Results for "Baltimore"

Bob Jacobson

Born: 1950

Like most sax players, I started on clarinet as a kid and have become increasingly involved in clarinet over the past several years, even creating a 3-clarinet (plus guitar & bass) band called Jazz Clarinets Galore. I also lead two other combos in which I play both sax & clarinet: Sounds Good and Swing 'N' Samba. My jazz playing is mostly mainstream but since attending the Salsa Meets Jazz/Afro-Caribbean Jazz Seminar led by Eddie Palmieri & his octet members in 2001, I've been increasingly interested in Latin music, and have composed rumbas, boleros and tangos.

Since Fall, 2003 I've been on the board of the advocacy organization Baltimore Jazz Alliance

Michael Joseph Harris

Born: August 2, 1967

In 2012, after years of performing mostly Brazilian and Latin influenced original music, guitarist Michael Joseph Harris began studying and playing the music of legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt which led to the creation of The Hot Club of Baltimore later that same year. Harris then formed the band Ultrafaux in 2014 to perform his original Gypsy Jazz compositions. In 2015, Harris founded and remained Artistic Director for Charm City Django Jazz Fest which is the only annual Jazz festival in Baltimore, Maryland. Michael was named one of the top ten musicians by Baltimore Style Magazine and he was featured on a full spread article in The Baltimore Sun Weekend Section as well as Baltimore Magazine

2019: The Year in Jazz

by Ken Franckling
January 2, 2020

The year 2019 was robust in many ways. International Jazz Day brought its biggest stage to Australia. An important but long-shuttered jazz mecca was revived in a coast-to-coast move. ECM Records celebrated a golden year. The music and its makers figured prominently on the big screen. The National Endowment for the Arts welcomed four new NEA ...

Monty Alexander: Still Rolling

by Geno Thackara
July 19, 2019

If there's one defining quality to Monty Alexander's music, it's joy. An unmistakable undercurrent of happiness has been constant across several decades, dozens of recordings and countless performances all over the world. He could be honoring classic jazz balladeers, exploring the danceable “riddims" of his native Jamaica or anything in between, and you can always hear ...

Take Five with Donna Singer

by AAJ Staff
June 6, 2019

About Donna Singer Raised in the lush Catskills, Donna Singer graduated from the New York Academy of Theatrical Arts, then studied at The Juilliard School. Her far reaching career includes European concerts in Paris, Switzerland, Ireland, Italy and Wales. She has performed at the Metropolitan Opera Guild Recital Hall in Lincoln Center, Central Park's ...

Mark Wade Trio At Montpelier Arts Center on March 15, 2019

March 1, 2019

Bassist Mark Wade brings his trio to Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, Maryland for a concert featuring selections from his latest (2018) album, Moving Day. The New York based trio also includes pianist Tim Harrison and drummer Scott Neumann. Voted one of the top 10 bassists of 2018 and 2016 by the prestigious Downbeat Magazine Reader’s ...

Women In Jazz: How To Jump Start Your Career

January 14, 2019

Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, Maryland, halfway between Washington DC and Baltimore, has become a leader in hosting community cultural events. One of the most talked about is the Women in Jazz Panel Discussion held annually in March. The topic for the March 31, 2019 panel is entitled “Women in Jazz: How to Jump-Start Your Career.” ...

Stan Turk

Born: October 29, 1950

Growing up in a musical family in Baltimore, Stan’s musical career has covered almost every style and genre of music. Stan began playing in local clubs and bars well before he was old enough to drive much less order a beverage! Early in his career, he was fortunate enough to study with some of the great guitar instructors in the area: Larry Woolridge and Walt Namuth. As a teen, he worked with many talented local musicians working steadily in local lounges and supper clubs and impressed local entertainment columnists enough to marvel at a teenage band that could “actually read music.” That period included appearances on the “Kerby Scott Show” with The Casino Royales and performing backup for the 60’s group The Angels (“My Boyfriend’s Back”) with The Marlins

Joshua Espinoza

Born: April 12, 1989

​Latino-American pianist Joshua Espinoza blends and bends genres into a style that is immediately relatable yet difficult to define. Fusing the spontaneity of jazz with soaring folk melodies, shimmering impressionism, and head bopping backbeats, Espinoza explores the art of musical storytelling with the refinement of classical chamber music but the freedom of jazz. Espinoza has performed professionally with jazz luminaries such as Sean Jones, Warren Wolf, Miho Hazama, Jihye Lee, Paul Bollenback, John D’earth, Mike Pope, Chuck Redd, and Kris Funn.

Todd Marcus

Bass clarinetist, composer, and bandleader Todd Marcus is one of the few jazz artists worldwide to focus exclusively on the bass clarinet as a solo instrument. While use of bass clarinet in jazz typically tends to lean heavily towards avant-garde and free-jazz styles, Marcus’ playing presents the instrument with a modern straight-ahead jazz approach. His music swings hard with both fiery and introspective intensity but also maintains a strong lyrical sensibility. Based in Baltimore, MD, Marcus actively leads small ensembles such as the Todd Marcus Quartet, Trio, and Duo as well as his nonet - The Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra which features his compositions and arrangements for six horns, piano, bass, and drums