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Greg Meise Trio Plays Free Jazz at JCCC
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2/18/08
Story by Peggy Graham

Greg Meise Trio Plays Free Jazz at JCCC

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Greg Meise Trio – Greg Meise, keyboards/vocals, Greg Whitfield, bass, and Mike Thompson, drums – will play at noon Tuesday, March 18, in the Recital Hall of the Carlsen Center, Johnson County Community College, as part of the free Jazz Series featuring Kansas City artists.

Meise studied music at the University of Kansas and University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and also with great Kansas City players such as Pete Eye, John Elliot and Charles Kynard. He has performed with Kansas City legends Marilyn Mae, Kevin Mahogany, Pat Metheny, Calvin Coolidge and Richard Ross, just to name a few. He plays regularly around Kansas City at Ophelia's, The Blue Room, The Bristol, Peach Tree and Jardine’s Restaurant.

Whitfield started playing oboe at age 9, switched to bass at 14 and has been playing professionally since age 15. He studied music at KU and UMKC and privately three years with jazz master John Elliot, playing in Elliot’s trio. Whitfield has performed with many local jazz artists – Gary Sivils-Paul Smith, Vince Bilardo, Frank Smith-Richard Ross, Mike Metheny, Carmel Jones, Russ Long and Ida McBeth and national artists including Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Dianne Reeves and Paquito Rivera. He can be heard on CDs by Sons of Brasil, Angela Hagenbach, Bill Laursen and The Trilogy Big Band. Currently, he is playing with Sons of Brasil, Meise, Millie Edwards, Joe Cartwright, Scott McDonald, Rob Whitsitt, Kathleen Holeman and others.

Thompson was a percussion major at Kansas State University and UMKC’s Conservatory of Music, during which time he became established as a drummer in the Kansas City area.  After moving to Los Angeles, Thompson began a career including concerts and tours with Raquel Welch, Charo, Robert Goulet, Lou Rawls and Jim Nabors. His television credits include the Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin shows. Since his return to the Midwest he has performed with a virtual "who's who" of Kansas City jazz and recently released Menagery, a CD with two-time Grammy award-winning saxophonist Ernie Watts. In addition to his busy local performing schedule, Thompson teaches privately and continues to tour with Jim Nabors.

The spring Jazz Series continues at noon in the Recital Hall on the following dates.
• March 25    Michael Pagan, piano
• April 1    Kerry Strayer/Stan Kessler Group

Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. The 50-minute concerts are cosponsored by the JCCC humanities and music departments, Community Services and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts.

For more information, call 913-469-8500, ext. 3605.

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