This innovative world music/jazz duo features original works performed by two of the most gifted contemporary instrumentalists.  Italian guitar master Antonio Calogero, hailed by the Los Angeles Times as an “evocative sound painter” teams up with Grammy Winner Paul McCandless, renowned multi-instrumentalist and composer from the legendary group Oregon and the original Paul Winter Consort. This exceptional duo performs music that embodies the excitement of jazz improvisation, classical lyricism, and the spirit of the Mediterranean and beyond. A perfect way to warm up a Winter night! Don’t miss it!  

Paul McCandless, a pioneer of modern instrumental music, has brought a soaring lyricism to playing and composing that has been integral to the sound of two seminal world music bands; the original Paul Winter Consort, and the relentlessly innovative quartet, Oregon.  A gifted multi-instrumentalist, McCandless specializes in an unusually broad palette of both single and double reed instruments, performing and composing in a style that reflects his grounding in both classical and jazz disciplines.  His array of woodwinds includes oboe and English horn, bass clarinet, soprano and sopranino saxophones, penny whistles, various ethnic flutes, and the electronic wind controller.  He has also worked as a solo artist, and is credited with more than 150 albums and performances with such musicians as Jaco Pastorius, Carla Bley, Art Lande, Eberhard Weber, as well as with Wynton Marsalis, Pat Metheny, Steve Reich, Al Jarreau, Bela Fleck and Andy Summers.

Italy’s Antonio Calogero is a bright light in the new generation of acoustic guitarist/composers.  Drawing on folk, jazz, classical and world music influences, his passionate original style combines highly articulate melodies with unique chord changes.  Although he composes for both nylon and steel-string guitar, Antonio’s rigorous classical guitar training imbues his performances with insight and precision.  After performing for 15 years in Europe, he has been winning recognition and praise in the US since 1995 as a solo artist, regularly featured guitarist on the International Guitar Night tours and leader of the Antonio Calogero Ensemble featuring Grammy Nominee Paul McCandless (multi-instrumentalist and composer from the legendary group Oregon), fretless bassist extraordinaire Michael Manring and the eclectic percussionist Brian Rice. Antonio has two solo guitar cds to his credit (Caleidoscopio on DDD records and La Rosa del Deserto on Acoustic Music Records), and his new recording for guitar & ensemble Danza Multietnica, co-produced by Alex de Grassi, was released on Suono Records in June 2009.