Execs Wield Axes at Cafe 939
House Red appears on March 4.
The Loomers open the series on February 18.
Bill King closes the series on April 1.
Peter Buffett offers a concert and conversation on February 25.
Berklee launches the third season of Executive Sessions, a concert series showcasing bands whose members include Boston-area CEOs and corporate executives, at Berklee's Cafe 939 (939 Boylston St., Boston). The series is booked and produced by Tom Simons, president and creative director of communications firm PARTNERS+simons.
All shows at Cafe 939 are all-ages. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. and tickets are $10. For tickets or more information, call 617 923-8487 or visit berklee.edu/events. For more information about Cafe 939, visit cafe939.com.
Wednesday, February 18: THE LOOMERS
Tom Simons—president/creative director of the independent, full-service marketing communications firm PARTNERS+simons—is a guitarist by avocation and a long-time Loomer. With Michael Cahill (drums, background vocals) who owns his own business, CK Environmental; PARTNERS+simons controller Jack Cavalier (bass guitar, background vocals); Everett Pendleton (electric guitar, harmony vocals); and Jon Svetkey (acoustic guitar, harmonica, lead vocals), Simons continues to perform in the great tradition of corporate bands. The Loomers, whose latest album Tomorrow Today is available on iTunes, have performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and twice been finalists in Fortune magazine's Corporate Battle of the Bands. For more information, visit loomers.com.
Wednesday, February 25: PETER BUFFETT with transgalactic electro-cellist Michael Kott
Peter Buffett's Concert and Conversation is an entertaining and informative look into the life of a musician with a unique upbringing. As Warren Buffett's son, Peter's open discussion about the values he was taught, the lessons he learned, and their effect in shaping his career serve as a testament that life is never a straight road. No matter what your background, Buffett's take on "earning your own reward" will find resonance with your own life story. Buffett is an Emmy award-winner whose career spans over 28 years of success as a professional songwriter, composer, film scorer, producer, artist, performer, recording engineer, indie label owner, and music marketer. Peter scored the "Fire Dance" in the Oscar-winning film Dances with Wolves and performed at the film’s premiere. He composed the full score for 500 Nations, a CBS miniseries produced by Kevin Costner, as well as two songs on the soundtrack for The Scarlet Letter. Peter cochairs NoVo Foundation, a charitable nonprofit with over $1 billion in pledged funding by his father. For more information, visit myspace.com/peterbuffett.
Wednesday, March 4: HOUSE RED
House Red is an eclectic band that combines classic jazz (Mingus and Parker) and rock ranging from the classic (The Doors) to the contemporary (3 Doors Down). It covers many tunes that are not often heard live, including those from the basic food groups—Smashing Pumpkins and Red Hot Chili Peppers—sweetened with a little of Turrentine's "Sugar." The band features Marc Caruso on guitar and vocals, Dean Goodermote on bass and vocals, John Rule on drums, and George Skelly on guitar and vocals. The performance will showcase guest artists from the Berklee student and staff community. The band supplements its musician income with other gigs: Caruso is VP of enterprise services, Data Intensity; Goodermote, chairman and CEO, Double-Take Software; Rule, director of fuel cell development, Lilliputian Systems; and Skelly, partner, Nixon Peabody).
Wednesday, April 1: BILL KING
Pianist, composer, and publisher Bill King is a multitalented individual whose recording and production credits include Live! In Session by Liberty Silver; Magnolia Nights, Moment's Notice by Bill King and the Jazz Report All-Stars; From the Heart, a tribute to piano great Oscar Peterson; and most recently, with Bill King's Saturday Nite Fish Fry, Jump Shout Rock da House, Rhythm & Soul, and Dirt Road Blues, among many others. He appeared on Sophie Berkal-Sarbit's Gypsy in My Soul and Sophie Milman's self-titled debut, which topped 100,000 sales worldwide. King was the 2003 and 2004 recipient of the National Jazz Award for Producer of the Year, as voted by the public from across Canada. King has also been a driving force in the success of the Beaches International Jazz Festival. Recently, he added artistic duties for the Toronto International BBQ & Blues Festival to his portfolio. King was awarded a scholarship at Berklee in 1964. For more information, visit billkingmusic.com.