The Jazz in January concert at Concord Community Music School in Concord, NH, on January 31, 2020. The concert featured the Musicians of Wall Street Jazz Ensemble: Zeb Cruikshank, guitar; Eric Klaxton, clarinet & saxophone; Matt Langley, saxophone; Scott Kiefner, bass; Tom Robinson, piano; Tim Gilmore, drums.

CONCORD – Concord Community Music School’s postponed annual “Jazz in January” concert will have a decidedly un-wintry tone when it finally happens this Saturday, May 8, at 6:00pm. The concert, part of the Music School’s Virtual Spring Series, will be live-streamed from the Recital Hall, so that jazz fans can “attend” from wherever they are in the world!

The Musicians of Wall Street Jazz Ensemble includes Concord Community Music School faculty members Eric Klaxton on saxophone, Scott Kiefner on bass, Tim Gilmore on drums, Tom Robinson on piano, and Zeb Cruikshank and Keith Perry on guitar. This stellar lineup of jazz artists present a perennially popular concert of jazz – including Latin, New Orleans, swing, and band originals, with plenty of musical surprises.

Starting in 2002, Hermanos Cocina Mexicana has generously served audience members a delicious buffet at the Music School’s in-person Jazz in January concerts. We hope that our audiences will support our hardworking friends at Hermanos, as they continue to safely serve delicious Mexican food – takeout, and at their downtown Concord location, with live jazz music 6 nights a week!

To reserve a “seat” at the May 8 jazz concert, please register at the Music School website, ccmusicschool.org, or call 603-228-1196. Tickets are free, and we thank you for considering a donation as you register, in honor of the Music School’s commitment to supporting its faculty and its tradition of free concerts, open to all.

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About the Artists

Zeb Cruikshank performs and teaches in musical genres ranging from blues and classic rock to acoustic fingerstyle, jazz, and classical guitar. Most recently he was a full-time guitar faculty member at MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. He holds a Bachelor’s in Guitar Performance from McNally Smith College of Music, with further studies in their advanced Artist Diploma program. Zeb has recorded 5 albums, and opened for national acts such as Maceo Parker, Living Colour, Semisonic, Firehouse, and Chris Duarte. In Minneapolis he was known for his original jazz fusion project The Zeb Cruikshank Band, his acoustic duo Jess & Zeb, and classic rock band The Brute Squad.

Tim Gilmore received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Ed/Music from Salem State College and studied further in composition and performance programs at Berklee College of Music. He is a member of the Harry Skoler Jazz Quartet with Brownstone Recording Artists and has performed with such groups as the Cape Ann Symphony, the Symphony by the Sea, the Paul Madore Chorale, the Boston Percussion Ensemble and the Cambridge Harmonic Orchestra. He has also performed with Lester Bowie, Marion McPartland, Tower of Power, Tiger Okoshi, and Warren Vache. Some of his recordings include A Work of Heart, Reflections on the Art of Swing, and Conversations in the Language of Jazz on Brownstone Records.

Scott Kiefner graduated from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music in Montreal, QC, where he studied with Fraser Hollins and Chris McCann. In the summer of 2013, he was selected to attend the School for Improvisational Music Intensive workshop in New York City. He has since returned to New England, where he performs as an in-demand bass player with Jonathan Lorentz, Jim Dozet, Chris Klaxton, and many others. He began his musical life in Music & Movement at the Music School, continuing on to study piano until he discovered the bass. He studied bass with Don Williams at the Music School and was a member of the Scholarship Jazz Ensemble.

Eric Klaxton performs frequently with many notable ensembles, including The Soggy Po Boys, Sojoy, OurBigBand, and composes and arranges for a number of his own groups. He earned his BA in Saxophone Performance at the University of New Hampshire where he studied jazz harmony with Mark Shilanksy, arranging with Mike Annicchiarico, and worked with such inspiring visiting artists as Clark Terry, Frank Wess, Terell Stafford, Jimmy Heath, and Stjepko Gut. Eric enjoys the arts across a broad spectrum, seeking inspiration from the works of great philosophers, classical composers, modern authors, directors, and visual artists. He teaches jazz piano, composition, and audio engineering at Concord Community Music School.

Keith Perry has performed in the Montreux Jazz Festival and with the 3 o’clock Jazz Ensemble at UNH. He regularly plays around the Seacoast at venues including Blue in Portland, the Stone Church, and many others. Keith holds a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance from UNH and has studied with David Newsam, Mack Walters, and Phil Sargent. He has taught through his private studio and at UNH’s Summer Youth Music School (SYMS) program.

Tom Robinson received his B.M. in Jazz Studies from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. He studied saxophone with Michael Cox and piano with Mark Flugge and Joe Hunter. He performs throughout New England with several groups. He has been a featured artist at the Catamount Arts Center and Mountaintop Music Center. He recorded a collaborative CD with Tim Gilmore and John Hunter in 2006 called Skylight. Tom teaches at the Concord Community Music School and St. Paul’s School as well as at his home studio. Tom is currently involved in several projects including Donkilo and Bangkok Disco.

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