(Posted November 7, 2008)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Huntingdon native and acclaimed jazz guitarist Jeff Ciampa will perform at Juniata College with nationally known musicians Mark Egan and Danny Gottlieb at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 22 in Rosenberger Auditorium in the Halbritter Center for the Performing Arts on the Juniata campus.

For tickets and information about the Juniata College Presents series, please call (814) 641-JTIX (5849). General admission tickets for single performances are $20, except where otherwise noted. Single-show tickets for seniors over age 65 and children age 18 and under are $12. Juniata College students are admitted free with a student ID.

"Always the true professional, Mr. Ciampa performs with exuberance and aplomb."

Guitar Magazine

At 12:30 p.m., Nov. 22, drummer Danny Gottlieb will lead a drum clinic in Rosenberger Auditorium. The clinic is free and open to the public. The concert is sponsored by Mimi's Restaurant.

Ciampa, originally from Huntingdon, Pa., returns home to Juniata College where he studied as an undergraduate before transferring to the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Mass. He mastered jazz guitar at Berklee and also studied with jazz guitarist Pat Metheny during his time at the school.

Ciampa's studies with Metheny resulted in long-standing musical collaborations with two sidemen who played and recorded extensively with Metheny -- bassist Mark Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb, both of whom will accompany Ciampa to Juniata, along with saxophonist Billy Drewes.

A critic with Guitar Magazine wrote, "Always the true professional, Mr. Ciampa performs with exuberance and aplomb."

Ciampa, Egan and Gottlieb formed a jazz trio and collaborated on two solo albums under Ciampa's name, "Signs of Life" and "House of Mirrors." They also toured extensively, playing such venues as the JVC Jazz Festival in New York, the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island and the St. Lucia Jazz Festival.

In addition to his solo career, Ciampa has played as a session musician for such jazz players as Terry Silverlight, Al MacDowell, saxophonist Bill Evans and Gary Haase. He also has been featured on the soundtracks for such films as "Daytrippers" and "Criminal Justice."

Danny Gottlieb is best known as the drummer for the Pat Metheny Group, but he has played with such stellar musicians as Sting, Branford Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, David Byrne and Wayne Shorter. He has released five albums under his own name and played on more than 300 albums.

Mark Egan also was a member of the Pat Metheny Group. He has gone on to record several solo albums, including "Mosaic," "Beyond Words" and "Touch of Light." He and Gottlieb also perform in the group Elements. In addition to touring with Ciampa, Egan has toured with Joan Osborne, Bill Evans, Michael Franks and Marianne Faithful.

Drewes has performed with such luminaries as Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, John Scofield and Lyle Mays.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.