“On Stage with Eastman” this fall at The Smith

The Smith Center for the Arts in Geneva is launching a new, cutting-edge and interesting trio of Sunday afternoon concerts called “ON STAGE WITH EASTMAN”. A limited number of seats set up on the Smith’s stage will place the audience up close and personal with talented performers from the Eastman School of Music and will provide a new and intimate experience for the Smith’s audiences. To kick off the series on September 12, 2010 at 2pm master magician and pianist Igor Lipinski in ”The Unknown” will present an unusual and mystifying mix of music and magic. Igor known to Geneva audiences for his recitals at Hobart and William smith colleges and St. Michael’s Church is a master magician who so impressed Penn and that they invited Igor to Las Vegas at their expense to refine the act. He has recently completed a two week run at the GEVA theatre in Rochester to raves followed by a performances at the renowned Dakota Sky Piano Festival in July of this year. By very strange coincidence a major NY Agent who was visiting Rochester for another reason attended a recent performance as part of the international jazz festival and after seeing it and how unique it was asked him if he would be like her to be his agent. And so it goes…a major star in the making. With the audience in contact with him, Igor’s mix of magic with great piano music keeps an audience totally engrossed and as a target of some of his magic. The performance moves so quickly that time vanishes On October 10, 2010 George Abraham and Friends performing “Music for the People”: Young vocal Stars from the Eastman School of Music will entertain with vocal classics from the standard repertoire including songs by Aaron Copeland, spirituals that are part of the our cultural heritage, and songs from Broadway musicals and by George Gershwin, and Mozart. Accompanied by Geneva native and Eastman School of Music Board member George Abraham, the program will have something for everyone and will be sure to delight up close and personal. A list of favorites will be performed after being selected by the audience. The Ben Thomas Trio on November 14 will be jazz up close and personal by a great jazz ensemble. Ben Thomas is a GREAT young jazz bass player who has the technique, skills and improvisational philosophy of bass great and Geneva native Scott LaFaro who was tragically killed at age 25 after having a short but groundbreaking career with the Bill Evans trio. Ben was named the received the Outstanding Musician award at the 2006 Berklee Jazz Festival, and has received two Downbeat awards for his Jazz group and for being part of the award winning Eastman New Jazz Ensemble. Ben has played with jazz greats Dave Rivello, and Ornette Coleman, and this summer with Rick Braun and Chaka Khan. Ben will be joined by Aaron Staebell on drums and saxophone jazz great Tony Malaby. Malaby’s debut CD “Sabino” on the Arabesque label made the NY Times and Philadelphia City paper’s top ten Jazz lists. Malaby just finished a gig from August 24-29 at the Village Vanguard in NY City with the Paul Motion Trio. The Ben Thomas trio will demonstrate how wonderful a small ensemble can be in a time where subtle ensemble articulation is a lost art. The audience directly surrounding the trio will hear modern improvised jazz as chamber music with structure and exploration going hand in hand. These are concerts not to be missed. Visit the artist web sites: igorlipinski.com, Benthomasmusic.com, Tonymalaby.comMore information can be obtained at www.thesmith.org or by calling (315) 781-5483. The Smith accepts MasterCard, Visa and Discover. Box office hours are weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.