This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Jeff Antoniuk and the Jazz Update

Jeff Antoniuk and the Jazz Update Bring Inspired Originals and Artful Jazz Staples to Montpelier 

Jazz lovers can enjoy inspired originals and artfully arranged jazz staples when saxophonist, composer and bandleader Jeff Antoniuk brings his band, the Jazz Update, to the Montpelier Spring Jazz Series in Laurel, Maryland. 

The quartet will perform fresh, memorable, and beautifully executed compositions from their latest CD, Brotherhood, released on the Indy label JAJU Records in 2010. The album received strong airplay throughout North America and drew enthusiastic reviews from critics worldwide.  

Find out what's happening in Laurelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Antoniuk was lauded for both his four-carat compositions and heightened powers on the saxophone. Jazz Times noted his "considerable chops" while MusikReviews.com praised his "amazing saxophone playing." Jazzscene praised the "solid melody lines, probing improvisation" and "sheer beauty" of the album while JazzReview.com called it a "boldly affirmative statement."

The group’s 2007 recording Here Today was also well received in the U.S. and Canada, Antoniuk's homeland. Tunes such as “Man’s Best Friend” and “Blues for JD Salinger” continue to be downloaded by new fans.

Find out what's happening in Laurelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A solid figure on the greater Washington D.C. jazz scene, Antoniuk appears on many recordings. His quartet also includes pianist Wade Beach, drummer Tony Martucci (both of Falls Church) and bassist/composer Tom Baldwin of Laurel. 

Antoniuk has worked with many stellar Canadian musicians such as pop icon David Foster and Juno Award winner trumpeter Ingrid Jensen. In the U.S., he has worked with diverse hit makers Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Bobby McFerrin, Najee and Marcus Miller.

 A master teaching artist for Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS), Antonuk also directs Jazz Band Masterclass, inDepth Jazz Clinics & Concerts and the new jazz choir, Capital City Voices. He has appeared at the Edmonton International Jazz Festival, the Vic Lewis International Band Festival, Grant MacEwan Summer Jazz, Juneau Jazz & Classics and the Maryland Summer Jazz Festival. 

 Montpelier Arts Center is located at 9652 Muirkirk Road in Laurel, Maryland, 20708. Individual concert tickets for the Montpelier Spring Jazz Series are $20 each, with discounts for members and senior citizens. For tickets call: 301 377-7800.

 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?