Artists
Daryl Sherman
www.darylsherman.com A sparkling mainstay of Manhattan nightlife, Daryl
Sherman has been a fixture playing and singing for savvy New Yorkers and
international visitors at the Waldorf=Astoria’s famed Cole Porter
Steinway. The 2009 MAC Award winner for Best Jazz
Singer/Instrumentalist, Sherman is equally at home in the worlds of jazz
and cabaret. Her many recordings have received critical praise, airplay
internationally and are in regular rotation on Cable TV’s Music Choice
plus Sirius/XM Radio. From her arrival in the mid-70s, with trio stints
at Sinatra hang-outs like Jilly’s, Jimmy Weston’s or Eddie Condon’s,
there’s hardly a jazz joint, supper club or hotel Daryl has missed.
She’s recently lauded for shows at the Algonquin’s Oak Room, Dizzy’s
Coca Cola, Iridium Jazz Club and Feinstein’s At The Regency. Appearances
with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra also included
workshops for their Essentially Ellington program. Joining forces with
Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks, their Park Avenue Whirl had a
run at 59E59 Theater and later Feinstein’s. European tours include
annual engagements at London’s Pizza On
The Park, Pizza Express Soho, concerts in
Wales,
Leeds, Scotland,
the Cork Jazz Festival in Ireland,
Holland and Malaga, Spain.
A stunning return appearance in
Berlin
was hailed by Jazz Radio 101.9 “a magical night.” Her latest CD, Johnny
Mercer: Centennial Tribute is hailed as one of the best of the year and
she will appear at the 92nd
St
Y’s Mercer birthday in November. A previous tribute to Richard Rodgers,
A Hundred Million Miracles (Arbors) with Ruby Braff
received four stars in Downbeat. Guess Who’s In Town is
included in The New Yorker ‘10 Best of 2006’ and her
salute to the Crescent City,
New O’Leans has been cited by BBC Radio as “superlative,
one of this delightful singer’s best.” Other notables Daryl has
performed and recorded with include Dick Hyman, Dave McKenna, Bucky &
John Pizzarelli, Bob Dorough, Kenny Davern, Houston Person, Harry Allen,
Tommy Flanagan, Mike Renzi, Dick Sudhalter, Ken Peplowski, Warren Vache,
Joe Cohn, Howard Alden, Jay Leonhart, Wycliffe Gordon, James Chirillo,
and Boots Maleson.
Jazz festival appearances include JVC in New
York and Newport, March of
Jazz in Clearwater, and aboard the
QE2. She has headlined clubs including the Colony Palm Beach, Le Chat
Noir in New Orleans, Jazz Corner in Hilton Head, Piccolo Spoleto in
Charleston, Blues Alley in Washington, DC, the Jazz Bakery in LA,
Jazztown in Cleveland, Top of the Senator in Toronto and arts centers
across the continent from Winnipeg to Fort Lauderdale. She is a favorite
at both New York’s Highlights In Jazz and St. Peter’s
Midday Jazz series, plus the Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Conventions
where she was presented the “Cabaret Classic Award” and she’s also
received the Back Stage Bistro Award. Daryl’s voice is heard regularly
in “Maya The Bee”, an acclaimed puppet show produced by The Culture
Project. She has also been a frequent guest on Fresh Air with Terry
Gross and Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz all broadcast nationally. As
McPartland says of Sherman, “She’s
sophisticated, she’s straightforward and she can swing!”
At age five, Daryl began to pick out tunes at the piano and sing
along when her dad, a popular bandleader in her native Woonsocket, R.I.
brought out his trombone to jam with friends. Soon Sammy Sherman was
featuring his daughter on gigs and by her teens she was already a
seasoned pro. In later years Daryl’s annual home-coming concerts at
local jazz mecca Chan’s featured Sammy’s unique trombone, fiddle and
repartee and his CD from those sessions A Jazz Original is
available on Arbors. Daryl headed for New York after college,
and sat in with home-town idol, Dave McKenna, at Michael’s Pub. That led
to jams with such notables as Red Norvo, George Duvivier John Bunch and
Milt Hinton. When Artie Shaw formed a new band after his retirement,
Daryl Sherman was his singer of choice and still appears occasionally
with Dick Johnson. She has also sung with
Germany’s WDR Jazz Orchestra, American
Jazz Orchestra and the Spokane Jazz Orchestra in tributes to Mildred
Bailey and Paul Whiteman.
Ronny
Whyte
www.ronnywhyte.com
Ronny Whyte
is not only considered a premiere interpreter of Classic American
Popular song he is also an outstanding jazz pianist, and an award
winning songwriter. He has been featured on Marian McPartland’s
Piano Jazz on
National Public Radio. He is an ASCAP Award-winning songwriter; his
lyric Forget the Woman
was recorded by Tony Bennett, and his music for
The Party Upstairs
won the MAC Award for Best Song of 2006. He also produces and hosts
Midtown Jazz at Midday
at St. Peter’s in Manhattan,
a weekly jazz concert series.
For two years Ronny appeared
in New York City
in the hit musical
Our Sinatra, as well as its two
national big band tours to more than 90 cities. He was also featured
twice at New York’s
JVC Jazz Festival, and was inducted into the Cabaret Jazz Hall of Fame.
The Ronny Whyte Trio has performed
in concert at Carnegie/Weill Hall, New York’s Town Hall, Washington’s Corcoran Gallery, and the Mellon Jazz
Festival in Philadelphia.
Ronny has had major engagements in
New York at the Café Carlyle, Rainbow and Stars,
the Oak Room at the Algonquin, and Feinstein’s at the Regency. Abroad,
he has starred in Paris,
Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Sao Paulo,
Caracas, and
Johannesburg.
Ronny often makes guest appearances with symphony
orchestras playing his arrangement of
Porgy & Bess for Jazz Trio &
Orchestra and other Gershwin works. In the theatre, he has
played such diverse roles as Bobby in
Company, Oberon in
A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
Joey in Pal Joey, and Vernon
in They’re Playing Our Song. He has written and performed in
Night’s Work,
two one-act plays with music, which marked his debut as a playwright.
Mr. Whyte has recorded ten
CD’s for Audiophile; his CD
All in a Night’s Work
was selected “Jazz Album of the Week” by the
New York Times.
Originally from Seattle, he divides his
time between the New York area and his
house in Milford,
Pennsylvania.
Michael
Kelsey
www.michaelkelsey.com
MICHAEL KELSEY
cannot be limited to a simple description. When you listen to his music
and see him perform live you're witnessing more than a just another
singer-songwriter. You're watching a rhythmic, inspired guitarist and
performance artist who brews soul, funk and even a little bit of the
blues into a guitar festival of organic sound. Multi-instrumentalist
Kelsey has been known to blend many musical genres with fervor and
grace. When he hits the stage to perform, he plays every inch of his
guitar and makes it sing, soar, pop and ping--by strumming it, pounding
it and pulling every part of it or anything else an arm's length or foot
kick away. He has created a style that he described best as
"progressive-aggressive acoustic guitar," and he has only begun to make
a first impression.
Born and raised in Lafayette, Indiana,
he began his musical journey weaving in and out of successful area bands
as lead guitarist or bassist. Later he opened and ran a thriving
recording studio, which after five years he retired in order to enable
him to embark freely on his career as a solo artist.
His naturally soulful vocal illuminates
carefully chosen lyrics that make his songs shimmer and shine. He plays
expressively and manipulates the guitar to create a melodic fusion of
alternate tunings and unorthodox hand positions allowing for him to
achieve a full sound. The true beauty is in the way the song, the sound
and the motion of his music unites. The songs, especially the lush
instrumentals, can be reminiscent of the late, great Michael Hedges, but
boast Kelsey's personal percussive stamp, exceptional arrangement and
deliberate instrumentation.
His live performances are particularly
moving. Sometimes he sounds as if he's deftly playing more than one
guitar. At a Kelsey show audience members may actually lose themselves
in the moment and forget they are listening to one person. They can be
tapping their foot one minute, in a deep trance the next, then bursting
into laughter.
After performing an opening set for folk
artist David Wilcox, David described Kelsey's show as "Cirque Du Soleil
on acoustic guitar."
Kelsey's abilities have enabled him to be
noticed by many. A finalist in Guitar Player Magazine's national
competition and winner of
Guitar
Center's "Guitarmageddon,"
chosen as best unsigned guitarist out of over 3000 entrants nationwide
says it all. He has toured nationally with Blind Melon and Dishwalla and
has shared the stage with everyone from Adrian Legg to John Wesley
Harding.
With a new album on the horizon and an
ever-constant touring schedule, Kelsey is definitely one of the hardest
working one-man bands in the business. Catch this bright and energetic
star on the rise while you can, his light will only shine brighter and
further as he continues to inspire, entertain and rock all those who
cross his path.
Swampwater Stompers
is a band made up seven local musicians with a shared interest in the
performance and preservation of traditional New Orleans style jazz
music.
Over the
past twenty years they have entertained extensively here and through-out
the state, including the Peru Depot concert series, twenty consecutive
(and counting) Peru Circus Festival Parades, the Honeywell Center, Miami
County and Indiana State Fair, various university related functions, and
all manner of public and private events.
They have
performed as far away as San Francisco, and when in New Orleans they
hold court at a jazz club on fabled Bourbon Street. They have recorded a
CD, and been involved in the making of two films.
But first
and foremost the "Swampers" love Peru, and as might be expected and
particularly relevant for this festival, are very proud and ardent
admirers of the timeless music of our own Cole Porter!
Joe
Cameron Band
www.joecameron.com The first
unsigned artist to perform live on the Ellen Degeneres Show, Joe just
finished up recording his new EP at Greenhouse Studios in
Vancouver with producer Bill Bell (Jason Mraz,
Tom Cochrane). The new 6-son “VanCity” EP is Joe’s 3
rd
independent release.
Originally from
Kokomo, IN, Joe Cameron has been writing his melodic
pop/rock tunes for over half his life. In 2003 Joe moved to Los Angeles. With
booking by the Acoustic Playhouse Agency, Joe performed around LA
including Sunset Strip performances at the Viper Room, the Rainbow Room,
the Larchmont, and the Cat Club. Joe also won a 2003 USA
Songwriting Contest Showcase in
Los Angeles.
With his mainstream Adult Contemporary/Top-40 style of music, Joe’s new
single “I’m Stuck with Me” has garnered commercial and college radio
play all over the Midwest while the lead track of his “In Transit”
album, “Ungrounded,” has been listed as one of independent internet
radio’s top 10 most requested pop songs.
Zak Tschiniak A 2006
graduate of Peru High School and the 2006 Cole Porter Scholarship
recipient, Zak recently graduated from Butler
University
where he studied music education.
Last year he was named one of the top 10 men at Butler University.
Zak has played the piano since 1995.
He began lessons with Mrs. Nancy Spahr.
Zak studied piano with Mrs. Jenny Mobley and trombone with Mr.
Jared Rodin at Butler
University where he was a
member of the Butler University Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz
Band, Marching Band, and Basketball Band.
Zak has enjoyed playing n the Cole Porter Festival for several
years and is looking forward to performing again this year.
Mark
& Troy
www.markandtroy.com
Tom
Kraft has been an entertainer, singer, songwriter, poet
and guitarist since he was 14 years old.
In 1964, he formed a musical pop group, The Teen Tones, who made
a cutting edge single record that did well for its time.
After the group disbanded, Tom played in rock bands while
continuing his musical pursuits in Hollywood,
where he cut another single record that received airplay in
Michigan,
New York, and parts of
Europe. Before a
major label could sign him, Tom moved back to
Jackson, MI to be near his family.
Tom has become a dedicated Christian and released a self-produced
CD, “On the Way to the Dance.”
He has played numerous church concerts and serves in his hometown
church, playing guitar.
Michael Booth
is a student
from
St. Joseph College in
Rensselaer,
IN studying Liturgical Music with
an emphasis on choral conducting and vocal performance.
Mr. Booth is originally from
Logansport where he has been involved with
music his whole life.
He has
conducted the pit orchestra in the local civics’ production of
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
He also taught vocal music and accompanied for their production
of
Finians Rainbow.
Recently he sang in the opera,
The Cask of Amontillado for
the Indy Fringe Festival.
He
also is the principle pianist at
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church
in Kentland as well as organist for
St. Joseph’s Chapel.
When not performing, he is writing and preparing for his own
opera.
Sheryll McManus gave her first solo recital at age 11 in
her hometown of Detroit, MI.
She subsequently won many awards for her piano playing and
singing, and has been a big Cole Porter fan since landing the role in
Kiss Me Kate when she was 16.
She holds performance degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and has performed
internationally including many performances with orchestra such as the
Saint Louis Symphony, Saint Louis Philharmonic, and Indianapolis
Symphony. She currently
resides in Peru and is
teaching piano.
Ellen Wilson, originally from Wabash, IN, graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education degree
from Grace College in Winona Lake, IN. For 16 years,
Ellen had a private music studio where she taught various woodwind,
brass and percussion lessons. She has served as the Director of Music
Ministries at Christ United Methodist
Church in Wabash,
IN, and Main
Street United
Methodist
Church
here in Peru.
Currently, she is the Director of Music and Worship Arts at First United
Methodist
Church
in West Lafayette,
IN. Ellen is also the Northwest Indiana District Leader of the American
Guild of English Handbell Ringers. Ellen and her husband, Mike, often
provide entertainment for the Museum's Heritage Days, as well as for
other local groups. With guitar, piano, flute, saxophone, and vocals,
they sing mostly pop music of the '50's through the '80's, as well as
Contemporary Christian music. Today, Ellen’s accompanist is Sallie
Crawford of Attica,
IN
and organist at First United Methodist
Church in West Lafayette.
Noelle Tretick Gosling
Circus
City
Festival Band
www.perucircus.com The sounds of
the Peru Circus Band have mesmerized Circus audiences for over 40 years.
The band is a phenomenon! Both amateur and professional musicians
volunteer their time for nearly two weeks each summer to provide the
musical background for over 200 amateur circus performers, playing more
than three hours in each show. This grueling task draws more
musicians than the band loft will hold, a capacity of 64, requiring that
some musicians take turns. Dating back to the 1800's, the original
circus band consisted of 20+ local musicians. Today, membership has
grown to over 140 including musicians who travel from as far away as
Louisiana,
New York and Springfield, Virginia
to participate. Each one will tell you that it is one of the most
enjoyable things they do... and that joy shows in the enthusiasm with
which they perform.
Mary
and Ruth Berkebile, both with M.M. in Piano Performance
from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, M.M. in
Violin Performance from Butler University and four years of operatic
study with Lyda-Betti Brown of Indianapolis, have been music teachers in
the Peru area since 1968. The sisters run their own studio for private
classes in piano, organ, strings, and voice. Mary and Ruth have a string
quartet and use their diverse knowledge of music to entertain others.
The Berkebiles will be performing with their string quartet including
members Oliver Goodwin and Mary Alice Ross.
Peru
High School
Swing Choir Under the direction of Peru High School
Choral Director, Jason Gornto, the Peru High School Swing Choir will
perform a Cole Porter medley.
This young group of delightfully choreographed musicians never
fails to bring smiles to faces whenever they perform.
Ann
Scheuer
is a self-taught local pianist who has been playing for seventy-six
years. She is the mother of three
and grandmother of two. Ann has
performed in Detroit and Michigan City.
She has performed locally at The Siding Restaurant, for various
organizations, and at the St. Charles Bazaar for 17 years.
