Friends

Graham Hawthorne – drums
Tim Regusis – piano
Tarik Shah – bass
Peyton Pleninger – saxophone

Originally scheduled as Jimmy Madison & Friends, the evening will proceed as scheduled with acclaimed drummer Graham Hawthorne filling in for Jimmy, whose health has taken a dramatic downward turn and who will not be able to play. The evening will be dedicated to our dear friend Jimmy. Our thoughts and love go out to him and his wife, Sylvia, during this difficult time.

Graham Hawthorne is one of New York City’s most respected studio and live drummers, known for blending world rhythms with pop, jazz, and rock. He took over Steve Gadd’s seat in Paul Simon’s band in 2001, has been David Byrne’s drummer since 2003, and has recorded and toured with Aretha Franklin, Harry Belafonte, Joan Osborne, Bon Jovi, Beyoncé, Kid Rock, Willie Nelson, Jessica Simpson, and Allison Krauss.

Tim Regusis is a Hudson Valley-based pianist who has been active in the jazz scene of the NYC region, as well as in R&B, Latin, and various world musics, for many years. He has played and/or recorded with Patti Austin, Ruben Blades, David Byrne, Celia Cruz, Chuck Mangione, Johnny Pacheco, Daniel Ponce, Rick Margitza, Cindy Blackman, Jeff Williams, Akira Ohmori, Najee, Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, Jonathan Butler, Ofra Haza, and others.

Tarik Shah is an African American Muslim with a career as a professional jazz musician. As the sole student of Slam Stewart, Shah began playing the upright bass at age 12 and went on to play with Betty Carter, Ahmad Jamal, Abbey Lincoln, and Art Taylor, among others. He is a composer, jazz educator, and lyricist.

Peyton Pleninger has performed with Henry Threadgill, John Benitez’ Latin-Bop, a modern Latin-jazz group; Roy Ben Yosef’s Moringa trio, an Israel-based group focused on improvisation; drummer/composer Colin Hinton’s Glassbath, an electric band straddling post-rock and free jazz; and drummer/composer Michel Maurer’s Meridian, a forward-thinking, jazz-rooted quartet. In summer 2017, Pleninger toured Canada for five weeks with guitarist Quinn Bachand’s Brishen, an acoustic band honoring the tradition of gypsy jazz and the roots of rock ’n’ roll. Highlight performances include the Toronto Jazz Festival, Montreal International Jazz Festival, and CBC Canada.

In early 2022, Pleninger purchased The Tavern, a defunct roadhouse in upstate New York, which he is rebuilding into an arts research center. The Tavern presents concerts, music theory and improvisation workshops, astrology forecasts, sound baths, and artist residencies.