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Nearly Blue 5:400:00/5:40
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0:00/6:57
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0:00/3:44
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0:00/6:48
Jazz Trio/Quartet Recordings on Southport Label
New Cool...Ron's first Southport Label, reissued by Sony, features Ryan Schultz, bass trumpet; Rusty Jones, drums; Marlene Roseberg, bass. "if he were based in NY, LA or Paris he'd be know the world'round"...Mark Keresman/New York critic.
Nearly Blue...features Eric Schneider tenor sax, Michael Arnopol bass, Rusty Jones, drums. "One of the handsomest albums to come out of Chicago"... Neil Tesser "Playboy Guide to Jazz."
Trio City...features Dave Pavkovic, drums; Tatsu Aoki, bass. WBEZ, NPR Top 20 list; and WGLT Top 25.
Trio City 2...features Dave Pavkovic, drums; Tatsu Aoki, bass. "A fine modern mainstream straight-ahead jazz pianist based in Chicago".... Critic Scott Janow."These folks really click together...a great trio!"...Richard Boucier, jazz review.com.
Get Ready!

1. Get Ready!
2. Moonlight Samba
3. First Steps
4. Keep Your Eye On The Chicken
5 Say What?
6. Dedicated to Tommy
7. Clueless
http://www.opusmusicpublishers.com
Seven Solo piano pieces performed by Ann Surace
Seven Short Performance Pieces
Audio/video track: Get Ready!
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Get Ready! 1:060:00/1:06
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Moonlight Samba 1:330:00/1:33
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First Steps 0:580:00/0:58
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0:00/1:06
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Say What? 1:140:00/1:14
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Dedicated To Tommy 1:480:00/1:48
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Clueless 1:370:00/1:37
SUNSHINE
Eight Cool Piano Pieces (new release)
1. Latin Love 5. Ballad
2. Loss 6. Little Star
3. Dispersion 7. Reflection
4. Sunshine Rag 8. Two Step
Sunshine Rag (extended version)
http://www.opusmusicpublishers.com
Eight solo piano pieces performed by Ann Surace
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Latin Love 2:380:00/2:38
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Loss 1:510:00/1:51
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Dispersion 1:250:00/1:25
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Sunshine Rag 1:040:00/1:04
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Ballad 1:360:00/1:36
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Little Star 2:560:00/2:56
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Reflection 2:250:00/2:25
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Two Step 1:460:00/1:46
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Sunshine Rag 2 2:400:00/2:40
Invasion of the Arthropods for two pianos

i The Invasion
ii. The Sleeping Princess
III. The Flight
duo pianists Ron and Ann Surace
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Flight 3:510:00/3:51
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0:00/3:00
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0:00/1:26
Pinocchio Song Book

1, "There Was Once Upon A Time 7. "In The Land Of The Owls"
2. "Good Day Master Antonio" 8. "Instead Of A Thousand"
3. "I Am Pinocchio" 9. "I Am Determined"
4. "No More Schools" 10. "In My Opinion"
5. "How Are The Days..." 11. "I Promise You"
6. "Donkey Fever" 12. "Woe To The Boys"
duo piano audio track "I Am Determined" and "Donkey Fever" ... pianists--Dr. Ron and Ann Surace
Pinocchio Suite for 2 pianos, narrator, and singer

For live MTNA convention one hour audio/video performance file open www.youtube.com Surace MBI Master Video
Duo pianists Ron and Ann Surace
1. "There Was Once Upon A Time" 8. "I Promise You"
2. Good Day Master Antonio" 9. Donkey Fever
3. "I Am Pinocchio" 10. "In My Opinion"
4. "I Am Determined" 11. "In The Land Of The Owls"
5. " No More Schools" 12. "Instead Of A Thousand"
6. "How Are The Days..." 13. The Blue Fairy
7. Pinocchios Dance 14. "Woe To The Boys"

IN FULL SWING JAZZ ORCHESTRA audio files
It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
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0:00/4:25
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High Maintenance 5:280:00/5:28
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Moon River 2:520:00/2:52
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Air Mail Special 2:360:00/2:36
THE IN FULL SWING JAZZ ORCHESTRA was selected to participate in the First Class of the CORREDON INTERNATIONAL BIG BAND COMPETITION in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands.
IN FULL SWING presents stylistically-accurate Great American Big Band masterpiece performances featuring famous band personnel with regional and national reputations of excellence. A portion of our program is dedicated to contemporary big band arrangements.
IFS was awarded the "BEST OF THE BEST V" LACONI (Library Administrators Council of Northern Illinois) award for outstanding programs for adults. The group has performed for colleges, libraries, community schools, musical concert series, fund raiser events for worthy causes, (Cancer research, Parkinson disease, Heart, Cystic Fibrosis, etc.) weddings and dances. The group has raised over $600,000.00 for charities.
WHERE WE HAVE PERFORMED: The IFS orchestra has presented concerts at the McCormick Place Auditorium for the "Rotary International" convention, Northfield Center Auditorium, Lake Forest Summer music concert series, Black Orchid in Chicago, Skokie Theater, Fitzgeralds, Chateau Ritz, Patty Turner Center, Avalon Ballroom, Oakton Community college, and Chicago Cultural Center.
PERFORMANCE THEMES: A sample of themes for programming have been (with or without lecture comments): 1) Three Decades of "American Big Band Jazz 1920-1949; 2) Great American Big Band Composers - Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington, et al.; 3) Famous American Big Band Leaders -- Woody Herman, Artie Shaw, et.al.; 4) Benny Goodman Big Band hits; 5) Glen Miller Big Band hits; 6) Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Tommy Dorsey etc.
THE NEW COOL (SOUTHPORT)
Ron's first Southport Label which features Ryan Shultz on bass trumpet, Rusty Jones on drums, and Marlene Rosenberg on bass. The recording is a collection of 12 original compositions by Surace which were intentionally arranged for a traditional jazz trio with a bass trumpet feature. The CD was recorded in 1995 and reissued by Sony in 2007. The group is at its very best on this recording. All instruments partake equally within the quartet's structure. Mark Keresman/New York critic... "if he were based in NY. LA or Paris he'd be known the world'round. ..his music is free of cliches, and Surace and co. don't sound like they're trying to turn back the clock to some idealized past jazz era. His compositions have infectious melodies and swing with genial assurance- they're never mere frameworks for "blowing." (See reviews in this site.) Buy CD at CD Baby.com
Download on iTunes
NEARLY BLUE (SOUTHPORT)
Ron's second Southport jazz quartet "Nearly Blue" was released in 1999. The CD is a collection of 14 original jazz works by Surace. It also features Eric Schneider on tenor sax, Michael Arnopol bass and Rusty Jones drums. Jazz critic Neil Tesser claimed in "The Playboy Guide to Jazz" ... "Ron Surace can take credit for one of the handsomest albums to come out of Chicago in 1998...(his) effortless mastery of classic jazz piano...(see review on this site). This Cd is available at CD baby.com. Buy CD at CD Baby.com
Download on iTunes
"TRIO CITY"/SOUTHPORT
Trio City was released in 2001 on the Southport label. Of the 14 selections, only one is an original. All others are jazz standards. The featured members of the group are Dave Pavkokic, drums and Tatsu Aoki, bass. The 2001 "Trio City" jazzs CD was placed on the National Public Radio Station WBEZ "Jazz Top 20 List - 2001" and in 2002 station WGLT placed it on the "Top 25 Jazz" for 2002. Buy CD at CD Baby.com
Download on iTunes
TRIO CITY TWO - THE RETURN OF THE TRIO
This 2004 Southport release has on it 13 standard jazz works and one original by Surace. The group consists of Dave Pavkovic on drums and Tatsu Aoki on bass. Reviewer Richard Boucier from jazzreview.com ..."These folks really click together and anticipate each other perfectly. That's part of what makes this unit a great trio." Critic Scott Yanow ...A fine modern mainstream straight-ahead jazz pianist based in Chicago....has his own fresh chord voicings ...fans of jazz piano trios will enjoy this date. Buy at CD Baby.com
Download on iTunes
“"Chicago pianist composer Surace...if he were based in NY, LA or Paris he"d be known the world "round. He plays and writes in the mainstream vein al la Bud Powell, Horace Parlan, Red Garland, Dave Brubeck - but free of "Classic" baggage. That's to say, his music is free of cliches, and Surace and Co. don't sound like they're trying to turn back the clock to some idealized past jazz era. His compositions have infectious melodies and swing with genial assurance. They're never mere frameworks for "blowing." His tunes average around the 5 minute mark'-there's no wasted or gratuitous playing. Everyone makes every note COUNT. Schneiders tenor is a joy; his sound comes out of the neglected tenor masters Hank Mobley and Don Byas. The band plays as a unit, a band-this isn't just a throw-together session. "Nearly Blue" is a mainstream jazz of the highest order, proof-positive that jazz doesn't necessarily have to be "out" to be creative. Five and 1/2 stars, and well-worth seeking out."” - Mark Keresman, Jazz review
— Mark Keresman, jazz review