2010 Jazz Under The Stars Performers
2010's Barn Studio fundraiser featued renowned jazz musicians John Guida and Friends, with John on sax, George Mesterhazy on piano, Tim Lekan on bass, and Barry Miles on drums, the gala also showcased acclaimed vocalist Juanita Holiday.
John Guida
John Guida is a South Jersey native who grew up in a musical family. His father, Jimmy Guida, a professional musician, had spent many years on the road playing with big bands. It was this early exposure that instilled John’s lifelong passion for music.
His musical career began when he played on the Steel Pier while still in high school. Later he toured the country with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and then returned to the Atlantic City music scene where he played at the 500 Club, Club Harlem, and with the Ice Capades Orchestra. John was a charter member of the Si Zentner Orchestra at Resorts International, the first casino to open in New Jersey. He has also played with other big bands including Harry James, Mercer Ellington, Ray Anthony, and Billy May.
John has performed with most of the musical legends of our time, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Mel Tormé, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Diane Carrol, Nancy Wilson, Harry Connick, Jr., Natalie Cole, The Temptations, and many others. He appeared at the Cancun Jazz Festival and often plays at the Cape May and Somers Point Jazz Festivals.
Over the years, John has been fortunate to play with some of the “Jazz Greats” such as Roy Eldridge, Teddy Wilson, Louie Bellson, Charlie Shavers, Zoot Sims, and Jack Sheldon.
John was privileged to have studied with renowned saxophonist George Young. He attended Rutgers University and received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Rowan University.
He is an adjunct professor at Rowan University and Cumberland County College, and also teaches music in the Vineland School District. He remains active as a musician and educator.
George Mesterhazy
The George Mesterhazy Trio features George Mesterhazy on piano, Tim Lekan on bass, and Bob Shomo on drums.
Mesterhazy, an East coast pianist who is well known among the tight-knit casino entertainment industry, earned a Grammy® nomination performing with Shirley Horn on her album Loving You.
He's also recorded with jazz vocalist Rebecca Parris and performed frequently at the Cape May Jazz Festival.
Tim Lekan
Tim began his musical journey touring the United States playing electric bass in R&B bands. His love of jazz and the work of masters such as Charlie Haden, Paul Chambers, Red Mitchell and Ray Brown eventually led him to the acoustic bass. He has studied with New York bassists, Scott Lee, Michael Moore and Dennis Irwin, and has studied composition with pianist/composer Ron Thomas.
A native of Cleveland, Tim lived and worked in New Jersey from 1986-1998, playing with numerous groups, including The George Mesterhazy Trio and Oscar Brown Jr.
In the fall of 1997 Tim released his debut CD "P.M. The Tim Lekan Trio with special guest Gina Roche" on Encounter Records. His group has performed at numerous jazz clubs and festivals throughout the Tri-State area. In 1999, Tim moved to New York City where he has resumed his study of the acoustic bass with Andy McKee, while continuing to lead his own group and work as a freelance bassist.
Barry Miles
HBarry’s career in music started the day he was born. He was delivered to the sounds of Benny Goodman recording. Barry’s early childhood was enriched by the sounds of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie being played by his father. At the age of four he began taking piano lessons and at seven took drum lessons. Barry’s father noticed his early musical ability and took him to hear various great musicians passing through town. " One of the musicians who heard Barry was Woody Herman and through his association with Woody, Barry performed on some major TV shows and concerts which led to his early membership in the musician's union at age nine. In his pre-teen years, he got the opportunity to perform with some of the greatest jazz legends including Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Roy Eldridge, Buck Clayton, Coleman Hawkins, and John Coltrane.
"I remember playing a concert in Newark, N.J. with then 19 year old Wayne Shorter and in a darkened backstage area I heard a gruff voice behind me say 'you sound good, kid'. I turned around and discovered it was Miles Davis!"
In the early 60's, throughout high-school, Barry continued his musical studies. Many great young musicians were introduced to the public in Barry's group in the 60's, including Woody Shaw, Eddie Gomez, Richard Davis, and Ron Carter. By the mid-60's, Barry came to the conclusion that "because of the developments in mass communication, people have the opportunity to hear music from all over the world and the result will be the fusion of many diverse elements into various new styles". The outcome of this concept was the recording of Barry's "Syncretic Compositions" (1966) featuring Lew Soloff, Robin Kenyatta, Walter Booker, and Don Perullo, and it's probably the first "fusion" album in an acoustic setting containing elements of jazz, classical, rock, and Eastern music. It was recorded at a live concert at Princeton University which Barry graduated from in 1969. While at Princeton, Barry studied electronic music and experimented with the early versions of the sophisticated synthesizers available today.
Through the 70's Barry continued to pioneer his fusion concept by recording seven more albums and touring all over the world with his quartet, Barry Miles & Silverlight. Between 1980 and 1994, Barry was the musical director for Roberta Flack and through Roberta he composed and arranged music for the Richard Pryor movie, "Bustin' Loose" as well as contributing as a producer/composer/arranger/performer on a number of her albums.
In the early '90's, Barry renewed a long association with Al Di Meola by performing with the Al
Di Meola Project and collaborating in the production, arranging, and writing of Al's "Kiss My
Axe" album. Throughout the '90's to the present, Barry has composed music for several hundred national and international TV and radio commercials along with numerous Miramax movie trailers.
Most recently, he performed and arranged with Roberta Flack on the "Songs From the Neighborhood" CD, which won the 2006 Grammy for best children's album.
Juanita Holiday
Hailing from the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection (Philadelphia, PA), Juanita is a member of AFTRA, Actors Equity Assoc., BEMA, and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (Philadelphia Chapter), and has performed with many outstanding musicians in both the secular and non-secualar fields of music.
Her Performances have placed her in front of many well-known celebrities and dignitaries. Some of her most memorable performances include singing the National Anthem for Muhammad Ali and George Foreman during their visits to Philadelphia, performing for Harry Belafonte as he was the recipient of the Marian Anderson Award, representing the City of Philadelphia Y.M.C.A's as a Cultural Ambassador in Katmandu, Nepal and as a featured vocalist at the Presidential Summit.
Some of her many theater credits include: "It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues , Essentially Ellington, Moments in Black History, The Gospelers, One Acre At a Time, Cole, The Way of the Cross Leads Home and Take it to the Lord or Else. She has worked with such reputable theater companies as The American Music Theater Festival; Freedom Theater and The Donald Welch Production Company.
Juanita also has performed as guest artist in several annual corporate and organization affairs, such as Art Reach, Carrousel House, National Kidney Foundation, The Mayor's Literacy Program, The Mellon Jazz Fest, The International Film Festival, Episcopal Community Services, Mann Music Center, District 1199C-Thomas Breslin Learning Center, AFSCME, Light Weaver Corporation, American Bar Association, Ujima and MTZ meeting Corporation, NAACP (Philadelphia Chapter) and as a featured artist at the opening of the Kimmel Center in 2002.
Juanita can usually be found entertaining in numerous jazz clubs in and around Philadelphia.
Her repertoire includes standards, blues and ballads, which she explores...from beginning to end.