11.1.12 Hamilton Price + Aaron McClendon + Phillip Dizack + featuring a multiple Grammy Award Winner..

Hamilton Price began playing Tuba at age 14 in his hometown of Jonesboro, Arkansas. At 17, he switched his focus to the upright bass. He received his Bachelors degree in Classical Double Bass Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. Hamilton studied improvised music with bassist John Fremgen and pianist Jeff Hellmer, and studied Classical Double Bass with David Neubert and Jessica Valls. He played in Gerry Gibbs’ Thrasher Band for five years, which led him to Los Angeles where he lives today.

Hamilton has performed with Billy Childs, Geoffrey Keezer, Eric Reed, Kenny Werner, Joanne Brackeen, Tamir Hendelman, Tigran Hamasyan, Otmaro Ruiz, Patrice Rushen, Dewey Redman, Dave Liebman, Steve Wilson, Bob Sheppard, John Abercrombie, Gary Bartz, Sam Rivers, Ravi Coltrane, James Moody, Walter Smith III, Tom Scott, Hubert Laws, Terry Gibbs, Kevin Mahogany, Roberta Gambarini, Jon Hendricks, Anthony Wilson, Chico Pinheiro, Larry Koonse, Peter Sprague, Mike Stern, Larry Coryell, Tom Harrell, Randy Brecker, Gilbert Castellanos, Steve Turre, Brian Blade, Willie Jones III, Terreon Gully, Antonio Sanchez, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Mark Ferber, Clarence Penn, Vinnie Colaiuta, Francisco Mela, Peter Erskine, T.S. Monk, Lewis Nash, Steve Hass, Gary Novak.

Hamilton Price website

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Born & raised in Southern California, drummer / composer / educator Aaron McLendon has become a unique voice in his generation.

Raised by musician parents, Aaron developed a keen sense of musicality during childhood. From early on, he was exposed to Western Classical music, 60s/70s rock & soul, jazz, and the pop world of the 80s.

After four years of piano lessons, and with his parents’ encouragement, Aaron began playing drums at the age of thirteen, taking lessons every Sunday at Mike’s Drum Shop with Barry Birmingham.

While in high school, he studied drum set technique & all styles with the renowned Craig Thatcher, who gave him the inspiration to become a professional musician.  His high school band director, Isaac Jenkins, taught him not only how to function as drummer in a band, but how to be a musician first. Emanuel ‘Bucket’ Baker (who has worked with Erykah Badu, Macy Gray, & Michael Jackson) taught him of the importance of time, groove and ‘pocket’ in music.

McLendon’s first collegiate experience was at William Patterson University, in Wayne, NJ, where he studied with the late James Williams, Harold Mayburn, Horace Arnold, and John Riley (author of the influential books, The Art of Bop Drumming & Beyond Bop Drumming).

Upon transferring to California Institute of the Arts, Aaron immersed himself in the unique West African Program, studying Ewe Music extensively with Alfred and Kobla Ladzekpo. His jazz educators at CalArts included Joe LaBarbara, Aaron Serfaty, Charlie Haden, Darek Oles, Larry Koonse, Vinny Golia, Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, and Macedonian guitarist Miroslav Tadic.

After receiving his Master of Fine Arts Degree from CalArts, McLendon remained in Los Angeles, where he performed with such diverse artists as Alan Pasqua, Ben Wendel, Tigran Hamasyan, Miles Mosley, The Circle, Kamasi Washington, George Clinton, Josh Nelson, Raya Yarborough, and Angelo Moore (of Fishbone), amongst others. He also appeared in the music video for Sean Kingston’sBeautiful Girls.

In 2005/2006 Aaron toured in support of Concord Records’ A New Generation Goes Back to Cool, performing with roommate Taylor Eigsti, Christian Scott & Erin Boheme. Eigsti & Scott have since been Grammy-nominated. McLendon later performed on Eigsti’s acclaimed 2008 release,  Let It Come To You(Concord).

In Los Angeles he also met pianist Eldar Djangirov, with whom he toured the world with in 2007. One such trip brought them to Arturo Sandoval’s Jazz Club in Miami, where the owner himself sat-in for an entire evening. Television appearances included  Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel and the Jo Suarez Show (in Sao Paulo, Brazil).

That same year, McLendon relocated to New York City. He has since performed with such artists as Kurt Elling, Ben Monder, Sam Barsh, Taylor Eigsti’s Free Agency (with Gretchen Parlato, Becca Stevens, Gerald Clayton, & Harish Raghavan), Red Baraat, The East/West Quintet, and Build, amongst others.

Aaron has also recorded and toured with Academy Award-Winning Actor/Singer/Songwriter Terrence Howard. McLendon was featured throughout Shine Thought It (Sony/BMG), Howard’s debut album, which peaked at No. 6 & spent 14 weeks on the Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B Chart. Television appearances included The Late Show with David Letterman, The Today Show, and The View.

Current projects include an original songwriting project, an original instrumental project, as well as freelancing with the finest names in music today.

Aaron McLendon website

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Philip Dizack, born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, started trying to play music at the age of 10. After two failed attempts at the alto saxophone and trombone, Dizack knew the trumpet was for him. Raised by his mother and father, neither of which were musicians; Dizacks teachings were from recordings. Falling in love with Miles Davis’ ‘Just Squeeze Me’, Dizack was introduced to the World of Jazz. Through the next few years, Dizack was inspired by the playing of Miles Davis, Nicholas Payton, Lee Morgan and Louis Armstrong.

By the time he hit high school, his path in life was clear. Trumpet. Philip Dizack graduated from the renowned Milwaukee High School of the Arts in 2003. Later that year, under the direction of Justin DiCioccio he toured as a member of the Stan Getz/Clifford Brown All Stars performing in the United States, Canada, and Japan.

In August of 2003, Dizack began attending the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, pursuing a bachelors degree in jazz trumpet performance. Since then, Dizack has been named third place winner of the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Competition in 2004, first place winner of the National Trumpet Competition in 2005, and most recently, the winner of the highly prestigious 2005 Carmine Caruso International Solo Jazz Competition.

In August of 2005, Philip Dizack recorded and released his debut recording, Beyond a Dream on the Barcelonan based label, Fresh Sound Records. On the recording, Dizack includes his young contemporaries along with the elder statesman yet young lion Greg Tardy. After the release of Beyond a Dream, Dizack temporarily joined Greg Tardy, playing in some of New York Citys famed jazz clubs.

In December of 2005, Dizack took his band to perform at the Barcelona Jazz Fest in Spain. Since then Dizack has performed and recorded with the likes of David Liebman, Roy Haynes, Jason Moran, Eddie Palmieri, Robert Glasper, Conrad Herwig, Harvie S, Terrell Stafford, Ingred Jensen, Willie Jones III, Brian Lynch, Sean Conly, John Riley, Marcus Gilmore, Aaron Goldberg, and many more.

Philip Dizack website