CD: So Many Stars
Heather Ramsay and the Chris Rutkowski Trio

Avalon (Jolson) 3:03

Live Recording: IPFW Faculty Jazz Combo
Chris Rutkowki, pno and composer

Double Barrel Rhythm Thing (Rutkowski) 9:20

Comments: Video and Audio produced by the IPFW/Sweetwater Muisc Technology Program, Chris Rutkowski, Director, of the Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne Faculty Jazz Combo. The venue was the the Rhinehart Recital Hall on the IPFW Campus. The performers were: Farrell Vernon, ten sx; David Streeter, ten sax, Ken Johnson, gtr; Chris Rutkowski, piano; Brad Kuhns, bs; and Jason Marxson, dms.

Hope (Rutkowski) 6:53

Comments: Video and Audio produced by the IPFW/Sweetwater Muisc Technology Program, Chris Rutkowski, Director, of the Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne Faculty Jazz Combo. The venue was the the Rhinehart Recital Hall on the IPFW Campus. The performers were: Farrell Vernon, ten sx; David Streeter, ten sax, Ken Johnson, gtr; Chris Rutkowski, piano; Brad Kuhns, bs; and Jason Marxson, dms.

NOLA 2 (Rutkowski) 8:53

Comments: Video and Audio produced by the IPFW/Sweetwater Muisc Technology Program, Chris Rutkowski, Director, of the Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne Faculty Jazz Combo. The venue was the the Rhinehart Recital Hall on the IPFW Campus. The performers were: Farrell Vernon, ten sx; David Streeter, ten sax, Al Parr, tpt; Ken Johnson, gtr; Chris Rutkowski, piano; Brad Kuhns, bs; and Jason Marxson, dms.

For Ken (Rutkowski/Schweikert) 9:12

Comments: Video and Audio produced by the IPFW/Sweetwater Muisc Technology Program, Chris Rutkowski, Director, of the Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne Faculty Jazz Combo. The venue was the the Rhinehart Recital Hall on the IPFW Campus. The performers were: Al Parr, tpt; Chris Rutkowski, piano; Brad Kuhns, bs; and Eric Schweikert, dms.

Ke-Ki-On-Ga (Rutkowski) 6:41

Comments: Video of College Access TV broadcast of the Nov. 9, 2010 performance of the Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne Faculty Jazz Combo. The venue was the the Rhinehart Recital Hall on the IPFW Campus. The performers were: Farrell Vernon, ten sx; Akiro Murotani, tpt; Ken Johnson, gtr; Brian Derek, bs; and Erik Schweikert, dms. Ke-Ki-On-Ga was the capital of the Native American Miami Nation, located at the currently existing city of Fort Wayne, IN.

Arts Weekly End Credit Music

Comments: Originally written as sequencing exercise, this piece, N'Orleans, takes the bass line and groove from the 3rd movement of the Concert for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble and adds a new harmonic progression. Only virtual instruments are used. The drums are originally programmed in AIR's Strike, the sax, trumpet, trombone, and tuba and double bass are from the Vienna Symphonic Library. The piano and organ are AIR instruments packaged with Pro Tools, which was also the sequencer. Arts Weekly is created in Fort Wayne and broadcast on WFWA (PBS) on Sunday evenings, and on IPFW's College Access TV.

Softly as in a Morning Sunrise (Romberg/Hammerstein)

Comments: Recorded at the WesFest, a jazz festival on the Canal in Indianapolis by WTBU TV, 1998. The WesFest is dedicated to the memory of Indianapolis native Wes Montgomery-the legendary jazz guitarist. I am playing with Frank Glover's Quartet, a great pleasure and honor for me!

In a Sentimental Mood (Ellington)

Comments: See above

Take Five (Brubeck) 8:06

Comments: Video of the Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne Faculty Jazz Combo. The venue was the the Rhinehart Recital Hall on the IPFW Campus. The performers were: Farrell Vernon, ten sx; Al Parr, tpt; Ken Johnson, gtr; Brad Kuhns, bs; and Erik Schweikert, dms.

Video recorded and edited by Chris Rutkowski
Audio recorded and edited by Chris Rutkowski

God Bless the Child (Holliday) 5:51

Vocalist Brenda Williams joins pianist and LaSalle Live Artistic Director Chris Rutkowski in a performance of Billie Holliday's classic.

Stormy Monday 3:31

Vocalist Brenda Williams joins pianist and LaSalle Live Artistic Director Chris Rutkowski in a performance of the blues standard.

This Masquerade 7:01

Vocalist Brenda Williams joins pianist and LaSalle Live Artistic Director Chris Rutkowski in a performance of Leon Russel by way of George Benson's hit .

Fire and Rain (Taylor) 4:21

Vocalist Fernando Tarango joins pianist and LaSalle Live Artistic Director Chris Rutkowski in a performance of James Taylor's classic of the Great American Songbook.

Beyond the Sea (Trennet) 4:25

Vocalist Fernando Tarango joins pianist and LaSalle Live Artistic Director Chris Rutkowski in a performance of Charle Trennet's standard

How Long Has This Been Going On (Gershwin, arr. Rutkowski) pno. solo, 4:31

Comments: Recorded by pianist Richard Glazier on Centaur Records (CRC 2846), and performed by him in over 60 cities. (Read the Reviews)

Willow Weep for Me (Ronnell, arr. Rutkowski), 7:52, ten/pno

Comments: Written for the Gershwin Centennial Celebration (1998), a concert I put together featuring my friends tenor Steven Stolen, pianist Richard Glazier and clarinetist Frank Glover, and televised several times by PBS affiliates WTBU and WFYI, Indianapolis. Ann Ronnell, the composer of "Willow", was apparently a good friend of Gershwin's-perhaps more than a friend.... Thus, I wove several quotations of Gershwin tunes into the fabric of this arrangement. Perhaps you can find "Summertime", "Rhapsody in Blue", and "An American in Paris" and a few more that I've forgotten about!

It's a New World (Arlen/Gershwin, arr. Rutkowski), 6:00, ten/pno

I Have Dreamed (Rodgers/Hammerstein, arr. Rutkowski) 3:30

tenor and orchestra (fl/2 alto sax dbl fl/2 ten sax/bari sax/ 3-4-4/hp/perc/gtr/pno/bs/dms/strings

Comments: Written for a concert in the Chicago area by singer Dave Seabaugh, orchestra conducted by Mike Cunningham. This arrangement was inspired by Nelson Riddle's lush treatment of this tune for Frank Sinatra.

Seesaw (Don Covay)

male, female voice/tpt/alto sx/ten sx/trbn/pno/bs/dms

Comments: A classic R and B tune that was recorded by Aretha Franklin early in her career. Written for the excellent Cool City Swing Band of Indianapolis.

Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You (Razaf/Redman)

male, female voice/tpt/alto sx/ten sx/trbn/pno/bs/dms, optional bari sax, guitar

Comments: Another standard written for the Cool City Swing Band.

At Last (Gordon/Warren)

female voice/tpt/ten sx/trbn/pno/bs/dms

Take the A Train (Strayhorn)

voice/tpt/alto sx/ten sx/trbn/pno/bs/dms, optional bari sax, guitar

Comments: A contemporary twist on Duke's theme song written for the Indy Jazz Festival performance of the Cool City Swing Band of Indianapolis. Harmonically inspired by both Wayne Shorter and Billy Strayhorn's own expansive pallet.