Bill Carter and the Presbybop Quartet, First Presbyterian Church, Greensburg

Bill Carter and the Presbybop Quartet

4:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 9

Bill Carter and the Presbybop Quartet are the best-known musicians playing "sacred jazz" in the United States. Formed in 1993 by pianist Bill Carter, a Presbyterian minister, this consort of New York-based professionals has toured the country extensively in presenting concerts and jazz worship services. They have recorded twelve CDs of original music, including "Interior Window," "Psalms Without Words," and "Jazz for the Earth." Their last release, "The Dancing Calvinist," features a full jazz requiem for quintet and SATB choir, which was composed by Bill during the covid-19 pandemic. "Brand New Day" is their newest recording

Bill Carter is the founder and leader of the Presbybop Sextet. He is a busy freelance pianist, recording artist, and clinician in northeastern Pennsylvania, where he makes his home. Bill has taught jazz piano, composition, and jazz history at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania for the past twenty-five years. Over the course of his career, he has studied or performed with Phil Woods, Jimmy Knepper, Jim McNeely, Michael Holober, Sherrie Maricle, Dave Brubeck, David Liebman, among many others.

He has been composing and arranging music for over forty years, first studying with Al Hamme of Binghamton University (who later became a founding member of the Presbybop Quartet). Bill is regarded as a national authority on the use of jazz music in liturgical settings, and published Swing a New Song to the Lord: Jazz Resources for Worship. With Jeff Kellam, he is the co-host of the Spirit of Jazz podcast, now in its third season.

A graduate of Binghamton University and Princeton Theological Seminary, Bill has maintained a dual career as a jazz pianist and a Presbyterian minister. He serves as the pastor and head of staff at the First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit, PA. He is the author of twelve books, including Thriving on a Riff: Jazz and the Spiritual Life (Broadleaf Books, 2024). To find out more, visit his website at www.presbybop.com.

Michael Carbone is a highly regarded saxophonist and jazz educator. A graduate of Crane School of Music and Binghamton University, Mike was on the music faculty of Johnson City School District, where he directed the jazz ensembles and coordinated the district's music program. Now retired as the director of the Binghamton University Jazz Ensemble, he is a member of the Central New York Big Band, Danny D'Imperio Big Band Bloviation, and leader of the jazz group Miles Ahead. He has performed with numerous artists, including Al Martino, Natalie Cole, Tommy Tune, Mel Torme, Engelbert Humperdinck, Slam Stewart, Nick Brignola, Steve Gilmore, Duffy Jackson, and Jacque Washington.

Tony Marino plays his bass around the world. He began his professional career as a house bassist in many of the clubs and resorts in the Poconos and Catskill Mountains, providing back-up to a myriad of well-known entertainers. Tony has performed internationally with the Dave Liebman Group. He also performs with Broadway's Betty Buckley and is widely hailed as one of the unsung stars of the jazz world.

Ron Vincent is a native of Rhode Island and a graduate of the Berklee College of Music. He began his career as a professional drummer in Boston, South Florida, and Kansas City before settling in New York City in 1982. A veteran of the New York jazz scene, his most notable credit is his tenure with Gerry Mulligan. Ron was a member of Mulligan's quartet and the Re-Birth of the Cool Tentet from 1989 until Mr. Mulligan's passing in 1996. He has also recorded with jazz greats such as Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, Randy Brecker, Bob Brookmeyer, John Lewis, and Carol Sloane. Ron is a jazz artist/educator for Sabian Cymbals, and has received a National Endowment for the Arts grant for jazz performance.