Capital District Jazz is excited to announce the second event in its new monthly concert series Jazz at the Spring with the inspiring and ethereal sounds of vocalist Shiri Zorn and her long-time collaborators. When Zorn, guitarist George Muscatello and percussionist Brian Melick join forces, the result is provocative, mysterious, and adventurous music. The trio’s exciting program consists of innovative renditions of the jazz repertoire along with original material featured on their recently released critically acclaimed CD “This Lives Here”. Together, this trio creates a unique jazz formulation blending Zorn's international sensibilities with Melick’s pan-cultural world music rhythms and Muscatello's signature flights of fret-board wizardry. Muscatello’s compositions are masterful soundscapes which marry crisp melodies with modern harmonic language while managing to simultaneously respect yet push the boundaries of jazz. “We think you will find it simply impossible not to fall in love with this trio,” Jazz at the Spring’s producer, Mark Kleinhaut says. “Their chemistry and musicianship is transporting!”

Shiri Zorn began her musical training in Israel at the age of six, studying classical piano, but it wasn’t long before she found her true instrument her voice when she discovered a passion for folk and classical singing. At 14 she enrolled at the leading school for the arts in Israel, Thelma Yelin, where she was drawn to the music of Gershwin and was captivated by the world's greatest jazz singers: Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae. In 2001, Zorn moved to London, England to study at one of the world’s most renowned music schools, The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where her vocal studies and love of jazz coalesced. “It was at the Guildhall School that I finally realized where my voice was taking me,” Zorn said. And jazz lovers have delighted in that journey ever since. Zorn’s pure tone and unapparelled phrasing makes the listener lean in as she reveals new insights into the great America songbook, with exciting and intimate renderings of these classic tunes.

Guitarist George Muscatello demonstrates an extraordinary ability to tell the story of a song through improvisation and his technical mastery of the guitar. “It is always exciting to hear George”, says Kleinhaut, "he is the kind of guitarist who makes us realize the immense capabilities of this popular instrument. In his hands, the guitar becomes an inter-dimensional time-space machine". Muscatello, a Manhattan School of Music alumnus, has been an active performer for 25 years and has played with world renowned musicians such as Nick Brignola, Wayne Krantz and Adam Rogers. Additionally, as an adjunct lecturer at Skidmore College for the past 11 years he has hosted master classes with musicians who are in the jazz vanguard, like Kurt Rosenwinkle, Julian Lage, Eric Harland, Chris Potter and Robert Glasper.

Completing this stellar trio is percussionist Brian Melick. Melick, a featured recording artist on over 375 commercially released recordings, is not only a talented musician, he is an educator, author and designer. He offers workshops and master classes focusing on the world of percussion, world of Udu and making and playing percussion instruments. He has written two books and produced two instructional DVDs The How to of Udu, Alfred Publishing and Making Percussion Instruments out of Found Objects. Melick also holds three US patents for the development of a series of custom designed performance stands for clay Udu drums.

Jazz at the Spring will be held the last Thursday of each month at the Spring Street Gallery, Saratoga Springs, and is sponsored by Capital District Jazz, Ltd. (CDJ) a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization formed by practitioners and fans who love jazz music.  American in origin, jazz reaches and draws from millions of performers and listeners around the globe who are inspired by its rich history, excited by its technical complexity, and moved by its emotional depth.  The members of CDJ want to share their love of jazz with current and potential performers and enthusiasts throughout the "Capital District".  CDJ's mission is to build and serve a wider audience for jazz through education; to create performance opportunities for jazz musicians; and to develop venues for these pursuits. CDJ supports All Ears: Jazz and Improvised Music Workshop, which is a fun hands-on way for students of all ages to learn about jazz.

CDJ is offering a number of free tickets for youth age 17 and under. If you are interested in obtaining a free ticket please inquire via email info@cdjazz.org. Tickets are $15 and are available at: brown paper tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3095138