THE CHRISTINE SPERO GROUP - The Christine Spero Group - News

Fun at The Newburgh Jazz Series

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

On Thursday evening, July 15th, we were received by a wonderful appreciative audience along the beautiful Hudson River. It was a steamy hot night but that didn't keep folks from coming out. What a great place for music! Thank you Aquanetta, our ferry Godmother, for hosting such a great program and thank you Newburgh.

A Great Time @ a Wonderful Festival

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Red-hot jazz musicians jamming away on a flat-bed truck rolling through downtown Hartford Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. herald the opening of the 19th annual Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz (GHFJ), a free, outdoor event that's expected to draw more than 50,000 people this weekend to the city's scenic Bushnell Park.

The mobile, urban jazz unit—a swinging swat team concept borrowed from the streets of New Orleans—is just one new idea that the non-profit GHFJ has added to its highly popular blend of multiple jazz styles, including crowd-pleasing smooth and contemporary jazz and jazzy pop and fizzy fusions of all kinds, along with Latin jazz, big band and even straight ahead jazz.

While serving three days of eclectic sounds ranging from saucy and soulful to sweet and smooth, the festival, which is held rain or shine, transforms the downtown park into a mammoth backyard party for the City of Hartford. The festive ambience comes complete with an aromatic food court serving sizzling cuisine and a bustling, bazaar-like arts-and-crafts and merchant marketplace.

Even if you don't like jazz or outright hate it, you still might get swept up in the park's fairgrounds atmosphere, its intoxicating mix of leisure and pleasure and infectious communal spirit that somehow seem to connect 20,000 strangers in an inexplicable but quite pleasant way.

And then there's the sheer, spectacular beauty to savor when the sun sets creating a breathtaking perspective on the city's skyline and, most of all, on the gold-domed State Capitol building in all its magical, Gothic glory looking down from its hilltop on the picturesque park below.

The heart of the matter is, of course, the festival's huge potpourri of pop and jazz, which opens Friday at 7 p.m. with pianist/vocalist/songwriter Christine Spero and her group uncorking its bubbly brand of nu-jazz/pop/Latin and Brazilian soul rhythms.

Spero and other headliners play on the Main Stage, which is complemented by the Friends of the Festival Stage, which features such top Connecticut-based acts as the venerable Hartford Jazz Orchestra with vocalist Bobbi Rogers.

On Saturday and Sunday, festival fare ranges from percussionist Doc Gibbs, who's best known as the band leader on the Food Network's "Emeril Live!", to TIZER, featuring keyboardist Lao Tizer, guitarist Chieli Minucci of Special EFX fame and violinist Karen Briggs.

http://www.courant.com/entertainment/music/hc-jazz-festival-bushnell-park-20100716,0,6753685.story
Copyright © 2010, The Hartford Courant

New music from The Christine Spero Group

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

We are working on some new tunes of which some will be released as singles on itunes & CD Baby in a few months !

Tune Us in On Pandora Radio

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

You can now hear us on Pandora Radio!!

Christine's song, "I'd Come Home Anywhere" reaches #8 on the Australian Indie Chart

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

KanalJazz in Paris, France is now playing our Music

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

We are happy to announce that Kanaljazz, an online radio station based in Paris, France in now included in our ever growing list of wonderful broadcasts around the world. Kanaljazz broadcasts from the Shoutcast server based in the United States and streams 24 hours a day, 7 days a week .
It is listened to in the USA, France, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, Eastern Europe and South America.

The Lilac Festival in Rochester with Dr. John and Rickie Lee Jones

Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

We were disappointed about the pouring rain and thought we wouldn't be going on. We prayed and the clouds parted to a beautiful blue sky! The only problem...the WIND! We were literally blowing across the stage with our equipment. We hung in there and the audience was so appreciative. The show must go on! Thanks so much Rochester! Hope to be back.

Great Time at TAP New York

Sat, 02 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Thanks to the people at Hunter Mountain for having us play at such a great event. The weather was gorgeous and the crowd was really into our music.

The Ontera Club's Labor Day Bash

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

What a cool party and magnificent views. We had a great time entertaining all of you. Thanks for diggin the music and dancing up a storm!
We'll see you next year.

The Catskill Mountain Foundation's 10th Anniversary Gala

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

What a great turnout and time we had at this wonderful affair!
Thanks to all of you at the Foundation for your support.