Date and Time
Sunday, November 17th, 2024
3:00 pm (Doors open at 2:30 pm)
Join us for an afternoon with Dori Rubbicco & Friends for their second time at The Shepherd Center for the Performing Arts –
with special guest Molly O’Leary!
This singer-songwriter and recording artist is comfortable crossing musical genres in her writing and performances, bringing jazz, blues, folk, and R&B influences to her original compositions and artfully re-imagined covers. Her training as a soulful interpreter of song seeps into her vocal stylings, no matter what genre she might be dipping into when she performs.
About the Artists
DORI RUBBICCO
A native of the Southcoast, Dori was brought up surrounded by a musical family and gravitated to any and all occasions where she could sing; church choir, school chorus, musical theatre productions, family parties and eventually to paying gigs. After graduating from Westfield State College in ‘83 with a BA in Performance/Jazz Vocal Technique, she performed in numerous bands in Los Angeles and Miami through the ’90s, while raising her two children Ian and Jenna. Since coming home to the South Coast in 2000, she’s been a featured performer at Zeiterion special events, the New Bedford Folk Festival, Madeira Feast, and the Annual NB Jazz Ensemble concert. As a member of several bands locally, you’ll likely have seen her performing in area concert venues, clubs and at private engagements. She has recorded and released seven CD’s, independently and on the Whaling City Sound label. Her most recent CD, Bound To Your Heart, was recorded live on The Zeiterion stage in 2018 and is available for purchase this evening.
IAN RUBBICCO LEGGE
Ian, also known as The Punk Cellist, is an alumnus of Berklee College of Music. He blends punk rock and classical music on his cello, creating a unique sound that has garnered him a growing community of fans. After playing drums in a skate punk band for over a decade, Legge began arranging his favorite songs as cello quartet pieces. Soon after, he was sharing the stage with bands such as A Wilhelm Scream, Red City Radio, and H2O. In addition, he has recorded cello tracks for Sum 41, Fat Mike’s Strung Out via Bottles To The Ground, and Jason Devore of Authority Zero. He performs his arrangements at shows and festivals with a backing band and is also a successful wedding cellist. Ian continues to push the boundaries of what the cello can do while sharing his love of punk music with audiences far and wide.
DONN LEGGE
Donn is a busy performer on the South Coast of Massachusetts. He can be seen playing with Blues Train, South Coast Jazz Orchestra, Patrice Tiedmann’s Seaglass Theater, Dori Rubbicco, NB Rude Boys, and Kareem Sanjaghi on Cape Cod. While living in Miami Florida for a number of years Donn played with the “Miami Heat Band” in the late ‘80’s and also with Gogi Grant, Rich Little and Trini Lopez. Donn received his bachelor’s degree in music from Westfield State University ‘82 and a Masters in Jazz studies ‘85 from the University of Miami Fl. Donn accepted his first teaching job in Miami in ‘85 and taught full time music in public high schools until ‘00 when he and his family returned to Massachusetts. Donn continued teaching music in the public schools until his retirement last year.
DAN SCHWARTZ
Dan “Dr. D” Schwartz studied African and Afro-Cuban drumming with master drummers Baba Olatunji, Ritchie “Pablo” Landrum (at Berklee), and Giovanni Hidalgo. Since 1971, Dr. D has played and/or recorded with Bobby Carreiro’s Space Clinic, Bobby Greene and Coleus (20 years), Tavares, Stan Strickland, Rick Britto, Len Perry, Chris Richards, Dori Rubbicco, John Harrison, Armsted Christian’s Peaceful Flight, the Walker Band, Street Dancers’ Bash (with Tanya Hart), the Southcoast Jazz Orchestra, and the Southcoast Brass Band and others. Dan also provided the sound for Dr John Myerson’s Shaman workshops. He has also led his own drumming workshops entitled Demystifying the Drum, and Beyond Meditation. Having been part of the area’s music community for over 50 years, he said “I am amazed at the number of talented artists and musicians in the area, and I am honored to be part of it”. Dan is also a retired Acupuncturist and Herbalist, having practiced for almost 40 years.
MOLLY O’LEARY
Molly O’Leary (they/them) is an indie folk/rock singer-songwriter from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Whether performing with the full band, as a duo with lead guitarist John Fernandes, or solo, Molly hits the heart strings of audiences with their use of songwriting as a form of activism to raise awareness about mental health and social justice. Molly has received the following awards/nominations: 2021 International Songwriting Competition Semi-Finalist, 2022 Last Band Standing Finalist, 2022 New England Music Awards Nominee for New Act, 2023 Motif Music Awards Nominee for Favorite Singer-Songwriter, and 2023 New England Music Awards Nominee for Songwriter of the Year. Molly has opened up and shared the stage with renowned artists like Ryan Cassata, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, Will Hoge, Geoff Rickly (from Thursday), DeVotchKa, Arum Rae, and more. They also integrate music into their job as a private practice therapist and yoga teacher.
