The 2nd Monday Series at the College of Charleston School of the Arts will present the Charleston Latin Jazz Collective, a group of seven musicians comprised of faculty members, alumni and professionals within the community. They have joined together to create a unique high-energy sound that captures the essence of traditional Cuban music, as well as contemporary Latin jazz. Musicians include: Ron Wiltrout, percussion; Charlton Singleton, trumpet; Jake Holwegner, bass; David Heywood, arranger/flute/percussion; Gerald Gregory, piano; Gino Castillo, percussion/vocals and John E. Cobb, baritone sax.
The concert will take place on Monday, November 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Recital Hall in the Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Philip St. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. General admission is $15 for adults and $10 for all students with school I.D. Admission is free for CofC Faculty and Staff. The Collective will announce the program from the stage.
Gino Castillo (percussion, vocals) has played professionally in Ecuador, Cuba, New York City, and for the last few years in Charleston, S.C. Sponsored by Pearl Drums, he has appeared in concert and recorded with a long list of international artists, many of which can be heard on his latest CD, Ya Llegue. In Charleston, he performs with his own group, The Gino Castillo Quartet. He also appears with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra and a number of other local groups. More information can be found at www.ginocastillo.com.
John E. Cobb (baritone sax) is a native of Charleston from the small town of Parkers Ferry. For nine years, he lived in New York City where he attended college and performed with several local Latin combos, show bands, and big bands in the tri-state area (N.Y., N.J. and Conn.). His instrument of preference is the baritone saxophone. Currently, he is a school administrator and freelance musician with many of the local jazz and party bands. He is considered to be both an accomplished musician and educator. Cobb’s tone is described by many as smooth and warm, and he performs weekly at High Cotton Restaurant with the James Slater Trio. In addition, Cobb has performed with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra during its last eight seasons.
Gerald Gregory (piano) began playing piano at the age of six with encouragement and support from his mom. He moved from his home of Roanoke, Va. to Charleston, S.C. in 2001 and is a 2005 graduate of the College of Charleston with degrees in jazz piano performance and composition. Gregory traveled to Copenhagen for a six week stint in 2006 and played in the Copenhagen Jazz Festival with Toca Toca, a Brazilian inspired ensemble. He is founding member of the group Morimoto, as well as the group Faces for Radio, in addition to being a members of the house bands at the Charleston Grill and Mercado restaurants. He is featured on many stylistically diverse albums ranging from country and rock to jazz and samba.
David Heywood (arranger, flute, percussion) has been an adjunct professor in the Jazz Department of the College of Charleston since 1999, where he directs the Wind Ensemble and two jazz performing ensembles. As a performer in Charleston, he has appeared with local groups including The New Music Collective, the salsa bands Havanason and Tumbao, The Charleston Jazz Orchestra, and dozens of other local jazz musicians and groups. He is also a published arranger, and has transcribed or arranged commissions for concert band, big band, and small wind groups for the U.S. Air Force groups based in Ga., Va., Neb., Colo., and Germany, as well as professional groups in Las Vegas, and of course The Charleston Jazz Orchestra. Heywood received a Bachelor of Music in Performance from North Texas State University, and an Master of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of South Carolina.
Jake Holwegner (bass) played electric bass with local R & B and funk bands for years before studying upright bass at the College of Charleston with Lee Burrows and Frank Duvall, as well as Charleston Symphony bassist Tom Breznik. His interest in Latin music led him to travel to Cuba in 2003, where he was able to study authentic performance styles and learn from many local musicians. In Charleston, Holwegner has been one of the house players at the Charleston Grill for the last seven years, as well as a regular member of the Lee Barbour Trio, Caravan, and Havanason, Tumbao, and many other local groups.
A native of Awendaw, S.C., Charlton Singleton (trumpet) began his musical studies at the age of three on the piano. He would then go on to study the violin, cello, and the trumpet throughout elementary, middle and high school. In 1994, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from South Carolina State University. Since that time, he has taught music at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, as well as being an adjunct faculty member at the College of Charleston. For the past nine years he has been the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra; a 20 piece jazz ensemble of some of the finest professional musicians in the Southeast and the resident big band in Charleston, S.C. As a performer, Charlton leads his own traditional jazz group (Charlton Singleton Quintet) and a contemporary group (Charlton Singleton Band), as well as the Gullah-inspred group Ranky Tanky. He has performed in France, Great Britain, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands, as well as many great cities throughout the United States. He has also shared the stage with and/or worked with some of most talented entertainers in the world.
Ron Wiltrout (drums, vocals) is a percussionist based in Charleston, S.C. He performs regularly throughout the Southeast with ensembles whose styles range from jazz to free improvisation to avant-garde and contemporary classical music. An avid performer of new music, he has premiered pieces by Ted Hearne, Michael Pisaro, Sam Sfirri, Mustafa Walker, Sean Friar, Philip White, and Nathan Koci. Wiltrout is devoted to exploring the use of unconventional percussion and extended techniques. He co-leads multiple jazz groups and is currently co-artistic director for the New Music Collective. Wiltrout has performed with Lewis/Gregory/Wiltrout, The Rudy Waltz, the Garage Cuban Band, Lee Barbour, Tommy Gill, Bert Ligon, Brad Moranz, Tumbao, Duda Lucena, Kopaja, Delusion Story, Katrina Ballads, The Charleston Jazz Orchestra, and the Opposite of a Train. More information can be found at www.RonWiltrout.com.
Housed within the College of Charleston School of the Arts, CofC Concerts includes five extraordinary series: International Piano Series, Magnetic South, Charleston Music Fest, 2nd Monday Series, and CofC Ensembles (CofC Concert Choir, Opera and Orchestra), featuring international, national and regional artists, as well as the award-winning student ensembles in the College of Charleston’s Department of Music. Visit CofC Concerts at music.cofc.edu/concerts.