From the Friends of the Dwight-Derby House, Inc. – www.dwightderbyhouse.org

Dwight-Derby House Kitchen Concert Series Continues with

Medfield’s Jeri Bergonzi

Medfield, MA–On Thursday, September 5, from 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm, The Friends of the Dwight-Derby House will host the fourth of its Kitchen Concert Series featuring Medfield’s stellar pianist and jazz vocalist Jeri Bergonzi and accomplished bassist Barry Smith.

The event, held at the Dwight-Derby House at 7 Frairy Street in Medfield, is a “First Thursdays” event and will help to raise funds for the next phase of restoration of the house: installation of a working kitchen.

Tickets for this fun and intimate evening of jazz are $25 per person and will be sold at the door. Ticket price includes everything but the kitchen sink: beer and wine tasting provided by Larkin Liquors, delicious finger food furnished by The Jeep Grill and outstanding jazz by the talented Jeri and her bassist Barry.

Jeri grew up singing the songs of her beloved Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell while listening to the progressive rock bands of the1970s.  After graduating from Boston College with a degree in literature and philosophy she decided to get serious about her piano playing.  She studied jazz improvisation with the legendary Charlie Banacos and followed her newly found career path playing and singing the clubs and hotel venues in Boston, including Turner Fisheries at the Weston Hotel, Oak Bar at the Copley Plaza, Bay Tower Room, Scullers Jazz Club, Toff’’s Lounge of the Royal Sonesta Hotel, Marriott Hotels at Copley and Longwharf, the Ritz Carlton, and the Hyatt Regency.  Stints with Top 40 dance bands, GB groups and solo piano tours in Europe helped pay the rent while honing her jazz skills.  Jeri’s repertoire spans the jazz tradition from the standards of Porter, Gershwin, and Ellington to the contemporary sounds of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner. Today, you are most likely to catch her performing with her jazz vocal trio or playing at the Top of the Hub with Tony Carelli’s quintet, which features two horn charts from the memorable Blue Note years.

Bassist Barry Smith is an assistant professor at Berklee College of Music. He earned his Bachelors of Music at the Manhattan School of Music and his Masters in Music from Julliard. Barry has performed with Al Cohn and Zoot Simms, Double Image with Dave Samuels and David Friedman, the Joe Hunt Group, and the Pat Metheny Quartet.  He has toured with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Woody Herman and the Thundering Herd, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, the Gerry Mulligan Big Band, the Gerry Niewood Quartet, and the Red Rodney/Ira Sullivan Quintet and has recorded with the Alfred Cardim Trio, Lionel Hampton, the Steve Rochinski Quartet, Red Rodney and Ira Sullivan, Ed Saindon, and Danny Weiner.

Get ready to tap your feet and be amazed. Join us for good food, good music and a good time.

The Friends of the Dwight-Derby House is a citizen’s group established to support the active use, restoration, maintenance and preservation of this historic property.  Today, it continues to raise funds through grants, individual and corporate donations, and sale of memorabilia. The donation of time, talent and effort by many local volunteers has also contributed to its restoration.