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Diane Moser’s Composers Big Band will reunite to pay tribute to its founder, the
late Diane Moser. Also on the bill are jazz bassist Mark Dresser, along
with multi-instrumentalist Marty
Ehrlich, pianist Angelica
Sanchez and drummer Michael Sarin.
The concert and fundraiser will bring together longtime members of Diane
Moser’s Composers Big Band at Tierney’s, the site of the
ensemble’s January 1997 debut gig.
In addition to saluting the memory and legacy of Diane Moser, the beloved big
band leader, jazz pianist, composer and educator, the event will raise money
for the Dizzy
Gillespie Memorial Fund. For more than 20 years the fund has
provided pro bono medical care for thousands of jazz musicians. Moser was
among those receiving care at the Dizzy
Gillespie Cancer Institute at Englewood Hospital. She
lived with cancer for more than 12 years before passing on Dec. 17,
2020. The July
27 concert date marks the 64th anniversary
of her birth.
Diane Moser’s Composers Big Band was formed by Moser and a dedicated group of
musicians and composers to explore the possibilities of big band music and
move it forward. The band lived up to its mission starting with regular gigs
Tierney’s, its first home base.
Over more than two decades, Moser built a cult following for her big band in
the New York metropolitan area, showcasing always-inspired works by
herself, band members, composers in residence, and more than 100 guest
artists, including jazz icons such as Jane Ira Bloom, Mark Dresser, Howard
Johnson, Oliver Lake, and Michele Rosewoman.
Diane Moser’s Concert Big Band was recognized multiple times in
DownBeat’s critics poll as a rising star big band. You could count on
enjoying a warm, family vibe at every DMCBB gig, presuming your family is
enormous, talented, and eager to work and play together at every
opportunity. Several original band members could be found on the
bandstand at every gig during the DMCBB’s long tenure at Tierney’s,
Trumpets, and other venues.
According to long-time DMCBB trombonist Erick Storckman, among the DMCBB
alumni expected to play at the fundraising concert are saxophonists
Rob Middleton, Barbara Cifelli, Craig Yaremko, Tom Colao, and Paul
Ostermeyer; trombonists Storckman, Ben Williams, Matt Haviland, Dennis Argul;
trumpeters Mike Spengler, Jim Cifelli, Chris Rogers, and Rob Henke; guitarist
Larry Maltz and drummer Scott Neumann. Pianist Matt King and bassist Bill
Moring will also be on hand.
The big band will focus on Moser’s compositions, as well as work by the late
saxophonist and DMCBB stalwart Ed Xiques. Music by DMCBB resident composers
Storckman, Middleton, Henke, Jim Cifelli, Matt Haviland and Russ Vines will
round out the program.
Also scheduled to appear at the July 27 tribute is Mark Dresser & Friends.
Dresser, a renowned San Diego-based bassist and composer, shares a more than
40-year musical history with Diane Moser, documented on recordings such as
2012’s Duetto and
2014’s Music for the
Last Flower on which multi-instrumentalist Marty Ehrlich
also appears. Dresser expects his set at the memorial concert and fundraiser
to include material from both recordings, among other Moser compositions.
Rounding out the quartet are pianist Angelica Sanchez and drummer Michael
Sarin
WHEN: Three sets are scheduled for the July 27 concert: Mark Dresser & Friends
at 8 p.m., followed by two big band sets at 9:30 and 10:30.
WHERE: Tierney’s Tavern, 136-138 Valley Road, Montclair, NJ
http://www.tierneystavern.com
ADMISSION: Seating is
limited. A $15 donation is requested.
To learn more about the Jazz
Foundation of America’s Dizzy Gillespie Memorial Fund and
to donate, go to https://jazzfoundation.org/donate/
About Diane Moser:
In addition to founding and leading Diane Moser’s Composers Big
Band, Moser was well-known as a creative powerhouse in small group
settings, whether fronting her long-running quintet and Birdsongs trio, or
contributing to other ensembles. She was an adjunct professor at the New
School and on faculty at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and an in-demand
private teacher. She received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and
the Virginia Center for the Arts, among others, and received many grants and
awards in composition.
Diane “was a tornado of positive energy,” recalls long-time DMCBB trumpeter
Rob Henke. Once her interest was sparked, she could be counted on to be
all-in, tirelessly investigating and researching topics from music and the
arts to the environment and science, building and sharing her knowledge, and
getting others involved through her enthusiasm. Diane had a knack for
spotting people’s talents and encouraging them to pursue their passions.
At the time of the 2018 release of her 7th CD, the
well-received Birdsongs,
Diane Moser shared her thoughts about the music, which ring true now more
than ever: “I wanted this recording to have a healing effect on those
who listen,” she said. “Our world is overrun with all kinds of sounds that
are not always good for your health, or mental and emotional well-being. I
wanted this recording to be a respite from that, so that those who listen can
feel relieved from their daily stress and feel refreshed and positive.”
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