Joe Maneri Tribute

Improvising artist Mat Maneri concludes an NEC residency with this concert honoring his late father, saxophonist and composer Joseph Gabriel Esther Maneri (1924–2009), who taught at NEC for almost forty years. Performers will include friends and family in music that represents the elder Maneri's many modes and influences: his work as a saxophonist and clarinetist playing Greek, Syrian and Jewish music in the New York ethnic scene of the 1950s and 1960s, his jazz and microtonal compositions, and his later work with Mat, bassist John Lockwood and percussionist Randy Peterson in the Joe Maneri Quartet.

Performances include:

James Bergin, viola Osanj by Joe Maneri

Yasmine Azaiez, Abigale Reisman, Clare Twohy, and Valerie Thompson, Adagio for String Quartet by Joe Maneri

Davindar Singh, baritone saxophone; Evan Allen, piano; Brad Barrett, bass; Zachary Para, drums Mountains and Sopra from Paniots Nine by Joe Maneri

recreation of Joe Maneri's Kalmatiano/Zebekiko, as played in a Third Stream concert led by Hankus Netsky on February 6, 1976, with Zoe Christiansen, clarinet; Jussi Reijonen, oud; Nima Janmohammadi, kemanche; Yasmine Azaiez and Rachel Panitch, violin; Valerie Thompson, cello; Jeremy Barrett, vibraphone and marimba; Lautaro Mantilla, guitar; Brad Barrett, bass; Hankus Netsky, piano; Tareq Rantisi, dumbeq; Vessela Stoyanova, tupan

improvisations by Mat Maneri and Tanya Kalmanovitch, viola duo

Sonia Maneri reading Joe Maneri poem and singing with Mat Maneri

Mat Maneri in duo and trio with Randy Peterson and Joe Morris

spiritual “This Little Light” with vocal group featuring Natalie Cadet, Mia Friedman, Leah Hennessy, Sarah Jarosz, and Nedelka Prescod

improvisation by Yasmine Azaiez, violin; Joelle Wagner, bassoon; Fausto Sierakowski, saxophone; Nigel Taylor, trumpet; Lautaro Mantilla and Andrew Hock, guitar; Brad Barrett, bass

Joe Maneri was the epitome of the Third Stream musician as envisioned by NEC President Gunther Schuller when he created the department of that name in the early 1970s, shortly after Maneri joined the faculty. Maneri bridged the classical and improvisation worlds by teaching harmony, counterpoint, composition, saxophone, improvisation, and, later, microtonal music. His indelible teaching style left its mark on the many gifted performers who carry on his musical legacy, including such high-profile jazz and classical artists as Richard Danielpour, John Medeski, Marty Ehrlich, Satoko Fujii, Matana Roberts, Matt Moran, and Cuong Vu.