darren Litzie on piano, Kevin Smith on bass, and Jerrod Cattey on drums. They bring to life the exuberant jazz music of composer and pianist Vince Guaraldi from the beloved Peanuts TV specials.

Sunday December 27
Karen Johnstone Quintet
Karen Johnstone, vocals; Matthew Detroy, piano; Dave Savitsky, saxophone; Preston Murphy, bass; and Hans Broecking, drums

Mingus, Monk, Bossa Nova, and world-beat originals! Karen Johnstone comes in to lead a tight group of musicians, who’ve just finished a two-year residency at Norwalk’s Fat Cat Pizza (with Rich Zurkowski on bass). A Danbury native who studied music in Spain, Karen’s musical experience ranges from Jazz, Merengue, and Salsa to Samba, Flamenco, R&B, and Reggae. She toured for 10 years as backup singer/keyboardist with Mystic Bowie, and played with Profile Reggae Band and Gnostic Roots Band. She and pianist/composer Matthew DeTroy lead the multicultural band Strawberry Brown with music from Spain, Brazil, Columbia, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Sri Lanka. Karen also worked with Renard Boissiere on her album The Same Day, and with Chris Coogan’s Good News Gospel Choir.

-Judith Joiner, publicity