Rev. Bill Carter and Presbybop

Rev. Bill Carter and the Presbybop Quartet are the best-known musicians playing “sacred jazz” in the United States. Formed in 1993 by pianist Bill Carter, a Presbyterian minister, this consort of New York-based professionals have toured the country extensively in presenting concerts and jazz worship services. Bill is a busy freelance pianist, recor   ding artist, and clinician in northeastern Pennsylvania, where he makes his home. Bill has taught jazz piano and jazz history at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania for the past eleven years. He has been composing and arranging music for nearly thirty years, first studying with Al Hamme of Binghamton University. A graduate of Binghamton University and Princeton Theological Seminary, Bill has maintained a dual career as a jazz pianist and a Presbyterian minister. The author of six books and numerous published articles, Rev. Carter is a highly regarded speaker, teacher, and workshop leader. AL HAMME directed the Jazz Music program at Binghamton University (SUNY) for over 30 years before retiring in 1997. A virtuoso performer on saxophones, clarinet, and flute, Al is well known as a bandleader, music educator, and concert artist. He has recorded with Phil Woods, Tom Harrell, Slam Stewart, Bucky Pizzarelli, and has toured with the big bands of Les Elgart, Jimmy Dorsey, and Sammy Kaye. Al has performed with Liza Minelli, Natalie Cole, Clark Terry, Marian McPartland, and Bill Mays. He can be heard on various recordings on National Public Radio with Slam Stewart and Frank Wess. In the 1980′s, Al was closely associated with bebop legend Slam Stewart. TONY MARINO plays his bass around the world. He began his professional career as a house bassist in many of the clubs and resorts in the Poconos and Catskill Mountains, providing back up to a myriad of well-known entertainers. Marino has accompanied such greats as the late Al Cohn & Zoot Sims, Mose Allison, Phil Woods, Urbie Green and John Coates Jr. Tony performs, records and tours internationally with the Dave Liebman Group. He plays and records with Broadway’s Betty Buckley and with jazz pianist Kenny Werner, and is widely hailed as one of the rising stars of the jazz world. TOM WHALEY has been the drummer extraordinaire for such greats as Red Rodney, Kenny Burrell, Ira Sullivan, Mose Allison (for 20 years) and Bennie Wallace. He has travelled doing jazz festivals with Lew Del Gatto, Mose Allison and Phil Woods. Along with Bill Carter on piano, Tony Marino on bass and saxophonist Al Hamme, they formed the Presbybob Quartet. He recorded with Kenny Burrell, Bennie Wallace, Bob Malach, Arthur Blythe, Mose Allison and Dennis Irwin & others. Tom is one of the music world’s best-kept secrets!