FREE
Delaware Stairs

Laurie Bordonaro is a native of Akron, New York. She attended Berklee College of Music before relocating to Los Angeles where she spent 14 years singing, playing piano, and performing. Returning to the Buffalo area, Laurie has performed with her trio at The Buffalo News Summer Jazz Series, M&T Plaza Summer Series, Bobby McGee’s, The Lewiston Jazz Festival, and the Russell Park Summer Concert Series in Akron. She is currently playing and singing weekly at The Buffalo Club. Laurie has two albums available on iTunes. This will be her third appearance at the Albright-Knox.

Bobby Militello has played with many artists for the last five decades, along with leading his own groups. From 1982 to 2012 he played alto and flute with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, recording more than twenty albums; played with almost every major orchestra in the U.S., Canada, and Europe; and appeared in many international jazz festivals and on many television and radio shows.

From 1975 to 1979, Militello played with Maynard Ferguson on baritone sax and flute. During his tenure with Maynard, he appeared in the Downbeat Readers polls from 1976 to 1979 on baritone and flute, receiving critical acclaim. In 1982, Rick James, who lived in Buffalo, heard Militello’s fusion group, RPM. After coming to many gigs, James set Militello up with a contract with Motown Records to record his first solo funk-R&B album Bobby M Blow. Three more solo albums would follow.

From 1983 to 1991, Militello worked with The Don Menza Quintet, The Dee Barton Big Band, Chuck Flores Big Band and Quartet, Steve Hoffstetter Latin Big Band, the Jeff Stradling Fusion Quintet, The Kim Richmond Jazz Orchestra and Big Band, The Steve Segal Big Band, The Bill Holman Big Band, and The Bob Florence Big Band.

In 1991, Militello moved back to Buffalo and became a contract player for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, where he began playing for Doc Severinson. This led to him joining Doc in various orchestra concerts around the country and then to a chair in The Tonight Show Band playing tenor, clarinet, and flute.

In 2014, Militello formed the Bobby Militello Quartet with Jim Colemon on bass; Bobby Jones on keyboards; and John Bacon, Jr. on drums. This band performed at the 2014 Monty Alexander Jazz Festival, and continues to play many other concerts and local venues. Militello has been on more than 250 recordings and various television and film scores.

About the Series

The Buffalo News Summer Jazz Series concerts take place on the museum’s Delaware Stairs overlooking Hoyt Lake on five Sundays at 2 pm, from July 9 through August 6. Admission is free. In case of rain, performances will be held in the Albright-Knox’s Auditorium on a first-come, first-seated basis. Indoor concerts are free with museum admission (and free for Albright-Knox Members). View 2017 Series

Parking

Limited parking is available in the museum’s parking lot on Elmwood Avenue. Parking is $5 for visitors and $3 for Members. Please bring your parking ticket into the museum to have it validated at the Admissions Desk. There is also parking available on the roads surrounding the Albright-Knox. Please take care to adhere to all parking regulations. Violators will be ticketed and/or towed. View Parking Map (PDF)