Tomoko Iwamoto & Jazz Quartet 440

440 presents their toe-tapping original tunes and Django's music arranged with beautiful harmony by violin and clarinet.

John Clark, clarinet, is the founder of the Wolverine Jazz Band and has been a fixture on the New England Jazz scene for many years. He has played professionally in the Boston area with numerous traditional jazz and big bands, including the High Society Dance Orchestra, Dan Gabel's Abeltones, Commonwealth Jazz, the New Black Eagle Jazz Band, and the Paramount Jazz Band of Boston. Clark also regularly appears with Dave Whitney and His Orchestra, the Swing Legacy, and the Mood Elevators, among others. John is an acknowledged authority on the history of jazz and has recorded extensively. He also holds a PhD. in Musicology and has published books and articles on the foundations of Early Jazz.

Gregory Toro, bass, was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He fell in love with music and rhythm as a child, and at the age of ten joined a neighborhood steel band that played calypso and church music on weekends. He later took up guitar and piano, but found his true calling as a bass player when he was sixteen years old. Greg studied electric and upright bass and jazz composition at Berklee College of Music, where he had the opportunity to collaborate with musicians from many different countries and cultures. He has gone on to travel the world with jazz and rock groups, and continues to perform nightly in a wide variety of styles.Type your paragraph here.

Tomoko Iwamoto, violin, a leader of 440, has been in Boston jazz scene for more than 30 years. Being a "jazzy" violinist with a strong classical background, she expanded her repertoire in jazz, rock, pop to world music, toured with Hypnotic Clambake, while studying Jazz Composition and Arranging at Berklee College of Music. During her recent trip to Europe, she jammed with world renown gypsy jazz musicians; Tcha Limberger & the members of Les Violins de Bruxelles, and Chris & Julian Brunard. She appeared as a guest soloist with Mood Swings Orchestra and Women In World Jazz, and collaborated with modern jazz guitarist, Chris Mcdermott.

Gregory Toro, bass, was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He fell in love with music and rhythm as a child, and at the age of ten joined a neighborhood steel band that played calypso and church music on weekends. He later took up guitar and piano, but found his true calling as a bass player when he was sixteen years old. Greg studied electric and upright bass and jazz composition at Berklee College of Music, where he had the opportunity to collaborate with musicians from many different countries and cultures. He has gone on to travel the world with jazz and rock groups, and continues to perform nightly in a wide variety of styles.

The Brown Bag Concert Series, presented by Mechanics Hall and 90.5 FM WICN, has been a beloved tradition in Worcester since 1983. These hour-long concerts by acclaimed regional and national performers are held in the Great Hall on select Wednesdays from noon to 1pm. Bring your own “brown bag” lunch, and enjoy wonderful music while eating your lunch! Cabaret-style seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. All concerts are free, open to the public, and subject to change. The accessible entrance to Mechanics Hall is located on Waldo Street. Elevators are located in the ground-floor lobby and provide access to the second and third floors. Please note, there is no elevator access to the balcony. All concerts take place in the Great Hall on the third floor. If you need assistance, please contact the Mechanics Hall Ticket Office, Wednesday through Friday from 11:00am-5:00pm, by calling 508-752-0888.

Whenever possible, Brown Bag Concerts are also broadcast live on WICN 90.5FM, and streamed live on WICN.org.

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