Jim Connerly Quartet to perform Thursday at DPU's Fluttering Duck

The Jim Connerley Quartet will be at the Inn at DePauw's Fluttering Duck on Thursday, Nov. 1 for this week's session of Jazz at The Duck.

The quartet consists of Jim Connerley on piano, Sandy Williams on guitar, Frank Smith on bass and Colin Oakly on drums. The performance will start at 8:30 p.m. and end at 10:30. The event is free and open to the public.

Connerley has been an active member of the Cincinnati jazz community since 1990. He graduated magna cum laude with a master's degree from the Indiana University School of Music. He has performed with such jazz artists as Barry Ries, Don Braden, Antonio Hart, David "Fathead" Newman, Rich Perry and Delfeayo Marsalis.

Since moving to the Cincinnati area he has been a member of some of its finest jazz groups, including the Pat Harbison Quintet, the Cohesion Jazz Ensemble, the salsa band Tropicoso and the Brent Gallaher Quartet.

Along with his own jazz trio, Connerley also leads the United Methodist Jazz Trio, an exciting group that performs jazz treatments of gospel songs, hymns and spirituals. Their album, "Spirit Songs," re-released in 2006 received critical acclaim from both jazz and liturgical circles.

Connerley also leads the Vintage Keys project, a group dedicated to music showcasing the Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos. The group performs classical arrangements by artists such as Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Cannonball Adderley and Dave Douglas as well as originals and original arrangements by members of the band.

He has appeared on nearly 20 CDs including recent releases "A Road Less Traveled" by The Pat Harbison Quintet, "Frequency" by vibraphonist Rusy Burge and his own 2010 release of "Private Property: A Collection of Jazz Duos", featuring six of Cincinnati's finest jazz artists including guitaris Dan Faehnle, vibraphonist Rusty Burge and vocalist Ann Chamberlain.

A jazz educator on the university level since 1990, Connerley has taught at Miami of Ohio University and the DePauw University School of Music.

He is currently a member of the jazz faculty at the University of Louisville School of Music.