In early 2022, Pleninger pruchased The Tavern, a defunct roadhouse in upstate New York, which he is rebuilding into an arts research center. The Tavern presents a variety of concerts, music theory/improvisation workshops, plus astrology forecasts, sound baths, and artist residents.
Pleninger also works as a dedicated side-person with multiple music projects. He performed with Henry Threadgill as part of the multimedia work “One” and “The Other One.” He plays in John Benitez’ Latin-Bop, a modern latin-jazz group, performing weekly at Terraza 7 in Queens and monthly at Fat Cat in Manhattan. He plays with Roy Ben Yosef’s Moringa trio, an Israel-based group focused on improvisation, which released its debut record Moringa and the Watershed in February 2021. Pleninger plays in drummer/composer Colin Hinton’s Glassbath, an electric band straddling post rock and free jazz, which released its self-titled inaugural album February 2018. Pleninger performs with drummer/composer Michel Maurer’s Meridian, a forward-thinking jazz-rooted quartet, which released its debut record The Shape of Noon in 2019. In summer 2017, Pleninger toured Canada for 5 weeks with guitarist Quinn Bachand’s Brishen, an acoustic band honoring the tradition of gypsy jazz and the roots of rock n roll. Highlight performances include the Toronto Jazz Festival, Montreal International Jazz Festival, and CBC Canada.
Bassist Ratzo B. Harris has recorded with Mose Allison, Denny Zeitlin, Kenny Werner, Tom Rainey, Joe Lovano, Mark Feldman, Eric Friedlander, Connie Crothers, Gary Bartz, Randy Brecker, Vincent Herring, David Darling, Paul McCandless, Jane Ira Bloom, John Scofield, and Paul Motian, and performed frequently with Joe Henderson, Cal Tjader, John Handy, Charles Lloyd, Jon Hendricks, Ted Curson, Tim Berne, Betty Carter, Helen Merrill, Les Paul, Joanne Brackeen, and Jim Pepper.He has also been active as an educator, and has taught at Purdue University, Indiana University, University of Massachusetts, Berklee College, New England Conservatory, Rotterdam Conservatory, University of Ludwigsburg, the Music High Schools of Wurztburg and Cologne, the New School for Social Research, the Manhattan School of Music and New York University.
He has appeared here on three occasions with the Roberta Piket Trio with Billy Mintz, and twice with his own trios.
Drummer/Composer Jeff “Siege” Siegel is a veteran of the New York Jazz scene and has worked with a virtual “who’s who” of artists. A member of the Sir Roland Hanna Trio from 1994-’99, Siegel’s diverse career has also led him to perform and/or record with legends such as Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Jack DeJohnette, Benny Golson, Sheila Jordan, Helen Merrill, Mose Allison, John Medeski, Arthur Rhames, Dave Douglas, Stefon Harris, Pat Metheny, Kurt Elling, Ravi Coltrane, Ryan Kisor, Lee Shaw, Levin Brothers, John Medeski, Dena DeRose, Lee Shaw and many others. He has worked in the avant garde world as well with Wadada Leo Smith, Baikida Carroll. He’s performed over 30 European tours including four as leader of the Jeff “Siege” Siegel Quartet and several others as co-leader. The Jeff “Siege” Siegel Sextet performed a 3 week tour of Africa in the summer of 2019. Other recent tours include The Levin Brothers Japan, Mexico, Canada and the US west coast and Midwest as well as South & Central America. His 2017 CD release “King of Xhosa” features South African trumpeter Feya Faku and is on the ARC label. His most recent release with his quartet is the 2018 release on ARC entitled “London Live” and “When You Were There” (2019) with Hetko, Syracuse & Siegel.
Siegel teaches Jazz drumming and jazz ensembles at The New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music, SUNY New Paltz as well as at Western Connecticut State University. He’s performed clinics throughout Europe, United States, China, South America and South Africa.
