Cassity’s experience as a sideman ranges from the big bands of Jimmy Heath, Roy Hargrove, Diva and the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars to the small groups of Harry Whitaker, Ingrid Jensen, Mark Whitfield and John Lee.  A talented woodwind specialist, Cassity is often called to perform on clarinet, flute, alto flute and piccolo as well as soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones when necessary. Her versatility has secured her concerts at venues including the Playboy Jazz Festival, Costa Rica Jazz Festival, Hanover Jazz Festival, Avery Fischer Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Blue Note and Lincoln Center.

After completing her Bachelor of Music at the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, Cassity attended the Juilliard Jazz program on full scholarship and attained her Master of Music in 2007. While at Juilliard Sharel was the recipient of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award and Downbeat Student Music Awards as well as participated in Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead and IAJE’s Sisters in Jazz. Since graduating Sharel has appeared in Downbeat, Jazz Times and has graced the cover of Saxophone Journal. 

Currently based in New York City, Sharel Cassity was raised in Yukon, Oklahoma. A committed educator, Cassity’s private studio is in it’s tenth year and she is a faculty member of the New York Pops Salute to Music program.

In 1977 Peter graduated from SUNY Purchase with a Bachelor of Music (B.M.). Prior to that, while at Kenyon College in Ohio, Peter was a member of Night Train, the house band for the Black Elks in Mount Vernon. Peter refers to that experience as a “different kind of diploma.” 

Peter has written, performed, arranged and produced two CDs for RCA-Novus: Zoe’s Song (1987) and Riverdance (1989).  His most recent CD is Crew of Seven,  produced for “a different kind of label.”  Peter hopes there are still a few copies of “Crew” available at CDBaby.com, and if they’re out of stock, Peter says he will bake some for whoever wants to buy. Or there’s always iTunes.                 

As composer/arranger or as sideman, Peter has worked with Bob James, violinist Noel Pointer, Alexander Zonjic, and Larry Coryell.

Peter has been a pastoral musician since 1999, and began working with Lyndon Harris on experimental and alternative worship in 2000 at St. Paul’s Chapel.  In the immediate aftermath of 9/11,  at St. Paul’s Chapel, Lyndon started the Rescue Relief Project for the men and women who had the grim task of sorting through the wreckage. Says Peter: “I will  always treasure the memory of being allowed to offer music, for all the people there, which turned out to be what healed me best .”

“When Lyndon invited me to help bring jazz into the worship here at St. John  in the Village, I took it as an answer to my heart’s prayer.”

His musical training began in New Orleans, Louisiana under the instruction of Ronald Benko, trumpeter with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Benko is known for coaching such musical giants as Wynton Marsalis and Nicholas Payton.

Jelani’s enriched training and passion led him to being accepted into the country’s top high school conservatory, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), which is known for creating some of the world’s top musicians, such as Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr., Terence Blanchard, and actor Wendell Pierce. At NOCCA, Jelani studied with legendary jazz educator Alvin Batiste. During his training outside of NOCCA, he has also been taught or appeared with: Nicholas Payton, Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Belgrave, Charles Lewis, Tiger Okoshi, Wessell “Warmdaddy” Anderson, Ralph Peterson, Donald Harrison, Delfeayo Marsalis, Sean Jones, Mark Whitfield, Jeremy Pelt, Wycliffe Gordon, Victor Goines, David Murray, Pat Bianchi, and Christian Scott. After attending NOCCA, Jelani attended Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York and is currently attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He is expected to graduate in 2011 with a degree in Professional Music. Jelani recently performed with his Uncle Jamil Sharif for the 2010 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

With the blessings and lessons learned from these aforementioned master instructors, Brandon has gone on to play with many great artists such as Kenny Garrett, Harry Whitaker, Myron Walden, D.D Jackson, Alan Jay Palmer, Alex Harding, Lucian Ban, Benito Gonzalez, and many more.  He has recorded for several artists and situations spanning the styles of jazz, funk, and gospel.  Along with these experiences Brandon has also played in the orchestra for the Broadway show, “The Color Purple” and is currently working in the off Broadway play “Memphis”.  In addition to Broadway, Brandon Lewis made a cameo appearance in the movie “American Gangster” marking his debut on the big screen.  Brandon “Blew” Lewis is considered as one of the more innovative drummers on the New York Jazz scene.

Harry” Koutoukas was a surrealist playwright, actor, and teacher from the beginnings of the Off-Off-Broadway movement. 

Koutoukas shared his work in the Greenwich Village in spaces like La MaMa and Cafe Cino. His companions were Lanford Wilson and Sam Shepard who later became more commercially successful. Koutoukas’ writing often strayed from the “rules,” and were written and rehearsed quickly, sometimes even using people taken from the street to be the actors. Some of his plays included MEDEA IN THE LAUNDROMAT, CHRISTOPER AT THE SHERIDEN SQUARED, TIDY PASSIONS, TURTLES DON’T DREAM, and AWFUL PEOPLE ARE COMING OVER SO WE MUST PRETEND TO BE HARD AT WORK AND HOPE THEY WILL GO AWAY. 

“[Cafe] Cino would come to photograph playwrights,” he said, “and say, ‘Do you have a play for me this week?’ There was a need for a different play each week, so you’d have a play ready.” 

The playwrights plays were typically very “out-there” with exaggerated characters and strange situations. 

Koutoukas’ real name was Haralambos Monroe Koutoukas. He was born on June 4, 1937, in the small town of Endicott, NY. When he moved to Manhattan in the 60s he created his own theater workshop whose members include Ed Gerome Ragni, James Rado, Tom O’Horgan, and Harvey Fierstein. The workshops names was the “School for Gargoyles.” 

In 1966 he received a Village Voice Obie Award for “Assaulting Established Tradition.” 

Koutoukas was unique- wearing capes and jewelry, bleaching his dark hair white, writing suicide notes as a child for attention, and thinking of bombing the theatre where his play was running. 

Koutoukas once said of playwriting, “It’s the only way for me. I could write a play with the time and energy it takes to fill out an application for one of those foundation grants.” 

In 1966, he won an Obie award “for the style and energy of his assaults on the theater in both playwriting and production.” 

Personal Reflection by Rev. Lyndon Harris 

 “When I first met Harry I commented, “Harry, I love your blue hair!” To which he replied, “Thank you darling. I thought I’d go natural.” It was no surprise to me when I found out he was one of the primary inspirations for the Broadway musical “Hair.” It was also no surprise that he was an Obie award winning playwrite. 

Harry Died March 6, —-. His “chariot” aka “The Glittermobile,” parked as it usually is in front of the Parish Hall building is now being turned into a makeshift memorial to this beautiful man. If you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by and offer a prayer, or a flower. He loved sunflowers!

Breaks free from the prison Of the self Secrets entombed Are released to the horizon                 |
On the breath’s last  OMMMMMMM
Delicate currents Made by the migrating butterflies
Then to the prison imposed by freedom O freedom              
A visit to the miniature marigolds Hesitant moments among the impatiens 
And stalwart tulips then the sky
Wrapping kisses in small clouds Carried by cherubs Through infinite space 

Abandoned long ago  By fashion dogs and voiceless cats     
Heart grasps the silver box Of cigarette butts Left behind by blond boys
Whose coughs signal early death         
Worn dreamers And ghosts desert the streets                  
The entrails of a pigeon read no future                 
Spiral upwards heart and away Towards beauty 

From a lofty peak  Heart looks down upon the footpaths
Streams and rivulets glisten                      |
A woman whispers to the birds         
Make your memories now 

The windows frame a Gemini salad Prepare to take over the Earth            
Lucy eats chocolate 
Jackie Gleason threatens his wife 
Spock wriggles his ears                      
The woman looks at the sunlight
The birds fly away 

O Amon, great sun Of flames                 
I bring you fruit    
Let it rot            
Heart hides behind a column of serpents Sees a man implore the heavens          
His hands are empty
The dead dig graves 
Their faces eaten by the rats        
Pharaoh’s boat departs                 
The man continues to pray                       
For he is desperate  In his search for meaning                 
 He questions the pyramid Unaware of his bankrupt past 

 Beyond heaven’s dome All things look reasonable               
In accordance with order And clarity of form 
Is this how God sees? Does he love all, both good and evil?      
We who live in chaos Know nothing    
Who questions justice aka Mr. God? 
Spinoza pray for us  In your exile from norms                   
Let the world pray for itself                  
Heart flies over the children As they play in the rain Among the autumn leaves                  
Some viewings burn in your brain 

An ancient man does not lock his door  
The smell of lemons is his goodbye      
No!                        
Let his remains be a feast                    
How meaningful, meaningful
Courageous to inquire… 

H.M. Koutoukas © 2010 

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