11.7.12 Jon Bremen + Ariel Alexander + Dennis Hamm + Tim Lefebvre + Louis Cole

 

“Jon Bremen is a rare and gifted musician who possesses a unique ability to craft improvisational melody into pure magic. Students of jazz guitar and all instruments would be well served by studying his improvisations. Jon is also a talented composer and I believe he will be recognized as a leader in the new generation of modern jazz guitarists” -Pat Kelley

“Guitarist Jonathan Bremen’s warm clear sound and bop articulation are rooted in the tradition of Jimmy Raney and Tal Farlow, but he has his own voice as an improviser and composer. He has chops to burn, but he uses them with taste and discretion and knows the value of space and breath in the music. I look forward to hearing more from him.” -John Stowell

Jon Bremen is a Los Angeles musician and educator. His latest recording, Lines, was released in April of 2009 on Jazz Collective Records. The recording features original compositions and is available at CD Baby and iTunes. (http://cdbaby.com/cd/bremenjon)

Jon is also a music professor at Los Angeles Southwest College. He holds a Doctorate in music from the University of Southern California and a Master’s degree from the prestigious Indiana University where he studied with famed jazz educator David Baker.

For two years, Jon was a member of Conspiracy Theory, a quintet lead by master trumpeter, Pat Harbison. The group’s first CD, released in September, 2003 on WholeTone Records, received praise in Jazzwise Magazine. Additionally, while touring with Conspiracy Theory, he offered master classes at educational institutions including the National Conservatory in Costa Rica, Western Michigan State University and the Bellville High School Jazz Festival in Illinois.

In 2005 Jon was chosen to participate in the Kennedy Center’s highly selective Jazz Ahead program. He is also a member of the Los Angeles Jazz Collective.

As a freelance guitarist, Jon frequently participates in recording sessions, tours and theater productions. You can also hear his guitar tracks and production work on several commercial films.

Jon Bremen website

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

Ariel Alexander has gained recognition as a Los Angeles jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator. Originally from St Louis, Ariel earned her B.A. at Indiana University and her M.A from the University of Southern California. This May (2011) she will finish her Doctorate at the University of Southern California. She is an adjunct faculty member at Chaffey College and Los Angeles Southwest College, where she teaches Music Appreciation, Music Theory, Studio Piano and Intermediate Piano.

Ariel participated in the IAJE Sisters in Jazz Ensemble, the Kennedy Center’s Betty Carter Jazz Ahead residency, and the Steans Young Artist Program.

Ariel recently performed and arranged for the “We Love Ella” tribute on PBS on which she performed with Take 6, Nancy Wilson, Natalie Cole, Patti Austin, Stevie Wonder, Ruben Studdard, James Moody, Jon Faddis, and Monica Mancini. Ariel also arranged for and plays on Steve Miller’s (Steve Miller Band) forthcoming CD to be released on Capitol Records. Ariel plays an Aaron Drake mouthpiece and ligature.

Besides performance, Ariel is active in jazz pedagogy. In 2003 she formed the Musical Arts Youth Center’s Jazz Combo Program. She also served as the Program Coordinator for Los Angeles branch of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and worked on the staffs of the Indianhead Arts Center and Jamey Aebersold Jazz Workshops. She has also been a clinician and judge at a number of schools and jazz festivals. (see TEACHING tab).

In addition to being a musician, Ariel owns Rock Star CD Recording Workshop (www.rockstarworkshop.net), a mobile recording studio for kids and teens. Rock Star Workshop travels to over 200 events a year.

Ariel Alexander website

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

“Keyboardist Dennis Hamm is another find. He played with a keen sense of dynamics. His thoughtful solo on “Blues for Bali” showed an understanding of Bill Evans, and Hamm let his chords resonate at the end of a given phrase, to dramatic effect.” -Los Angeles City Beat

“It was a joy and a revelation for me to hear and play with someone so young yet so accomplished, understated, lyrical and cliche-free.” - Richard Simon

Pianist, composer, teacher, Dennis Hamm began playing professionally at age 18 and has since worked with a diverse mix of artists. The albums Hamm appears on are a testament to his versatility. In the last three years Hamm was featured on albums as varied as MTV’s Rock the Cradle winnerCrosby Loggins‘ (son of Kenny Loggins) Indy Pop/Rock album “We All Go Home”, the Prog-Rock Jazz Fusion of guitarist Greg Howe‘s “Sound Proof”, in support of which Hamm toured Europe in late 2008, Katisse Buckingham‘s genre bending mix of hip-hop and modern jazz on “Lyrical Worker”, and an upcoming modern country release by American Idol finalistAmy Adams, which Hamm also produced.

Other artists he has performed or recorded with are Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, John Densmore (The Doors), Buck Owens’ “Buckaroos”,Kenny Loggins, Pete Escovedo, Will Kennedy & Jimmy Haslip (The Yellowjackets), Jojo Mayer, Judith Hill (Michael Jackson), Ronald Bruner Jr., Cliff Almond, Ryan Leslie, Virgil Donati, Tony Macalpine,Justo Almario, Tony Royster Jr., Melvin Davis, Janek Gwizdala,Jimmy Branly, Carlitos del Puerto, Sandro Albert, Monty Byrom, The Smokin’ Armadillos, and his own original projects including funk/jazz groupMother Funk Conspiracy featuring L.A. saxophonist Zane Musa.

Hamm began playing the piano at age four and by college he had developed a passion for jazz and salsa music. He attended Citrus College in Glendora and California State University Bakersfield where he studied piano and composition under Dr. Doug Davis. He was twice a member of the best combo and twice won the top pianist award at the largest west coast college jazz festival, Pacific Coast Collegiate Jazz Festival at UC Berkley.

Dennis Hamm website

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

Tim Lefebvre (pronounced leh-FAVE) performs his very own retrohipster funk-jazz soundtrack while strutting around Europe (or wherever he happens to be) and so does his band Rudder, a group of New York City session cats currently storming the indie-jam-jazz scene with rowdy, greasy cuts like “Tokyo Chicken,” “Jackass Surcharge,” and “3H Club” from their brand new album Matorning [2009, Nineteen-Eight Records.] Lefebvre not only grooves his pants off, he fully embraces the offbeat hipster vibe from a tone standpoint. (Bryan Beller, Bass Player Magazine)

Lefebvre strives for modernity, mastering styles as diverse as drum and bass, electronica, rap, rock and many jazz styles including traditional, bebop and fusion, and creating his own hybrid. Lefebvre’s bass lines tend to waddle in and out (a la James Jamerson’s innate funkiness) of drummer Keith Carlock’s pounding, discovering hidden little caves of funk. “To be able to mesh all these diverse style and come up with something new is the most important lesson he ever learned from Wayne Krantz.” (Zachary Adam Cohen)

A native of Foxboro, Massachusetts who double-majored in political science and economics, Lefebvre spent three years gigging on a cruise ship before hitting New York and hooking up with drummer Zach Danziger, which led to gigs and recordings with guitarist Wayne Krantz. Once he began subbing for James Genus in the Saturday Night Live band, the walls to the TV world tumbled down, with gigs for The Sopranos, The Late Show With David Letterman, 30 Rock, and The Apprentice.

He has played on dozens of records, as well as performed and composed for several movie soundtracks, including Oceans 12, Oceans 13, The Departed,  Please Give, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, and Analyze That! In addition, he continues to be a freelance composer for JSM Music and Deetown Productions in NYC.

Mr. Lefebvre also placed in both the Downbeat Reader’s and Critic’s Poll in 2010 for electric bass. Also several articles have been written about him in Bass Player Magazine, Bass Musician Magazine, and Guitarre + Bass Magazine.

Mr. Lefebvre has been seen on TV and touring extensively with Chris Bottiand Rudder this year. He has appeared recently with Elvis Costello,  John Mayer, Sting, Patti Austin, Jamie Cullum, Mark Guiliana’s Beat Music, Uri Caine, David Binney, and Wayne Krantz..

Mr. Lefebvre has appeared or recorded with Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, AR Rahman, Tony Orlando, Donny Osmond, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Andy Garcia, Bette Midler,  Drew Barrymore, Snoop Dogg, Jim Belushi, David Holmes, Paula Cole, Melissa Errico,  Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Deborah Gibson, Karsh Kale, Russell Ferrante, KT Tunstall, Tenacious D, Hildegard Knef, Bob James, Mark Whitfield, Dr. John, Warren Haynes, Chuck Loeb, Les McCann, Bill Frisell, Chris Potter’s Underground, Arif Marden, Bill Evans, David Cassidy, David Johanssen & The Harry Smith’s, M People, Russell Gunn, Philippe Saisse, Les McCann, Bill Frisell, Angelique Kidjo, Chuck Loeb, Dennis Chambers, Jon Pousette-Dart, Larry John MacNally, Jim Beard, Chieli Minucci & Special EFX, Mitch Forman, Eddie Daniels, Tim Berne, Brian Blade, and  Jim Black.

He is Endorsed by Moollon Guitars, Callow Hill Guitars, MXR + Jim Dunlop Efx, Ableton Live, M Audio, Aguilar Amplification, and D’Addario Strings.

“How fortunate we are indeed that against all the odds that our lowbrow culture has stacked up against avant-garde musicians, we can still catch a glimpse every so often of authentic expression.” (Zachary Adam Cohen, Social Media Strategist)

Tim Lefebvre website

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