The Professors Take The Stage At Studley Theatre

The SUNY New Paltz Department of Music spring 2025 concert series, “Music Without Borders,” spotlighted four current faculty members of the university, dedicating a show to their instrumental and compositional expertise. 

Held at Studley Theatre on March 4, pianist Vinnie Martucci, guitarist Mark Dziuba, drummer Jeff “Siege” Siegel and bassist Rich Syracuse took to the stage under their group moniker, “The Professors.” 

The program featured compositions from all four musicians, each prefacing their piece with an introduction or anecdote to root the music in their intended meaning. Martucci, a retired professor teaching select jazz piano at the university, opened the show with a piece he wrote upon the group’s return from Colombia, “Danza Feliz.” His second piece, “Here, But Not Here,” was dedicated to his wife and all the nurses who faced challenges and extreme loss during the pandemic. 

“Jeannieology,” the next piece, was written by Dziuba and inspired by his admiration for his wife’s morning routine. Though he is an active member of the group, Dziuba also directs the jazz studies program at New Paltz in addition to teaching a variety of jazz classes in improvisation, theory and composition. 

His next piece, “Telly Savalas,” delved into childhood memories of watching the show “Kojak” with his mother. “My mom and I used to watch it religiously … [When] I started composing that intro idea, I said, ‘God, this sounds like it could be the theme of an old 70s cop show.’” 

Shortly after the midpoint of the show, the bassist, Syracuse, roused the group into “Break Tune,” written specifically for his band members. Though this piece is usually played before an intermission, he acknowledged the show’s lack of one. As an adjunct lecturer, Syracuse teaches jazz history and coaches two of the jazz ensembles on campus.

The group also played “Ayre Pour Vivi,” a French-inspired piece written by Siegel for his second cousin, a Parisian woman who had passed away several years ago. “I just wrote a string arrangement for it that’s going to be played by the Woodstock Symphony,” said Siegel. His first string arrangement is well suited to the classical nature of symphony, as he didn’t consider the piece to be purely jazz. “But these guys play so beautifully on it,” he said, referring to his bandmates. Siegel is another performer who splits his time by playing in various gigs and committing to the faculty of three other schools, while teaching jazz percussion at New Paltz.

“III of IV,” written by Syracuse, was the last piece on the program. After the show concluded, the group announced their upcoming release, “Intersections,” available on vinyl and as a CD. “When we got the record deal, I did all the mastering, and I did all the graphic design on the album cover,” said Martucci, who produces and mixes the group’s music in his studio. The recording process, which began in December 2020, has amounted to a wealth of material which the band has extracted from to create performances such as the one featured in the “Music Without Borders” concert series. 

Audience members were able to sign up for pre-orders of the new record at a table near the stage, where each professor was lauded by a mixed collection of their students and close friends. While students are known to grace the stages of campus, their professors are equally attributed to the success and frequency of their performances. The volume of student support in the audience reflected the ability of each professor to inspire what they deemed the “upcoming legions of aspiring jazz musicians.” 

The Professors’ next gig is on March 23 at The Falcon, a unique jazz club and live music venue in Marlboro, New York. This performance is only a peek at what the band has in store for the next year, hinting at a completed record that may come soon after “Intersections” drops. “We got a lot in the can, as they say,” said Dziuba. Eager listeners can pre-order at their website, professorsjazz.com.