Results for "educator"

Ben Sutin

Born: December 23, 1992

After being enamored by the vocal qualities of the violin, Benjamin began studying Suzuki violin at age five, adding piano just a few years later. His career began to blossom when he started showing an interest in jazz, just months before his 13th birthday. It all started with a summer long workshop with saxophonist, Odean Pope at the famed Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz in Philadelphia, the only education institution at the time willing to accept a violinist into their program. Soon after, Benjamin started studying privately with legendary jazz violinist John Blake Jr. among other Philadelphia based jazz luminaries on faculty at the Clef Club. It wasn't long before he developed a name for himself. You would frequently catch him on the Philly scene, whether at sessions or gigging professionally, both as a leader and sideman.

Jodi Proznick

Born: October 23, 1975

Jodi Proznick (born October 23, 1975) is a Canadian jazz bassist, composer, educator and producer. In 2019, she was named Jazz Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards and has been nominated for three Juno Awards. She was a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Arts and Music Awards in 2022 for her contribution to music education in British Columbia.

Proznick began playing double bass when she was thirteen and was taught by her father, musician and educator David Proznick. While attending Semiahmoo Secondary, she won the General Motors Award of Excellence in 1993. She attended McGill University from 1993 to 1998, where she met future collaborators such as pianist Tilden Webb, drummer Jesse Cahill and tenor saxophonist Steve Kaldestad. While in Montreal, she also worked with Christine Jensen, Kelly Jefferson, Ranee Lee, André White, Greg Clayton and other prominent Montreal jazz artists. She was a winner of the IAJE Sisters in Jazz Competition in 1998.

Yayo Morales

Born: July 10

Yayo Morales was born in La Paz, Bolivia. He studied at the National Conservatoire of Music from 1983 to 1989 and after that he moved to Madrid, Spain to complete his studies at the E.M.C. (Escuela de Música Creativa) from 1990 to 1994 where he earned a music degree in Drums, Harmony, Arranging, and Composition. In 2012 in Brussels, Belgium he earned the EMMEN diploma (European Professional Music Qualification) with a Specialty in Jazz. He also has a Master of Arts (MA) in Film Scoring and Video Game Music using New Technologies, graduated Summa Cum Laude from The Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 

Karsten Bagge

Born: April 18, 1971

Born in 1971, Karsten Bagge is a drummer, composer and bandleader with a career spanning more than two decades, playing with a host of top performers in his native Denmark as well as abroad. His rhythmic prowess and creativity on the drums has been the heartbeat of numerous musical projects in the world of jazz and beyond, leaving an indelible mark on the music scene. His compositions are a testament to his creative vision, blending genres and pushing boundaries. In addition to his contributions as a performer, Karsten Bagge has played a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of musicians

Ben Allison

Born: November 17, 1966

In a career that spans over 30 years, bassist/composer Ben Allison has developed his own instantly identifiable sound. Known for his inspired arrangements, inventive grooves and hummable melodies, Ben draws from the jazz tradition and a range of influences from rock and folk to 20th century and a broad range of music from around the world, seamlessly blending them into a cinematic, cohesive whole.

With his small groups, Ben has toured extensively throughout the world building new audiences with an adventurous yet accessible sound and a flair for the unexpected.

Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Ben has performed and collaborated with an extremely diverse range of artists including oudist Ara Dinkjian, kora player Mamadou Diabate, saxophonists Lee Konitz and Joe Lovano, Cambodian chapei master Kong Nay, legendary performance artist Joey Arias, tap dancers Jimmy Slide and Gregory Hines and US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, to name a few. He has appeared on over 50 albums by various artists and has written music for film, television and radio, including the theme for the National Public Radio (NPR) show On the Media (which boasts a listenership of over 2,000,000 people), the score for Two Days, a play written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Donald Margulies and the theme for The Conversation, a webcast talk show hosted by Pharrell Williams.

Chris Montgomery

Born: August 9

Chris Montgomery, a contemporary jazz guitarist has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious festival stages. Influenced by Pat Metheny, Larry Carlton, Lee  Ritenour, Pat Martino, George Benson, the genius of  Wes Montgomery, and Oscar Peterson, Chris fuses classic jazz with contemporary sensibilities. He is also heavily influenced by classical composers, Vaughan Williams, Elgar, Bach, Debussy, Ravel, and Astor Piazzolla.

musical experiences

Guitarist Chris Montgomery has performed internationally, including: the world famous Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, the DuMaurier Jazz Festival, Omni La Costa Resort, the Escondido Performing Arts Center, The California Center for the Arts, Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad. He has worked with such music luminaries as Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson, Phil Nimmons, Taj Mahal, Eric Marienthal, Willie Murillo, Becky Martin, Wayne Bergeron, Sammy Nestico and Rob McConnell. For many years Chris performed and directed the Coastal Cities Jazz Band and performed and directed the award winning Coastal Communities Concert Band.

Molly Skuse

Born: March 27, 1970

Molly Skuse graduated from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where she studied Vocal Jazz Performance and was recognized for her vocal prowess by Down Beat magazine's student music awards. At the New School, Molly drew inspiration from many Jazz luminaries; She has studied with Sheila Jordan, Reggie Workman, Kenny Werner, Cecil Bridgewater  and the late Junior Mance, Chico Hamilton, and Jon Hendricks, to name a few. 

While living in New York City, in the ‘90s, Molly paid her dues gigging 3-5 nights a week in downtown clubs including the Village Gate, The Knitting Factory, Small's, and Nuyorican Poets café. Molly has given concerts of her own compositions, throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, with grant support from Meet the Composer and Brooklyn Arts council.

Anthony Branker

Born: August 28, 1958

Composer, conductor, and bandleader Anthony Branker is an Origin Records recording artist who was named in Down Beat magazine’s 63rd & 62nd Annual Critics Poll as a “Rising Star Composer.” Dr. Branker has nine releases in his fast growing and musically rich discography that include: What Place Can Be For Us? (Origin, 2023), Beauty Within (Origin, 2016), The Forward (Towards Equality) Suite (Origin, 2014), Uppity (Origin, 2013), Together (Origin, 2012), Dialogic (Origin, 2011), Dance Music (Origin, 2010), Blessings (Origin, 2009), and Spirit Songs (Sons of Sound, 2006), which have featured Walter Smith III, Philip Dizack, Remy Le Boeuf, Fabian Almazan, Linda May Han Oh, Donald Edwards, Pete McCann, Alison Crockett, Rudy Royston, Ralph Bowen, David Binney, Conrad Herwig, Jim Ridl, Kenny Davis, Renato Thoms, Mark Gross, Tia Fuller, Steve Wilson, Antonio Hart, Clifford Adams, Andy Hunter, Eli Asher, Jonny King, Bryan Carrott, John Benitez, Belden Bullock, Adam Cruz, Ralph Peterson Jr., Wilby Fletcher, Kadri Voorand, and Freddie Bryant.

CeCe Gable

CeCe Gable is a consummate jazz performer who has sung in clubs and venues throughout the US, Europe and Japan. She has produced 4 cds to critical acclaim and continues to offer concerts and clinics. Originally, from Barberton, Ohio she now lives in the Reno Tahoe Area where she has been a featured Guest Artist with the Reno Jazz Orchestra, the Reno Philharmonic, the Reno Pops and the Carson Symphony.

CeCe is a published author, seasoned and passionate collaborative lyricist, composer and publisher. Her repertoire spans genres and generations and she has presented a diverse repertoire from Sondheim and Weil to Monk and Gershwin and is best known for her interpretation of the American Songbook. When CeCe is not performing for her fans, she directs a very active vocal arts studio and is available for coaching and private lessons.

Kyle Aho

Kyle Aho is a jazz pianist, composer, and educator living in Springfield, Missouri. He has performed with many notable artists, including George Garzone, Jerry Bergonzi, Bob Brookmeyer, Geri Brown, and others. Some performance highlights include NYC’s Blue Note and Jazz Standard, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., The Green Mill in Chicago, The Blue Room in Kansas City, and concerts in Japan and Taiwan. After growing up Pocatello, Idaho, a mountain railroad town, Kyle spent the next 13 years in Seattle and Boston as a working musician and student before moving to the Midwest to raise a family