Lenox — One of the great rewards of hearing a Ted Rosenthal performance is discovering his lineup of distinguished side musicians. For example, bassist Noriko Ueda and drummer Conor Meehan will join Rosenthal when his trio performs at Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s West Street Theater on Friday, August 11.
Another important thing to remember about Rosenthal’s performances is that you get three concerts in one: You will hear jazz standards, including Ted’s arrangements of the Great American Songbook (e.g., Gershwin, Rodgers); selections from Rosenthal’s opera “Dear Erich“; and his arrangements of classical themes (e.g., Tchaikovsky, Chopin) “reimagined” for jazz trio. In each case, you get dazzling keyboard technique and inspired drum and bass performances, all in service to Ted’s arrangements, which are witty and sophisticated (i.e., really jazzy) but accessible to all audiences.
Noriko Ueda began her music studies with classical piano at the age of four, taking up the bass at age 16. She majored in Jazz Composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston, graduating in 1997. She has been touring with Ted Rosenthal for almost two decades and has also worked with him in the studio, most notably on his CD “Out of this World,” which reached #1 on the national jazz radio charts. Ueda’s first album release as a band leader featured Quincy Davis on drums and Ted Rosenthal on piano. In addition to her work with Rosenthal, Ueda has toured or recorded with such legends as Frank Wess, Kenny Barron, the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Five Play, Grady Tate Band, Harry Whitaker Band, Makoto Ozone, and Terumasa Hino. She has performed at the famed Blue Note jazz club in New York City on numerous occasions, leading her trio, quartet, and her big band “Noriko Ueda Jazz Orchestra.” Noriko is the winner of the third annual BMI Foundation’s Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize for her original big band piece “Castle in the North.”
Drummer Conor Meehan earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from SUNY Purchase and is now an Artist Associate in Jazz Drums at Williams College, where he has taught as an adjunct faculty member since 2005. He has played just about every style of music you can think of, backing everyone from Dr. John to bluesman Albert Cummings to serious jazz musicians like Ted Rosenthal. (Everyone in the business knows that jazz drummers are the most versatile.) Meehan has performed internationally and appeared on over 25 recordings.
An internationally respected jazz pianist, arranger, and composer known for his work as a soloist, bandleader, and collaborator, Rosenthal was born in Chicago in 1959 and studied music at Indiana University and The Juilliard School. He has released multiple albums as a leader, including “Images of Monk” (1994) and “The King and I” (2009), which showcases his interpretations of Thelonious Monk and Broadway classics. He has composed music for film and television, including the documentary “The First Freedom: The Fight for Religious Liberty” (2012). He is also an esteemed music educator, having taught at The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. He has received numerous awards, including the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and the Great American Jazz Piano Competition. In April, Rosenthal gave a performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” at Shakespeare and Company, backed by an advanced ensemble from Kids 4 Harmony.
See the Ted Rosenthal Trio at Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s West Street Theater, 45 West Street, Lenox, on Friday, August 11 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door.
