Mass MoCA Dance Party to Feature Cuban-Jazz Pianist
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Jazz maven Nicki Denner's thirst for Latin, Cuban, and salsa music has made her one of the most sought after jazz/Latin pianists in the country. On Friday, May 1, at 8, Denner will bring her sextet to Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art's Hunter Center for a salsa dance party.
Frank DeBlase of the Rochester International Jazz Festival says, "Nicki Denner's piano playing gets pretty damn caliente, whether she's extrapolating a Latin standard or taking listeners in jazzy jaunts into her lively originals."
Denner began playing the piano at age 7 in the small town of West Salem, Wis. At 17, she studied music in Minneapolis, where she found herself inspired by jazz pianist Jimmy Hamilton. Through a series of serendipitous events, two years later Denner found herself playing salsa and merengue music with the Minneapolis-based band Latin Sounds Orchestra, and eventually became the musical director for the Puerto Rican folkloric group Proyecto La Plena. Picking up the salsa and Latin beats in her piano playing came naturally to Denner and she slowly begin to mix all of these genres together in her own compositions.
In 1998, Denner released her first CD, "Don't Just Stand There," with her then band Jazziroco. After moving to New York in 1999, she became the principal jazz pianist for many Latin and Jazz artists, including Sheila E, Chris Washburne, and Harvie S. Denner's second release "El Medico de Coqui," which features 14 tracks, including six boleros, and showcases the talent of Puerto Rican vocalist Julian Llanos. Since 2001, she has led her own trio with Jennifer Vincent on bass, and Willie Martinez on drums. In 2006, the trio released their debut recording, "Moliendo Café," which was named one of the top 10 picks of 2006 in Latin Beat Magazine.
Denner has been a featured pianist for Lincoln Center's "Meet the Artist" program, Chicago City Limits (a New York City improv comedy group) and Broadway Underground (an off-Broadway production featuring New York's finest tap and hip-hop dancers). She was commissioned by the New Jersey Tap Ensemble in 2004 to compose music for a piece choreographed by Savion Glover. Along with performing, Denner has taught on the piano faculty of the Stanford University Summer Jazz Workshop, the Montclair State University Jazz Prep Summer Program and the New York City Tap Festival.
Beverage and bar service, as well as a range of dinner selections from Lickety Split, will be available when the doors open at 7 and throughout the night. Dance instruction, arranged by Jacob's Pillow, will begin at 8. The event is presented as part of the Williamstown Jazz Festival taking place at an array of venues throughout the region between Wednesday, April 29, and Wednesday, May 6. For more information visit www.williamstownjazz.com.
Tickets are $15 in advance and $19 day of show. Mass MoCA members receive a 10 percent discount. The box office off Marshall Street is open from 11 to 5 Wednesdays through Mondays; tickets can also be charged at 413-662-2111 during box office hours or at www.massmoca.org.
