Award-winning star of film, television and the stage, Linda Lavin makes a return appearance for an unforgettable evening of great jazz and cabaret. Accompanying and collaborating with Linda is pianist Billy Stritch, himself a gifted and dazzling performer, and jazz guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, along with John Brown on bass and Steve Bakunas on drums. A special event you won't want to miss!
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About the Performers:
LINDA LAVIN — Born in Portland, Maine to a musically-inclined family (her mother was once an opera singer) and on stage from the age of 5, singer/actress Linda Lavin graduated from The College of William and Mary with a theatre degree. She pounded the New York pavements in the early 60s searching for work following some stock roles in New Jersey, and gradually made a dent within the NY musical comedy scene with roles in "Oh, Kay!" (1960), "A Family Affair," (1962), "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman" (1966) (her standout number was "You've Got Possibilities") and "On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever" (1966). She also won kudos for her straight acting roles in "Little Murders" (1969 Drama Desk award) and "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" (1969 Tony nomination). A one-time member of Paul Sills' Compass Players comedy troupe back in the late 1950s, she served as a replacement in Sills' "Story Theatre" Broadway production in 1971.
TV beckoned in the 1970s and utilized her singing talents in a small-screen version of Damn Yankees! (1967) (TV) starring Phil Silvers and Lee Remick. After a one-season false start as Detective Janice Wentworth on the sitcom "Barney Miller" (1974), it didn't take long for the talented lady to become a household name in another. As the titular waitress/mom in the sitcom "Alice" (1976), based on the award-winning film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) starring Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn, Lavin won deserved stardom. During the nine seasons (1976-1985) the show was on the air, she nabbed two Golden Globe awards and an Emmy nomination. Ever the singer, she even warbled "There's a New Girl in Town" over the opening credits of the show to the delight of her fans.
Following this success, Linda lavished her attentions once again on the stage. She earned renewed respect, in addition to several critic's awards, for her diversified Broadway work in "Broadway Bound" (1987 Tony award), "Death Defying Acts" (1995 Obie award), "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1998 Tony nomination: as the high-strung Mrs. Van Daan) and "Tales of the Allergist Wife" (2000 Tony nomination). More recently, she appeared in Carol Burnett's autobiographical play "Hollywood Arms" (2002) portraying Burnett's grandmother. The piece was co-written by Burnett's late daughter, Carrie Hamilton. Linda received excellent reviews the first time around for her stage work in "Collected Stories" (2000). Later she appeared in a PBS-TV version of Collected Stories (2002) (TV) and in 2010 revived it on Broadway, earning a Tony nomination for her efforts. She has also occasionally directed for the stage.
In 2005 married her husband, actor Steve Bakunas, who is also an artist and musician. Since her "Alice" heyday, the actress has again found series work, "Room for Two" (1992) and "Conrad Bloom" (1998). She has also been seen in penetrating guest parts on such established series as "The Sopranos," "Law & Order" and "The O.C." (recurring).
Linda's Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh
BILLY STRITCH — An award-winning composer, arranger, vocalist, and jazz pianist of extraordinary range and sophistication, BILLY STRITCH breathes new life into the Great American Songbook, all the while bringing an easy sense of humor and showmanship to his performances.
Born and raised in Sugar Land, Texas, Billy Stritch got his start at age 12, playing piano at his neighborhood First Presbyterian Church. Word spread about the child prodigy, and the local country club hired him for a four-year weekly gig in the piano bar. The dreaded requests came in droves, prompting Billy to rush home and learn all the requisite standards, which would subsequently fill his tip bowl! Inspiration came from jazz greats like Oscar Peterson and George Shearing, but his older sister’s love for Elton John and Billy Joel opened up a new world of pop music which informs his playing to this day. After being turned on to singers like Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald, Mark Murphy and Carmen McRae, Stritch started to find his own voice to use in conjunction with the piano mastery.
While at the University of Houston, Billy teamed with two female vocalists and created Montgomery, Plant & Stritch. The jazz vocal trio appeared in local saloons, but soon they were playing the most important supper clubs in the country. Eventually, the JVC Jazz Festival paired the group with Mel Torme at Carnegie Hall, they became regulars at the Newport Jazz Festival, and they toured Italy with the North Sea Jazz Festival four years in a row. When the group broke up, Billy made the big move to New York City. He was playing a piano bar when Liza Minnelli stopped in, listened and immediately hired him to arrange for her “Steppin’ Out At Radio City” extravaganza. This led to international performances on stage at The Palais de Congres in Paris, The Municipale in Rio de Janeiro, The Russiya in Moscow, NHK Hall in Tokyo and The Royal Albert Hall in London. He acted as associate producer, pianist and arranger for Minnelli’s Gently CD, which earned two Grammy nominations, and was co-arranger with Marvin Hamlisch for Minnelli On Minnelli at the Palace Theater in New York City. His arrangements have also been performed in the annual Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, most memorably in the "Multiplying Santa" fantasy.
As a composer, Stritch and Nashville writer Sandy Knox penned the 1994 Grammy Award-winning country song, "Does He Love You?," recorded by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis, which has sold over four million copies nationwide. The song was named one of the Top Ten Country Songs of 1994 by the readers of Music City News and also appears on Patti LaBelle’s CD, Flame. Most recently, it was performed on "American Idol" by Reba McIntire and the show’s winner Kelly Clarkson.
In 2001, a new door opened in the professional life of Billy Stritch. He was cast in the role of Oscar, the piano-playing crooner in the Broadway revival of “42nd Street” which starred Christine Ebersole Their show-stopping number together, "I Only Have Eyes For You", led to television spots on The Rosie O’Donnell Show and CBS This Morning. In February 2004, Billy and Christine collaborated on a nightclub act entitled “In Your Dreams” which they have performed at Feinstein’s in New York, The Cinegrill in Hollywood, and Manhattan’s famed jazz nightspot Birdland. In November 2004, the two released a CD also entitled “In Your Dreams” on the Ghostlight Records label and they have many concert appearances scheduled through 2005 and beyond. Billy’s other TV appearances include Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall, The Today Show, The Charlie Rose Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He was also guest conductor for The Rosie O’Donnell Show when regular musical director John McDaniel was on the road in concert.
His first solo recording, “Billy Stritch” (DRG Records), finds Stritch swinging standards with Chip Jackson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. His follow-up CD on the Touchwood Record label, “Waters Of March: The Brazilian Album”, features Dave Ratajczak on drums, David Finck on bass, along with a 40-piece string orchestra. “Jazz Live”, his third release (Fynsworth Alley), was recorded live at The Jazz Standard in New York City with John Arbo on bass and Dave Ratajczak on drums, and caused the London Times to rave, "Equally gifted as a player and a singer, and doing both with no-holds-power, Stritch is not afraid to dazzle!"
BUCKY PIZZARELLI — John 'Bucky' Pizzarelli (1926) began his professional career in 1943 at 17 years old playing in the Vaughn Monroe dance band. He toured and recorded with Monroe through 1951, and in 1952 he joined NBC as a staff musician. At NBC, for many years, he played in the Doc Severinson Band on the Tonight Show. He also toured and recorded with Benny Goodman into the 1980's.
In New York, Pizzarelli worked mainly as a freelance musician in the studios and he appeared on many recordings as part of the rhythm section. One of the era's most solid rhythm players, Pizzarelli was in high demand to provide propulsion and background for other musicians.
His recordings as leader began to appear in the 1970's with recordings like Green Guitar Blues. On this recording Pizzarelli established a pattern he repeated throughout his career. That is, playing and recording some of the great historic guitar compositions from the 1930's. On this recording he pays homage to Carl Kress and Dick McDonough by including Chicken A La Swing. A few years later he paid tribute to these two guitarists again on his Guitar Quintet LP. On April Kisses from 1999, he includes original music by Carl Kress, George Van Eps and George M. Smith.
Bucky Pizzarelli has carried forward other jazz guitar traditions as well.
His extraordinary skill as a rhythm player places him in the company of the great rhythm players like Freddie Greene and Barry Galbraith. And he has brought forward the great chord solo tradition begun by George Van Eps and Dick McDonough. Like George Van Eps, Bucky Pizzarelli adopted the seven-string electric guitar (in fact, playing the Gretsch Van Eps model for many years). And, although this guitar is very popular today, for many years, Bucky Pizzarelli, was considered the only guitarist next to George Van Eps, to play the seven-string electric guitar exclusively.
Along with being a dedicated preservationist of the old guitar music and the early styles of playing, Bucky Pizzarelli has also developed a very personal style that sets him apart. Recordings like Love Songs and NY Swing present a picture of the complete jazz musician and guitarist who moves effortlessly from the daunting format of the solo guitar to playing solid, swinging rhythm and single string solos in an ensemble setting.
Bucky Pizzarelli Biography from ClassicJazzGuitar.com
JOHN BROWN — Bassist, composer, educator and actor John Brown is a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and currently resides in Durham, NC. He is a graduate of the School of Music at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the School of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. John currently serves as Director of the Jazz Program and Associate Professor of the Practice of Music at Duke University, and he has served on the faculties of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University and Guilford College (NC).He has been performing professionally since his teens and has performed in the United States & abroad with artists like Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Elvin Jones, Nnenna Freelon, Cyrus Chestnut, Diahann Carroll, Rosemary Clooney, Nell Carter, Lou Donaldson, Slide Hampton, Nicholas Payton, Frank Foster, Larry Coryell, Cedar Walton, Fred Wesley, Bernard Purdie and Mark Whitfield, as well as giving regular performances as a substitute with the North Carolina Symphony since 1992.
John also has a Grammy nomination for his performance and co-writing on Nnenna Freelon’s 1996 Concord release, Shaking Free, and recently earned his membership the Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) for his role in the feature film, Bolden. His extensive experience includes performances at notable venues like Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Blue Note, Blues Alley, and the Hollywood bowl and at major jazz festivals like the Playboy Jazz Festival, the JVC Jazz Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Free Jazz Festival (Brazil) and Jazz e Vienne (France). He actively performs and records internationally as a sideman & a leader, and gives education residencies across the nation including conducting District, Regional and All-State Jazz Ensembles. He founded the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble and led that group for several years, and now leads a group of high school students who are serious about studying and performing jazz music called the JAZZFORCE. John is also part owner of the Hudson Brown Agency (a full-service international booking agency), and he has recently become a YAMAHA Certified String Educator.
STEVE BAKUNAS — His talents have taken him from the circus to the theater. Now, he’s rejuvenating a neighborhood. The Connecticut native has done everything from selling Fuller brushes in San Francisco and used cars in Los Angeles to driving for the Grateful Dead and working in Circus Vargas. Ultimately, he became a stage actor (he wrapped up work in Art at Thalian Hall in September) before discovering his creative bent as a painter, sculptor, set designer, carpenter, builder and a jazz drummer.
Coming from a family of seven sisters and one brother, Bakunas left home when he was 16, several years after his father died of a stroke. He then traveled the country and picked up various skills and leanings along the way. He landed in Wilmington in 1999 and began making his mark in the local theater community.
In 2005, Bakunas married actress Linda Lavin (Alice) who calls her husband “one of those renaissance people who can do everything.” While renovating a cottage and turning it into a small studio on South Third Street near Marstellar, he began to buy and restore other homes on Roderick Alley behind the studio. At 49, he now finds himself revitalizing the area in an attempt to create a small community from the ashes of what was only recently a drug-infested neighborhood.