Results for "Composer"

Carolyn Fitzhugh

Chicago native Carolyn Fitzhugh affectionately named “Songbird” by her adoring fans is a timeless song stylist who possesses the grace, elegance, and improvisational skills of the legends of yesteryear while capturing the attention and affection of all ages. Carolyn’s childhood home was filled with the music of a diverse assortment of music greats from Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, John Coltrane and Ella Fitzgerald to Morgana King and Sarah Vaughn to Minnie Ripperton, Ray Charles and Earth, Wind & Fire! Carolyn began taking classical piano lessons at age 5 and soon after she started making up melodies on the piano, as she adds “my early days of composition.” It was now she felt the emotion to sing and play and soon after what would become a 3-octave voice was born, and the fire to sing, play the piano and entertain was lit never to extinguished! As Carolyn further reminiscences “In my teens, I fell in love with jazz piano and the captivating technique of the likes of Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, Chick Corea, and McCoy Tyner quickly became my favorites.” In addition to those masters Carmen McRae, Shirley Horn, Joe Williams and Stevie Wonder are also influences on Carolyn and are collectively reflective in her writing and singing! With influences like these genius’ and her desire to shape her own sound Carolyn has become an innovative composer as her 5 exceptional compositions on her debut CD demonstrate

Andreas Arnold

Born: November 20, 1981

As an artist in a globalized world, Andreas Arnold expresses himself through a musical kaleidoscope that reflects the classical traditions of his homeland Germany, jazz from the US where he has been living for the last decade, and music from the Mediterranean, in particular the Spanish art form of flamenco. Through this unique fusion, Arnold proves that purity is not defined by any one culture or style but transpires when one finds his voice to express his personal experience in society, art, and life. While living between New York City and Andalusia, Spain, Arnold has participated in numerous productions as an instrumentalist, composer, improviser, and producer, touring on five continents

Jim Funnell

Born: April 3, 1984

Anglo-French pianist and composer Jim Funnell started leading his own band in his early teens, performing at jazz clubs by the time he was in high school. Dedicating himself to the study of both classical and jazz piano, he was awarded a full tuition scholarship from Berklee College of Music, where he was exposed to a diversity of styles and cultures. Jim then decided to travel to Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, soaking up Latin America’s folklore and Afro-Latin rhythms.

Since then, he has launched a prolific recording career: five albums as a leader/co-leader of both his own group “Word Out” (modern jazz combo with groove and world tinges) and AfuriKo (African infused jazz duo with percussionist Akiko Horii) have already been released to this day. Jim’s colorful and well-rounded compositional style earned him the Composition Prize in 2011 at the “Trophées du Sunside” in Paris. In 2017, Jazz Magazine (France) featured Woandering, a duo record with saxophonist Philippe Lopes de Sa, as a “Révélation !” and included Jim’s arrangement of She’s Out of My Life (Michael Jackson) on the editorial board’s playlist.

Christoph Irniger

Born: October 30, 1979

Christoph Irniger, born 1979, is a Swiss saxophonist, composer and bandleader. According to the Sunday edition of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung he is “undoubtedly one of the greatest talents of his generation.” In recent years, Irniger has made a name for himself in a range of line-ups, playing jazz, rock and related musical styles. As a musician from a generation which likes to work on multiple projects in eclectic styles, he leads a range of outfits, all distinct and surprising musically. The Swiss magazine Jazz ’N‘ More writes: “He comes up with something new each time by leaving the beaten tracks of sound. He doesn’t just look briefly left and right; he fights his way into the thicket.” An instrumentalist with a firm education, and a composer with an artistic vision, he consistently generates new ideas, realised thanks to a passion for music. German magazine Jazzthetik says: “People who know about jazz will confirm that he is one of the most promising musicians in contemporary Swiss jazz.”

Tomi Pekkola

Born: April 5, 1982

Tomi Pekkola is an avant-garde-guitarist-composer from Hamina Finland. Along the years he has played in various types of groups with progressive or avant-garde ethos. Pekkola is a guitarist with a respect to the classics but his work is best described as a combination of contemporary classical & free improvisation with an attitude towards both meditative & explosive expression. Pekkola's main area in composition is at the time with his The Bull In a China Shop Quartet, a group on Bruce's Fingers label, but his work as a composer includes pieces for orchestra, chamber opera, chamber music vocal music & musics for different genres.

Quinsin Nachoff

Born: December 21, 1973

New York-based saxophonist/composer Quinsin Nachoff gained early recognition as an award-winning tenor saxophonist, establishing a name as a formidable player “parsing shimmers of Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter and Mark Turner” (DownBeat). He has since carved out a unique career connecting the worlds of jazz and classical music.

A consistently impressive output of albums, projects and commissions demonstrate his ability to explore both with equal conviction, whether through his saxophone concerto Winding Tessellations with contemporary chamber group Turning Point Ensemble, his 2018 commission for the Molinari String Quartet, or his remarkable group Flux, which features the stellar talents of David Binney, Matt Mitchell, Kenny Wollesen and Nate Wood

Fabio Bottazzo

Born: January 3, 1971

FABIO BOTTAZZO
Guitarist, composer and educator. His playing is often praised for its delicacy and attention to space. Born in Padua, Italy. He studied at the "UM" music school in Rome and with Charlie Banacos. He attended the Berklee College of Music summer school and master classes with P. Metheny and W. Muthspiel. After playing in several metal bands, he began his career as a jazz guitarist in the 1990s. He moved to Niigata (Japan) in 2004. He has performed with many musicians such as Yasuhito Mori (b), Sebastiaan Kaptein (d), Yoichi Okabe (perc), and Ove Ingemarsson (sax). "What We Like" by Rich & Ricci became his fourth CD since coming to Japan. He has released performance videos incorporating the beautiful scenery of Niigata city.

Bob Niederriter

Born: January 21, 1967

Bob Niederriter is a jazz artist . He is a composer, guitarist and arranger who has studied and performed with great artists in jazz and modern classical music and has doggedly pursued excellence in the field, immersing himself in the music while seeking inspiration and instruction from the masters. In coming to know him, however, one sees that his music is informed by an artistic vision that finds its expression through a surprisingly diverse range of work. Niederriter is an accomplished glass blower, painter, cook, and gardener, and his work in each of these areas is expressive of a consistent vision coupled with ample talent and a quiet but potent work ethic

John Kocur

Jazz saxophonist and composer John Kocur is captivating new audiences by putting an adventurous yet accessible spin on a classic tradition. Kocur’s compositions have been described as “mainly straight-ahead and clearly influenced by the playing of past masters such as Johnny Hodges and Cannonball Adderley, but they are not simply derivative. The ballads in particular display a maturity in writing and playing” (Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz). While highlighting original music, the group also creates unique interpretations of popular American songs from past and present. The group’s style is an intimate, all-acoustic format, where the music takes center stage. Recent performances by the John Kocur Quartet have included venues such as Bohemian Caverns, Blues Alley, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the DC Jazz Festival, Twins Jazz, and the Phillips Collection.

Sergio Pereira

Born: March 10, 1959

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I started playing acoustic guitar (violao) at the age of 8 years old, influenced by my older brother who played the guitar and helped me with my first chords. I have also been influenced by the music of bossa- nova giants at the time such as Joao Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Carlos Lyra, Joao Donato, Marcus Valle and many more. Growing up in Rio in the 60’s and 70’s has contributed tremendously to the energy, groove and rhythms reflected in my music today.

Moving to New York in the 80’s has motivated me to, not only continuing playing the guitar, but to further enhance my knowledge of music and the guitar itself, hence I started to study with some of the jazz greats including Chuck Wayne, Sal Salvador, Alex Adrian, Hui Cox and Joe Carter. Since the beginning of the 90’s I have been travelling the world, playing with different bands and at various venues in many different countries in Europe, Africa and elsewhere.