“Modern Warrior LIVE: Unplugged” The story and sound of a combat veteran's journey, Modern Warrior is a live theatrical music experience co-created by United States Military Veteran Jaymes Poling and musician Dominick Farinacci. Featuring Dominick Farinacci, Jaymes Poling, Aman Almeida, Jeremiah Napier, Chris George, Jonathan Winfree, Anthony Taddeo & Akua Allrich.

“Modern Warrior LIVE: Unplugged” is a dynamic production that explores the psychological weights of war, the challenges of reintegration as a civilian, and the potential for positive personal & communal growth.
 
Poling, a former infantry Staff Sergeant in the 82nd Airborne Division who spent three years in Afghanistan, narrates the autobiographical production detailing his time in the military and his subsequent transition to civilian life back home. It’s complemented by dynamic musical performances by Dominick Farinacci (Mack Avenue recording artist and former Global Ambassador, Jazz at Lincoln Center) leading an esteemed band and guest vocalists.
 

 
The Modern Warrior initiative builds bridges between veteran and civilian communities through live performances, collaborative workshops, and informative panel discussions. By focusing on stories of post-traumatic growth, the production aims to help destigmatize our veterans’ experiences through a deeper understanding from the community and by providing inspirational hope for all.
 

“Modern Warrior offers an innovative and compelling approach of communicating that Post Traumatic Stress can result in Post Traumatic Growth, while reminding us that freedom isn’t free…”
– Mark Otto
Executive Director, United War Veterans Council

 
Modern Warrior is endorsed and supported by the United War Veterans Council (Producer of the New York City Veterans Day Parade). The Catskill Jazz Factory proudly serves as creative co-founder and consultant.
 
Join us as we present this compelling & most relevant production right here at BLU Jazz+ – get your tickets today!
 

About the Creators

Jaymes Poling grew up in Warren, Ohio and enlisted in the US Army at the age of 17. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina as an infantryman. During his eight years with the division, he spent 36 months fighting in Afghanistan across three separate tours.
 
Jaymes is currently in his last year of a finance degree at John Carroll University, and spends time working to help veterans find their own peace after war.
 

Trumpeter Dominick Farinacci has been recently credited the title Global Ambassador to Jazz at Lincoln Center by Wynton Marsalis, working to further integrate jazz into communities around the world. He graduated from The Juilliard School in 2005 launching his career in Japan with a prolific run of eight albums, later releasing two more globally. He has performed in more than 120 cities in 14 countries around the world, was a featured guest on ABC’s Good Morning America, and is a TED Speaker. Music icon Quincy Jones says of Dominick’s accomplishments in performance, recording, education & advocacy, “This kid is 360 degrees!”
 
His most recent recording “Short Stories” is produced by Tommy LiPuma. This is Tommy & Dominick’s first collaboration, and was recorded in their hometown of Cleveland at the Gill and Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts.
 
In addition to touring around the world with his band, Dominick has been successful in his personal endeavors on bringing music into the community through Arts and Wellness & Education. He was invited by TED to be a TED Speaker at the 2014 TED MED conference at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He is a featured performer for the Cleveland Clinic in both Ohio and Abu Dhabi, and organized the very first jazz performance for patients in Abu Dhabi in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic and the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation. For Dominick, music and health go hand in hand, most recently organizing panel discussions around patient-doctor communication through music with Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar.
 
Dominick has been a leading advocate in music education development, most recently featured at the Community College Association of America in D.C. He served as Music Consultant to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, and initially launched a music education program at the Gill and Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts in Cleveland, Ohio, which brought together 30+ international artists involving over 3,000 students. This successful initiative has since expanded to the GCC, in schools such as Weill Cornell Medical College, Qatar Music Academy, the American School of Doha among others.
 

$20 (advance), $25 (door)