Charleston, WV (1888PressRelease)
October 31, 2008 - Princeton, WV – The Bob Thompson Trio, Bil Lepp and the Carpenter Ants will share the stage at the Chuck Mathena Center on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 8pm. The Bob Thompson Trio launches the show with a jazz set, followed by the five time champion of the West Virginia Liar’s contest; pastor now comedian and storyteller, Bil Lepp. The evening wraps up with The Carpenter Ants a band whose trademark sound of rich, soulful harmonies, stinging solos and rock-solid rhythm section captures the rare, loose-but-tight feel that has won the band international and regional fans.
The Bob Thompson trio is comprised of Bob Thompson on piano, Doug Richeson playing bass, and Guy Remonko on drums. Their music will satisfy any diehard Jazz fan.
Bob Thompson is a regularly featured artist on the internationally-broadcast public radio show, Mountain Stage. For the past fifteen years he has co-produced and has been the featured artist on Joy to the World, a Christmas holiday show broadcast, on public radio stations both nationally and internationally on the Voice of America. Bob lives in Charleston, West Virginia, and actively works his career in music as a performer, composer, arranger, and teacher. In addition to a long history performing around the country, he has also played in Europe, Africa, and South America.
Doug Richeson is a much in demand jazz bassist, he performs regularly in the Columbus, Ohio area with many of the region’s finest jazz artists. He is a main-stay at the Columbus Music Hall, which presents a national and regional jazz artist’s series. Doug answers frequent calls to play with jazz artists such as Arturo Sandoval and recently completed a European tour with Phil Collins. He’s toured the world for five and a half years with legendary jazz vocalist Tony Bennett, and played on three Grammy winning recordings. Doug teaches at Dennison University in his hometown of Granville, Ohio.
Guy Remonko is professor emeritus of music at Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio, where he is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s top educators in the field of percussion studies. His highly successful career as a free-lance drummer/percussionist sees him performing at major jazz clubs and festivals throughout the country. Guy has performed with a wide variety of artists/entertainers including Pearl Bailey, Jack Jones, Hank Marr, Bucky Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, the Rochester Philharmonic and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Remonko is currently performing and recording with vocalist Dwight Lenox, and the Latin jazz band Los Viejos Blanquitos.
Bil Lepp is a nationally known, sought after speaker. He is the award-winning author of three books of stories, one novel, eight audio collections and the five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest. Bil knows how to entertain audiences of all ages and walks of life with engaging, hilarious, clean presentations that bring a smile to even the most ill-humored person. You’ll enjoy Bil’s recounts, through tight, insightful narrative, of the stupid things he has done in his life, and see how he has taken those poor decisions on the road and made a living from his mistakes.
The Carpenter Ants have evolved into WV's premiere rhythm and blues group. The Ants are guitarist Michael Lipton, drummer Jupiter Little, bassist Ted Harrison and vocalist/saxophonist Charlie Tee. Quietly they have amassed a resume that rivals many national groups. Their fans include famed singer/songwriter/producer Don Dixon, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who enlisted the band for a barnstorming 8-city tour prior to the 2004 presidential election, a Labor Day rally that drew 75,000 people and a march in Atlanta that featured Stevie Wonder; and "Mountain Stage" host Larry Groce.
The Ants have opened shows for the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Holmes Brothers, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Gov't Mule, Delbert McClinton, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and earlier this year performed on the NPR show "Whad'Ya Know?” With their arsenal of classic and forgotten American music, the Ants wail through classic R&B, country-swamp and gospel-soul with equal conviction.
Tickets for Spotlight WV are available online at www.chuckmathenacenter.org, by phone at 304.425.5128, 877.425.5128 or in person at the Chuck Mathena Center located at 2 Stafford Commons, Princeton, WV 24740. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm. Tickets are available the night of the show. Doors to the center will open at 7pm.
The Chuck Mathena Center is a 501c3 non-profit performing arts organization serving Southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia. The center brings engaging and rewarding programming, live music, and touring exhibits. As the regions newest state of the art cultural venue, CMC embraces all aspects of the arts; from theatre, opera, classical and popular music, ballet, modern dance, plays, musicals to juried art displays featuring various techniques and mediums.
###
