The Professors

The Professors
July 25 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Lineup:
- Vinnie Martucci — keys
- Mark Dziuba — guitar
- Rich Syracuse — bass
- Jeff "Siege" Siegel — drums

SUNY music professors come together on this special night to perform original works, jazz, world music and other musical gems.

Vinnie Martucci — keys
Vinnie Martucci has had an exciting and diverse career as a performer, composer, arranger, producer, and educator. He has toured extensively on the international stage as co-leader of the Jazz Fusion Quartet “The Dolphins” with Dan Brubeck, as arranger and accompanist for Laurel Masse (Manhattan Transfer), and as arranger and performer for blues artist Rory Block. He has recorded and toured with Graham Parker, Livingston Taylor, and others. He co-composed the off-Broadway play “Clue, The Musical” as well as numerous cable network TV themes for Lifetime, the Travel Channel, CNN and underscores for daytime TV dramas “As the World Turns” and “Guiding Light.” As a producer and recording engineer, he has worked with composer Baikida Carroll on recordings and productions for several theatrical and television projects, most notably the Tony Award–winning play “Having Our Say.” He has given clinics in jazz and improvisation in Europe, South America, and at the Central Conservatory in Beijing, China. Currently, Vinnie is the chair of the music department at SUNY New Paltz, where he also teaches jazz studies and recording technology courses.

Mark Dziuba — guitar
Mark Dziuba has been a guitarist, improviser and composer for most of his life. He has performed with a who’s who of jazz, blues, rock and bluegrass musicians and has performed and taught at workshops and festivals internationally for over 40 years. Mark is a tenured professor of music at the State University of New York at New Paltz where he directs the Jazz Studies program. He was part of the National Guitar Workshop for 25 years and has been involved with the Crown of the Continent International Guitar Festival since its inception. He is a published author and a featured soloist and composer on numerous recordings. (dziubam@newpaltz.edu)

Rich Syracuse — bass
Rich Syracuse has been a mainstay on the New York area scene for more than three decades. While performing at an early age in New York City he won the Congress Of Strings Award. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music. Rich performed with The Group For Contemporary Music, The Hartford Ballet and the New Jersey Lyric Opera Co. Early in his career he performed in jazz groups featuring pianists John Mehegan, Joey Calderazzo and Ted Rosenthal. After moving to New York State’s Hudson Valley in the mid-1980s he began a long-standing stint in the Nick Brignola Quartet, playing clubs, festivals, and recording sessions. He has performed with Mose Allison, Kurt Elling, Dave Liebman, the Brubeck Brothers, Warren Bernhardt, David Torn, Mike DeMicco, Peter Levin, Sam Morrison, Vic Juris, Dave Stryker, Chuck Lamb, Jeff “Siege” Siegel, Dena DeRose, John Medeski, Michael Musilliami and others. Rich was the bassist for jazz pianist Lee Shaw for over 25 years until her passing.

Jeff "Siege" Siegel — drums
Drummer/composer Jeff “Siege” Siegel is a veteran of the New York jazz scene. A member of the Sir Roland Hanna Trio from 1994–1999, Siegel has performed and/or recorded with Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Jack DeJohnette, Benny Golson, Sheila Jordan, Helen Merrill, Mose Allison, John Medeski, Arthur Rhames, Dave Douglas, Stefon Harris, Pat Metheny, Kurt Elling, Ravi Coltrane, Ryan Kisor, Levin Brothers, Dena DeRose and many others. He has worked in the avant-garde world with Wadada Leo Smith and Baikida Carroll. He’s performed over 30 European tours, including four as leader of the Jeff “Siege” Siegel Quartet, and several others as co-leader. The Jeff “Siege” Siegel Sextet performed a three-week tour of Africa in the summer of 2019. Other recent tours include work with the Levin Brothers in Japan, Mexico, Canada and the U.S. His 2017 CD release “King of Xhosa” features South African trumpeter Feya Faku and is on the ARC label. His most recent releases mentioned are the 2018 ARC release “London Live” and “When You Were There” (2019) with Hetko, Syracuse & Siegel.