Jazz Vespers: Laurie D'apice, Marcos Ganascia, Addison Frei, Eric Zeller

NYC's unique jazz prayer service, Sundays at 5 since 1965. All are welcome. Free to attend!

This week, we welcome Laurie D'apice (voice), Marcos Ganascia (bass), Addison Frei (piano), and Eric Zeller (drums).

About Laurie D'apice

Laurie D'apice hails from the small CNY town of Utica NY. Her gifts were recognized by Susan Endy, a music teacher in Lauries's high school of Clinton NY. She was prompted by her teacher to audition for All County- All state & NY State choir successfully making all three. Laurie had a dream of becoming a singer from the age of 14. She began to study with International renowned Tenor Pasquale Caputo where she studied Classically for 5 years before relocating to NYC to chase her dreams. She caught the attention of 6 judges while auditioning for the Metropolitan Opera which lead her to an audition for Mannes College of Music where She studied music her 1st year there. Her esteemed Vocal Coach Lois Winter suggested she audition for The New School University of Jazz & Contemporary Music. Miss Dapice auditioned & was accepted at one of the most sought out Jazz University's in the World. Miss Dapice earned a Bachelors Degree of Fine Arts in Jazz Vocal Performance & Music in 2006. One year later she was on her way to Nagoya Japan to perform a 3 month I Celebration for Ella Fitzgerald in Ella's home town of Yonkers NY. She also performed at concert she curated for Ella's 100th Bday. with singers Amy London & Marion Cowings that was sold out @ the Zinc Bar Nyc. The Kitano Hotel, Coby's & Sweet Rhythm in the West Village. She Headlined in the Levitt AMP Music Series at Landmark Museum Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute's 300 seat Theater back home in Utica NY that was sold out & most recently performed with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra & Wynton Marsalis under the direction of Damian Sneed in the Chautauqua Jazz Festival Performing Wyntons Original "Abyssinian Mass" Ms Dapice has also worked under the tutaledge & musical direction of Dr Barry Harris, Billy Harper in his 60 pc Vocal Harmony Group The Billy Harper Voices & was chosen among 5 Jazz Vocalists at NSU to record a Spanish Version of Joy to the World under the musical direction of Billy Harper's & Chico Hamilton that went on to sell over 1 million copies. Her CD Parting the Veil is available digitally @ LaurieDapice.bandcamp.com and more music can be heard at Soundcloud.com/LaRe212.

About Marcos Ganascia

Marco Panascia is a New York City acoustic & electric bassist who has worked with a wide array of artists including Kenny Barron, Andy Bey, Eric Reed, Eldar, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones & Gary Burton. Marco Panascia is an Italian-born bassist, composer & educator living in New York City. His proficiency in many different musical situations & settings, & his strong doubling skills on the acoustic & electric bass has earned him whole- hearted praise in the United States, Europe & Japan. Panascia has made a name for himself by being featured in the working bands of several jazz luminaries, such as Kenny Barron, Andy Bey, Eric Reed & Dado Moroni, & by regularly appearing in some of the world's top music festivals & venues, such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Hollywood Bowl & the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Panascia is also known for his tenure with young jazz piano sensation Eldar, delivering sold-out performances on three continents, & releasing two CDs on the Sony BMG Masterworks label: "Live at the Blue Note" , & "re-imagination",, the latter of which received a 2008 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Mentored by Los Angeles studio legend Carol Kaye, Panascia was the first prize winner of the 1998 Edinburgh International Double Bass competition in Scotland, & his performance credits on acoustic and electric bass include some of the most highly regarded artists on the contemporary jazz scene & beyond, such as Herbie Hancock, Lee Konitz, Joe Lovano, Quincy Jones, Bobby McFerrin, Dave Liebman, Roy Hargrove, Chris Botti, Gary Burton, Peter Bernstein, Seamus Blake, Peter Erskine, Adam Nussbaum, Alvin Queen, Lewis Nash and Tamir Hendelman. Whenever he h a s time off from his hectic worldwide touring schedule, Panascia can be heard performing in some of New York's most celebrated venues, as a leader of his own trio & quintet, or as a sideman with several world-renowned musician on the scene .

About Addison Frei

From early experiences playing community theater and big band dance halls in Lawrence, KS to summiting musical heights in New York and abroad, pianist AddisonFrei (“Fry”) has brought joy to countless audiences through a warm musical spirit andmelodic sensibility. His latest album Coin Flip is out July 5th 2024 on the Next Paradigm label featuring Tamir Shmerling on bass and Diego Joaquin Ramirez on drums. His previous record Time and Again (also N.P.) aims in the tradition of classic trio records, enhanced by the company of Ben Wolfe on bass and Terreon Gully on drums. Frei’s 2021 release Oread draws inspiration from Kansas roots, manifesting in a deeply personal collection of thirteen original songs, recorded remotely during the isolation of the pandemic with anarray of Frei’s closest musical peers including vocalists Michael Mayo, Tahira Clayton, Mike Brun and drummer Matt Young. Frei celebrated his previous release No Defense (TCB Records) with solo performancesat the Monterey Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Alhambra (Geneva), and Lucerne Piano Festival. His lyrical pianism has made him a favorite accompanist formany vocalists including Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry, Joshua Henry, Janis Siegel and the late Carol Fredette. He has won first prize in several competitions including the 2017 Parmigiani Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition, the 2016 UNISA International Jazz Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa, and the 2015 American Jazz Pianist Competition. Beyond his accolades at the piano, Frei’s artistic voice iscemented through his expansive catalog of compositions. His work for string quartet and piano trio “Comment On War” was awarded the David Baker Bridges Prize and premiered at the Ravinia Festival. A proud Yamaha Artist, Frei’s previous records include Future Speak (2017), Transit(2016) and Intentions (2014). He also co-leads AMP Trio, contributing compositions to each of their five studio albums. Alongside Tahira Clayton, AMP Trio was selected as winner of the 2017 DC Jazz Prix, and has toured extensively throughout Asia and North America at jazz festivals, clubs and universities. Frei recently completed his Artist Diploma at the Juilliard School, serving as musical director for this flagship ensemble’s stint at Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai. He was a regular member of Orlando-based Dr Phillips Center Jazz Orchestra joining artists such as Lisa Fischer, Sachal Vas and artistic director Rodney Whitaker. As a side-person Frei has recorded more than 30 albums including Mark Lewandowksi’s Under One Sky (feat. Kush Abadey), Lluc Casares’ Sketches Overseas (feat. Joel Ross and Philip Dizack), Peter Kronreif’s Aeronautics (feat. Lucas Pino and Andrew Gould), Tom DiCarlo’s Equanimity Project (feat. Alina Engibaryan and Jonathan Barber) and Alexander Claffy’s Tassia (feat. KurtRosenwinkel).

About Eric Zeller

Eric Zeller is a dynamic drummer, composer,& educator based in New York City. Hailing from Edmonton, Canada, Eric moved to New York City to attend Manhattan School of Music on a scholarship. He has played most notably with award-winning musicians such as P .J. Perry, Chris Andrews, Rubim De Toledo, Paul Johnston, Emanuele Basentini, Alex Hoffman, Jeff Mcgregor, Kent Sangster, Craig Brenan, & Jacob Do. As a composer/ bandleader, Eric has presented his music to venues in Canada & the United States in clubs such as the Yardbird Suite (the oldest volunteer- run Jazz club in North America) & festivals such as the Edmonton & Calgary International Jazz Festivals.

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