Results for "Improvisation"

Yasmine Azaiez

Born: October 16, 1986

World renowned Tunisian/Indian Violinist, singer and Composer Yasmine Azaiez studied at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School in the UK then went on to study at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Specializing in World music and Contemporary, she has performed in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall UK, Bimhuis in Amsterdam, The Cultural Center in Beijing China, The Cairo Royal Opera House in Egypt, Jordan Hall in Boston USA, and Royal Omani Opera house amongst many others. Yasmine and her band have also played at the prestigious National festival Carthage Festival in Tunisia, which was attended by 7000 people. Yasmine has performed with many legendary musicians such as Naseer Shamma, Mistlav Rostropovich, Guinness book of world record holder Cory Pesaturo, Kinan Azmeh, Apollo Liberace,  Ramy Ayach and Rami Khalifa . She has been sponsored by Wood violins, Volta Violins, Roswell Pro Audio and in 2017 by
Samsung Tunisia.
In 2019 Yasmine Azaiez created the first large violin competition in Tunisia, sponsored by
the British Council, created to encourage the Tunisian youth to pursue their passions in music.
In Tunisia, Yasmine has been recognised for her many achievements. She was invited to play the National Anthem at the Presidential Palace in front of the Late President, Beji Caid Essebsi, elected one of the 100 Future Leaders of Tunisia in 2017 and was on the Jury of Miss Tunisia.
Yasmine Azaiez currently resides in Los Angeles. Her new 2025 Album 'Shivas Shoes' was produced by Ashish Manchanda { who's credits include the late Michael Jackson Album 'Invincible' } The music is a  vibrant blend showcasing North African/Indian heritage with complex yet danceable rhythms,  passionate melodies while highlighting her Classical technique.
Yasmine's band consists of 6 award winning musicians which include two percussionists, a bassist and guitarist. 

Carlos Meneses

Born: January 9, 1979

Carlos Meneses is a double bassist, composer, and bandleader from the Canary Islands. He leads Carlos Meneses’ Hip Quartet, a creative project where contemporary jazz, original composition, and artistic collaboration converge into a distinctive and evolving musical language.

Since 2020, Meneses has released five albums — Sharp Jazz (2020), Jazz a.m. (2021), Like One (2022), [collabs] (2024), and Archinautas (2025) — establishing a coherent artistic path rooted in both tradition and innovation.

Jake Gotlieb

Born: December 15, 2005

Jake Gotlieb is a composer and multi-instrumentalist from Marin County, California. He blends a variety of genres and musical styles based on explorations into musical traditions from around the world. As a pianist, Gotlieb brings classic jazz standards to life with his own interpretations of familiar works as well as playing original compositions that incorporate his love of musical experimentation. As a composer, Gotlieb has released a variety of original music incorporating elements of jazz, blues, classical, and prog rock.

Akiyoshi Shimizu

Born: February 6, 1985

Born in 1985 in Fukui, Japan.

Akiyoshi Shimizu’s musical journey began in childhood with a fascination for composition. At 14, he picked up the electric bass, and a transformative encounter with the music of Jaco Pastorius led him toward the world of jazz. Upon entering university, he transitioned to the double bass, mastering the instrument through self-study. Since beginning his professional career in Tokyo in 2006, he has earned profound trust and acclaim from a wide range of musicians across generations.

In tandem with his performance career, Shimizu has independently pursued the art of composition and arrangement. In 2020, he released his debut leader album, Satya. In 2022, his original composition "Room106" from the album was named a Finalist in the Jazz category of the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the U.S., earning him international recognition as a composer.

Gina Saputo

By the age of 15, Gina Saputo was already commanding the stage in the jazz clubs of her native Springfield, Oregon. A prodigy who began classical training at 8 and landed her first paying gig at 11, Gina's early passion for jazz set her on a path of extraordinary success. She pursued jazz studies at the University of Southern California on a scholarship and further honed her craft at the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute, now known as the Herbie Hancock Institute.

Gina’s career is a testament to her multifaceted talent and dedication. As an internationally celebrated jazz performer, recording artist, and session singer, she is also a sought-after clinician, model, actress, and author. Her impressive resume includes co-directing the Applied Music program at Santa Monica College, where she also served as the department equity coach, driving initiatives to foster inclusive practices. Her role as an award-winning full-time instructor at Musicians Institute in Hollywood for 8 years underscores her commitment to both performance and education.

Milos Bosnic

Miloš Bosnić is a Serbian bassist, composer, and bandleader based in Belgrade. He is the founder of Bosque Sound Community (BSC), a jazz-fusion/world-jazz ensemble recognized for blending modern jazz language with cinematic storytelling, strong rhythmic identity, and genre-crossing arrangements.

He studied double bass at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, completed a Higher National Diploma in Jazz Bass Guitar & Music Production at the London Centre of Contemporary Music (LCCM), and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Audio & Video Design at the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science in Belgrade.

Chris Cody

Born: December 21, 1964

Chris Cody is an internationally renowned pianist, composer and producer. In a career spanning over 40 years, he has headlined at numerous international festivals including Paris Quartiers d’Eté, London, Rome, Brussels Jazz Marathon, Stockholm, Munich, Marciac, Geneva, Ascona, Derry, Dar Es Salaam and Algiers and at a vast array of concert venues throughout the USA, Europe, Africa and Australasia, from the Village Gate NYC to the Munich Staatsoper. 

He has worked with many outstanding international musicians including Roy Hargrove, Carla Bruni, Herb Geller, Tina Arena, Annie Whitehead, Rhoda Scott, Rick Margitza, Michel Jonaz, Sunny Murray, Marcel Azzola, Jason Marsalis, Sandy Evans, James Morrison and many more.

Roberto Cassani

Roberto Cassani is an Italian-born double bass player, composer, singer and improviser based in rural Perthshire, Scotland. Renowned for his adventurous fusion of folk, jazz and world music, Cassani has built a distinctive artistic profile that blends deep musicality with a joyful, inclusive spirit.

Born and raised in Rivolta d’Adda in northern Italy, Cassani grew up immersed in the local Rivoltano dialect and culture, experiences that later informed much of his creative output. Early in his life he pursued music with passion, initially gaining attention at a young age and even securing a record deal before choosing to broaden his horizons abroad.

David Chevan

Born: September 19, 1960

I am the first-born son of a family of second-generation Jewish immigrants from Poland and Russia. I was musically active from an early age and grew up in a Conservative-Egalitarian Jewish synagogue where I led services from the age of 10. Although much of my performing method on the double-bass has been self taught, I credit the master bassist, Lisle Atkinson with showing me the pathway to self-education. As a composer I have primarily focused on works for improvisors. I write works for a wide range of artists and ensembles, including several collaborations with dance and film. I think I have been fortunate in that the critics have compared me to some of my heroes like Charles Mingus and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. In addition to performing regularly in a duo with pianist Warren Byrd and co-leading The Afro-Semitic Experience, I have had the opportunity to perform and record with a wide range of creative musical artists, including Ali Ryerson, Joe Beck, Jaki Byard, Harold Danko, Ellery Eskelin, Giacomo Gates, Frank London, Andrea Parkins, and Cookie Segelstein. I retired from a long career of teaching music for 32 years at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. I hold a Ph.D in Music History from C.U.N.Y. and have published numerous articles on the history of early jazz, developed and taught courses on Jewish and African-American musical traditions. I continue to study the music of bassist Slam Stewart as well as exploring the music of the turn of the century Jewish cantorial tradition. I am also proud to be a member of the board of trustees of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation.

Francesca Han

Pianist Francesca Han’s music captures both the subtle affectivity of classical music and the uninhibited effusiveness of rock. Having studied both, she has now developed an approach to jazz that leaves a foot planted in tradition while reaching for unique expression.

After achieving rapid success in her native Korea, she was encouraged to move to New York City in 2004. There she received her master’s degree in jazz performance from Queens College under the tutelage of pianists David Berkman and Bruch Barth, trumpeter and arranger Michael Mossman, and saxophonist Antonio Hart.