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, June 17^th, 2004 6 - 8 p.m.

Po’Jazz, the one-of-a-kind jazz and poetry series, is proud to present the multitalented jazz pianist Joe Vincent Tranchina and spoken rhythm artist Marietta (“Mahogany Queen”) in its third Thursday evening of the month slot on June 17^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 will also be joined by the inventive poet Monique Avakian, gifted singer-songwriter Emily Cowings, and the versatile Ila Cantor Quartet (Ila Cantor, guitar, Eliot Cardinaux, piano, Adam Chilenski, bass, and Bram Kincheloe, drums).

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.”

Joe Vincent Tranchina is an outstanding pianist, composer, arranger, and accompanist who has been recognized for the past seven years by ASCAP’s “Popular Music Award” for performances of original jazz compositions.

Marietta (“Mahogany Queen”) says “I keep an eye on truth and ride the rhythm wherever it take me.”

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 (www.jazzjaunts.com). 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, July 15th, 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.

Emily Cowings is a prolific songwriter and gifted singer. She composed her first song, “Business Man,” at the age of 16, and made her debut at New York City’s Bitter End a year later. Emily grew up traveling around the globe with her parents, jazz singing duo Kim Kalesti and Marion Cowings, and subliminally became part of the remarkable music of many fine jazz musicians as well as the music of her R &B generation. She is being produced by hit maker Chucky Thompson.

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.

Marietta “Mahogany Queen,” poet, is “rhythm and poetry mending soul with soul creating one continuous groove.” Marietta uses her “Spoken Rhythm” to journal through time celebrating the art of being while blending spirituality, sexuality and sensibility into a rich flavorful gumbo of cross-cultural experiences. In her own words, “I’m just Spirit trying to move the best that I can without letting self getting in the way. Sometimes it comes out on paper, sometimes in speech, sometimes in dance. I keep an eye on truth and ride the rhythm wherever it take me.”

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.amazon.com and www.jazzjaunts.com.

Joe Vincent Tranchina, piano, has been recognized for the past seven years by ASCAP’s “Popular Music Award” for performances of original jazz compositions and twice honored by the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts “Best of the Bronx” series with concert presentations of his original work. He composed the original scores for Barbara Reiter’s documentary Significance, and Ryoya Terao’s PBS documentary Go Achilles. Joe has performed in most of the major jazz and club venues throughout New York City and the surrounding area, as well as in concert venues including Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and Jazz Mobile. He has toured abroad in Germany, Switzerland, Greece, and Japan. His credits also include a long list of stagemates and several media appearances. Joe can be found on several CDs as a sideman and arranger, and he has authored two books on jazz improvisation. For more information, visit www.jovitra.com.