Results for "modern jazz"

Alec Orea

Born: August 17, 1981

Formerly known as Alex Corrêa, Alec Orea was born in august 17th, 1981. As the son of a classical pianist, was at the age of five his first contact with the piano, but was at thirteen when he decided to follow the music path.  At seventeen, Alex began his undergraduate studies at Universidade Estadual de Londrina - Brazil, which brought him into a significant contact with many sound environments, anthropological and philosophical studies, and skills aimed at teaching music.

By the age of 25, Alec moved to São Paulo in Brazil and focused on studying the development of a contemporary language in the context of instrumental music, and as a result he recorded his first album in 2010, entitled “Sintoma” in partnership with Adauto Dias, Nenê and Arismar do Espírito Santo. Besides being a performer he also worked as a teacher compounding the faculty of the Conservatory Souza Lima in São Paulo, Brazil.

Alyssa Allgood

Born: September 5, 1992

Alyssa Allgood is an award-winning jazz vocalist, composer, arranger and educator with a compelling voice in the modern jazz landscape. Described as “assured and daring” by Downbeat Magazine and “a model of sophisticated song interpretation” by the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago-based artist boldly weaves soulful storytelling and rich improvisational language through original compositions, captivating arrangements and a lyrical focus of self-love and human connection.

Allgood’s exhilarating fourth album, “From Here”, is due April 19, 2024 on Next Records. Recorded with internationally renowned musicians John Patitucci, Kendrick Scott, Geoffrey Keezer and Greg Ward, the music showcases a modern approach to jazz singing with musical interaction and vocal freedom at its core. The album features 10 original songs which show Allgood reaching a new pinnacle of personal expression, emotional observation and artistic achievement. Her three previous albums — What Tomorrow Brings (Cellar Music, 2021), Exactly Like You (Cellar Music, 2018), and her self-released debut Out of the Blue (2016) — trace the remarkable trajectory of a vocalist admired for the clarity of her instrument, the sureness of her phrasing, the range of her improvising, and the burgeoning depth of her interpretative skills.

Stefán S. Stefánsson

Born: July 28, 1957

Born in Hafnarfjörður near the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík in 1957 Stefan started playing music at an early age. At first, he banged on the drums with a fierce interest in Latin music as well as jazz. As a teenager, he started studies at Sigursveins Music School in Iceland on flute.

About 17 he started playing the saxophone and has done that since. After various musical studies, amongst them studies with the legendary Icelandic tenor saxophonist Gunnar Ormslev, Stefan started writing music. His first albums were released with a band called Ljósin í bænum (City lights) a group of friends that Stefan got together to play his music. All in all Ljósin í bænum made two albums. The second one called Disco Frisco (a parody of the Disco era) became extremely popular as a funky disco single. The band was dissolved in 1979. After Ljósin í bænum Stefan did a stint with the very popular band Tivoli, which released the very popular song (still today) Fallinn  lyrics and music by Stefán.

Lawrence Fields

Lawrence Fields, born and bred in St. Louis, has earned a spot at the forefront of young jazz pianists, thanks to his blending of vintage ideals with a contemporary mindset. For the last five years, in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019, Downbeat Magazine has placed him close to the top of the keyboardist category in their “Rising Stars” critics poll. Fields showcases his own dynamic blend of composition and playing in his trio and quartet, and his music is currently being featured internationally. His debut album featuring his trio and solo playing, To the Surface, was released on February 2, 2024 to critical acclaim.

Efraim Schulz-Wackerbarth

Efraim Schulz-Wackerbarth is an Australian born German jazz drummer based in Amsterdam. His versatility, sensitivity to style, tight ensemble playing and improvisational skills make him a sought after player with instrumentalists and singers alike and have led him to collaborate with musicians from around the globe. His debut album "Between Two Worlds" was released in March 2024 on Zennez Records. In 2022 Efraim recorded and performed with Saxophone player Iman Spargaaren's album "Sly Fly". As a member of the band surrounding singer-songwriter Carly E. he recorded and performed her album Timeless Thoughts in Holland in 2018/2019. 

Serra Bilgincan

Born: February 10, 1998

Serra Bilgincan is a composer and vocalist of jazz music based in Istanbul, Turkey. In 2017, she got accepted to Berklee College of Music, but decided to take a non-academic and more intuitive route into music and studied architecture at Central Saint Martins instead. Having trained in classical piano at her young ages, she became a fan of jazz music in her teen years. After some years of personal practice, her debut single 'Transience' has just been released. Three other tracks (Strange Proximity, Convergence, and EXCR) are currently undergoing mixing and mastering, and all four will make up her first EP project 'Disintegration'.

David Giesel

Born: April 8, 1996

David Giesel is a German drummer, composer and bandleader from Basel who works mainly in the fields of jazz, pop and improvised music. The unmistakable characteristics of his sound are the clarity, the dynamic spectrum, followed by the urge to constantly rediscover himself without losing the focus on the music.

David Giesel grew up near Freiburg and completed his bachelor's degree in 2023 at the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts. He studied with Eckhard Stromer, Fabian Arends, Rainer Tempel and Alexander "Sandi" Kuhn.

David Giesel released his first albums as a sideman with the "Lukas Wögler Quartett" (Alba, Plastic Jazz), the "Simon Bremen Quartett" (Reflections on Predictability, Unit Records) and others. In 2021 he received the "BMBF Deutschlandstipendium" and found the band "Larceny" with which he released the EP "Shapes" 2022 and the album "Crosscurrent" (2023) on "XJAZZ!MUSIC" Berlin.

Christine Xu

Christine Xu  (徐晨曦)  

Christine Xu is a Beijing based Jazz Vocalist, Composer, Educator.

Born and raised in WenZhou, China, she started classical piano studies at 5 and half years old, sang and played piano accompany in church choir since 8 years old.

Christine Xu received a bachelor’s in Music Education from ZheJiang Conservatory Of Music. After graduation, she studied artistic director with classical musicians Claar ter Hors and Alexander Schmalcz in Berlin, Germany.

In 2021, Christine received a master degree in Jazz Studies (Vocal) from Queens College, CUNY, studied under Jazz musicians Chareneè Wade, David Berkman, Jeb Patton, Dennis Mackrel, Antonio Hart, Michael Mossman, Aubrey Johnson.

Nastazio Gkoumas

Born: February 18, 1965

Nastazio Gkoumas was born in Athens in 1965. He is jazz fusion guitarist and composer  with SEVEN released studio albums. His relationship with music began at the age of 10. Simultaneously he played electric guitar in many rock groups. His interest in jazz began in 1985 and it would determine his future course.He is  a  Musician that has dedicated his life’s works to music and performance. Perfecting his technical abilities and unique sound over the years,  

In 2013 he presented his first compositions with his band ,( Nastazio Gkoumas )   A New Day    

Orlando Madrid

Born: March 27, 1991

A native of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Orlando Madrid is quickly gaining recognition for his soulful, innovative and unique voice on the alto saxophone. His talents as a gifted saxophonist, composer, and educator have made him an in-demand musician who has performed at jazz clubs, jazz festivals, schools and concert halls all over the country and in Asia.  

Orlando has performed regularly in the Las Cruces, El Paso,  Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rochester and New York City areas with nationally touring artists and local jazz musicians. During his study in New Mexico, he performed with the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra (AJO), Entourage Jazz, popular local Bohemian Folk band Cactus Tractor, Bobby Shew, and Doug Lawrence. He also has had the privilege of sharing the stage with Ingrid Jensen, Marshall Gilkes, Dick Oatts, Jeff Coffin, Tony Lujan, George Stone, Jules Broussard, Eric Alexander, Clay Jenkins, Wynton Marsalis, Ted Nash, Rich Perry,  Jerry Lopez & The Santa Fe Horns, Charles Pillow Big Band, The Temptations, and The Frank SInatra Orchestra. Orlando was selected as Lead Alto for the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Contemporary Collegiate Honor Jazz Orchestra, which performed at Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Club and the Maryland Jazz Festival under the direction of grammy nominated and saxophonist/composer, Ted Nash.