Twin Cities jazz musician and piano player, Sean Roderick is curating a month of Sundays at TORCH in April. Starting with Sunday, April 6, Sean will host the Carlo Gesualdo Band.
The teacher, song-writer, and recently announced homeowner, Sean has assembled a variety of musicians, poets and vocalists to explore four delightful evenings in the kick off to warmer weather and general blossoming.
Sean lists a wide variety of musical influences the likes, of course, include Coltrane and Miles, Wynton Kelly stretching to Keith Jarrett and Eminem. Currently he's exploring the melodies and interwoven harmonies of a classical bent; Bach, Chopin and Beethoven. "I started playing piano after I saw Dennis Quaid 'tearing it up' as Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls of Fire. Mom, I need to sign up for piano lessons." He also sites a powerful influence from Ray Manzarek (of The Doors) for his keyboard improvisations.
A Month of Sundays Jazz at TORCH — Get tickets for complete series
- Carlo Gesualdo Group — April 6 @ 7:00 pm Get tickets
- Once upon a time an Italian nobleman named Carlo Gesualdo caught his wife in bed with the Duke of Andria and murdered them both. But more impressively, he wrote intensely expressive madrigals and sacred music that used a chromatic language not heard again until the late 19th century. Carlo Gesualdo Band bassist Andrew Bergmann formed this jazz rock instrumental band to explore madrigal forms through improvisation with some Bergmann original arrangements. Sean Roderick keyboards, Scott Fultz sax, Thomas Nordlund guitar, Andrew Bergmann bass, Adam Patterson drums.
- Niel Davis Quartet & Friends of Noam Chomsky — April 13 @ 7:00 pm Get tickets
- Jazz guitarist, Neil Davis joins Sean for an evening of "Hard Bop". The audience will be treated to two sets of Neil with Sean on piano, and Andrew Foreman on Bass and Zach Schmidt on drums. Followed by a set from Friends of Noam Chompsky — Foreman on bass, Thomas Nordlund (guitar), Jake Baldwin (trumpet), and Zach Schmidt (drums).
- Davu Seru & Carlo Gesualdo Group — April 20 @ 7:00 pm Get tickets
- Davu Seru has been involved in one or more of the arts (legitimate and otherwise) for most of his life. Music won over his attention only after he was introduced to jazz. He is a 2013 recipient of the American Composers Forum Minnesota Emerging Composer Award. What he would like to convey and by whatever means: life is suffering and it ain't nobody's fault but ours. We should laugh and often, even if not that deeply. Dancing ain't bad neither. Find out more at Davu Seru .com
- Seniz Yargeci & Leslie Sedivy — April 27 @ 7:00 pm
- Ms. Yargeci, a Twin Cities actor and comedienne brings a light-hearted spin through a 30's - 50's era "Jazz Singer Lady" with Sean on keys. Followed by Leslie Sedivy performing a set of poetry exploring texture, phrasing and lyricism — in beat poet fashion … with improvisation.
