Results for "Los Angeles"

Kathleen Grace

Kathleen Grace grew up in the West, its vistas etching an impression that would stay with the Tucson native as she traveled to the dry hills of Los Angeles. Forging a career that has sent her around the globe, Grace has played for a worldwide audience whose diversity reflects her own eclectic musical tastes. Emerging from her jazz roots, Grace’s sound bridges traditional and nostalgic with an approachable modernity, taking her into the blues, folk and pop-leaning realms. “Jazz is a value system,” Grace explains, “I may not always be creating music specific to that space, but I try to let its deepest truths of freedom, listening and trust guide my path, my choices.” Over time, Grace’s organic evolution has led her to an expansive career, not only as an interpreter of song, but also a respected songwriter in the modern folk and Americana worlds

David Longoria

Born: January 7, 1971

David bought his first trumpet on layaway at Ben's Loan, a local pawn shop in his hometown of Renton, Washington over the span of a year and a half of weekly payments.

– the price, $65 was  a sum “hard to raise in a hurry when you’re ten and poor,” he says.   Amazingly, he still plays the same gold plated trumpet to this day. The two have been on an amazing journey, starting every Sunday at church and including practicing every day of his childhood in his front yard. He still apologizes to his childhood neighbors.

Growing up in a family rich in love, yet financially challenged meant that David couldn't afford private lessons to learn the trumpet. The local Renton Salvation Army offered free music classes where David was taught how to read music and the fingerings for the trumpet. "I appreciate so much the loving mentorship of the officers there, Brigadeers Charles and Edith Bennett who gave freely of their time and teachings to lift me up and help me to learn music", David says, adding "to this day I still try to continue that spirit of giving, sharing with others by teaching young people to play and cherish music." David discovered he could earn money playing on a street corner in Seattle on weekends, which helped him learn to improvise and play hundreds of requested songs on the spot.

Jeffrey Fisher

Born: March 18, 1948

Currently performing as jazz/world fusion pianist 7/15/16 Highland Springs Resort Grand Oak Steakhouse with drummer Jennifer Vallely Fisher has performed with jazz great Frank Morgan, the Thelonius Monk-inspired traditional jazz group Evidence Quartet, the Charles Connally Texas Blues Band, Stax Records vocalist Lee Sain, folksinger Sun-Day Martinez, Spanish music legend Antonio Apodaca, world-music bandleader Achyutan, and New Mexico's Trio Jalapeno, among others. Fisher even performed Gaelic music on ice instruments at a ski resort situated at 11,000-feet elevation. Training Beyond the world of music, Jeffrey is a truly eclectic person

Sylvia Brooks

Born: May 18

The path that led Sylvia Brooks back to her jazz roots provided her with plenty of dramatic stories to tell. Possessing a sumptuous, velvet-rich voice, she’s earned critical raves for each of her four albums, including 2022’s Signature, which marked her emergence as a gifted songwriter. Her emotionally direct delivery imbues the music with bracing honesty and keen emotional intelligence.

Brooks came to music as a birthright. Her father, pianist/arranger Don Ippolito, was a first-call jazz accompanist who performed with giants such as Stan Getz, Buddy Rich, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan and Dizzy Gillespie. Her mother, Johanna Dordick, was a conservatory-trained opera singer who also dazzled audiences singing standards and pop tunes at East Coast night clubs and resorts (she went on to found the Los Angeles Opera Theater in 1978).

Donna Deussen

Donna Deussen’s singing has been praised for her “agile musicianship and wise good taste.” (John McDonough, writer for Downbeat). A magna cum laude graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Donna began performing and recording with various pop/rock bands when she first moved to Los Angeles after graduation, before committing herself to the “art of jazz.” She studied privately with Tierney Sutton, one of her many influences (along with Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, and Nancy Wilson, to name a few). Donna performs regularly throughout southern California and Arizona

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Gia Mora

Born: April 26

Gia Mora is an American actor, singer, and writer known for her work on Baskets (2016), Impress Me (2015), and True Detective (2014). In addition to film and television, she has an extensive theatre resume and has performed with companies including Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth, the Kennedy Center, Ford's Theatre, and Michael Kahn's Shakespeare Theatre Company. She is a four-time Helen Hayes nominee and an Academy Company Member at New Musicals, Inc. A third-generation jazz musician, Miz Mora frequently performs with her father, guitarist Rick Chinisci. Her critically acclaimed one-woman musical comedy, "Einstein's Girl," has played to sold-out houses on both coasts

Felipe Alonso

Guitarist and composer Felipe Alonso, raised in Peru, is much at ease in both electric and acoustic settings. His dedication for the guitar has led him to explore jazz music in the US and flamenco in Spain. Felipe moved to Los Angeles to attend Musicians Institute in Hollywood and the prestigious Thornton School of Music at University of Southern California. His versatility makes him standout as a unique guitarist able to perform different musical traditions with much ease and authority. "A Gathering" celebrates Felipe's musical upbringing as an innovative jazz musician able to preserve South American culture and showcase his improvisational skills on the guitar.

Theo Croker

Born: July 18, 1985

Theo Croker is a Grammy-nominated trumpeter, composer, and producer who continually pushes the boundaries of jazz, neo-soul, and hip-hop. He has collaborated with artists including Jill Scott, Ari Lennox, J. Cole, and Common, crafting a sonic identity that is both expansive and deeply personal.

Born and raised in Florida, Croker picked up the trumpet at age 11, inspired by his grandfather, Grammy-winning jazz trumpet legend Doc Cheatham. He later attended Oberlin Conservatory, where he studied under Donald Byrd and Gary Bartz. After graduating, he spent seven years in Shanghai, becoming the first artist-in-residence at the historic Peace Hotel Jazz Club. Splitting his time between Shanghai and New York, he immersed himself in diverse musical collaborations that shaped his signature sound.

David Witham

Born: November 16, 1957

David Witham studied piano with Jaki Byard at the New England Conservatory of Music, and Alan Broadbent in Los Angeles. He's had writing and performing associations with saxophonist Ernie Watts, bassist / composer Jay Anderson, the Jeff Gauthier Goatette, and percussionist Luis Conte. David was Musical Director for George Benson from 1990-2007, and has also served as a producer for Tom Scott and Grover Washington. Recording and performance credits include Barbra Streisand, Patti Austin, Lee Ritenour, Jose Feliciano, John Patitucci, Bluezeum, Joao Bosco, Larry Carlton, Randy and Michael Brecker