Results for "Contemporary Jazz"

Andrew Neu

Born: September 23, 1979

By blending a unique mix of jazz, R&B, classical and Latin music, Andrew Neu is one of the most exciting, multi-genre musicians today. He is well respected throughout the industry for his work as a saxophonist, woodwind player, arranger, composer, educator and Billboard charting recording artist.

Having toured the world with Bobby Caldwell, Diane Schuur, Norman Brown and Smokey Robinson, Neu has shared the stage with Elton John, Patti Labelle, Mellissa Manchester, Mel Torme, Joey DeFrancesco, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Philly Pops, The Four Tops, and The Temptations among others. He has recorded with Sister Sledge, Manhattan Transfer, David Sanborn, Gerald Veasley, Jeff Lorber, Brian Bromberg, Rick Braun, Brian Culbertson, Chuck Loeb, Paul Brown and Buddy DeFranco. He was a featured soloist on Peter White’s number 1 song and record, ‘Here We Go’ and composed the horn arrangement on Brian Bromberg’s number 1 track Coupe De Ville.

Assel Jean-Pierre Jr

Born: December 20, 1989

Haitian-American pianist, composer, producer, and educator Assel Jean-Pierre Jr. creates music where jazz improvisation, classical virtuosity, gospel, Haitian and Caribbean traditions, and contemporary influences meet. A graduate of the University of Central Florida, he holds a bachelor’s degree in classical piano and a master’s degree in jazz and composition, a dual foundation that shapes an approach to the piano that is both technically demanding and deeply rooted in improvisation, rhythm, and audience connection.

Jean-Pierre’s musical influences range from Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum to Michel Camilo, Mario Canonge, Cory Henry, and the broader Caribbean piano tradition. Rather than treating those influences as separate musical worlds, his work increasingly explores what happens when they become part of one language.

Christian Artmann

Born: May 12, 1975

Called a “composer with great vision” (All About Jazz) and a “flute virtuoso” (The Boston Globe) and praised for his “stunning virtuosity” (JazzTimes) and “most beautiful, pure sound” (JazzThetik), flutist / composer and Sunnyside recording artist Christian Artmann is passionate about conveying “a perspective beyond boundaries” (All About Jazz). While deeply centered in contemporary jazz, Artmann’s compositions reflect his roots in European classical and folk music, his love of Brazilian music and prog rock, his addiction to odd meters, and, last but not least, his Buddhist faith.

Joe Newnam

Sorin Zlat

Born: May 7, 1990

Sorin Zlat (Piano)

Sorin Zlat is an internationally acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, Yamaha Artist, and professor of jazz piano at the National University of Music Bucharest. Described by the EFG London Jazz Festival and NCPA Mumbai as “one of the leading jazz musicians of his generation,” and praised by London Jazz News as a “virtuoso pianist,” Sorin has established himself as one of the distinctive voices of contemporary European jazz. With more than 30 national and international awards, his career brings together virtuosity, expressive improvisation and a deeply personal compositional language.

Double Vision Jazz Ensemble

Active since: January 1, 2023

Double Vision Jazz Ensemble — Contemporary Jazz, Texas Roots, New Collaborations

Based in Austin, Texas, Double Vision Jazz Ensemble is a contemporary acoustic jazz quartet co-led by pianist/composer Hank Hehmsoth and saxophonist/composer/arranger John Mills, with bassist Utah Hamrick and drummer Aaron Easley.

The ensemble combines original composition, improvisation, modern jazz language, Texas music history, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Hehmsoth and Mills have worked together for decades, developing a shared musical vocabulary that balances detailed writing with the spontaneity and interaction of a working jazz group.

Current Work

Sebastian Mueses

Born: April 20, 1998

Sebastián Mueses Selig (Santo Domingo, 1998) is a double bassist and electric bassist with a continuous career in the Dominican professional jazz scene since 2018. Trained at the National Conservatory of Music and the International School of Contemporary Music of Pedro Henriquez Ureña University (UNPHU) in Santo Domingo and with advanced studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg (Germany), he combines the rigor of acoustic jazz with the flexibility required by popular and commercial formats.

His calling card is the volume and variety of his work as an accompanist. He has been the trusted bassist for directors and soloists on the Dominican circuit—Oscar Micheli, Eddy Alba, Carlos Mota, Carlos Marcelo, Jordi Masalles, —and the musician called upon to support international artists visiting the country, from Berklee graduates to instrumentalists based in Boston, New York, and San Juan. This role demands a specific and difficult skill: preparing other artists' repertoire in a short time and sustaining it live without extensive rehearsal.

Sebastian Zawadzki

Born: October 14, 1991

Sebastian Zawadzki is a Polish-born pianist and composer based in Copenhagen, Denmark. His work moves between contemporary European and Nordic jazz, contemporary classical composition and film music, with a musical language centred on melody, space, improvisation and cinematic form.

Based in Denmark since 2010, Zawadzki has developed a distinctive approach to the piano that combines Scandinavian spaciousness and restraint with contemporary composition, lyrical improvisation and a strong sense of narrative. His projects range from acoustic piano trio and solo piano to chamber ensembles, electronics and symphony orchestra.

Frionis

Frionis is a Toronto-based instrumental project by Dave Freeman and Ian Walker Findlay. Together, they composed and performed all the music on their debut album, Coastal Nights, released in August 2026.

The Frionis sound centres on nylon-string guitar, melodic bass, B3 organ, dynamic drums, and organic percussion, bringing melody, rhythm, and atmosphere together across the album’s 12 tracks.

Rachel Spencer

Born: 1995

Trumpeter Rachel Spencer is a jazz artist, composer, and educator whose original music blends the melodic language of post-bop with contemporary grooves and modern jazz improvisation. Drawing inspiration from artists including Blue Mitchell, Kenny Garrett, and Roy Hargrove, Spencer's writing balances lyrical melodies, expressive improvisation, and a deep respect for the jazz tradition while remaining distinctly her own.

Spencer has performed nationally and internationally as both a bandleader and freelance artist, including serving as lead trumpet on the North American tour of The Addams Family: A Musical Comedy. She has appeared at venues including Monk's Jazz Club, Parker Jazz Club, the Elephant Room, SXSW, and beyond.