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Jazz pianist Skip Wilkins, assistant professor of music, is performing at three area venues this week.
He will be part of the Gary Rissmiller Trio 9 p.m.-12:30 tonight at Indulge, 570 Union Blvd, Allentown. Paul Rostock joins him on bass and Rissmiller on drums at Indulge for concerts every other Tuesday. The cover charge is $3. Musicians are welcome to sit in after the first set.
On Thursday from 7-11 p.m., Wilkins will play solo at the Blue Orchid Inn, 1565 State St., Mertztown, Pa.
The Deer Head Inn, 5 Main St. (Route 611), Delaware Water Gap, will host the Skip Wilkins Quartet 8 p.m.-midnight Saturday. The group is comprised of Wilkins, John Swana on trumpet, Roy Cumming on bass, and Glenn Davis on drums. The cover charge is $7.
For more than 25 years, Wilkins has enjoyed performing with many accomplished musicians, including saxophonists David Liebman, Stanley Turrentine, Bobby Watson, and Plas Johnson; vocalists Jill Allen and Mark Murphy; trumpeters Clark Terry and Conte Candoli; trombonist Al Grey; bassist Milt Hinton; and drummers Bob Moses, Joe Hunt, and Peter Erskine.
In 2001, Wilkins and Allen released Petty Theft on Cathexis Records. Featuring the Wilkins & Allen Quartet and Grammy-nominated saxophonist David Liebman, the CD received significant airplay and positive reviews nationwide, including a three-star review from Karl Stark in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Previously, Wilkins & Allen released Two Much Fun! on Eaglear Records. Some of their highlight performances together include New York’s Tavern on the Green and The Wichita Jazz Festival, and tours around the United States.
Wilkins teaches courses in music theory and jazz at Lafayette. Previously, he taught at University of Northern Colorado, spending many of his eight years there in the nationally acclaimed Jazz Studies program. He earned a bachelor’s degree from College of the Holy Cross and a master’s degree from University of Northern Colorado. He also studied jazz composition and arrangement with Herb Pomeroy at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and is a former faculty member at Berklee.
Wilkins is a 2001 fellowship recipient from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, receiving an award for excellence in jazz composition. Many of the compositions for which he was recognized are included on Petty Theft.