Riverfront Jazz Fest 2023 Lineup
Interested in Performing at Jazz Fest? Email riverfrontjazzfestival@gmail.com with your press kit and website
and visit our official facebook page for updates on this year’s fest!
John Greiner’s Four Brothers
A four saxophone group, three tenors and one baritone, with piano, bass and drums make us this group. The name “Four Brothers” is derived from the famous Woody Herman Big Band saxophone section of the late 1940s. The saxophone section has gone on to make recordings of their own featuring great saxophone ensemble writing and soloing.
John Greiner is a graduate from Wausau West High School. He was a member of the United States Air Force Band from 1983-’87. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, with a Bachelors Degree in Woodwind Performance. He has traveled throughout the United States and overseas, performing with various musical organizations, such as The Newport Jazz Orchestra, The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and the Artie Shaw Orchestra. He has also performed in concert with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Gary Burton, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Frankie Vallee and many more.
John has been teaching saxophone, clarinet, and flute for over 30 years. He performs with his SwingShift Big Band, jazz trio, quartet and Little Big Band.
Tony Castañeda Latin Jazz Sextet
Tony Castañeda and his band have been honoring what some call the Golden Age of Latin Jazz. From Madison, WI, the band has been bringing jazz sounds to audiences for nearly two decades. Winner of 14 Isthmus Madison Favorite Jazz Band annual awards, they have opened for legendary Latin jazz artists such as Poncho Sanchez, John Santos, Giovanni Hidalgo, and John Benitez.
Along with Tony Castañeda, who plays the congas, bongos and vox, the band is made up of 5 other members. Anders Svanoe, playing saxophones, percussion and vox, performs regularly with three different bands. Louka Patenaude, playing guitar, professionally teaches music and is a recording studio artist, songwriter and composer. Henry Boehm, playing bass, has been a player on the Madison scene for over 20 years. Arno Gonzalez, playing percussion, is a founding member of Olmeca, one of Wisconsin’s first latin/jazz rock groups. Dave Stoler, playing keyboards, works with his own jazz trio and co-leads Steely Dan tribute band.
Ben Wendel Group
As a Grammy nominated saxophonist, Ben Wendel has enjoyed a varied career as a performer, composer, and producer. He has toured, performed, and/or recorded with artists such as Tigran Hamasyan, Eric Harland, Taylor Eigsti, Snoop Dogg, Moonchild, Louis Cole, and more. He is also a founding member of the Grammy nominated group Kneebody.
Ben has received an ASCAP Jazz Composer Award, the Chamber Music America “New Works Grant” in three different years, and was awarded the Victor Lynch-Staunton award by the Canada Council For The Arts, as a composer. He produced a multi-genre performance series a the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA and during this time became appointed the head of their Jazz and Blues initiative, as well as helping to create an artistic council.
Ben has five solo albums under his belt, a duo project with French-American pianist Dan Tepfer and multiple Kneebody albums. He is a former Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies at USC and a current Adjunct at the New School in NYC.
UWSP Faculty Jazz Sextet
The UWSP Faculty Jazz Sextet is made up of six faculty members from the Jazz Studies program at the University.
The Jazz Studies program trains students in music research and music development. Students will develop fundamental research skills through transcription and performance of seminal and contemporary jazz works. Crucial to students’ development as artists is their application of these principles to the creation of new music, informed by life experiences and aesthetic values. The money raised at this event goes towards supporting UWSP Students through this program to foster the next generation of Jazz artists.
DADDIO
A new supergroup featuring some of the most talented and experienced musicians in Northeast WI. Learn more on their official facebook page
Ryan Keberle and Catharsis
Catharsis has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times for its “potent blend of cinematic sweep and lush, ear-grabbing melodies.” They bring together elements of chamber music, South American folk and indie rock within a traditional jazz framework.
With the potent frontline rapport of Ryan Keberle and saxophonist Scott Robinson and the unshakable rhythm of bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Eric Doob combine in a sound full of drama and intrigue. The guitar and vocals of Camila Meza have also come to shape the band’s chemistry and unmistakable ensemble sound.