Contact: Golda Solomon, 877-529-9528, or gs@goldajazz.com

Cornelia Street Café: corneliastreetcafe@earthlink.net

For immediate release

Po’Jazz at The Cornelia Street Cafe

Poetry in Partnership with Jazz

Thursday, May 20^th, 2004 6 - 8 p.m.

Po’Jazz, the one-of-a-kind jazz and poetry series, is proud to present acclaimed jazz guitarist Ron Jackson in its third Thursday evening of the month slot on May 20^th Downstairs at The Cornelia Street Café. The downstairs room opens at 5:30 for early dining and imbibing (serving the same fine food as upstairs). Admission is $15 ($13 students/seniors), which includes one drink.

“The Medicine Woman of Jazz,” host and poet Golda Solomon welcomes back Po’Jazz veteran Christine Lewis as the evening’s featured poet. Ms. Lewis brings her unique Trinidadian voice to poetry that moves with island flavor and rhythms. The inventive and “off the hook” poet Monique Avakian, and the versatile Ila Cantor Quartet (guitar, piano, bass, and drums) complete the lineup.

The president and founder of Poet’s Corner says of Golda, “Her poetry has a rhythm and spontaneity that goes right to the heart. Golda Solomon has found her perfect accompaniment in jazz.”

Ron Jackson, guitarist, composer, and arranger, is well established on the international jazz scene. Called "a swinging and witty guitarist" by Rufus Reid, Ron’s style is a blend of jazz, soul, rhythm & blues, and pop influenced by his roots of the Philippines.

Gladys Serrano of Mutable Music says, “Po’Jazz at Cornelia Street is one big friendly party of good words, good sounds, and good food.” Po’Jazz performances are currently being recorded live for a new CD (expected release summer 2005).

This performance is part of a third Thursday of the month poetry and jazz series at The Cornelia Street Café programmed by ICAAN co-founder Golda Solomon in association with JazzJaunts. Dedicated to the belief that the arts are vital for tapping into processes needed for individual healing and community building, ICAAN (Interactive Communication and Arts Network) provides on-site arts programming to workplaces, schools and other organizations. For more information about ICAAN, call 877-529-9528 or visit www.icaan.biz.

The Café is located at 29 Cornelia Street, Greenwich Village, NYC. Po’Jazz events take place in the café’s downstairs performance space. By subway, take the A, C, E, F or V train to West 4^th Street, or the 1 or 9 train to Christopher Street - Sheridan Square (walk 2^1/2 blocks east on West 4^th and make a right onto Cornelia Street.) By car, take 7^th Avenue south to Bleecker; left on Bleecker; left onto Cornelia. For more information, visit www.corneliastreetcafe.com, or call 212-989-9319.

The Cornelia Street Café poetry series is curated by Angelo Verga. The next event in this series will be held on Thursday, June 17th, from 6 until 8.

Artist bios follow; e-mail info@icaan.biz for photos.

About the Artists

Monique Avakian, poet, regularly performs her “musical,” “inventive,” and “off the hook” poetry around Westchester and Manhattan. Her work has appeared in several poetry publications, and she has earned awards for both poetry and non-fiction. Whether teaching or performing, Monique seeks to spark everyone's intuitive love of language and natural enthusiasm for imaginative depth.

Ila Cantor’s unique and versatile guitar playing has led to gigs in New York, New Jersey, Boston and Barcelona, at jazz clubs, restaurants, and private parties, playing with jazz duo, trio, and larger combos, as well as playing solo jazz guitar and other styles of music such as Spanish boleros, classical, and rock. She debuted at the Iridium with Les Paul in July of 2002. Ila has trained in classical and jazz with Bob Hansmann for over four years. Currently at the New School jazz program, she has studied under several masters, at Berklee School of Music, New School University, and privately; with Rory Stewart, John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Melvin Sparks and Kurt Rosenwinkle, among others.

Eliot Cardinaux, piano (Ila Cantor Quartet), is currently a first year jazz piano student at the Manhattan School of Music. He was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1984 and moved to New York in the fall of 2003. He began playing jazz piano at the age of 15.

Adam Chilenski, bass (Ila Cantor Quartet), is excited to be living in New York City. Having recently moved here from Portland, Maine he already considers it his home. Adam has been making a living as a musician since high school, and says he has no plans to do anything else.

Ron Jackson, jazz guitar, has performed and recorded in over 20 countries as a bandleader and ensemble performer. Winner of the first annual 1996 Heritage Guitars International Jazz Guitar Competition, he has three CDs out under his own name: A Guitar Thing and Thinking of You on Muse Records and Concrete Jungle, an album co-led with bassist Nicki Parrot, on Airmen Records. His new trio CD, The Dream I Had, features Dutch musicians Joris Teepe on bass and Joris Dudli on drums. Ron has performed, played and recorded with greats such as Jimmy McGriff, Benny Green, The Boys Choir of Harlem, Essiet Essiet, Irene Reid, Hal Singer, the Mingus Guitar Tribute Band, Cissy Houston, Larry Coryell, Cecil Brooks III, and Rufus Reid. His jazz group appears frequently in New York City and has performed at such notable clubs as The Blue Note, Fat Tuesday, Iridium and Birdland. He is also very active on the Broadway and studio scene in New York, having performed in the pit orchestras of such shows as “Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk,” “Rent,” and “Harlem Song.” Ron has written and recorded music for pop artists Umbrella, Japanese vocalist Seako Hinguchi, and jazz artists Rufus Reid and Hal Singer, and he has contributed his talents to the recordings of several film scores. Ron has taught at The New School, New York University, and Jazzmobile, as well as at workshops in The United Kingdom, Australia, France, Spain, and Portugal. He is currently on the faculty of The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, WBGO Jazz For Teens Program, and the North Netherlands Conservatoire in Groningen, Holland.

Bram Kincheloe, drums (Ila Cantor Quartet), has been playing music all of his life, starting drum lessons at the age of five and taking piano lessons from his mother. He has toured Japan twice with the Monterey Jazz Festival High School All Star Band, and visited Amsterdam twice to study at the Conservatory Von Amsterdam. Bram moved to New York at the age of 16 to study at the LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts, and, after one year, left to attend the Manhattan School of Music, where he is currently studying with Justin Dicioccio.

Christine Lewis, poet, is a Jill of many genres. Dancer, performer, and poet, she performs regularly in the New York area and brings her unique Trinidadian voice to poetry that moves with island flavor and rhythms. “What you love never eludes you,” Lewis says of her writing, and returns regularly to her island roots and love of recitation.

Golda Solomon, “the medicine woman of jazz,” is a professor of communications, speech, and theater arts; a poet, performer, producer, and docent; a supporter of women musicians as well as young musicians, poets, and performers.  She was project director of Po’Jazz at The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center for four years, and co-founded the brooklyn poetry choir. Golda has pioneered several unique businesses including JazzJaunts, a personalized jazz service, and, with Barbara Sfraga, ICAAN (Interactive Communication and Arts Network), which provides innovative, on-site, organization-specific arts programming to workplaces, schools, and other organizations.  Golda has a collection of poetry, Flatbush Cowgirl, published in 1999, for which she co-produced a companion CD, First Set.  She also co-produced the CD Po’Jazz: Takin’ It To The Hollow, which includes over 20 poets and musicians. In 2002, Golda's poetry won first prize at the Writer's Workshop in Asheville, North Carolina. Her book and CDs are available on www.mouthwideshut.com.