Please join us for this very special show with two illustrious visiting jazz artists: internationally prominent, multi-Grammy Trumpeter RANDY BRECKER and worldwide acclaimed Saxophonist ADA ROVATTI. These outstanding artists are visiting as part of the University of New Hampshire’s annual Clark Terry Jazz Festival for UNH students and have graciously agreed to also perform for the public.
Please join us for this very special show with two illustrious visiting jazz artists: internationally prominent, multi-Grammy Trumpeter RANDY BRECKER and worldwide acclaimed Saxophonist ADA ROVATTI. These outstanding artists are visiting as part of the University of New Hampshire’s annual Clark Terry Jazz Festival for UNH students and have graciously agreed to also perform for the public. You will hear a mix of original compositions from their voluminous repertoire.
On stage with them will be members of the UNH Faculty Jazz Band:
Mark Shilansky, piano; Nick Grondin, guitar; Austin McMahon, drums; and Bronek Suchanek, bass. Two showtimes are offered.
Read About These Outstanding Musicians…
Randy Brecker, trumpeter and composer
Randy Brecker is a seasoned jazz veteran, a virtuosic trumpeter, and a prolific composer. His horn playing has graced the bandstands and recordings of the greatest jazz artists of our time: Horace Silver, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Charles Mingus, Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, Duke Pearson, Frank Foster, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and more. He is known to be a “first call” studio musician because of his talent and his versatility in jazz, rock, and R&B. His trumpeting has energized innumerable studio sessions of artists ranging from James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and Parliament-Funkadelic to David Sanborn, Jaco Pastorius, and Frank Zappa.
In 1967, Brecker ventured into jazz-rock with the band Blood, Sweat & Tears, recording on their first album “Child Is Father to the Man.” After leaving the band in 1969, Randy appeared with Horace Silver and many other jazz acts feeling a need to fulfill his desire to improvise freely. By 1973, Randy and his sax playing brother, Michael, had become the most in-demand studio players in New York City.
In 1975 they decided to form their own band, “The Brecker Brothers,” becoming a band of immeasurable influence and impact. Hailed by pop and jazz critics alike, their first album, which Randy produced, was nominated for four Grammy awards. The brothers went on to record a total of six albums and receive seven Grammy nominations between 1975 and 1981. They reunited ten years later in 1992 releasing “Return of the Brecker Brothers” and “Out of The Loop” (GRP Records), receiving two Grammy awards, and resulting in tours in the U.S. and Europe.
And the Grammys kept coming!
With Randy as bandleader, their album “34th N Lex” (ESC label) featuring Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, Fred Wesley, and Ronnie Cuber, and his regular working band won a Grammy in 2004 for “Best Contemporary Jazz Album.” And the recently released album “Some Skunk Funk” featuring Michael Brecker and the WDR Big Band won another Grammy in February 2025 for “Best Large Ensemble CD.”
Randy Brecker is a true musical pioneer who continues to perform extensively around the world in a variety of settings. His quest for musical excellence while constantly expanding his trumpet style and encyclopedic catalogue of compositions are unparalleled.
We are fortunate that Randy and Ada are part of this year’s Clark Terry Festival at UNH and delighted they will perform two public shows at The Press Room.
Ada Rovatti, saxophonist
Italian native Ada Rovatti started playing saxophone in high school after years of classical piano training. After winning a scholarship from Berklee College of Music she divided herself between Boston and Italy. In Boston she studied with Joe Viola, George Garzone and Fred Lipsius. In Italy she regularly performed in WDR Big Band with guest artists such as Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, and many more.
After spending a year in Paris touring Europe and Africa, Ada moved to New York City. She has performed in important festivals such as NYC’s JVC Festival, as well as festivals in Rochester, Detroit, Montreal, San Francisco, NorthSea, the International Assn. of Jazz Educators annual event, and more. She is a regular on the ever-popular JazzCruise, performing with an impressive and diverse list of artists and bands such as: Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Heath, Patti Austin, Mike Stern, Anne Ducros, and many others.
In 2003 she released her first 2 CDs as a bandleader with the Elephunk Band and with her quartet with guests Randy Brecker, Mike Stern and Don Alias. Ada was part of two Grammy-winning CDs by Randy Brecker, “34th N Lex” and “Rocks” with NDR Big Band along with David Sanborn, and on the acclaimed CD of John McLaughlin “Industrial Zen.” She also appeared in the movie ‘Mona Lisa Smile’ featuring Julia Roberts.
As a band leader she has released six CDs: “Ada Rovatti & The Elephunk Band,” “Under The Hat,” “Airbop,” “Green Factor,” “Disguise” and “Brecker Plays Rovatti -Sacred Bond.” She has toured with the Brecker Brothers Band Reunion, recording a live double DVD/CD from NY’s Bluenote Jazz Club.
In 2021 she was invited as a guest to perform with the WDR Big Band of Cologne, Germany, in a special concert titled “4 Tenors” along with Bob Mintzer, Bob Malach and Paul Heller. In recent years Ada has been touring and recording for various artists, arranging, producing, and working on her brand-new released project “The Hidden World of Piloo” introducing her also as songwriter and string orchestrator with special guests Fay Claassen, Niki Haris, Kurt Elling, and others.
Mark Shilansky, piano
Jon Garelick of the Boston Globe called Mark Shilansky an “inventive, modern mainstream jazz pianist.”
Mark provides melodic improvisation and infectious compositions whether performing solo, with jazz luminaries, in his classrooms as professor at Berklee College of Music or University of New Hampshire. Shilansky has six recordings as a leader including his 2007 “Join the Club,” a mostly Latin Jazz affair featuring David Bowie and saxist Donny McCaslin, and his 2013 “Fugue Mill,” the debut of his Jazz/Bluegrass/Celtic project featuring violin phenom Sara Caswell. Mark is also featured on over 60 recordings as a keyboardist, vocalist, composer/arranger, or producer, and in performance as band member for such artists as the New York Voices, Luciana Souza, and David Thorne Scott.
As an artist he embraces the history of the styles in which he works, while seeking connections between them as a way of expressing a personal musical vision, characterized by lush harmonies, the exploration of the line between composition and improvisation, and an ever-present sense of humor. His works have been recorded by Robin McKelle, Kim Nazarian, and by Jazz All-State and College ensembles around the world.
Nick Grondin, guitar
An experienced performer and award-winning composer, Nick Grondin has presented his music to audiences throughout the U.S. and Europe, including France, Italy, Germany and at the Panama Jazz Festival. On guitar, he leads the Nick Grondin Group, which performs in the Boston area and New York. He presents his music as modern musical storytelling—inspired by rock, folk and contemporary jazz styles. The group’s recent album, “A View of Earth,” features pianists Jon Cowherd and Michel Reis and vocalist Aubrey Johnson, and can be heard on streaming platforms.
Nick also is Associate Professor of Ear Training at Berklee College of Music, as well as Artist Faculty in Guitar at University of New Hampshire and at MIT. His teaching methods focus on building musicianship and applying it to real-world applications such as improvisation, songwriting and internalizing repertoire. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he also received his Master of Music in Jazz Studies/Composition. He has studied with Miguel Zenon, Billy Hart, Donny McCaslin, Jerry Bergonzi, Frank Carlberg, Allan Chase, Dominique Eade, Dave Holland, and Ken Schaphorst.
Austin McMahon, drums
Austin McMahon performs regularly with Jerry Bergonzi and has recently performed and/or recorded with Sean Jones, George Garzone, Marquis Hill, Lionel Loueke, Ben Monder, Lage Lund, Kate McGarry, Noah Preminger, Jason Palmer and Alexa Tarantino. He has appeared as an opening act for Grammy award-winners Dianne Reeves and Esperanza Spalding. On tour, Austin has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, at several jazz festivals around the world, and at jazz clubs, concert halls and theaters throughout the US, Italy, Germany, Finland, France, China and India.
Austin is the winner of the 9th annual Independent Music Awards (IMA) for Best Jazz Song and Nominee for Best Jazz Album in the 11th annual IMA. His debut CD, “Many Muses,” was selected as a CD Baby’s “Editor’s Pick” and described as “subtle, reverential to tradition, and thoroughly new.” He was recently featured on NPR’s JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater, NPR’s WLRN station in Miami, and on WGBH radio in Boston.
A dedicated educator, Austin currently teaches at Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory, and UNH. He was also a Teaching Assistant for Jazz Improvisation at Harvard University for six years, receiving the “Certificate of Distinction in Teaching.”
Bronek Suchanek, bass
Bronek Suchanek was trained at a conservatory in his native country of Poland. He subsequently performed throughout Europe, including such venues as the Montreux and North Sea (Holland) jazz festivals. He moved to Sweden in 1975 and became a citizen in 1982. In 1990 he moved to the USA and became a citizen in 2004. Since his arrival in Boston, he has become one of the most sought-after bassists in New England. Bronek has been artist faculty in double bass at the University of Southern Maine since 1994, and at the University of New Hampshire since 2016. Other teaching includes a master class for Bednarska School of Music in Poland; jazz courses at the Summer Jazz Academy in Kraków and Pulawy, Poland; and more.
Equally at home with classical music as with jazz, Bronek has performed with several symphony orchestras as well as many prominent artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Pinchas Zukerman, Simone Porter, Alexander Schimpf, Lauri Pora, Dimitri Berlinsky, Joyce Yang, and Mark Kaplan. His jazz performances have included performing with the Artie Shaw Orchestra, the Woody Herman big band, the Benny Goodman Tribute Band, and more. He has also performed with artists Rebecca Paris, Amanda Carr, James Williams, Alan Dawson, Herb Pomeroy, Joe Puma, and Chris Potter. In addition, he has performed at many notable jazz festivals, including Newport, Montreal, Krakow, Wroclaw, Poland, and Germany. He has toured in Taiwan, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Turkey, and the U.S.
About UNH’s Annual Clark Terry Jazz Festival and This Show
Each year, the University of New Hampshire Music Department has presented the Clark Terry/UNH Jazz Festival. School jazz ensembles from New England and beyond have come to campus to showcase their talents and be evaluated and coached by top-notch jazz performers and educators. At its inception, originally curated by Professor David Seiler, students and their teachers were also treated to performances and clinics by legendary jazz trumpeter Clark Terry and some of his musical peers, along with the UNH Jazz Band and Faculty Jazz Group.
Clark Terry’s and Dave Seiler’s legacies of improvisation and education continue, now under the reigns of Nathan Jorgensen, Director of Jazz Studies at UNH. He continues to bring a wide range of jazz luminaries to the region for the annual Clark Terry Festival, most recently Sean Jones, Camille Thurman Green, Alexa Tarantino, Chris Potter, Marshall Gilkes, Christine Jensen, and, this year, Randy Brecker and Ada Rovatti.
The two public shows held on March 15 this year at The Press Room are cosponsored by the UNH Music Department and the Seacoast Jazz Society.
These shows continue the tradition where musicians participating in the Clark Terry Festival at UNH also perform a concert open to the public. We are grateful to The Press Room for hosting this event at their venue in Portsmouth.
About the Seacoast Jazz Society
The Seacoast Jazz Society founded in 1990 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to spearhead the Seacoast’s annual jazz festival that was first held in 1983 and every year since except 2020. The mission of the Society expanded beyond the annual festival to focus on three areas: fostering a love and appreciation of jazz in the community, supporting local musicians, and helping aspiring young artists to pursue jazz through scholarships and education. To become a member, add your name to our mailing list, or obtain more information about jazz, visit our website at https://www.seacoastjazz.org.
(The ticket link below is for the 5:45 pm show. To reserve seats for the 8:30 show see the next listing below.)
