The Flagpole Radio Café will begin its seventh season with a performance on Saturday, February 27, in the theater at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street. Phil Bowler & Friends will headline the 7 pm performance.

Producer Martin Blanco remarked, "After being away for a year, we are so excited about returning to the stage and happy that Phil Bowler and Friends will be our guest artists.

"In presenting Phil Bowler, we're not only bringing forth one of jazz's great practitioners, but also one of its great ambassadors," Mr Blanco continued. "I remember Mr Bowler's 'Jazz Adventures' was more than a radio show, it was a cultural experience. He invigorated jazz by sharing his encyclopedic musical knowledge, attracting the finest artists, and playing great classic and contemporary recordings. His enthusiasm is infectious, and his ensemble is exhilarating."

An accomplished musician, Mr Bowler lives in Newtown. A graduate of the prestigious Hartt School music conservancy, he is widely respected for his artistry as well as his award-winning radio program "Jazz Adventures," which he hosted for 28 years on WPKN radio.

Mr Bowler has performed on many albums including Wynton Marsalis' Grammy Award-winning Think of One, Branford Marsalis' Scenes in the City, and Terence Blanchard's Discernment. Mr Bowler has been a member of some of the most renowned jazz ensembles of our time including groups led by Jackie McClean, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Wynton Marsalis, John Faddis, Terence Blanchard & Donald Harrison, Ralph Peterson, Benny Golson, Max Roach, Horace Silver and Jackie McClean. Additionally, he toured with the Count Basie Orchestra in 2005 and 2007.

Mr Bowler will be joined for his Flagpole Radio Café performance by Tony Lombardozzi, Ron Vincent and Melissa Newman.

Guitarist Tony Lombardozzi has been a fixture on the jazz scene since the 1970s. Through the decades he has performed extensively with some of the legendary jazz greats including Clark Terry, Kenny Baron, Bill Baron, Art Davis, Don Friedman, Milt Hinton and Anthony Braxton. He also has performed with Les Paul, Bucky Pizzarelli, Sal Salvador and Joe Puma, and has been in orchestras that have accompanied Sammy Davis Jr, Liza Minnelli, Mel Torme, Gladys Knight, Lou Rawls and Ray Charles.

Mr Lombardozzi has been on the Wesleyan University Music faculty since 1986, where he is the director of the jazz ensemble and the jazz guitar instructor. He is a faculty member at Neighborhood Music School in New Haven and has participated in and conducted jazz clinics and master classes at Yale University, Syracuse University, Berklee College of Music, New York University and The International Association of Jazz Educators.

Drummer Ron Vincent attended Berklee College of Music and has been a veteran of the New York City jazz scene since 1982. He was a member of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet and the Re-Birth of the Cool Tentet from 1989 until Mr Mulligan's passing in 1996.

Mr Vincent has recorded over 70 CDs with artists such as Gerry Mulligan, Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, Randy Brecker, Bob Brookmeyer, and Bill Charlap, among others. His own trio and quartet are active in the New York City area; his quartet has toured the US and Europe.

Mr Vincent has presented workshops at colleges and universities throughout the US. In 1996 he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant for jazz performance.

Melissa Newman has enjoyed a lucrative career singing jingles with the help of her good friend Robin Batteau. Today she continues to perform at the Blue Lemon in Westport with Bowler and Lombardozzi after enjoying a long run at the now defunct Dressing Room restaurant at Westport Country Playhouse.

Ms Newman also makes and sells ceramic and porcelain sculpture. Two of her pieces were featured in the 2012 Hamptons Show House.

The Flagpole Radio Café is an evening of engaging music and compelling comedy performed by an ensemble of local artists. The ensemble comprises musicians Jim Allyn, Rick Brodsky, Howie Bujese, Greg Burrows, Dick Neil and Francine Wheeler, and actors Martin Blanco, Barbara Gaines, Kate Katcher, and David Wheeler.

Each show also features a guest artist which has included musical luminaries such as Tom Chapin, Livingston Taylor, Peter Yarrow, Ramblin' Mary Fahl, Jack Elliot, Sloan Wainwright, and Christine Lavin.

Additional performances this season are being planned for March 26 and April 30.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for student, and can be purchased at flagpoleproductions.org. Additional information is also available by calling 203-364-0898 or sending email to info@flagpoleproductions.org.

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