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Shapiro/Kerr Duo

The Shapiro/Kerr Duo is a unique piano and guitar duo that combines western classical chamber works in programs alongside contemporary improvised and traditional American music. Featuring Jordan Shapiro on piano and James Kerr on guitar, the Shapiro/Kerr Duo bridges the cultural identities of Western Europe and America in terms of both instrumentation and repertoire. Jordan and James first played together as undergraduate jazz majors at the University of Michigan in the late 1990's, and have worked together in a variety of projects off and on over the course of twenty years. Their mutual backgrounds in bluegrass, jazz, as well as western classical music have led them to explore combining a broad range of musical genres in a chamber music setting. Rather than performing concert chamber works on the Spanish nylon-string guitar, the Shapiro/Kerr Duo has chosen to utilize and embrace the sound of the American steel-string guitar (played with finger picks on the right hand) alongside the piano.

Jordan Shapiro (piano) is a veteran band leader and multi-instrumentalist who now lives in Beacon, New York. From 1999-2002, he was the keyboard player/musical director for the touring Frank Zappa Tribute Band 'Project/Object', featuring many former members of Zappa's band. Jordan formed the progressive bluegrass band 'Astrograss' in Brooklyn, New York in 2003. He has composed songs for the band's three full length CD's, and led the band on national appearances at festivals such as South by Southwest, Grey Fox Bluegrass and New York City venues such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Symphony Space. In addition to holding a doctorate in classical guitar performance from Stony Brook University (SUNY), James Kerr has performed extensively both in bluegrass bands and as a solo artist throughout the New York area. Both Jordan and James have taught the bluegrass ensemble at Columbia University and James is currently on the music faculty at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) and Naugatuck Community College.