Home » Jazz Musicians » Ryan Keberle
Ryan Keberle
Hailed in the Downbeat International Critics Poll as #1 Rising Star trombonist, a player “of vision and composure” according to The New York Times, Ryan Keberle has developed a one-of-a-kind voice both on his instrument and as a bandleader, earning distinction among jazz’s most adventurous new voices.
Keberle’s outlets include the celebrated piano-less group Catharsis; the Big Band Living Legacy Project, carrying on the rich musical language of big band jazz (’30s through ’70s), featuring top veteran players in the idiom; and Reverso — Suite Ravel, a chamber-jazz collaboration with French pianist Frank Woeste featuring cellist Vincent Courtois and drummer Jeff Ballard.
Keberle's music integrates his wide-ranging experiences into a highly personal vernacular — immersed in jazz tradition, drawing on world music, pop and other influences, seeking fresh and original pathways. His earliest work as a leader, on Double Quartet and Heavy Dreaming, featured an ensemble thick with brass textures and a malleable little-big-band aesthetic. Catharsis, with its invigorating trombone-trumpet frontline, agile rhythm section and the voice and guitar of Camila Meza, debuted in 2012 with Music is Emotion, followed by Into the Zone in 2014 and Azul Infinito in 2016 (the latter two released on Dave Douglas’s Greenleaf label). Billboard picked Azul Infinito as one of “five jazz albums you need to hear.”
In 2017 Catharis turned its attention to political turmoil in the U.S. with the protest album Find the Common, Shine a Light, praised by The Nation as “unpretentiously intelligent and profoundly moving.” Find the Common also saw Keberle emerging as a solid performing keyboardist (his first instrument).
Catharsis has toured internationally for years, engaging audiences at the Toronto, Ottawa, Rochester and Bergamo International Jazz Festivals, and at premier jazz clubs including Pizza Express (London), Le Duc des Lombards (Paris), Stadtgarten (Cologne), Jazz Standard and Jazz at Lincoln Center (New York) and bluewhale (Los Angeles). The band was also featured in NPR’s prestigious Tiny Desk Concert series and on the French TV channel Mezzo.
Keberle has also worked in endlessly varied settings with musicians ranging from superstars to up-and-coming innovators, in jazz, indie rock, R&B and classical music. As a featured soloist with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, he collaborated with David Bowie on his 2015 single “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime).” He has performed extensively with the acclaimed songwriter Sufjan Stevens and with Darcy James Argue’s groundbreaking big band Secret Society. He has also played in the big bands of Pedro Giraudo and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón, with Brazilian superstar Ivan Lins, and with the Saturday Night Live house band. He has accompanied soul hit-makers Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake as well as jazz legends Rufus Reid and Wynton Marsalis.
Read moreTags
Ryan Keberle & Collectiv do Brasil: Choro das Aguas
by Katchie Cartwright
Ryan Keberle began to study music at age four in Spokane, first at the piano with his mother, Ann, followed by Suzuki violin lessons. His father Dan, a university jazz director, encouraged him to pick up the trombone at 10, for the sensible reason that he always seemed to be short a trombonist in his ensembles. Ryan acquiesced, and it has served him well. He was playing in adult big bands at 15, and is on ...
Continue ReadingJoel Frahm, Ryan Keberle, Eddie Moore, Thomas Fonnesbaek & Adam Galblum
by Joe Dimino
We kick off the 913th episode of Neon Jazz with the rich, swinging sound of Kansas City violinist and bandleader Adam Galblum, leading his Hot Club KC ensemble. The show opens with the title track from his fresh 2025 release, Dream Dancing--a vibrant nod to vintage jazz with modern flair. From there, we stay rooted in the KC scene with standout cuts from some of the city's brightest voices--Eddie Moore, the electrifying All Night Trio led by Matt Villinger, and ...
Continue ReadingRyan Truesdell: Shades of Sound
by Angelo Leonardi
Shades of Sound costituisce il secondo volume del Gil Evans Project di Ryan Truesdell, inciso dal vivo al Jazz Standard di New York. Data d'incisione e organico sono gli stessi di Lines of Color, il primo volume registrato dal 13 al 18 maggio 2014 con una formazione di 23 musicisti più il leader, scelti tra i solisti più brillanti di New York: i sassofonisti Donny McCaslin, Dave Pietro, Steve Wilson, i trombettisti Mat Jodrell e Greg Gisbert, i trombonisti Ryan ...
Continue ReadingRyan Truesdell / Gil Evans Project: Shades Of Sound
by Jack Kenny
Shades of Sound is not about Ryan Truesdell recreating the past. There are excellent reasons to listen to recreations of the music of Gil Evans. As critic Bill Mathieu wrote of Evans, “The mind reels at the intricacy of his orchestral and developmental techniques. His scores are so careful, so formally well-constructed, so mindful of tradition that you feel the originals should be preserved under glass in a Florentine museum" (Mathieu in Max Harrison, Jazz Profiles, 2011). Evans ...
Continue ReadingRyan Truesdell: Shades Of Sound
by Pierre Giroux
Ryan Truesdell's Shades of Sounds: Gil Evans Project Live at Jazz Standard Vol. 2 is a triumphant continuation of his lovingly curated Gil Evans Project--a musical venture focusing on both preservation and revelation. With this latest volume, Truesdell guides us through Evans' well-known sonic landscape and deeper into the vaults, unearthing four never-before-recorded arrangements that offer a renewed understanding of the composer's nuanced brilliance. Truesdell's decision to record live at Jazz Standard is both philosophical and ...
Continue ReadingNew Music From Keberle, Nawashiro, Hilton & More
by Bob Osborne
On this show, we feature another selection of excellent new jazz releases for your listening pleasure. In addition, I feature a 1992 performance from Keith Jarrett with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian from the legendary Deer Head Inn which has just been released. Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Ryan Keberle & Catharsis “Sonic Living" from Music Is Connection (Alternate Side Records) 00:28 Taka Nawashiro “Lifescape" from Lifescape (Universal Music) 06:20 Lisa Hilton “Escapist Fantasy" from Lucky All Along (Ruby ...
Continue ReadingDenin Koch: It Comes in Waves
by Geannine Reid
Guitarist Denin Slage-Koch's third album, It Comes in Waves, is a contemporary jazz outing featuring eight original compositions and a reimagined pop classic. Known for his exceptional technique and thoughtful compositions, Slage-Koch has assembled a group of highly skilled musicians to bring his vision to life. Slage-Koch's skill as a composer is evident in tracks like “The Road Home" and “The Philosopher (for Wayne Shorter)." In “The Road Home" one can hear beautiful harmonic progressions and tension/resolution patterns developed throughout ...
Continue ReadingRyan Keberle & Collectiv Do Brasil Pay Tribute To Ivan Lins On 'Choro Das Aguas,' To Be Released July 18 By Alternate Side Records
Source:
Terri Hinte Publicity
Trombonist Ryan Keberle and Collectiv do Brasil explore the music of one of the world’s greatest living musical masters with Choro das Águas, set for a July 18 release on Alternate Side Records. The album—Keberle’s third with the São Paulo pianist/arranger Felipe Silveira, bassist Felipe Brisola, and drummer Paulinho Vicente features compositions by Brazilian jazz and popular music tunesmith Ivan Lins, marking the composer’s 80th-birthday year, along with two of Keberle’s unique original compositions. (Lins and Keberle share a June ...
read more
Jazz this week: Maceo Parker, Barb Jungr & John McDaniel, Ryan Keberle, and more
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features one of the godfathers of funk saxophone, cabaret interpretations of the music of the Beatles, the return of a popular free concert series, and more. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, January 24 Saxophonist Maceo Parker opens a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Parker made his reputation in the 1970s and '80s as a member of James Brown's band, the JBs. He ...
read more
Ryan Keberle & Catharsis To Tour The Pacific Northwest April 7th-13th
Source:
Ryan Keberle
Beginning this Tuesday, the critically acclaimed jazz outfit, Ryan Keberle & Catharsis, will hit the road traversing the Pacific Northwest and Northern California bringing their music, what the LA Times recently described as “a potent blend of cinematic sweep and lush, ear-grabbing melodies" to both rural and urban centers. Ryan Keberle & Catharsis is: Ryan Keberle - Trombone, Melodica Mike Rodriguez - Trumpet Jorge Roeder - Bass Eric Doob - Drums Camila ...
read more
Trombonist Ryan Keberle & Catharsis To Release Second Record, Into The Zone
Source:
Fully Altered Media
Exploring Meditative Concept Of Mindfulness As Applied To Improvised Music, On Dave Douglas’ Greenleaf Music, Out Sept. 30, 2014 Into the Zone Features Original Catharsis Lineup: Ryan KEBERLE (trombone/melodica), MIKE RODRIGUEZ (trumpet), JORGE ROEDER (bass), ERIC DOOB (drums), Plus Newest Addition to Catharsis, CAMILA MEZA (vocals); And An Encore Guest Spot from SCOTT ROBINSON (sax) Most jazz musicians avoid repetition dogmatically. But when Ryan Keberle realized he’d been playing the same eight-note phrase in all his recent warm-ups, the trombonist ...
read more
News and Tour Dates on Trombonist/Composer Ryan Keberle
Source:
Two for the Show Media
In-demand and multi-faceted jazz trombonist and composer, Ryan Keberle, will unveil his newest project, Ryan Keberle and Catharsis, in a series of performances around the tri-state area this February. Ryan Keberle and Catharsis, a “piano-less" quartet highlighting Keberle's tuneful compositions and emotive arrangements in a bluesy, groove based, latin-jazz influenced atmosphere features three of the jazz world's most notable up-and-coming voices, Mike Rodriguez on trumpet, Jorge Roeder on bass, and Eric Doob on drums. Fresh off one of his busiest ...
read more
Ryan Keberle Double Quartet @ the Rubin Art Museum August 27th
Source:
Ryan Keberle
The Ryan Keberle Double Quartet will be performing at the Rubin Art Museum on August 27th at 7pm as part of their Harlem in the Himalayas series, presented in conjunction with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Mr. Keberle will be performing music from his critically acclaimed, recently released CD, Heavy Dreaming. Here's what the critics have to say: “Keberle's broad compositional ideals, along with his superb ability to balance the big and the small within his band, helps place ...
read more
Ryan Keberle Double Quartet Live at CIM
Source:
Two for the Show Media
The Ryan Keberle Double Quartet is back at it next Friday, November 16th, at the Center for Improvisational Music (CIM). We'll be playing music from my debut CD which continues to receive rave reviews (an article on trombonist/recording artists just came out in the October Issue of JazzIz magazine which has some very nice things to say about my record, as well as other new releases). Details are below. The Ryan Keberle Double Quartet @ The Center For Improvisational Music ...
read more
Trombonist Ryan Keberle Interviewed at AAJ
Source:
All About Jazz
Trombonist Ryan Keberle's debut CD, Double Quartet (Alternative Side, 2007), displays a facile and expressive instrumentalist with a sound and technique that is smoothly intoned and gregarious with an emphasis on creating strong melodic lines. He is also a musical thinker with a rapidly maturing compositional and arranging style.
He currently performs with his own group, but stays busy in New York as a member of Maria Schneider's Orchestra and performing with the likes of Slide Hampton, Joe Lovano and ...
read more
"the best new jazz album of 2010" (Fred Kaplan, Stereophile) "a sumptuous and spirited disc" (Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen) "wonderful balance of listenability and complexity" (Damian Erskine, Bass Musician Magazine) "Heavy Dreaming is easily on target for one of my 2010 favorites" (Bobby Vega, Jazz Times) "Keberle's broad compositional ideals, along with his superb ability to balance the big and the small within his band, helps place Heavy Dreaming in a class of its own" (Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz) "[Keberle] is clearly in the vanguard of a handful of stalwarts re-introducing the trombone to now unaccustomed ears" (Bob Gish, Jazz Inside) "a strong player who recalls the vibrancy of JJ Johnson, the originality of Wycliffe Gordon and the pure tone of Frank Rosolino", - "full of drama" - All About Jazz -"Ryan Keberle is one of the most creative jazz artists I have heard in some time.", "one of the years best!" - Inside Connection -"neatly layered horn passages stand out throughout the disc, which is distinguished by Keberle's ever- cheerful solos." - Jazz Times -"Keberle’s original compositions...are intriguing, luscious and tasteful, while his own playing is gorgeous in tone", " 'Double Quartet' is an impressive debut, full of shades and subtleties, from a young artist with a bright future ahead of him." - Jazz Chicago.net
Primary Instrument
Trombone
Location
New York City
Willing to teach
Advanced only
Credentials/Background
Jazz Professor at Hunter College, in demand trombone, big band, improvisational clinician.
Clinic/Workshop Information
Trombone studies, Jazz History, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Styles, Ensemble rehearsal
Natalie Cressman
trombonePhotos
Music
Grooveyard
From: GrooveyardBy Ryan Keberle
Blue in the 2nd Degree
From: A Rose In The CanyonBy Ryan Keberle
Wedding Music
From: Double QuartetBy Ryan Keberle
Videos
Similar
Brad Mehldau
piano
J.J. Johnson
trombone
Donny McCaslin
saxophone, tenor
Bob Brookmeyer
trombone
Frank Rosolino
trombone
Roswell Rudd
trombone
Steve Turre
trombone
Conrad Herwig
trombone
Robin Eubanks
trombone
Albert Mangelsdorff
trombone
Josh Roseman
trombone
Grachan Moncur III
trombone
Rob McConnell
trombone
Julian Priester
trombone
Nils Wogram
trombone
Glenn Ferris
trombone
Ryan Keberle
Location: New York City
Instrument: Trombone
Born: June 16, 1980
Publicist: Fully Altered Media
