4:30 – 6:00 pm – Gaetano Letizia
Guitarist / Song Writer / Vocalist
Gaetano Letizia
Gaetano, also known as Tom, was born in Cleveland where he began performing his own shows at the age of 16. One of his first stage appearances was with the James Gang, sitting in for Joe Walsh in 1970. Since then, he’s performed all over the U.S. along with Europe and Asia. Producer of ten blues and jazz guitar CD’s, Gaetano has received stellar reviews in Downbeat, Guitar Player, 20th Century Guitar, Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Cleveland Scene and many national/international publications. His music has been played on radio stations in every state as well as most foreign countries.
Discography: The Tom Letizia Album, Digital Dance,Chuckhole Blues, Gaetano’s Groove, Dreamclipse , All My Brothers, Christmas Jazz Jam,Voodoo Doll, Froggy & The Toads are available through CDBaby, Amazon, ITunes and all digital music services.
Musical Background: Guitar studies With Pat Martino, George Benson, Joe Pass, Richie Hart, Wolf Marshall, Bert Henry, John Stebal, Paul Weeden and Dan Wall. Graduate of Schillinger System of Music Composition. Berklee College PULSE Certification,
Performances & Recordings with: Mike Clark, Joe Beck, Mundell Lowe, Dan Wall, Greg Bandy, Kenny Davis. Former member of KSU Lab Band.
Gaetano Letizia will play with:
- Lenny Gray on electric bass
- John Stebal III on drums
- Tom First on saxophone
Contact Information: gaetano@gaetanoletizia.com
Website: www.gaetanoletizia.com (on-line original music samples)
6:20 – 7:50 pm – Snaps For Sinners
Sassy Swing Ensemble
Snaps for Sinners
Snaps for Sinners is a sassy swing ensemble hellbent on making people dance and have a good time, while also delivering a powerful progressive message that inspires empathy and altruism. With influences ranging from traditional Jazz to Folk-Punk to Country, Snaps for Sinners is dedicated to creating an all-inclusive experience through the blending of multicultural arts.
Since the release of their first album, “How the Apple Falls” and the success of their debut tour from Northern California to North Carolina and back, Snaps for Sinners have been igniting audiences nationally. They are now touring the release of their second album, “The Cat’s Medicine,” which is only available in it’s entirety at their live shows this Summer.
8:10 – 9:40 pm – Barbra Lica
Vocalist / Song Writer
Juno-nominated artist Barbra Lica is a fast rising Canadian vocalist and songwriter and has been receiving accolades for a unique approach that stresses subtlety, grace and storytelling. Based in Toronto, Barbra’s live show captivates audiences all over North America with her genuine warmth and confident stage presence. A seasoned act on the Canadian and American club and festival circuits, Barbra Lica has performed everywhere from New York City’s legendary Birdland to Toronto’s prestigious Koerner Hall. She has also headlined at festivals across the continent including Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Vancouver International Jazz Festival and Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, and opened for the likes of Christian McBride, Pat Metheny, Bob Dorough, and Terence Blanchard.
Barbra’s debut album That’s What I Do (Triplet / Universal Jazz Japan) was released to widespread acclaim in 2012, ranking her in Canada’s Top 5 Jazz singers on the CBC, as well Top 5 up-and-coming Toronto jazz artists on blogTO. Her band made their Japanese debut live at the Tokyo International Jazz Festival in 2015 for over 1000 audience members. Her first album with Justin Time Records, I’m Still Learning, was released September 2016 and subsequently nominated for a 2017 Juno Award in the category of “Best Vocal Jazz Album”. Barbra is currently promoting her newest project entitled, You’re Fine (Justin Time Records, November 2018). This album is a collaborative effort between Toronto and Nashville-based musicians, seamlessly blending jazz, country and folk influences. It includes Barbra’s touring band of up-and-coming musicians from across Canada with special guests and country music legends, Paul Franklin (Vince Gill, Shania Twain, Toby Keith) on pedal steel guitar and mutli-instrumentalist Wanda Vick Burchfield (Taylor Swift, Trisha Yearwood, Jason Aldean). “You’re Fine” was recorded at Addiction Sound Studios in the heart of Nashville with award-winning Canadian engineer David Kalmusky (John Oates, Journey) and highly-respected Canadian producer/bassist Marc Rogers (The Philosopher Kings, Nikki Yanofsky). This is Barbra’s most ambitious and personal offering to date – it promises to break all the rules while searching for commonalities between musical genres, human experiences and two sides of one border.
Beginning at 4:00 p.m. Host Performer – The Defiance Dixieland Jazz Band
Talented Local Musicians Led by Scott Rogers