The Gaslight Gershwin Band
The Band from left: Dave Posmontier, Randy Shupp, Dave Brodie and Ken Ulansey |
Please take a moment to see The Gaslight Gershwin Band in action. These clips come from our first performance ever at Luther Crest Retirement Community on July 8, 2022.
Dave Posmontier Dave Posmontier has been playing keyboard since the age of
seven and has played professionally for the past 50 years. Currently,
Dave is playing, composing, arranging, teaching, and participating in
educational jazz concerts, workshops, and clinics in schools
throughout the area. Dave can be heard
on several CDs of Philadelphia area jazz artists and in 2010, released a
CD, Posterity featuring his original compositions and arrangements. He has recently released a live acoustic
trio CD, Deep Pockets. In celebration of its 100th birthday in 2007, the
renowned Settlement Music School honored 100 alumni who have made a difference
in the world of music. Dave and his
brother were chosen to receive this honor. Dave is a very sought-after pianist who adds his jazz
stylings to many bands in the Greater Delaware Valley. He also has his own New Orleans Jazz Band
called Philly Stomp! Ken Ulansey on clarinet |
Ken Ulansey, Penn Council for the Arts winner, plays alto and soprano sax and pennywhistle. He is a musical chameleon, having played contemporary classical music with Relache, jazz with his own award-winning band, Latin with Synthesis and Minas, and folk music with most of the area’s -- and even the nation’s -- leading songwriters. Besides leading his own wedding band (Philadelphia Magazine's Best of Philly!) that specializes in Swing, Motown, Klezmer, Latin, Pop, Zydeco and Oldies, Ken has toured extensively in Europe, Asia and the States, played on nearly 200 recordings, and worked in collaboration with dancers, filmmakers, poets and storytellers.
Dave Brodie |
David Brodie started playing the electric bass at the
age of thirteen and first took on the upright bass at nineteen while enrolled
at Berklee College of Music. After a
year in Spain, he returned to his native Philadelphia where he quickly joined
up with guitarist Jimmy Bruno, with whom he played for the next several years. From that point, his reputation well
established, Brodie has enjoyed a busy playing and recording career and has
performed with some of the world's greatest jazz musicians including Kurt
Rosenwinkel, Chris Potter, Seamus Blake, Steve Wilson, and Randy Brecker while
performing regularly with some of Philadelphia's finest such as Larry McKenna,
John Swana, and Joanna Pascale.
Randy Shupp singing Swanee |
After college, I did no organized singing until I joined the
New Horizons Senior Glee Club when I was 58.
With the kind encouragement of Director Selma Savitz I became a key
soloist. The Glee Club women especially
loved my stylings on Broadway songs, and they would tell me, “Randy, you have
to audition for a musical!” One night I
Googled musical auditions, and I found one at Old Academy Players. I had never heard of the theater, even though
it was where Grace Kelly had first stepped on a stage.
At Old Academy I met Don Kawash (three-time
winner of the All-American Ragtime Piano Competition) who eventually invited me
to join him in a venture he called Gaslight Productions. Until his death in 2014, we entertained at
retirement communities, churches, synagogues and even a university. When Don died I began to develop his vision of
making Gaslight Productions an organization that brought other musical
performers to the same venues Don and I had entertained.
I had a couple more accompanists since 2014, but none with
the incredible style, reputation, and experience as jazz pianist Dave
Posmontier.
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