Seven free shows coming up in June & July
Rochester, NY – Following its 20th anniversary celebration at Lovin’ Cup and its fifth Rochester Music Hall of Fame awards ceremony as official house band, Prime Time Funk (PTF) is looking forward to a busy summer. First, though, the band is honored to play a private memorial for the late, well-known Rochester sound man Nils Gurdin this Friday, and will be joined by many other local musicians including Ethan Porter and Gap Mangione. Coming in from California to pay tribute as well are four former Rochester musicians: Oliver Wiggins, Brian Scanlon, Ed Czach and Roland Wilcox.
Summer with PTF kicks off on Saturday, June 4 from 8:30 p.m. to midnight at Remedy Bar at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack (5857 State Route 96, Farmington). Admission is FREE. (fingerlakesgaming.com/Remedy.aspx)
On Friday, June 17, the Town of Pittsford’s Summer Concert Series features Prime Time at the Port of Pittsford, right on the canal from 6:30 – 8 p.m. FREE. (townofpittsford.org/summerconcertseries)
PTF headlines the Town of Gates Summer Celebration on Saturday, June 27 at 8 – 10 p.m. at Gates Chili High School (1 Spartan Way), followed by fireworks at 10 p.m. The full line up is here: https://gatesrecparks.org/ViewCourseActivityDetails.aspx?id=C2902. Admission is FREE.
On Independence Day, Prime Time Funk will play the Town of Henrietta’s July 4th Celebration with Fireworks from 6:40 – 9:40 PM at Veteran’s Memorial Park (595 Calkins Rd., behind the Town Hall Complex). FREE. More info: https://parksandrecreation.henrietta.org/CourseActivities.aspx?id=39&cat=12.
The Town of Penfield’s Cool Jazz Series features PTF at the Penfield Amphitheatre and Kiwanis Stage (3100 Atlantic Ave., Veterans’ Memorial Park behind Penfield Town Hall) on Tuesday, July 12 from 7 – 9 p.m. (Lawn chairs/blankets welcome). Rain location: Penfield Community Center. Admission is FREE. (http://www.penfieldrec.org/pgm-cal-details.inc.php?id=982461d090a80e16e9c65af277e4ab49)
Prime Time headlines the FREE Webster Jazz Festival (a two-day event this year) on Saturday, July 23 from 9 – 10:30 p.m. on the Village’s West Main Street stage. Full lineup here: http://websterbid.com/jazz.
Finally, CNY Jazz Central’s Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival (two-day festival) in Syracuse’s Clinton Square features PTF on Friday, July 29 from 8:15 – 11 p.m. FREE admission. More information: nejazzwinefest.org.
More about Prime Time Funk: Formed in 1996 by James Richmond and the late Ralph Ortiz, PTF is a 10-piece powerhouse of passionate musicians from Western New York: Andy Calabrese (keyboards), Joe Chiappone (guitar), David Cohen (drums, percussion, bkg. vocals), Ron D’Angelo (trumpet & flugelhorn), Mike Edwards (baritone sax, flute, EWI [electronic wind instrument] & violin), Vince Ercolamento (tenor, alto & soprano saxes, flute), Ron France (bass), Ronnie Leigh (lead & bkg. vocals), Derrick Lipp (trumpet & flugelhorn), and James Richmond (tenor & alto saxes, bkg. & lead vocals).
Together they write, arrange and perform a world-class combination of funk, jazz, blues and R&B that’s difficult to categorize but easy to feel. In its 20 years, PTF has played multiple times at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Club in Paris as well as at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, and has shared the stage with some of the world’s most respected acts: Earth, Wind & Fire; Medeski, Martin & Wood; The Brothers Johnson; Tom Scott; Terrence Blanchard; The Temptations; Average White Band; Stanley Clarke; Lenny White; Larry Carlton; John Scofield; Joe Locke; Pee Wee Ellis; Fred Wesley; Maceo Parker; Christian McBride; Sherman Roberston; Francine Reed; Felix Cavaliere & Gene Cornish (The Rascals); Kathy Sledge; Carmine Appice; Bat McGrath; Randy Bachman; Pat Travers; The Cowsills; Bob McGrath; Russell Thompkins, Jr. (The Stylistics); and Reggie Torian (The Impressions).
PTF’s 2001 debut CD, Ready and Willing, was co-produced by Grammy® Award-winning producer Jeff Tyzik, Principal Pops Conductor for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Its self-produced follow-up CD, Hear and Now, was released in 2012, and is a tribute to the band’s co-founder and original bass player, the late Ralph Ortiz.
PTF is the official house band of the Rochester Music Hall of Fame annual awards ceremony in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Please visit www.primetimefunk.com for more.