Katonah Studio Jazz Band at Via Vanti!

Katonah Studio Jazz Band headlines at Via Vanti!

The Katonah Studio Jazz Band returns to its Mount Kisco  home base, Via Vanti! Saturday, Aug. 3 at 9 p.m., featuring keyboardist Robert Kessler, saxophonist R.J. Marx, drummer Jack Falco and bass player Phil Rowan. The Via Vanti! date come off the recent selection of KSJB  for the “Jazz on the Vine” series on the East End of Long Island, a project of East End Arts, Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Long Island Wine Council. 

Founded in 2005 by Grammy-award winning composer, audio producer and pianist Robert Kessler and saxophonist R.J. Marx, KSJB received  its name from the rehearsal space at pianist Kessler’s Katonah studio. Kessler has recorded, mixed and mastered several independent classical, folk and jazz albums including Playscape Recordings “The Three B’s (Bill Evans, Bud Powell and Beethoven)” and “From Sorry Free” and “Hoping It Might Be So” by the vocal ensemble Charis. Saxophonist R.J. Marx trained with Chicago tenor icon Fred Anderson and attended Berklee College of Music before launching a career in journalism. He returned to gigging in 2001, studying with pianist Pete Malinverni and saxophonist Ralph Lalama. Drummer Jack Falco studied with the immortal Tony Williams and has a diverse musical background including playing with the Miami Symphony Orchestra and Circus Vargas. Phil Rowan is a  Queens-based double bassist and member of the group Old Time Musketry, as well  as singer-songwriter Kjersti Kveli’s group. Rowan is a graduate of Stony Brook University with a master’s degree in classical double bass.  

Via Vanti!, owned by proprietor Carla Gambescia, celebrates its fifth anniversary in September. Known for its uniquely healthful eclectic Italian fare, this local favorite, located in the landmark Mount Kisco train station, provides the perfect venue for listening to jazz while sipping wine, grazing on thin-crust gourmet  pizzette and sampling unlimited tastes of their award winning gelato and sorbetto, with 18 flavors daily  A full menu is available and reservations are strongly suggested for the evening of this event. ViaVanti! Restaurant is located at the Mount Kisco Train Station, 2 Kirby Plaza. For more information, visit www.viavanti.com, 666-6400; or katonahstudiojazzband.com.