frank ponzio

Frank's unique solo concert programs combine great American standards with entertaining
commentary and anecdotes about the composers as well as the song's historical and social context. Frank’s signature interpretations will transport you on a personal journey through this rich heritage, from George Gershwin and Duke Ellington to James Taylor and Stevie Wonder.
"I cannot believe we were able to get such a great artist for our concert series. It was wonderful. He even gave us a chance to ask  questions about the music he performed. I'm still getting raves on the program and requests to have you back."       
Fred Frye, Presbyterian Church of Ridgewood, NJ.

The Button Brothers Trio has a residence at Domaine Bar A Vins in Long Island City. The Trio is known for its fresh approach to old and new standards and features Pete Donovan and Rich Rosensweig. A trio recording is scheduled for this fall.

       "From their entrance onto the stage to their final bow the trio's mastery of the music's style and form were exceptional, keeping a very appreciative audience rapt for over two hours, including myself. The choice of musical selection was always geared toward both entertaining and educating the audience, sometimes a difficult balance to maintain." Lawrence J. Knowles, Ph.D., Director of Arts, John Addison Concert Hall. Ft Washington,MD.

He has done many presentation/performances including The Art of Listening, A Musical Exploration.
It is an interactive presentation that helps raise one's awareness of listening, the importance of connection through listening and helps one listen more fully using the art of music.                               

            "What stood out that evening and what remains now is not only the wonderful music and the amazing       skill and knowledge Mr. Ponzio has acquired through his years of loving dedication but this lasting impression
I have of him--the kindness, love, patience, humility, openness and willing generosity he seemed to just be."    
audience member, Charlotte   re:  The Art of Listening,  A Musical Exploration. Walkill, NY

         "The Century Singers have been loud in praise of your piano, and what a pleasure it was to work with you. For my part, I am also very aware of how much imagination you brought to the just-right arrangements and direction of the musicians. It all made for a show that was boffo.
We couldn't have done it without you."     —Stowe Phelps, The Century Club, New York

Sting*chronicity  with vocalist,  Rosemary Loar, Tom Hubbard, bass and Barry Kleinbort, director.
A combination of monologues with a variety of musical arrangements of the contemporary songwriter, Sting. Rosemary uses Sting’s music to paint a pastiche of the trials and triumphs of today’s women. 
Full show description and video           A review         
Rosemary Loar's website
"The show is audacious, unique, well calibrated, and juicy. You'll never listen to Sting the same way again."  BroadwayWorld.com When Harry Met The Duke
The music of Harold Arlen and Duke Ellington with Waldron Ricks, trumpet.'Loar can sail from bright to dusky in a blink, peel vibrato to lingering sssss, and detonate a lyric without overselling. There’s a beautiful horn solo and piano music so tender hands seem barely to stroke the keys."   Alix Cohen Cabaret Scenes July 18, 2013
"Rosemary Loar’s 'STING*chronicity'  does what all good songbook shows are supposed to do: give you a fresh perspective on the music of an iconic composer and remind you of how well their songs stand up to a new interpretation. It’s the rare show that I want to see more than once, while, at the same time, it keeps sending  me back to my Sting albums."      
Will Friedwald - Wall Street Journal

"Eleanor’s music is all about connection and empowerment. It makes me feel transported to a sandy beach, where I can be free and dip my toes 
in the water."   - Glamour Magazine
Eleanor Dubinsky is a New York City based singer-songwriter, cellist, guitarist and performance artist. She sings in English, French and Spanish, and her songs combine soothing vocals with rhythms from Brazil, Latin America and West Africa. Eleanor’s songs have been featured on MTV, Lifetime and Animal Planet, ads for American Express, on NPR and on radio stations in Latin America. Her song, “Wait For You” won the Sennheiser recording contest at the 2012 ASCAP EXPO and she was voted Best Francophone Singer by French Culture Guides in 2010. Eleanor has released two CDs: Touch The Sky and Listen To The Music as well as several singles  
Swing Thing Video: by Eleanor Dubinsky and Wesley Amorim

V is for Victory Disc: Doing It For Defense          See/hear Nearness of You
With Kathryn Allyn on vocals and featuring Tom Hubbard (bass), Hayes Greenfield (sax) and Scott Neumann (drums), this set explores the Pentagon’s WWII "Victory Disc Program". During the war, the US Army waded into a bruiser of a musicians’ strike to produce its own music for the troops. Ultimately, the great acts of the day laid down tracks for the Army and, in all, the government recorded, pressed and shipped 8,000,000 records to soldiers scattered over three continents, in every theater of war.  This fascinating and largely unknown story in American popular music is told through WWII-era swing and jazz recorded for the Program by artists like Jo Stafford, Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday.  The set includes beloved standards and a selection of rarities which, thanks to the smuggling efforts of our soldiers and the preservation efforts of the Library of Congress, have not been lost to time.  
more information
“Kathryn's performance is at once poignant and witty. She invites her listeners to laugh along with the songwriters, without poking fun at a bygone era. Her reverence for each meticulously researched song is evident in every lovingly rendered moment of her performance. We have never had a more enjoyable cabaret experience.”-- Chris Fecteau and Karen Rich, Dell'Arte Opera Ensemble. 

Click see for many YouTube Links for Kathryn Allyn

Our project started with a few arrangements by Vito Lesczak and me. We fell in love with the music and with the process of listening to what the music needed. And like Kurt Weill in his own collaborations, we looked to find the best people and the best sounds to suit Weill’s extraordinary songs, When Hilary Gardner joined us, we knew we had the perfect collaborator and voice to deliver the story-driven songs. Peter Donavan completed the sound and added vision and creativity. The Kurt Weill Project was born. In the recording studio, we added Aaron Heick and Leif Arntzen, both of whom contributed richness and depth to the music.

A Song About Forever is a jazz-based exploration of Kurt Weill’s songs, with a nod towards their musical theater roots. -Frank Ponzio

Listen Here!

" …the performance radiates the sense of passion, collaboration, and curiosity
that fuel any worthy artistic project."        - Jason Jacobs, nytheatre.com

I have the great pleasure of composing and recording scores for the artist Roberta Berman. Earlier this year the project was M2M, Midnight to Midnight.
Berman's sculptures and poetry are the inspiration for this multi-media film, a collaborative artistic endeavor showing that every box has extraordinary dimensionality. Every box has its story, and everyone has a story about a box. Music, choreography, lighting and filming bring this concept to life.
Filming and composing is taking place in august for a new project, Prehistoric Blues.
"Like jazz, each sculpture is both premeditated and improvisational, incorporating structural forms of ancient-styled instruments with her personal, sculptural journey. While the sculpture emerges, it finds its own voice, a palette of pitches and textures. Viewers are invited to explore them. Performance artists are invited to compose with them."   Roberta Berman       link to Vimeo for full picture
                            

“Sally Morgan has a lovely instrument with many colors to it. She often seemed to “speak” the notes- that is to sing as we speak. This approach certainly lends itself to making her audience understand the lyric and Morgan utilized this technique well, navigating the range of styles and vocal demands this eclectic set demanded. Particularly enjoyable was  hearing the lyric quality of her voice displayed in Rya and the next two songs; Greenfinch and Linnet Bird (Sondheim) and Mantra (Morgan), with Frank back at the piano.
Delivering a thoroughly enjoyable evening, Morgan moved between playfulness and truly exploring her love of singing and making music. The packed room, which included cabaret legend Marilyn Maye, cheered her on for her encore God Bless The Child (Holiday/Herzog)
Reflecting on the nature of her intimate relationships, Morgan realized that her longest intimate relationship had in fact been with her pianist Frank Ponzio! … their musical connection was a constant in their lives.”
A review posted by Aron Bederson | Mar 8, 2020

Mostly Jobim with vocalist, Annie Kozuch          iTunes listen to CD
Annie and Frank have been performing for several years from Natchez, MS to New York, NY and have made several recordings including the most recent CD,  Mostly Jobim. It celebrates the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and his bossa nova music with such favorites as ‘The Girl From Ipanema’, ‘Waters of March’, & 'Wave'.

"This was a well-crafted and programmed show that gave Kozuch the opportunity to display the range of her vocal talent. In this she was wonderfully abetted by the superb musicians. Tenconi played one terrific cd solo after another and Ponzio as a real understanding of the art of accompaniment."       Caught in the Act Jersey Jazz, Joe Lang

"Pianist Frank Ponzio is eloquent and beautiful whether he is in the spotlight or when he recedes from it to let his boss sing"
Raul de Gama - Jazz Global Media