Dear Jazz Lovers...

Three outstanding musicians join together to create a magical evening. They have been working together lately and have created a beautiful musical vibe. Don't miss this!

Thank you for supporting live music!

Thursday, March 16, 2023 7:30 pm

JAZZ AT THE MERC

presents

Lori Bell, Josh Nelson and Ron Satterfield

Prior to releasing her solo debut album Lori Bell in 2002, the flutist recorded three previous works as part of different group settings, including Love Will Win (featuring pianist Dave Mackay and bassist Andy Simpkins), Take Me To Brazil and Interplay (featuring Mackay and guitarist/vocalist Ron Satterfield. Her discography includes Interplay Live at the New York Grill, the Lori Bell Trio date Higher Standards and The Music of Djavan (featuring pianist Tamir Handelman). Lori and Ron Satterfield are currently recording a duo album called blue(s) set for release later in 2017.  

In 2013 and 2014, Lori was Artist in Residence at the La Jolla Community Center, where she produced concerts, performed, composed and arranged music for Fourth Friday Jazz Series. Throughout her illustrious, multi-faceted career, she has performed at festivals and premiere venues throughout the U.S. including Smoke (NYC), The Blue Note (NYC), Jazz Bakery (L.A.), Catalina Jazz Club (L.A.), Vitello’s (L.A.), Elario’s (S.D.), Croce’s (S.D.), Jazz Summit 2 (L.A.), Gene Harris Jazz Festival (Boise, ID), Nome Music Festival (Alaksa), Jazz in the Pines Festival (Idyllwild, CA). 

Lori also has toured in Asia, including Singapore and Hong Kong. She has also performed in high profile ensemble settings at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, SOKA Performing Arts Center in Orange County, CA, The Wadsworth Theatre at UCLA, and most recently, on a project of jazz arrangements and classical compositions for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Library. She has performed three times at the Gala for the National Flute Association, most recently in 2016.  

In addition to her global renown as a performer and recording artist, Lori is a respected force in music education. She is currently on the faculty as an Instructor of Flute and studio teacher at San Diego State University and over the years, has privately taught hundreds of students of all ages in flute, piano (her secondary instrument), theory, composition and arranging at her studio in San Diego. In early 2017, she taught master classes at the New York Flute Club at Columbia University. In the Fall of 2017, she will return to NYC to conduct master classes at Mannes School of Music, a conservatory in The New School university. 

While branding herself as an artist and performer who plays everything “from Bach to Bebop,” Lori Bell’s musical muse extends even beyond those worlds. A musical chameleon by nature, she is continuously evolving and committed to pursuing her musical passions wherever they lead her. 

Lori's quartet with Josh and friends...Dan Schnelle...

Josh Nelson, born and raised in Southern California, maintains an active and

creative schedule as a jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and recording artist. At 38 years old, he has already performed with some of the most respected names in jazz, including Natalie Cole, Anthony Wilson, George Mraz, Jeff Hamilton, Richard Galliano, Benny Golson, Sheila Jordan, Greg Hutchinson, John Clayton, Seamus Blake, Matt Wilson, Sara Gazarek, Dave Koz, Joe Chambers, Kurt Elling, John Pizzarelli, Lewis Nash, and Peter Erskine.

In 2006, Josh was one of only twelve semi-finalists in the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. He’s happy about that.

Josh has recorded for countless albums, films, and TV shows, but also makes time for his own projects: Anticipation (2004) and Let it Go (2007, Native Language Music) both garnered international critical acclaim. Josh’s fourth album, I Hear a Rhapsody (2009), featured his original compositions, standard interpretations, and re-imagining of rock and pop tunes. Discoveries (2011), introduced a pairing of classic science fiction ephemera with new compositions for a brass and wind ensemble (featuring a live ongoing video projection and art installation component as well, called The Discovery Project). His new album Exploring Mars (2015) explores musical themes on the Red Planet, along with spectacular NASA/JPL Martian video footage.

Original music and performances of Josh’s have appeared on various prime-time and cable shows and short films, including “Jack and Bobby”, "The Division", and a national Johnson and Johnson commercial. He has also worked with film composer Michael Kamen, and actors Eric Idle, Clint Eastwood, and Jon Lovitz. Josh has earned many awards, scholarships, and accolades over the years, some of which include the Louis Armstrong Award and the John Philip Sousa Award.

Josh has collaborated with vocal talent Sara Gazarek for 10 years. He penned the title track of her debut record, “Yours” (among many others), and that album climbed to the Top 10 on the Billboard Jazz Charts in 2005. Their new duo album “Dream in the Blue” was released in August 2016, and also charted well on Billboard, iTunes, and Amazon.

Josh toured with legendary vocalist Natalie Cole for 6 years. He continues to tour with artists Sara Gazarek, Richard Galliano, Tom Scott, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Christian Howes. He taught jazz for 4 years at Soka University and more recently at Cal State University Northridge.

“Josh is that rare young musician who has not only a wealth of study and experience under his belt (all but assuring him a prominent place in jazz music), but he also possesses those rarest of musical attributes: a touch, a tone, and a “sound” that are all identifiably his own.”

- Peter Erskine, legendary drummer “A definite fresh sound by a guy who should be in everyone’s iPod.”

- George Harris, All About Jazz

"Nelson distinguishes himself as a first-rate player and composer with a fresh, wholly personal take on the music."

- Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times www.joshnelsonmusic.com

Ron Satterfield is simply one of the most talented musicians in Southern California. As a composer, arranger, keyboardist, guitarist and singer, he has played a key role in making San Diego a more vital music scene. His collaborations with guitarist Steve Laury, vocalist Kevyn Lettau, flutist Lori Bell and saxophonist Joe Marillo are a testament to this fact. 

On guitar, Satterfield has the instincts and phrasing of seasoned pianist, not a soloist as much as he creates a feeling for accompanying the others. His chord work is delicate, off center, teasing various accents and melodic texture, linking with the sure, deft, and insistent percussion. 

Satterfield’s vocals are a seductive combination of pop, jazz and Latin styles, a warm vocal instrument versed in the split-second wit of scat, the vowel stretching wonder of up tempo vocals. He has mastered his voice, gracefully applied over a variety of styles. Pop tune to torch song, salsa to samba, blues to bossanova, Satterfield does it all—distinct, swinging, and classy.

His piano style, evocative of Bill Evans, Joe Sample and Dave Grusin, is yet another instrument he’s mastered, using the instrument as a vehicle for accompanying vocalists, instrumentalists, and also composing and arranging.

During his career Ron has earned a Grammy nomination with the group Checkfield and has won numerous awards from SESAC for his compositions.

Ron continues to explore the deep potential of all aspects of his music and combines a seriousness of purpose with a playful expressiveness in performance. 

March 23 -

Peter Smith Trio (Mike Gurrola and Reggie Quinerly)

March 30 -

Darynn Dean with Stuart Elster

April 6 -

Putter Smith, Jeff Colella and Tina Raymond

April 13 -

Mark Lewis Quartet

April 20 -

Charlie Owens Quartet

April 27 -

Daniel Szabo Quintet

May 4 -

Richard Sellers Quartet

May 11 -

Markus Burger Trio

May 18 -

Catte Adams

May 25 -

Raymond DeFelitta with Paul Kreibich