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Timothy Orr

Tim is the Marketing Associate for the Monterey Jazz Festival.

About Me

Timothy Orr was born in Hartford, Connecticut on June 22, 1967 and began playing the drums in 1976. After playing in several rock bands in the early 80’s, he studied with Edward Blackwell from 1985-89 at Wesleyan University where he earned a BA in English, with a concentration in Medieval and Renaissance literature. In retrospect, he should have studied Ethnomusicology.

During this period, Tim played in several rock, punk and grunge bands, warming up for emerging talents like Helmet, Fugazi, Band of Susans and Soul Asylum. He also worked in college musical theater productions, played for dancers, film soundtracks, and worked on several thesis performances. Upon graduation in 1989, Tim started to perform in several roots music bands in the New England region, performing Cajun, zydeco, bluegrass, post-war Chicago blues, and original music as well.

In addition to his performance schedule, Tim cultivated a career in the music industry, holding positions in alternative radio promotion and classical marketing at Virgin Records, publicity at MCA, retail sales at HMV and warehouse and operations management at TVT Records in New York City. After moving to San Francisco in 1992, Tim hooked up with the Cajun/zydeco scene in the Bay Area, and began to play 100+ nights a year with various people and groups, such as Andre Thierry, Zydeco Slim, Tete Rouge, Danny Poullard, Andrew Carriere, Gerard Landry, Kenny Menard, and many others.

From 1997 to 2002, Tim was VP of Sales and the Marketing Director for the Arkadia Jazz label, and was Associate Director of the Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California from 2003 to 2005. Since the early 90s, he has been a journalist for DRUM! and Traps Magazine and has been on the Board of Directors of Oakland’s Jazz In Flight since 2002. He now is the Marketing Associate for the Monterey Jazz Festival.

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