Yoko Miwa Trio returns to The Orchards

CHAMBERSBURG  -- Jazz lovers will once again have the opportunity to experience the smooth sounds of the sensationally talented Yoko Miwa Trio, comprised of Scott Goulding on drums, Yoko Miwa on piano and Will Slater on acoustic bass, when they perform two shows Saturday, Dec. 19, at The Orchards Restaurant in Chambersburg.

Every year at this time, Chambersburg native Scott Goulding celebrates the holidays by spending some time in his hometown visiting his mother, Patricia. Last year, he decided to change things up a bit and arrange a concert at an area restaurant known for its fine dining.

The Orchards agreed to host the gig and when word spread, the group ended up playing to a packed house. The restaurant will, once again, host Goulding when he returns with his fellow musicians to pay homage to his father, Jack Goulding, who passed away 20 years ago from cancer.

The trio will play two sets, one starting at 6 p.m. and the other beginning at 9, with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society. It’s a cause that is important to Scott, who watched his father suffer from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Jack Goulding was a well-liked businessman who operated establishments in the area, including GJs Sports Lounge and Dave’s Tavern. Jack was instrumental in his son’s early development as a musician. “He would bring me to clubs when I was very young and take me right up to the edge of the stage so I could watch the drums. Our house, more specifically, our basement, became the rehearsal space for the various bands I played in while growing up in Pennsylvania,” said Goulding.

Today the Yoko Miwa trio plays weekly at Thelonious Monkfish in Cambridge, Massachusetts and yearly at the number one jazz club in Boston known as Scullers. Fred Taylor, Director of Entertainment at Scullers, said of Miwa, “Yoko is a captivating pianist. She swings like Oscar Peterson, grooves like McCoy Tyner and is a visual delight.”

“This has been a good year for Yoko Miwa,” said Goulding, who is married to the talented artist who hails from Kobe, Japan. She was recently chosen from among 181 international candidates for a full-time position in Berklee College of Music's piano department, where she had been teaching part-time since 2011. Berklee, listed as one of the top five music conservatories in the United States, was where Goulding studied, worked and eventually met Miwa. The two tied the knot in 2008 and have been “wowing” audiences for years now throughout the United States, Europe and Japan.

Scott Stenger, who is helping to organize the concert, was once a schoolmate of Goulding. “Scott’s an old friend. We graduated with people who went on to work with other famous people, like Chubby Checker and others. Scott was always way ahead of the curve in music and his wife is sponsored by Yamaha; she’s that good.”  Stenger promises a little something for everyone during the show, with pieces to appeal to all audiences. The group mixes old standards with songs from groups like the Velvet Underground, the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. “People from 20-75 are blown away by their music,” he said.

A special guest will also entertain the audience during the event. Integriti Reeves, known as one of the best young jazz singers from Washington, D.C., will join the music-filled evening.  Reeves has performed with greats like Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder.

Stenger said the sponsors have been generous, providing money, free tickets and door prizes. “The Orchards owner Mike Kalathas has been incredibly hospitable,” he said. “I think it’s a very important cause. Cancer has afflicted my family and so many others,” said Kalathas.

“I think everyone has had a family member, or friend, who has had cancer, or even has had to deal with it themselves," Goulding said. "My father was diagnosed with it, and despite a hopeful prognosis, he passed away six months later. In these past 20 years, there have been improvements and innovations in prevention, diagnosis and treatment, but far too many lives are still being taken by the disease.”

Goulding said the main purpose of the fundraiser on December 19 is to raise awareness and money for the American Cancer Society in the name of his father. “He was a big lover of music and I think he would be proud to know this event is being done in the form of a concert, especially in the celebration of the great American art form of jazz.”

If you go:

The Yoko Miwa Trio, with special guest Integriti Reeves

December 19

The Orchards Restaurant

1580 Orchard Drive, Chambersburg, PA 17201

Shows at 6 and 9 p.m.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.

For more information, visit www.orchardsrestaurant.com, or call 717-264-4711.