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A Night of Jazz with Ronny Smith & The Joshua Espinoza Trio
Friday, September 22nd, 2023
Showtime: 7pm
Recommended for ages 8+
On September 22nd, 2023, The Milburn Stone Theatre at Cecil College will come alive with the sounds of jazz, as Jazz Guitarist Ronny Smith and the Joshua Espinoza trio take the stage. Get ready to experience a night of sophisticated jazz, as these two talented musical groups perform classic jazz standards and original compositions, all infused with their own unique style and energy. Ronny Smith is known for his masterful guitar work, combining traditional blues, funk and contemporary jazz to create a sound that is both timeless and fresh. The Joshua Espinoza trio is a force to be reckoned with, featuring Espinoza on piano, along with bass and drums. This show will have you tapping your feet and nodding your head to the beat. Whether you're a die-hard jazz fan or a newcomer to the genre, this is an evening you won't want to miss. So mark your calendars for September 22nd, 2023, and come experience the magic of jazz with Ronny Smith and friends and the Joshua Espinoza trio at The Milburn Stone Theatre!
About the Joshua Espinoza Trio:
Chamber Jazz // Joshua Espinoza Trio // Piano, Bass, Drums Possessing a wide color palette, the Joshua Espinoza Trio explores shimmering harmonies and shifting orchestral contours with the aesthetic of a chamber ensemble as much as a jazz trio. Influenced by artists as disparate as Herbie Hancock, bassist Avishai Cohen, Gerald Clayton, and composer Maurice Ravel, the Joshua Espinoza Trio takes listeners on a journey for the ears and mind alike. Through their genre-bending approach to songwriting, they've built a cross-generational audience of diverse backgrounds bound together by their love of good music. Their debut album "Journey Into Night" was released in June 2019. To read and hear more, visit www.joshuaespinoza.com.
"Espinoza has an elegant touch...exquisitely done."
- All About Jazz
"Espinoza is a powerful storyteller on his instrument."
- CapitalBop
About Ronny Smith & Friends:
A premier Jazz guitarist, Ronny’s vision is to promote an appreciation for the guitar in the contemporary jazz style of music through education programs, concert performances, and workshops for artist of all ages and varying levels of proficiency. His energetic and modern approach to standards and original compositions mesmerizes audiences and makes it impossible not to feel happy after listening. Ronny is a master at creating atmospheres which makes people eager to bury themselves in, and happy to stay submerged in for long lengths of time.
Born in Baltimore Maryland, Grammy considered guitarist Ronny Smith is certainly one of the most underrated guitarists in music history. Smith’s playing is not dissimilar from Nick Colionne but with touches of Benson/ Norman Brown and even 70’s Johnny Guitar Watson, however still owns his significant unique style. His unique style appeals the audience, and shows in his number of releases like Long Time Comin (2001), Laid Back (2002), Got Groove (2006), Simply Stated (2007), Just Groovin (2009) and Can’t Stop Now (2013) Can’t Stop Now – hit #1 on Billboard’s BDS New and Active smooth jazz chart and ultimately reached #25 on the Billboard BDS Top 30, Shake It Up (2017), Raise the Roof (2020) and Coastal Sunset (2021) with his essential return with a special twist. His experiences have afforded him the opportunity to tour extensively throughout the United States, Germany (Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Heidelberg), Nijmegen, Holland to La Paz, Bolivia. He has shared the stage with such artists as the Marvelettes, jazz drummer Bobby Durham, and trumpeter Donald Byrd. He has recorded with some of the top session musicians of the Nashville and the California scene, to include, Gary Lunn (Peter Cetera), Pat Coil (Michael McDonald), Craig Nelson (Ben Tankard), and Dan Needham (Euge Groove), Scott Martin and Stan Martin (Quincy Jones) and Andy Martin (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat band).
