Matt Finley

     & Rio JAZZ

  

Many performers in Rio JAZZ have their own CDs available. You can send an e-mail for more information, or visit their website.

  Matt Finley, flugelhorn. Matt Finley is a retired computer science professor and academic dean who has played shows, concerts, recordings and television for fifty-five years. He performed with the late Grammy award-winning saxophonist Nick Brignola and studied composition with Edgar Curtis, Director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Eight his compositions were recorded on the CD by Tomas Martin Lopez, On the Beat Path. Matt plays flugelhorn, trumpet, soprano sax, flute & vibes and has led Rio JAZZ since 1988.

Matt's CD on Kingsmill Music, "Brazilian Wish"  features nine of his original Brazilian Jazz compositions and an all-star lineup produced by Jon Werking featuring Romero Lubambo, Mark Egan, Warren Bernhardt, David Finck, David Mann and others, along with Jeff, Joel and Tomas from Rio JAZZ. Two of the songs were finalists in the 2009 Los Angeles Music Awards. The CD may be heard on satellite TV, iTunes, Pandora & Spotify. Matt lives in Pine Plains, New York and Bolton, New York. (518) 398-7376

  Peter Tomlinson, piano. Peter has released several CDs as a leader and has performed with Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, Kenny Washington and Jimmy Cobb. His most recent CD, For Evan's Sake, is a duet with guitarist Peter Einhorn. Peter is on the jazz piano faculty at Western Connecticut State College and is professor of jazz piano at Vassar College. Peter is also featured on the newest CD by Keith Pray, Confluence, a CD by vocalist Bar Scott, and a CD by guitarist Perry Beekman. He lives in Hurley, New York. (845) 338-3153

Jeff Ciampa, guitar. Jeff has performed with Harry Belefonte, Jon Lucien, Lew Soloff, Bill Evans, Roy Hargrove, Huston Person, and Kenia and with Elements, featuring Mark Egan and Danny Gottleib. He has released two solo CDs for Wavetone Records and appeared as a sideman on many CDs and films. Jeff lives in Warwick, New York. (845) 986-9145

  Joel Rosenblatt, drums.     Joel recorded and toured with Michel Camilo, Paquito D'Rivera, Steve Khan, and Eliane Elias. He was the drummer for the acclaimed group, Spyro Gyra for 13 years and was most recently with Blood, Sweat & Tears.  He now actively plays freelance work in New York City with Bill Evans, Lee Ritenour, Randy Brecker and others. Joel lives in Somers, New York.

Don Miller, bass. Don plays acoustic bass and has performed and recorded with Ira Sullivan, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Ramsey Lewis, Mongo Santamaria, George Benson, Larry Coryell and Mark Murphy, and has many credits in television and radio. His CD, Dial M for Bass is receiving national airplay and great reviews. Don lives in Woodstock, New York. (845) 626-5304

  Tomas Martin Lopez, Latin percussion. Recently touring with the Grammy-nominated New Swing Sextet, Tomas has performed with top Latin bands including Lalo Rodriguez, Orq, Broadway, and Louie Ramirez. He has played with Master Drummer John Amira in Afro Cuban & Haitian Drum & Dance in NYC, teaches Latin Percussion in the Hudson Valley area, and has fronted his own band, Caribe Sol. His CD, On the Beat Path, featuring music composed by Matt Finley and Bill O'Connell, was named to the top ten on the 2010 Latin jazz charts for 'Latin Beat' Magazine. Tomas lives in Poughkeepsie, New York. (845) 462-6251

Dr. Christopher Brellochs, Associate Professor of Music at Dutchess Community College, plays soprano, alto and tenor sax. He has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to Birdland, as well as internationally performing and presenting master classes in Paris and Strasbourg, France. As an arranger and performer, he has resurrected and adapted the unpublished score of Aaron Copland's incidental music for "Quiet City" in a world premiere recording and was subsequently interviewed on NPR's Weekend Edition.  

Bruce Berky, our highly capable sound engineer, also performs on tenor sax to give the band a full horn section sound. A music major at Ithaca College, Bruce lives in Kingston, NY.

Peter McEachern, trombone, a Connecticut native, has toured and recorded CDs with Blues legend Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, the Thomas Chapin Trio, and the Mario Pavone Septet. Currently he is the Chairman of the Music Department at Salisbury School and director of the Quinnipiac University Jazz Ensemble. Peter has been a teaching artist at the Litchfield Jazz Camp since 1998.

Denise Jordan Finley has received highest recognition from the International Folk DJ List in the categories of song, album and artist, having released six albums of original compositions to date. She has launched a project, "Meeting in the Middle," setting lyrics to some of Matt's melodies.