Results for "band/orchestra"

Galactic

Active since: 1994

History doesn’t stand still. It impacts, influences, and inspires the ebb and flow of the future by informing the present. Galactic draw on 25 years together in order to progress with each performance and subsequent record. After 10 albums, over 2,000 gigs, and tens of millions of streams, the proud New Orleans, LA quintet—Ben Ellman [saxophone, harmonica], Robert Mercurio [bass], Stanton Moore [drums, percussion], Jeffrey Raines [guitar], and Richard Vogal [keyboards]—have kept the torch burning through five U.S. presidential regimes, the turn-of-the-century, Hurricane Katrina, a Global Pandemic, and a much-anticipated recovery. They’re the rare collective who can support Juvenile on Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, contribute music to a blockbuster soundtrack such as Now You See Me, and light up the stages of Coachella, Bonnaroo, and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (a staggering 22 times). 

Fourplay

For over 25 years the legend of Fourplay has grown.  Exploring the limitless possibilities of jazz has allowed the quartet to evolve musically, drawing musical elements from a wide range of styles, to hone their own unique and innovative sound.

The story begins in 1990, with keyboardist Bob James, who had already established himself as a formidable figure in jazz, known not just as an instrumentalist, also but as a composer and arranger, with a solo career dating back to the mid-1960s.

It was in 1990, when James decided to reunite with Harvey Mason during the recording of James’ album Grand Piano Canyon.  Mason, one of the most highly sought after drummers of all time (Herbie Hancock, Barbra Steisand, Notorious B.I.G.), was also well known as a composer and producer.  This project also included Lee Ritenour, and bassist Nathan East (Barry White, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Daft Punk).  This recording marked the genesis of the group known as Fourplay.

Bob Florence

Born: May 20, 1932

For close to 50 years now the release of a new Bob Florence recording has been a major cause for celebration in the jazz world and with each album, going all the way back to 1958's "Name Band 59", it seems that he has reached an absolute pinnacle in the possibilities of contemporary big band writing. But he has continued to surprise us, year after year, by venturing into unexplored territory and consistently setting new standards in the art of big band jazz. Bob Florence has garnered national and international acclaim as a jazz composer, arranger, bandleader, keyboardist, accompanist, and educator

FivePlay Jazz Quintet

Laura Klein (piano/composer): Laura grew up in New York City, and studied music at SUNY Buffalo and at the Berklee College of Music. She has played and recorded her own compositions with the three-horned band Triceratops, the Laura Klein-Ted Wolff duo, and FivePlay. Laura has performed with her own trios (including the great drummers Joe Hunt and Benny Barth), many vocalists including Jenny Ferris and Ed Reed, with the Rudy Salvini Big Band, John Dankworth and the San Francisco Symphony, and many others. She freelances in the Bay Area and is Associate Professor of the Alexander Technique at the Jazz Institute in Berkeley. Tony Corman (guitar/composer): Tony comes from the Boston area

Firehouse Five Plus Two

Active since: 1949

As I flip back to the days when I was the Firechief and designated trombonist in the jazz band called the Firehouse Five Plus Two, it's difficult to deny that those 22 years were some of the most bizarre times of my life. Here we were, a bunch of artists, writers, and technicians who worked together for Walt Disney by day, turning out those wonderful animation films of the Golden Age and, on weekends, playing our raucous style of New Orleans jazz, all dressed up in red shirts, white suspenders, and genuine leather firehats. The roots of the band germinated in the early 1940's when some of us at the Disney Studio used to gather in my office at lunchtime to listen to my records of such jazz legends as King Oliver, Baby Dodds, Jelly Roll Morton, and Louis Armstrong

Clare Fischer

Born: October 22, 1928

Born on October 22, 1928 in Durand, Michigan, Clare Fischer is an uncommonly versatile musician, a master with many muses. Trained in the classics, inspired by jazz artists, healed by the rhythms of Latin and Brazilian music, his eclectic sound finds expression in every chart and instrument he touches.

A veteran studio musician and a composer of rare quality, Fischer began his studies in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at South High School with director of music, Glenn Litton. After receiving his master's degree in composition from Michigan State University, where he studied with Dr. H. Owen Reed, he traveled extensively with "The Hi-Lo's" as pianist-conductor for 5 years. About the same time, his musical ascension began with his critically acclaimed arrangements for Dizzy Gillespie's "A Portrait of Duke Ellington." Fischer's influences, absorbed along the way, are as distinct as his music: Stravinsky and Shostakovich, Bartok and Berg, Dutilleux, boogie-woogie pianist Meade Lux Lewis, Nat "King" Cole, Duke Ellington, Bud Powell and early Lee Konitz - Fischer's self-expression knows no boundaries.

Either/Orchestra

Active since: December 17, 1985

Either/Orchestra is an avant-garde jazz ensemble founded in 1985 by saxophonist and bandleader Russ Gershon. Based in Boston, the group is known for its eclectic blend of jazz, funk, Latin, and other musical styles, often incorporating elements of orchestral and world music into their compositions. Their sound is characterized by complex arrangements and a willingness to experiment with form and genre, making them a unique and influential presence in the jazz world. The ensemble has featured a rotating cast of talented musicians over the years and has released several albums that showcase their innovative approach to jazz.

The DIVA Jazz Orchestra

Active since: 1992

The inspiration for DIVA came from Stanley Kay, one-time manager and relief drummer for Buddy Rich. In 1990, Kay was conducting a band in which Sherrie Maricle was playing the drums. Stanley immediately picked up on her extraordinary talent and began to wonder if there were other women players who could perform at the same level. The search was on and through nationwide auditions, the foundation for DIVA was poured in 1992 and what emerged is the dynamic musical force that holds forth to the present day. Since their premiere performance over 21 years ago, DIVA has toured the world to critical and popular acclaim

Dixie Dregs

The Dixie Dregs evolved from an Augusta, Georgia band called Dixie Grit, formed by Steve Morse and Andy West in 1970. The band featured Morse’s older brother Dave on drums, Frank Brittingham (guitar and vocals) and Johnny Carr (keyboards). Carr was later replaced by Mark Parrish. Shortly after Steve Morse’s enrollment at University of Miami’s School of Music in 1971, Dixie Grit was disbanded. Morse and West continued performing as a duet, calling themselves Dixie Dregs (the “Dregs” of “Dixie Grit”). In 1973, Steve Morse (guitar), Andy West (bass), Allen Sloan (violin) and Bart Yarnal (drums) met while students at the University of Miami’s School of Music to play as Rock Ensemble II

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Active since: 1977

New Orleans music ushered in the 20th century with the wail of a joyful noise: collective improvisation, syncopated rhythms, eclectic stylings, and an infectious joie de vivre that was exhilarating. Indeed, thanks to New Orleans musicians such as King Oliver, Jellyroll Morton, and above all, Louis Armstrong, the 1920s became known as the "jazz age." Just like early jazz was an amalgamation of the music of its era, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band's musical revolution was actually a reintroduction of the basic eclecticism that made jazz the most dynamic music of the 20th century. Founded in April of 1977, the formation of the Dirty Dozen created a musical revolution in New Orleans