‘In Your Own Backyard’ Twilight Piano Jazz Series: 2nd edition – Part One
FEATURING TOM SZCZESNIAK
A tribute to Ben, Moe & Sam
“We love organically grown events and this upcoming series we have planned is no different. Local jazz pianist Doug Mundy has recently purchased a Steinway grand piano that we are storing at our Shady Acres Studio. We know how our jazz fans LOVE the intimate concerts so we thought why not do one ‘In our own back yard’. Not only is the series literally in our back yard all of the piano players we are featuring are local. These 4 pianists are incredible and each of them is going to take you on a journey as they pay tribute to some of the greatest jazz pianists and composers of all time.”
Juliet Dunn and Peter Shea (Co-creators: Twilight Jazz Series and TD Niagara Jazz Festival)
‘In Your Own Backyard’ Twilight Piano Jazz Series: 2nd edition
PART ONE: Monday, March 18 – Tom Szczesniak: A Tribute to Ben, Moe & Sam*
PART TWO: Monday, April 8 – Gordon Webster (NYC): Exploring Lindy Hop
PART THREE: Monday, April 29 – Mark Eisenmann: Miles Above**
PART FOUR: Monday, May 13 – Doug Mundy: A Tribute to Thelonious Monk
* A tribute to the various pianists who influenced Tom: Benjamin Britten, Maurice Ravel, and Samuel Barber.
**A tribute to the various pianists who performed with Miles Davis.
– All shows cost $39 and are subject to HST and handling fees. –
Click below if you’d like to buy a pass to all 4 events. $99 + HST and handling fees.
* All performances will be on a Steinway Grand piano at the same surprise location ‘ Shady Acres’ in St. Catharines. The location will be revealed once you have purchased your ticket. *
Please note that there will be a cash bar on site and that complimentary light fare will be served.
All shows: 7 pm – 9:30 pm
* Seats are extremely limited for this VIP event so we suggest booking right away. *
ABOUT TOM
Composer, arranger, conductor, pianist, electric bassist and accordionist
Tom first arrived in Toronto in 1973, following a stint with the U.S. Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. Since that time, he has performed as a musician on the scores of over 100 feature films, numerous television shows (such as “Earth: Final Conflict”, “Street Legal”, “The Road to Avonlea”, “Side Effects”, “SCTV”, “The Woflman Jack Show and “The Jim Henson Hour”) and over 1,000 commercials. As a player, he has also been much in demand by some of the finest international performing artists, such as Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray, Esthero (arrangements – Gold Album), Brian Adams, Little Richard, K.D. Lang, Lenny Breau, Joe Williams, Marc Jordan, Marvin Hamlisch, Dan Hill, The Rankin Family, Dionne Warwick, Bruce Guthrow, Smokey Robinson, Bobby McFerrin, Diahann Carole and Susan Aglukark, as well as jazz greats “The Boss Brass”, Gil Evans, Thad Jones, The Cape Breton Symphony, Nimmons and 9, Bruce Cassidy’s Hotfoot Band, The Canadian Pops Orchestra as well as performances for former U.S. Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Lyndon B. Johnson.
As a composer and arranger, Tom has used his writing skills to enhance a wide variety of cinematic, televised, commercial and theatrical productions, and has been an integral part of several highly-regarded music production houses, including Acrobat Music, Pursuit Communications and Trudel Productions. Music is an essential element of any “visual” art form, and Tom’s compositions have enhanced and illuminated over 100 feature films, as well as animated and “live action” productions such as “Ruby Gloom”, “Franklin the Turtle” (syndicated series and four full-length features), “Gerald McBoing Boing”, “Fraggle Rock”, “Sesame Street”, “Beetlejuice” (the ABC/Fox animated series), “The Care Bears”, “The Adventures of Tin-Tin”, “An American Tale”, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and the animated CBS series, “Ace Ventura”. In 1993, Tom formed a company (along with the formidable musical multi-threat, Ray Parker), “ParkerSzczmith Music Inc”, and since that time, has been composing, conducting, playing and arranging under the auspices of this successful and award-winning company.
Tom has been honoured to be a multiple recipient of the Socan Award for “Film and Television Music” (1994/95/97/98/99 and 2000-2006), the Emmy Award for “Beetlejuice” 1991. In 1986, The International Film Festival of New York presented him with an award for his work on Ontario Lottery Commercials (“Together”).
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