2025 Perfomer Bios

As a sideman, he has worked with such notables as Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra, Keith Pray’s Big Soul Ensemble, Bobby Previte’s Upstate Composers Orchestra, the Empire Jazz Orchestra, and many others. His 2020 album “Going Places” has received widespread acclaim and radio play.

As an educator, Canterbury is on the faculty of the SUNY Schenectady School of Music, where he directs the jazz ensemble and teaches jazz trumpet, jazz improvisation, and jazz history. He was also formerly on faculty at the College of St. Rose, where he taught jazz improvisation and jazz arranging. He maintains a steady schedule of private students, and has worked as a clinician and guest conductor with high school groups throughout the Capital District and Hudson Valley.

Canterbury also works as an editor and transcriber for Jazz Lines Publications, a nonprofit that focuses on the preservation of historic jazz literature for groups ranging in size from combos to studio orchestras. He has over 50 published original compositions and transcriptions to his credit.

Joining him will be Wyatt Ambrose on guitar, Tyler Giroux playing piano; Dave Shoudy  on bass; and Matt Niedbalski playing drums.

Todd has recorded or performed with Terry Adams (NRBQ), Gary Burke (Bob Dylan, Joe Jackson), Aimee Mann, Ed Mann (Frank Zappa), Lonesome Val, Rumdummies, songwriters Jules Shear and Pal Shazar, the Wheelers and Dealers and others. He is a founding member of Fear of Strangers (aka the Units), a band that was an integral part of the Punk/New Wave scene in the Capital District of New York in the 1980s, releasing an album on Miles Copeland’s Faulty Products label. The band shared stages with the Police, Squeeze, the B-52s, XTC, REM and others. Todd is currently performing music from his latest release, jazzamericana.

A member of the Sir Roland Hanna Trio from 1994-’99, Siegel’s diverse career has also led him to perform and/or record with legends such as Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Jack DeJohnette, Benny Golson, Sheila Jordan, Helen Merrill, Mose Allison, John Medeski, Arthur Rhames, Dave Douglas, Stefon Harris, Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie, Kurt Elling, Ravi Coltrane, Ryan Kisor, Lee Shaw, The Levin Brothers, Hal Galper, John Medeski, Dena DeRose, and many others. He has worked in the avant garde world as well with Wadada Leo Smith, Baikida Carroll. He’s performed over 30 European tours including four as leader of the Jeff “Siege” Siegel Quartet and several others as co-leader. The Jeff “Siege” Siegel Sextet performed a 3 week tour of Africa in the summer of 2019 including clinics for the US State Department and a featured appearance at the Standard Bank Jazz Festival in Makhanda, South Africa. Other recent tours include The Levin Brothers in Japan, Mexico, Canada and the US west coast and Midwest as well as South & Central America. His 2017 CD release “King of Xhosa” features South African trumpeter Feya Faku and is on the ARC label. His most recent release with his quartet is the 2018 release on ARC entitled “London Live” and “When You Were There” (2019) with Hetko, Syracuse & Siegel.

Siegel teaches Jazz drumming and jazz ensembles at, SUNY at New Paltz, Western Connecticut State University and Vassar College and The New School.. He’s performed clinics throughout Europe, United States, China, South America and South Africa. He holds a Masters Degree in Jazz from Queens College where he studied Composition with Jimmy Heath. He has been the recipient of several grants from Meet the Composer as well as United States Artists International (USAI). He is endorsed by Canopus Drums, Beato Bags and Vic Firth Drum Sticks.

Francesca Tanksley (piano/composer/arranger) has been the long-term pianist with w/ Billy Harper Qt since the 1980s. Beside her tour with Billy, she has worked & toured with Erica Lindsay Qt., Jeff Siegel Qt. in Europe and Africa, Asia, Scandinavia and So. America & U.S. She leads her own trio & has worked w/David Newman, Reggie Workman, Howard Johnson, Cecil Payne, Clifford Jordan, Slide Hampton and several others. She is Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music, Boston Visiting Artist at Bard College. www.dreamcallerproductions.com

Chris Pasin (trumpet) is a graduate of the New England Conservatory, spent two years playing with the Buddy Rich band in the early 80’s, touring with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, and many others. Then he relocated to New York City. Much of the next decade was spent playing jazz with various groups, including the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin big band. There was also work with Jack McDuff, many Salsa bands like Johnny Rodriguez and Brazilian bands like Amazon, and various other jazz ensembles, including the Lee Shaw quintet in recent years.

Recently, he released the CDs “Detour Ahead,” and “Random Acts of Kindness,” comprised largely of his own diverse compositions, and has a release, “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” of reimagined holiday music, to critical acclaim, and his recent album “Ornettiquette,” playing the music of and inspired by Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, and Don Cherry.

Chris is now playing jazz frequently with various musicians in and around the New York area, writing music to record for several current projects. And Chris has recorded with the likes of Gunther Schuller, George Russell, and Toshiko Akiyoshi. His flugelhorn on the soundtrack has been called the best thing about the movie, “Ishtar,” and he appears as a sideman on numerous jazz albums.

He has recorded on dozens of albums for a myriad of artists, often with The North Country Horns co-led by saxophonist/arranger Jay Collins. #NorthCountryHorns

He’s performed at Carnegie Hall, the Apollo Theater, the Royal Albert Hall, the Village Vanguard, Ronnie Scott’s, and the Blue Note, among others, and toured Europe and Asia many time

Rich Syracuse (bass/composer) has been a mainstay on the New York area scene for more than four decades. He began his performing career at an early age in New York City and then went on to become the winner of the prestigious Congress of Strings Award. Not long after he received a Bachelor of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music in New York City. Rich performed with The Group for Contemporary Music under the Conductors Charles Wournin and Harvey Solberger, The Hartford Ballet and the New Jersey Lyric Opera Company. Early jazz groups included work with John Mehegan, Joey Calderazzo, Ted Rosenthal and Bruce Barth. After moving to the Hudson Valley of New York in the in the mid 1980’s, he began a long position as bassist in the Nick Brignola Quartet while playing clubs, festivals and recording sessions. In addition he has performed with an array of artists including Mose Allison, Kurt Elling, Brubeck Brothers, Michael and Randy Brecker, Warren Bernhardt, Vinnie Martucci, Sumi Tonooka, David Torn, Mike DeMicco, Mark Dziuba, Pete Levin, Sam Morrison, Jimmy Cobb, Bernard Purdy, Adam Nussbaum, Jeff “Siege” Siegel, Eddie Henderson, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Dena DeRose, John Medeski, Michael Musillami and Ale DeMogli.

For over 22 years, Rich was bassist for legendary pianist Lee Shaw. He is the Professor for String and Electric Bass Studies at Skidmore College in Saratoga, New York, Bard College, SUNY at New Paltz and the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Rich is a member of the International Association of Schools of Jazz. He has toured throughout Europe, South America and Southern Africa. In addition to touring, Rich is an in demand bassist throughout the northeast region of the USA. Richsyracusebass.u

The album, releasing on June 18th, is a collaboration with NYC Pianist and Arranger, Tedd Firth.  Ouderkirk is a music teacher at Saint Gregory’s School in Albany, NY where she is inspired by the sharing of her craft: the endless play of music.  jeaninemariemusic.com

Jeanine will be sharing the Jay St. limelight with an incredible rhythm section made up of Wyatt Ambrose on the Guitar, Evan Jagels on the Bass, and Matt Niedbalski on the drums. All of the performers are more than musicians – they delve into the creative, improvisational, compositional, educational, and recording elements of music. For this performance a special set dedicated to the music of Joni Mitchell will complement a set of jazz standards for which Ouderkirk is best known. Jeanine is grateful to bring this group to Schenectady, NY on Thursday July 12th as she always appreciates the jazz-loving nature of this city!

The trio also comprises the core of “It’s a Jazzy Christmas!” production annually each December at Proctors and UPH.

All are current students or recent alumni from colleges such as The Crane School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, and the Hartt School of Music. Based in the Capital Region, they have performed together at many venues including Jazz on Jay 2021, The Van Dyck, and Jazz Vespers. The Nicholas Dwarika Quartet performs a wide range of jazz styles with a focus on contemporary music.

Together for 16 years, their vibrant sound incorporates influences from West Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean and beyond. Their debut CD Karibu reached #15 on the WorldJazz charts and 2018’s daring Flyway garnered similar critical acclaim.  

Heard is a 5-time Eddy Music Awards nominee in the World Music category. 

Jazz on Jay’s line-up includes: 
Bobby Kendall-bass
Laura Andrea Léguia–woodwinds

Brian Melick-drums
Augustina Nelson-dancer

Zorkie Nelson-drums
Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius-keyboards

Has played at several jazz festivals, including the Albany Jazz Festival, Lake George Jazz Festival and WCDB Jazz Festival, plus a US State Department tour of Egypt in 2013. In addition, the band has performed in many libraries across the region, presenting original compositions inspired by the great American novel,  “Invisible Man,” by Ralph Ellison.