$15 cover for both sets , 21+  No Refunds

TIcket purchase link:

http://walterambrosequintet.eventbrite.com/

From a young age, Walter began taking music very seriously. “My first gig was playing at a McDonalds in Houston with another saxophone player. I took a solo on “Blue Bossa.” It was terrible. People clapped, and I figured if I could get away with that and get applause, how could I fail?”

Walter Smith III began playing the saxophone at the age of 7 in his hometown of Houston, TX. At Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, in 1998, Smith received a Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellowship from IAJE and NFAA; the NFAA Young Talent Award; a full tuition scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music; and a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts medal. Walter Graduated from Berklee in 2003 with a degree in Music Education.

Walter has performed all over the world participating in numerous national and international festivals as well as famed stages in the U.S. such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Smith has shared the stage and/or appeared on recordings with many jazz notables including Terence Blanchard, Roy Haynes, Christian McBride, Eric Reed, Mulgrew Miller, Joe Sample, Bob Hurst, Myron Walden, Walter Beasley, Lewis Nash, Terri Lynne-Carrington, and a host of others.  To date, Walter has appeared on over 75 recordings that are released worldwide.

Walter’s debut recording as a leader was released in March of 2006 on the Fresh Sound New Talent label and features many of the brightest young jazz talents. His sophomore release, titled “Live in France”, was released in October of 2009 to critical acclaim. His most recent album, “III”, was released in September of 2010 and was the #3 best seller on itunes in the U.S. for it’s first week. It features Ambrose Akinmusire, Jason Moran, Joe Sanders, and Eric Harland.

Over the past few years, besides leading a quintet, Walter is/has been a member of several amazing groups (recording and touring) including the Terence Blanchard group, Eric Harland’s quintet, Ambrose Akinmusire’s band, Christian Scott’s group, the Sean Jones sextet, Jason Moran’s Big Bandwagon (In My Mind:Monk at Town Hall), and the Christian McBride situation band.

Walter Smith III website

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Ambrose’s conceptual extension into a new musical language is never to the exclusion of beauty. As one who listens intently, he values the fertility of a pause, of communication, of tension. Ambrose began conceptualizing early as a musician, theorizing and experimenting as a catalyst for development.  He seeks other genres of music to analyze and expose, drawing inspiration from such musicians as Bjork and Chopin.

Ambrose’s music restructures accepted notions of jazz in a way that reflects his ability to recognize nuances, multiplicities, and patterns.  First playing piano at the age of three, his familiarity with music began long before putting his mouth to a trumpet.  He is relentlessly opposed to stagnation, seeking movement in both his music and his life.

Before he was eighteen, Ambrose had already performed with such famed musicians as Joe Henderson, Joshua Redman, Steve Coleman, and Billy Higgins. After graduating Berkeley High School, he moved to New York to begin a scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music, studying with Vincent Pinzerella from the New York Philharmonic, Dick Oatts, Lew Soloff, and Laurie Frink.

Throughout his studies, Ambrose continued to tether audiences to his concepts and his sound, performing publicly with Lonnie Plaxico, Stefon Harris, Josh Roseman, Vijay Iyer, Charlie Persip, the Mingus Big Band, and the San Francisco Jazz Collective, to name only a few.  His exposure to dynamic modes of playing and to musicians with accumulated experiences only promoted the development of his own distinct musical style.

Ambrose is a recent graduate of the Masters program at USC, and also the Monk Institute, Ambrose’s instructors include Terence Blanchard, Billy Childs and Gary Grant.  In the past year, he has worked with such artists as Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Hal Crook, Bob Hurst, Terri Lynne Carrington, Ron Carter, and Wallace Roney, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. Most recently Ambrose is the winner of both the 2007 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition and 2007 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition.

As for a conclusion, there is none. Ambrose’s musical trajectory continues to grow in more than one direction, drawing from the most unconventional sources, unraveling the most comfortable conceptions of limitation. His persistent reevaluations and his aspirations to evolution and beauty carry it to an entirely new space within itself.

Ambrose Akinmusire website

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Adam Benjamin is a Grammy-nominated and critically acclaimed pianist, keyboardist, composer and writer based out of Los Angeles, who is recognized as a Rising Star in Jazz in Downbeat magazine’s critic’s and reader’s polls for two years running. While his unmistakeable sound crosses stylistic boundaries and challenges traditional notions of jazz, he maintains a humble and humorous approach that connects him with his audiences worldwide.
He is a founding member of Kneebody, a electric quintet widely recognized as one of the most unique ensebles in jazz. Their 2009 Grammy-nominated release is a radical reinvention of the songs of Charles Ives in collaboration with singer Theo Bleckmann (Winter and Winter, 2009). Their upcoming release You Can Have Your Moment (Winter and Winter, 2010) is the fourth full-length album from the “spontaneous and exciting” (Downbeat) “freakishly talented quintet” (All About Jazz).

His latest solo piano album, Alphabets and Consequences (f.Boo Records, 2010) is a unique series of improvised miniatures that transform familiar jazz and folk melodies into quirky impressionist etudes bursting with both humor and gravity. This follows Long Gone (Kind of Blue, 2008) and his notorious 2007 self-release It’s a Standard, Standard, Standard, Standard World, which captures 37 jazz standards through the lens of Garageband 1.0 technology. This hilarious yet strangely expressive release quickly became a underground favorite, and was hailed as “a majestic tour de force” by Dave Douglas.

He has also toured and recorded extensively with Dave Douglas’ electric band, Keystone, including 2010 world tours debuting Spark of Being, a collaborative work with filmmaker Bill Morrison. Adam’s contribution is central to the Keystone albums Live in Sweden (Greenleaf, 2006) and Moonshine (Greenleaf, 2008).

Adam has also performed, collaborated and toured with artists as varied as Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, So Percussion, Joshua Redman, and Beck, and has contributed to many film scores, including co-writing the score to John Krasinski’s 2009 adaptation of David Foster Wallace’s Brief Interviews With Hideous Men. He has performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl, and North Sea Jazz Festival, and has been a guest lecturer and faculty at Stanford University, the Banff International Jazz Workshop, CalArts, University of Southern California, and the School for Improvisational Music.

Adam Benjamin website

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Harish Raghavan was born May 19th, 1982. He began his study of the double bass at the age of 17. After studying for a brief period he was accepted to study with John Clayton at the University of Southern California. While in Los Angeles he had the opportunity to also study with Robert Hurst among many others. In 2007 he made the move to New York and has quickly become a rising star on his instrument.

Since moving to New York he has the opportunity to record and play with some of the most forward thinking musicians of his generation: Ambrose Akinmusire, Eric Harland, Mark Turner, Aaron Parks, Taylor Eigsti, Greg Osby, Vijay Iyer, Billy Childs, Kurt Elling, Benny Green, Terrell Stafford, Mike Moreno, Rodney Green, Willie Jones III, Scott Kinsey, Logan Richardson, Fabian Almazan, Justin Brown, Dayna Stephens, Gerald Clayton, Marcus Gilmore, Walter Smith III, along with many others.

Harish Raghavan website

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“Kendrick Scott is a jazz drummer conversant in an ultramodern sense of propulsion.”- The New York Times

Kendrick ‘KADS’ Scott, born July 8, 1980, and raised in Houston, Texas, is an artist of incredible depth, talent, and determination. He has been featured in Terence Blanchard’s band for the last six years and has appeared on the Grammy Award-winning and nominated recordings, A Tale of God’s Will, and Flow, on which he contributed original compositions and orchestrations. Since arriving in New York City in 2003, Scott has appeared on numerous records as a sideman, and on the soundtracks to seven feature films. He is recognized as an endorser by Yamaha Corporation, Remo, Vater, Puresound, Zildjian Cymbals, Protechtor, Craviotto Snare Drums and Danmar Percussion.

However, touring the world and recording with the likes of Blanchard, as well as Herbie Hancock, John Scofield, Maria Schneider, Wayne Shorter, Musiq Soulchild, Christian McBride, David Sanborn, Dianne Reeves, John Patitucci, The Crusaders, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Robert Glasper, Stefon Harris, Kenny Garrett, Pat Metheny, Nicholas Payton, Patti Austin, Angelique Kidjo, Lionel Loueke, Roy Hargrove, Raul Midon, Gretchen Parlato plus playing on numerous film soundtracks by Spike Lee and other filmmakers, is not nearly enough for the uber-talented 29-year old.

While excelling in the business of playing music, Scott decided to plunge head first into the business of running a record label. In preparation for his debut recording as a leader, the drummer discovered the need for himself and other artists to have a new platform from which they could release their music. Scott also had no desire to place the destiny of his first recording in the hands of a traditional record label. In 2007, he launched World Culture Music with the release of Kendrick Scott Oracle – The Source.

Kendrick Scott grew up in a household of musicians. He first encountered the drums in church where his parents and older brother were involved in the music ministry. By age six, Scott’s parents (Stepheny and Kenneth) could see that the young man’s interest in the drums was not a passing fancy, so they set him up with sticks, a pad and lessons. “As a kid, I remember listening to the music at church and feeling chills in my body. I knew then, that music was my calling.” Years later his hard work, and the great support of his family, enabled Scott to attend Houston’s renowned High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (other graduates include Mike Moreno, Robert Glasper, Jason Moran, Eric Harland, Beyonce and many others). While a student, he won Downbeat Magazine student awards, plus the Clifford Brown/Stan Getz award, presented by the IAJE and the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts. He was later awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music where he majored in Music Education. “Going to Berklee was pivotal for my growth as a musician. I met so many great amazing musicians and friends,” he exclaims. As an undergrad, Scott gigged with Pat Metheny, Gary Burton, and Kenny Garrett. Upon graduation, he already had offers from Joe Sample and Terence Blanchard.

The title track of his debut CD, The Source, was originally recorded on Terence Blanchard’s 2005 record, Flow, for Blue Note Records. Flow features Scott as well as pianist and producer Herbie Hancock who plays on Scott’s composition. “Being a part of Terence’s group for three years has been a godsend. He has given the members of the band freedom to grow and cultivate our voices. When we went in to record ‘The Source’ Herbie said he would play on it; one can only imagine how I felt.” If that weren’t enough, Scott’s composition was the Grammy nominated track (for Hancock’s solo). “I knew when I went in to record my record that ‘The Source’ would be the title track. It’s is an homage to humanity. While the world is at unrest, I believe compassion will prevail.”

Kendrick Scott is one of the bright stars in an amazingly talented group of young drummers on the scene today. He remains a first call player for major artists because his humanity and compassion extends into the notes and phrases he chooses to play, which makes his playing consistently ring true as it springs forth from an ego-less, honest place. These deep roots, connected to his mentors, inspirations, peers, his parents and to the church, enable Scott to be present and in the moment, bringing to the table the wisdom of a veteran musician and the adventurousness of a perpetually curious young artist.

In the words of Terence Blanchard, “Kendrick is a true artist of the highest order. He is not bound by the conventional wisdom of the music world. I’ve noticed that he never says why, but rather why not. He is exactly what the music world needs: someone with the vision and courage to press forward and expand the world of music. I am blessed to have him around and look forward to seeing what he does every time we play.”

Kendrick Scott website

FEATURING: John Daversa [Leader, Trumpet & EVI]

WOODWINDS: Kevin Garren / Matt Zebley / Tom Peterson / Bob Sheppard / Nancy Newman

TRUMPETS: Tony Bonsera / Michael Stever / Glenda Smith / Mitch Cooper

TROMBONES: Alex Iles / Ryan Dragon / Paul Young / George Thatcher

GUITAR: Mike Miller

BASS: Jerry Watts

DRUMS: Gene Coye

John Daversa is a versatile and respected performer, composer, arranger, producer, bandleader, and educator. Coming from a musical family, Daversa took an immediate interest in music at an early age; first through piano and voice, and later with trumpet and EVI (Electric Valve Instrument).

By the age of 15, jazz had become part of John’s identity as he attended the Los Angeles Music Magnet, Hamilton High School Academy of the Arts, from 1989 to 1991. After high school, he attended UCLA studying with classical trumpet virtuosi Mario Guarneri and Malcolm McNab. Although John’s musical interests were firmly placed in jazz (playing trumpet and electric bass in the UCLA jazz bands), he pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in classical composition. During that time, John won the Herb Alpert Award, David Joel Miller Award, National Trumpet Competition, ITG Jazz Soloist Competition, and was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition.

In 1996, he formed the John Daversa Progressive Big Band, which continues to perform regularly in the Los Angeles area. Over the past two years, the band has developed a following at the world famous Baked Potato, performing the last Sunday of every month. Daversa’s compositions and improvisations mirror a musical philosophy that aims to stretch boundaries, while maintaining a reverence for the jazz tradition.

From 2000-2003, John served as Musical Director for Holiday On Ice’s “In Concert”, a large-scale production show based in Europe. He has also toured North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia performing with various artists. He has performed on The Today Show, Late Nite with David Letterman, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Live 8 (Berlin), Hamburg Music Festival, Java Jazz Festival (Jakarta), Monterey Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Montreux Festival, and the Playboy Jazz Festival.

John has had the opportunity to arrange and/or compose for Fiona Apple (Extraordinary Machine, 2005), Eleisha Eagle (Lamplighter 2006), Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (Tribute to Burt Bacharach Live Show, 2005), and Pacific Serenades (Between the Thoughts, 2008) and James Tormé (Love For Sale, 2009).

In 2006, he produced Phil Crosby, Jr.’s Christmas album, Time For Christmas (Vingilot Records), and recently completed production for E1 Entertainment recording artist, James Tormé. John was the Musical Director for Warner Brothers recording artist Renee Olstead from 2004-2009.

Dr. Daversa earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from The University of California, Los Angeles, a Master of Fine Arts degree in Jazz Studies at California Institute of the Arts in 2006, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Studies at the University of Southern California. He is currently a faculty member at the USC Thornton School of Music.

John Daversa website

Nikos Syropoulos is a pianist, keyboardist, composer, arranger, and educator based in Los Angeles. A two-time recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award, he started playing piano at the age of four and began composing music by the age of 14. Now at 22 years old he is highly sought after as an artist for his beautiful touch at the piano, his musical creativity and sensitivity, and his versatility. He is fluent in many different genres, both as a performer and composer, including jazz, classical, R&B, funk, pop, and folk music.

Nikos has performed all across the United States at venues ranging from Marymoor Park and Edgefield Amphitheater where he opened for The Doobie Brothers, to Lincoln Center, where he performed with Wynton Marsalis. As a member of the Los Angeles based funk band, Pinot, he has toured the country, playing venues such as New York’s, Sullivan Hall, and Santa Monica’s City Hall where the band was featured in the “Jazz on the Lawn” 2010 concert series. He has performance credits with the likes of Maria Schneider, Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer, John Clayton, Duffy Jackson, and James Moody. Additionally, he has arranged music for Crystal Cruise Lines, the USC Alumni Awards, and performed for the 2nd annual Governor’s Awards.

Nikos Syrolpoulos website

“…There’s a pianist out of Boston who made a beautiful record for the Fresh Sound label called ‘Sketch Book’; his name is Vardan Ovsepian…” -Brad Mehldau (JazzReview.com)

“Vardan brings his own sound and ingredients… I have never heard any musician quite like him in terms of harmonic awareness and melodic power. I suspect that he will prove to be quite a sensation…”- Peter Erskine

“…Anyone with an allegiance to the ECM sound will find a great deal to like on these two quartet albums – the windblown pastels, the serious dramas and the clear thematic arcs…” - Greg Buium (Downbeat.com)

Performs solo as well as with artists such as Mick Goodrick, Peter Erskine, Jerry Bergonzi and many others. In addition to teaching at The Musical Suite in Newburyport, MA, performed and taught master classes at Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, Maine Jazz Camp (ME), Towson University (MD), Susquehanna University (PA), Bucknell University (PA), Wheeler School (RI), Estonian Music Academy (Tallinn, Estonia).

A “Fresh Sound New Talent” recording artist who has released 4 CDs with the Barcelona-based label, plus an independent release of Vardan Ovsepian Chamber Ensemble (VOCE)

Vardan Ovsepian website

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Miguel Atwood-Ferguson is a highly-creative multi-instrumentalist/dj/arranger/composer/music director/producer/educator residing in Los Angeles, California. He has recorded on close to 200 commercially available recordings. As a violist he has appeared with Outkast at the Kid’s Choice Awards on the Nickolodean Channel, Rihanna on the Jay Leno Show and at the 2007 American Music Awards, Christina Aguilera on her 2006 MTV special ‘Back to Basics’ and with John Legend and Kirk Franklin at the 2008 B.E.T. Gospel Celebration. He has also appeared with Shakira, Wyclef Jean, and Gnarls Barkley at the 2007 Grammy Awards, and with Hall and Oates on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Extra, and The Megan Mullally Show and with Pink at the 2008 American Music Awards. In 2009, Miguel was on the season finale of ‘America’s Got Talent’ backing up Susan Boyle. Miguel has also had his own segments devoted to him on the Disney Channel and KCET. Miguel graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in viola performance and has performed in orchestral settings with Wayne Shorter, Stevie Wonder, John Williams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Roy Hargrove, Francisco Aguabella, Chuchito Valdes, Ray Brown, Brad Mehldau, Quincy Jones, James Galway, Vince Mendoza and Henry Mancini among many others. As a studio musician he has recorded for Willi.i.am, Erykah Badu, Dr. Dre, John Cale, Barry Manilow, Joss Stone, Bilal, Michael Buble, Rene Olmstead, Common, Randy Jackson, Travis Tritt, Flying Lotus, Raphael Saadiq, and on Ray Charles’ grammy winning album ‘Genius Loves Company’. As a jazz soloist, Miguel has played/recorded alongside Hubert Laws, Billy Higgins, Brian Blade, Alphonse Mouzon, Airto Moreira, Buster Williams, Saul Williams, Dwight Trible, Patrice Rushen, Ndugu Chancler, Mulatu Astatke, Bennie Maupin, Azar Lawrence and Ravi Coltrane. He has performed at top venues around the world and tours Europe regularly. Miguel has very diverse interests and performs/tours and records with ensembles ranging from tango, electronica, avante-garde jazz, classical, hip-hop, to pop music. He has performed on the world famous radio show ‘Worldwide’ hosted by Gilles Peterson on th BBC in London and on local Los Angeles stations KUSC 91.5, KCRW 89.9 and KPFK 90.7. Miguel is building towards having his own orchestra playing music from across the globe with international musicians of peace and love. Miguel also supports his community by doing outreach concerts for kids and volunteering in hospitals and resting homes.

Miguel Atwood-Ferguson website

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Like most Armenian musicians, Artyom Manukyan is a full-time musician, in the true sense of the word. Music isn’t just something he does on the side, or in between part-time jobs – it’s his livelihood, his sole source of income, and his lifelong passion. “I think in musical terms,” says the young musician. “I see everything through music.” His latest project is a jazz quartet called Nooz, where he presents the cello, classically used in chamber music, as a modern instrument. I recently went to a Nooz show and was absolutely in awe of the sounds that the talented artist was able to produce from an instrument I always associated with Bach and Brahms.

From baroque to hip hop, Artyom Manukyan’s musical flair seems to have no limits. Somehow, between practices and gigs with three different bands, the multi-talented artist has found time to nurture yet another one of his musical passions, hip hop. He and a friend from Los Angeles are starting a productions company called New People in Yerevan. They have created arrangements for some of Armenia’s biggest hip hop and pop stars, like Hay Tgheq and Inga & Anush. It may seem a bit unusual for a classically trained cellist to branch into hip hop, but hip hop has been a driving force in Manukyan’s life for as far back as he can remember. Now that he is actually creating and working in the field, it’s like his childhood dreams are coming true. “Hip hop is my second life,” he says with a smile.

At 25, Manukyan still has a long career ahead of him, and considering he started playing cello almost by chance, who knows what exciting twists and turns the future will bring. Cello is one of those instruments that sort of got left behind with the classical era. With the rise of jazz and rock, it just didn’t make the cool list. There’s no shortage of drummers and guitarists out there, but when was the last time someone told you they played the cello? Manukyan, who started playing when he was nine, is something of an advocate for the versatility and modern relevance of the antiquated instrument, but his love affair with music and with the cello had a not so glamorous start.

Artyom Manukyan website

Katisse graduated from the L.A. County High School for the Arts and then from the Grove School of Music where he studied with multi-Grammy winning jazz legend, Rob McConnell. He received an NEA Jazz Fellowship Grant to study with woodwind master, Bill Green, attended the National Music Camp at Interlochen Michigan, and won the L.A. Jazz Society’s New Talent Award. Upon hearing Katisse as a guest soloist with the LA Guitar Quartet Allan Kozinn of The New York Times described him as , “…a flutist whose ornate improvisations transformed this vocal score into a virtuosic instrumental work”.

Katisse plays Tenor, Alto & Soprano Saxophones, Flute, Alto Flute & Ethnic Flutes as well as spoken word. He has performed and/or recorded with Yellowjackets, Prince, Dr. Dre, Airto & Flora Purim, Vanessa Paradis, Herbie Hancock, Dave Douglas, Andy Summers, Pete Yorn, Colin Hay, Brian Auger, John Patitucci, Ricky Lawson, Terri Lyne Carrington, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Strunz and Farah, Bill Summers, Jimmy Haslip, Russ Ferrente, Bob Hurst, Tom Brechtline, Munyungo Jackson, Gary Novak, Gary Thomas, Alphonso Johnson, B-Sharp Jazz Quartet, Don Grusin, Dean Parks, Greg Phillinganes, Harvey Mason, Abe Laboriel (Sr. and Jr.), Sandro Albert, Otmaro Ruiz, Wah, Amma, Gerry Gibbs, Monday Michiru, Jaz Klash, Raya Yarbrough, Down to the Bone, Sara Gazarek, Jimmy Johnson, Will Kennedy, Russ Kunkel, Robben Ford, Mike Elizando, Deepsky, The Angel, Patrice Rushen, DJ Quik, Non Amiss, Xzibit and Kurupt. He has played on numerous films (including the “jazz flute” scene in the Will Ferrell film, Anchorman).

While staying as a busy freelance musician (based in Los Angeles) Katisse has his own self titled group which includes Judith Hill (vox); Chris Wabich, Gene Coy, Nate Wood (drums); Dennis Hamm, Steve Weingart, Quinn Johnson, Ruslan Sirota (keys); Dan Lutz, Jerry Watts, Jimmy Haslip (bass). KATISSE is an all original blend of jazz, hip-hop, pop & world music.

Katisse Buckingham website

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Since arriving in Los Angeles back in 1980, bassist Jerry Watts has amassed a truly diverse and eclectic resume. His list of recording and performing credits clearly reflects his love of music and trademark versatility. Whether it’s in the studio, on tour around the globe, or pursuing creative projects in town, Watts has provided the low tones for a broad spectrum of musical artists at the highest levels of pop, rock, jazz, groove, and global music. In addition to his busy gigging schedule, Jerry is also Bass Department Chair at Los Angeles Music Academy.

Jerry Watts website

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 part tweaker, part ethnoid, part gut bucket, part color painter. i play to whatever is happening around me and luckily im surrounded by genius people of the hi and low fi. i’ll list them, but the commercial comes first right?… next CD projects include jimmy mahlis, brad dutz, ben wendel, alex acuna, tiki (freaky!) and paul carman. i have a NYC trio i founded called SKETCHY BLACK DOG that plays jazz versions of classic rock we have been playing the iridium, blue note nyc, birdland, and our LA home is the blue whale. at the same time i have been playing as a sideman with stanley jordan. i just finished 4 months playing “joes garage” co produced by zappa’s widow gail, that was a lot of fun (and notes!) following that i did a series of concert/recitals on solo drumset. that requires monkey tactics to play chromatic octobans over a samba ostinato. so far the audiences have been GREAT! (utubes to follow)…… and i have this other instrument i play on the side that has a new release called “sheltering ska” im very proud of that one! check it and all of my releases on itunes!!……(and now back to our show currently in progress) I have recorded with: Ludacris, Sting, Malcolm in the Middle, “Better Homes and Gardens”, “Wild California” IMAX movie, Brian Bromberg, Jimmy Johnson, jimmy haslip, lalo shfrin, sheila E….kids i play around towns with: Jimmy Mahlis, Mark Murphy, Alex Acuna, Katisse, Tom Zink, Larry Koonse, Bad Haggis, Turkish superstar Omar Faruk, Mamak Khadem, Boogsie Sharpe, Prog Rock legends Kevin Ayers (Soft Machine), Mike Hoffman (Tony Williams Lifetime), and Richard Sinclair (Caravan) and with famous poet, Leonard Cohen… i do some PAS clinics, states of MT, NC, AZ, and the international one 3X…. and my equipment hookup endorser buds are TURKISH cymbals and CADESON drums. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

Chris Wabich website

What happens when an artist fuses the harmonic beauty of jazz with the lyrical power of Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell?  The answer is found in the music of Kathleen Grace.  Hailed as one of the most exciting newcomers on the scene today, Grace is blessed with a sound as pure as a bell ringing. Her storytelling captivates her audience whether she is singing an American classic or an award-winning original.

After two successful releases, Grace and her band are set to dive into to new territory. Their upcoming release, Mirror, features almost exclusively original material that embraces the language of rock, folk and jazz as a democratic music all its own. The sound critics describe as “indie jazz” has taken the group of inspired young players from rock festivals to performing art centers across the country.

Based in Los Angeles, the Kathleen Grace Band (KGB) was born out of a desire to fuse the musical language of jazz with the storytelling of the American folk tradition.  Grace in her capacity as singer, songwriter and producer draws the listener in with vocal harmonies, grooves and textures inspired by her stories of love, power and loss. Each selection from the new project has a modern day fable at its center and lessons learned and unlearned color their meaning. The title track “Mirror” takes inspiration from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of Snow White. In her tale Grace blurs the lines between good and evil as she fuses witch with princess.  In her song “Penny” she uses a pauper’s plea to question contemporary myths of history and control. The song “Elijah” is an homage to her hometown of Tucson, Arizona and the summer storms that filled her imagination as a girl.  And the CD’s hit “Am I Enough Yet” embraces the power found in imperfection.
A product of the fertile LA music scene, Grace borrows from several genres in her writing and producing. With Mirror, Grace combines the real-time recording tradition of jazz with the experimentation found in post-production indie folk/rock. The result is music played at the highest level and enhanced by eclectic instrumentation and vocal harmonies.

Grace credits the jazz legend Nancy Wilson with encouraging her to explore beyond the genre of standards. In an interview with Jim Newsom Grace related the story of their fateful meeting:”I had a chance to attend an open rehearsal at USC. Nancy said, ‘Do you have any questions for me?’ And of course, all I can ask is possibly the most inane question I could ask, ‘Well, what’s your favorite song?’ She looked at me and said, ‘Darlin’ I’ve recorded about 450 songs, and I can’t really have a favorite.’ She gave me a hard time and teased me about it, but then she named of a few songs. One of them was ‘Suzanne’ by Leonard Cohen. That song changed my life.” – Interview with by Jim Newsom, Portfolio Weekly

Once Grace began writing her own music, a whole new voice emerged, playful and empowered.   From that simple beginning Grace has earned honors for her work as a composer and performer. She was awarded a spot at the 2004 Betty Carter Jazz Ahead residency for young composers at the Kennedy Center and was a finalist in the Montreux Jazz Festival International Vocal Competition. The title track of her second release, Songbird, was a finalist for the 2007 International Songwriting Competition.  Grace was also recently invited to join the faculty at her alma mater, the USC Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles.

With the release of Mirror the Kathleen Grace Band is now poised to bring their new brand of music to the wider world of pop and jazz as the band begins regional and national tour dates in November 2008.

Kathleen Grace website

When it comes to “hot young guitarists” in L.A. jazz and fusion circles, the name heard most frequently is that of Charles Altura. The Stanford Anthropology grad made a significant name for himself over the last two years touring with the Stanley Clarke Band, with Clarke giving Altura major props for his contributions to their 2010 Contemporary Jazz Grammy Award-winning album. Tonight, Altura offers up his own mix of originals, reworked popular tunes with an alternative/indie rock feel, and a few jazz standards. Altura will be backed by drummer Steve Hass, along with bassist Hamilton Price. Don’t be surprised if Clarke keyboardist Ruslan Sirota drops by late to join in the fun. Go, and you’ll see see why some refer to Altura as “(John) Scofield on Speed.” - Tom Meek, LA Weekly

Charles Altura website

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“Rosenboom is a phenomenon…His speed and singing high notes are amazing. He is a cool customer onstage, but what comes out of the mouthpiece is red hot.” - Mark Swed – Los Angeles Times

“Spectacular trumpet soloing…mesmerizing…” - BLG – Downtown Music Gallery

“Daniel Rosenboom’s trumpet and electronics tour de force Evolution caputres all the gravity of ’70s prog rock with a dramatic flair of Freddy Mercury -proportions…Rosenboom goes for the jugular both rhythmically and melodically, running through time signatures like a box of Kleenex at an AA meeting.” - Randy Nordschow – New Music Box

Daniel Aaron Rosenboom  is a creative trumpet artist, improviser, composer, and record producer who seeks break musical boundaries by fusing styles in new and inventive ways. By combining the sounds of creative improvised, contemporary classical music, rock, metal, hip-hop, jazz, experimental electronic, and traditional folk music from the Balkans, North India, and Middle East, he has created a brand of indefinable and hair-raising music.  For his compositions, he has been recognized with grants and awards from ASCAP, the Yvar Mikhashoff Trust for New Music, the American Composers Forum, and the Meet the Composer foundation.

In 2006, Rosenboom released his debut solo CD, Bloodier, Mean Son, which features world-premiere recordings of new works for solo trumpet and electronics, on Nine Winds Records.  In 2007, his gypsy-jazz-metal band, PLOTZ!, released their debut CD, Extraordinary Renditions, and in early 2008, his improvising experimental-jazz-metal band DR. MiNT released their debut album, Visions and Nightmares, on the pfMENTUM label.  In early 2009, Rosenboom released his own Book of Riddles, as well as PLOTZ!’s Live 2008, and DR. MiNT’s A New Symphony on SNP Records.  In 2009, Rosenboom was featured on his father’s album, How Much Better If Plymouth Rock Had Landed on the Pilgrims, both as a performer and co-producer.  In 2010, PLOTZ! released their highly anticipated 3rd album, The Kid, and Rosenboom was featured on Vinny Golia’s Octet album, Low and Inside: Music for Baritone Saxophones, and in 2011 The Daniel Rosenboom Septet released its debut album Fallen Angeles, featuring Daniel’s original compositions on Nine Winds Records.

He has appeared as a soloist and collaborator on festivals and in recitals at the International Trumpet Guild’s annual conference, University of York, England, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, the La Mama Theater in New York City, at REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater), the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, California Institute of the Arts, the Eastman School of Music, the Hague Jazz Festival, the Midpoint Music Festival, Sounds Like Now: Interpretations at 15, the Aspen Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, the Chosen Vale and Lake Placid Trumpet Seminars, Idyllwild Arts and Interlochen Arts Academy.  With orchestras and chamber ensembles, he has appeared on such stages as Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, Opera City in Tokyo, the Hollywood Bowl, and in music festivals all over the United States.

He plays regularly with The Daniel Rosenboom Septet, PLOTZ!, DR. MiNT, and the Vinny Golia Sextet, and is a member of the Industrial Jazz Group, Killsonic, Orkestar Mezé, Robby Marshall’s RootSystem, and GG’s Concert NineNet.  As a free-lance artist in Los Angeles, he has recorded for and been heard on ABC, ESPN, BMG, Killer Tracks, Paramount, Poobah Records, Nine Winds Records, 105.1 KMZT, and has played with such groups as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonie der Nationen, the New Century Players, the Los Angeles Valley Master Chorale, the Asia America Symphony Association, the Peninsula, Westchester, and Carson Symphony Orchestras. Other projects and collaborations include the Heidi Duckler and Collage Dance Theatre, Wadada Leo Smith’s Silver Orchestra, Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, the Los Angeles Trumpet Quartet (with John Fumo, Jeff Kaiser, and Kris Tiner), VR with guitarist David Veslocki, Irmin Schmidt from CAN, the Grande Mothers of Invention, Kai Kurosawa, Brad Dutz, Harris Eisenstadt, Markus Stockhausen, Sandeep Bagwhati, Pavel Novak, Matt Mayhall, Antony DiGennaro, Björkestra, and many others.

Daniel studied at the Eastman School of Music with master pedagogue James Thompson for his Bachelor of Music Degree. He also holds a Master of Music degree from UCLA where he studied with international trumpet virtuoso, Jens Lindemann, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the California Institute of the Arts where he studied with Edward Carroll, Vinny Golia, John Fumo, Wadada Leo Smith, Miroslav Tadic, and Larry Koonse.  Other mentors have included Rosalina Sackstein, Roy Poper, Mark Gould, Markus Stockhausen, Thomas Sevens, Stephen Burns, and Gabrielle Cassone.

Daniel Rosenboom website

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Ruslan is a Grammy award winning pianist and composer.

Ruslan was born in Uman, Ukraine on November 4, 1980. His father, Yefim, who was an active local guitarist, had introduced him to music at an early age. Picking up guitar around the age of four, Ruslan had transitioned to piano around the age of seven. In 1990, his family moved to Israel, where he continued to study piano at the Bat-Yam music school. At approximately 14, Ruslan discovered jazz, instantly showing imminent interest. By the age of 16, he was the “wunderkind” keyboardist for the then-popular Israeli jazz fusion band, “Confusion”. With Confusion, he toured Israel and made several appearances at the Red Sea Jazz Festival.

At 18, Ruslan auditioned for the Berklee College of Music, where he received full tuition scholarship, and moved to Boston in January 2000. During his studies at Berklee, Ruslan displayed growing interest in R&B, funk and soul music, playing with local artists and eventually becoming the resident keyboardist in a club called “Wally’s Jazz Café”. Circa 2004, Ruslan joined the Stanley Clarke band and moved to Los Angeles, thus marking the beginning of his professional career.
Since then, Ruslan has been touring, performing and recording with major artists (in addition to Clarke), such as Dennis Chambers, Ne-Yo, Marcus Miller, Chick Corea, Seal, Brian McKnight, Eric Benét, Rachelle Ferrell and Diane Warren. Nowadays, although still playing with others, Ruslan is mainly focusing on recording his debut album; its release date is due Fall 2010. Guest appearances include Chick Corea, George Duke and Stanley Clarke, among others.

Ruslan Sirota website

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Photo Bob Barry/jazzography.com

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

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Birthed by two dancer. loved and cherished and raised up healthy by a truly great and ever inspiring father and mother until nine and then by devoted and beloved mother and sister. Rode horses, played soccer, climbed trees, rode bikes roller blades and sketeboards, shot BB guns, fished, and played my heart out on a set of drums. Have made friends with some trully great souls and some that thought there souls to be great. listened heavily to jazz, stuck it through Boy Scouts. Played blues, jazz, rock, and r&b in many places on earth. Studied music and life with Terri Lynn Carrington, and Peter Erskine. Allow the music that so intertwined me to find outlets. Became intertwined with a beautiful, ( inside and out) woman. Pursuing inspiration and birth of musical energies and life and a relationship with the meriful creater and source of love and life on earth.

Gavin Salmon website

Joe La Barbera has enjoyed a long and varied career in music, a career that has taken him all over the world with some of the finest names in jazz. He is regarded by his peers as a musical drummer and a supportive accompanist. Jazz great Bill Evans summed it up best when he said that “Joe is very dedicated to playing quality music, and he’s willing to make the concessions of dues toward that end. He’s a top soloist and he does the right thing at the right time.”

Born in Mt. Morris, New York, his first musical experiences began at home as part of the family band with his parents and two older brothers, saxophonist Pat and trumpeter and arranger/composer John La Barbera. From his father he received a solid foundation in drumming as well as lessons on clarinet and saxophone. His education continued at the Berklee College of Music in Boston where his teachers included John LaPorta, Charlie Mariano, Herb Pomeroy and the great Alan Dawson.

After Berklee and two years with the U.S. Army band at Fort Dix, New Jersey, Joe began his professional career with Woody Herman and the Thundering Herd. The Chuck Mangione Quartet followed with gigs ranging from jazz clubs with the small group to symphony halls with full orchestra. Then it was onto New York and a fruitful two-year period of freelancing with Jim Hall, Phil Woods, Art Farmer, Gary Burton, Art Pepper, John Scofield, Bob Brookmeyer and Toots Thielmans to name just a few.

In 1978 Joe was asked to join Bill Evans in what was to become a landmark trio. Along with bassist Marc Johnson, the trio grew over a two-year period to become one of Evans’ finest. (see performances of My Romance, In Your Own Sweet Way and Bill’s Hit Tune on YouTube). After Bill’s untimely death in 1980, Joe joined pop singer Tony Bennett.

Currently residing in Los Angeles, Joe is involved in a wide range of music locally, nationally and internationally. On the local scene he is busy with his own quintet as well as sideman duties with many well known jazz artists. Recent dates in North America include performances with Bill Mays, Eddie Daniels, Randy Brecker and brother Pat LaBarbera.

During the last few years, Joe has toured Europe with Kenny Wheeler, Bassline (with Hein Van De Geyn and John Abercrombie) and the WDR Big Band. Most recently, he toured Japan with Lee Konitz, Europe with The West Coast All Stars and with Karrin Allyson, and South America with Bud Shank.

In 1999 along with Tom Warrington, Larry Koonse and Clay Jenkins, Joe created Jazz Compass, an independent recording company dedicated to the kind of creative music that has always been close to his heart. Joe has two releases on Jazz Compass, “Live” (JC1004) and “Mark Time” (JC1437)which was selected one of the top 10 2003 releases in Dr. Herb Wong’s Blue Chip Jazz CD Awards. He is also heard on other Jazz Compass projects including brother John La Barbera’s exciting new big band recordings, “On The Wild Side” (JC1007) and “Fantazm” (JC1011).

Since 1993, Joe has been on the faculty of California Institute For The Arts in Valencia, California. He is also a visiting artist at UNLV (Las Vegas), and a faculty member of the Bud Shank Jazz Workshop. In the past he has also served on the National Endowment For The Arts council in Washington D.C. and has been a guest at many other colleges as both performer and lecturer.

Joe LaBarbera website

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Born in Vancouver and raised in Los Angeles, Ben was educated at the Eastman School of Music in New York. Since graduating he has enjoyed a varied career as a performer, composer and producer. Recent highlights include multiple domestic and international tours with such artists as Cuban drumming legend Ignacio Berroa, Thelonius Monk Piano Competition Winner Tigran Hamasyan, Electronica artist Daedelus and Hip Hop artist Snoop Dogg. Ben is a founding member of the Grammy nominated group Kneebody.

In addition to playing saxophone, Ben also doubles on the bassoon and piano.

A frequent writer of film music, he co-wrote the score for John Krasinski’s 2009 adaptation of David Foster Wallace’s “Brief Interviews With Hideous Men.” Ben also won an ASCAP Jazz Composer Award and recently received the Chamber Music America “New Works Grant.” In the summer of 2007, Ben was honored to work with conductor Kent Nagano in producing a series of concerts for the Festpeil Plus in Munich, Germany. One of the performances (a collaboration between Theo Bleckmann and Kneebody featuring the songs of Charles Ives) was recently signed to Winter & Winter. Ben currently produces a new performing arts series at The Edye in Santa Monica, California.

Ben’s is a recording artist with Sunnyside Records, with plans for his second release in Fall 2011. Ben was a former Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies at USC.

Ben Wendel website

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Dan Tepfer is a New York-based pianist and composer and one of the most formidable jazz musicians on the international stage — hailed as “brilliant” by The Boston Globe, “remarkable” by The Washington Post, a “player of exceptional poise” by the New York Times, “a singular voice” by Libération (France). “Tepfer eschews jarring dissonances, gratuitous clusters or poundings,” raves Down Beat magazine. “He has the ability to disappear into the music as he’s making it.”

By age 29, Dan has developed a rare improvisational gift and a complex yet deeply melodic approach to music. He has performed the world over in contexts ranging from solo piano to full orchestra, exploring a wide variety of idioms but always in the service of a personal aesthetic, a unified artistic identity. He has chronicled his talents on the solo disc Twelve Improvisations in Twelve Keys (2009) as well as the trio sessions Before the Storm (2005), Oxygen (2007) and Five Pedals Deep, his critically acclaimed 2010 Sunnyside release with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Ted Poor. The album “lays out something like a personal manifesto“, says the New York times. “Tepfer unfurls his lyricism in great silvery arcs, with no allowance for awkwardness”.

Dan has also had the extraordinary privilege of a sustained, ongoing duo partnership with alto saxophonist and jazz luminary Lee Konitz. The two documented their rapport on the acclaimed 2009 Sunnyside CD Duos With Lee (“a benchmark of human potential” – JazzInsideNY). They have appeared together live at the Village Vanguard and many other leading jazz venues. Whether they’re freely improvising, exploring Dan’s original compositions or applying their interpretive prowess to the Great American Songbook, the Tepfer-Konitz duo achieves stirring results and embodies the notion of jazz as an artistic exchange across the generations. In addition, Dan has had the honor of performing with Steve Lacy, Paul Motian, Bob Brookmeyer, Joe Lovano, Ralph Towner, Mark Turner, Billy Hart and other innovators.

Born to American parents in Paris, France in 1982, Dan began classical piano studies at age six at the Paris Conservatoire Paul Dukas. He took a somewhat circuitous route to a jazz career, earning a bachelors degree in astrophysics from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. But beginning even as a toddler, Dan explored improvisation on his own. He played extensively on the jazz scene in college and enjoyed a brief stint as an opera conductor. After graduating in 2005 from Boston’s New England Conservatory, where he completed his masters under the guidance of Danilo Perez, Dan moved to New York and quickly became an in-demand player and composer.

Dan’s numerous awards include first prize and audience prize at the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition, first prize at the 2006 East Coast Jazz Festival Competition, and first prize at the 2007 competition of the American Pianists Association.

Dan has also been named a Cultural Envoy of the U.S. State Department, with recent travels to Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Czech Republic. He has lectured and led master classes at the Royal Academy of Music (London), the Seoul Institute of the Arts (South Korea), the Chopin Conservatory (Warsaw) and many more. He was recently commissioned by the Prague Castle Guard Orchestra to compose a concerto for wind symphony and improvising piano. Titled The View from Orohena, the work premiered in the Prague Castle on May 4, 2010.

On November 8th 2011, Dan released a solo album on Sunnyside/Naïve entitled Goldberg Variations/Variations. In this new work, he performs Bach’s original variations as written while adding his own improvised variations in between each, thus generating a dialogue with the old master. A contemporary commentary on a revered masterpiece, the project affirms the timelessness and continuity of musical expression.

In addition to working with his new trio, Dan continues to focus on full solo piano concerts of freely improvised music. As France’s Jazz Magazine has noted, he is “gifted with a heightened sense for form and an extraordinary confidence in his angles of attack.” His playing, whatever the context, is a model of fluidity and steady, effortless motion, immersed in jazz history but creating new history in turn.

Dan Tepfer website

Born and raised in Hollywood, Natasha Agrama is a natural born entertainer and multi-disciplinary artist. She got her BFA in New Genres in 2009 from the San Francisco Art Institute, with a focus in drawing, video, and performance. Upon graduating, she became the Art Director for Roxboro Entertainment Group, the jazz record label of renowned musician Stanley Clarke. Somewhere along the way, Natasha went from being the art director, to one of the label’s musical artists. In her short musical career, she has already performed at legendary jazz clubs around the world including the Blue Note NYC, as well as having recorded with Grammy award winning musicians for her upcoming debut record on the Roxboro label. She is currently studying full time at LA Music Academy.

Natasha F Agrama website