Gary Wittner – guitar/vocals
Matt Langley – tenor sax
Les Harris, Jr. – drums
Keala Kaumeheiwa – acoustic bass
This is Gary’s second vocal CD and features 11 songs written and
performed by Wittner, featuring an all-star group of New England jazz
musicians: Matt Langley (tenor sax), Les Harris, Jr. (drums) and Keala
Kaumeheiwa (bass). The songs on Too Modern for Me are influenced
in equal parts by the music of Thelonious Monk, and the wit of Mose
Allison and Dave Frishberg. Some of Gary’s songs are serious, but
most are written for humor – like his ode to turning 60 (“I’d Rather Stay
Home”), his nod to technology (“Too Modern For Me”), and an amusing
look at addictions (“I’ll Quit Tomorrow”). Maine jazz promoter Paul
Lichter, whose performance series Dimensions in Jazz is a Portland
institution, has referred to Gary’s vocal music as “Jazz Cabaret”. The
CD will be available throughout northern New England at all Bull Moose
stores, on the web at bullmoose.com, and digitally at iTunes and Spotify.
There will be a CD release party at One Longfellow Square in Portland
on September 15th.
Regardless of labels, Wittner has created a body of songs within the
Jazz/Blues/Latin spectrum that combine witty, insightful, heartfelt lyrics
with complex post-bop harmonies. Audiences and musicians alike have
been entertained by Gary’s vocal tunes here in the USA, as well as in
South America, Europe and Africa. Originally from New York, Wittner has
lived in Maine since 1986, and since that time has played all kinds of
gigs – high profile, low profile and no profile! Gary has represented the
USA officially 4 times – twice as a Kennedy Center Jazz Ambassador,
and once each as a Fulbright Specialist and a US Embassy Outreach
Artist. He has played all over the world: in major urban markets (New
York City, London, Warsaw, Paris, St. Petersburg, Boston, Capetown),
for tribal royalty in Papua New Guinea and Fiji, jazz royalty (Thelonious
Monk’s widow, Nellie) and at the largest arts festival on the African
continent. In between all that he has played locally and regionally
in Jazz, Latin, and Middle Eastern music settings. An acknowledged
authority on the music and life of jazz icon Thelonious Monk, Gary has
presented concert/lectures/workshops at some of the world’s most
high profile music schools. His book Thelonious Monk for Guitar was
published in 1999, and is still informing guitar players around the world
today. Gary currently teaches guitar at the University of Southern Maine
School of Music and Bowdoin College and keeps an active performing
schedule locally and abroad.