Results for "Mainstream Jazz"

Alex Clarke

Born: December 14, 1999

As a finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2020, winner of the Rising Star category in the 2019 British Jazz Awards and nominee in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2021 & 2022, Alex is known to be one of the most in-demand and versatile young saxophonists to have emerged on the British jazz scene.

Since the age of 15 - where she saw her first public performance sitting in with the Exall/Roberts Quintet at Pershore Jazz Festival - Alex has been a regular face at jazz clubs and festivals all around the country.

Known for her versatility and open-minded attitude towards jazz, Alex enjoys performing a range of genres from New Orleans to bebop. Praised for her extensive repertoire list and intelligent ear for harmony, she brings a youthful, intuitive approach that always sounds authentic in a variety of musical settings. Alex's musical voice is steeped in the tradition of jazz; her deep respect for the heritage of the music can be heard in her swinging, melodic sound which is reminiscent of Scott Hamilton and Lester Young, also heavily influenced by Phil Woods and Cannonball Adderley.

Dennis Mackrel

Born: April 3, 1962

Dennis was born, April 3, 1962. A child prodigy, he began playing the drums when he was two; and became a professional musician at the age of ten when he performed in the Anchorage Community Theater's production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". Developing his craft in various playing situations, Dennis received numerous awards such as "Who's Who in Music", 1979; National Endowment for the Arts grant for composition in 1983; and in 1992; "Outstanding Alumni" from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While attending UNLV, he was a member of the acclaimed UNLV Jazz Ensemble where his drumming and arranging skills caught the attention of legendary jazz vocalist Joe Williams

Donna Lee Sax4

Born: February 15, 1999

Donna Lee Saxophone Quartet was founded in 1999, and since then it has performed in numerous concert venues and has had appearances on radio and on television. The DLSQ performs arrangements of jazz standards, though the arrangements and originals of the 29th Street Saxophone Quartet and World Saxophone Quartet can also be found on its repertoire. The quartet aims toward recognizable sound through original compositions composed by Zdenko Ivanusic.

Michael Staron

Acknowledged in Jazz Times as “a versatile, forwarding looking and accomplished performer,” Michael began his professional career playing Latin Tropical music in Chicago’s inner city at age fifteen. His jazz bass playing has been reviewed in Cadence, Pulse, Jazz USA, Jazz Review, Jazz Word, Jazz Weekly, AMG, New City, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, The Wire, Jazz at a Glance, Beyond Coltrane, Chicago Reader, All About Jazz, Progression Magazine, and live performances of Michael have been aired on BET, 190 North and local cable. Michael is also an accomplished theatre / pit musician, his performance credits include - national tours of Evita, the international and national touring companies of A Chorus Line, Sid Caesar, Red Skelton, Bob Newhart, Eddy Arnold, Roger Williams and Joseph with Donny Osmond

Quentin Walston

Born: October 24, 1992

Quentin Walston is an active pianist, composer, and music educator in the Washington DC area. He composes most often for piano, his jazz trio, and large ensembles, blending memorable melodies, striking rhythms, and adventurous improvisations. As a music and jazz educator, Quentin spreads the joy of learning and playing music to individuals of all ages. Quentin Walston was introduced to improvisation surprisingly through bluegrass and folk music. As the harmonica player in the folk band Jake and the Burtones, Quentin fostered a passion for improvising solos while appreciating the musicianship of others around him

Cathy DeWitt

Born: October 4

Cathy DeWitt was destined to be a musician, and playing jazz is in her blood. Before she was born her father Bruce led his own band in New Orleans, regularly opening for Louis Armstrong at Pete Fountain's place. At a very early age music filled her house, from her father's Dixieland trumpet and stride piano to the Rachmaninoff and Chopin pieces her brother Peter, a prodigy pianist, rehearsed every day on the grand piano in the living room. As the family gathered to watch the television variety shows of the 60s, she heard all the famous singers interpreting the great songbook of jazz and show tunes, and she never forgot the lyrics to many of those songs. After honing her harmonic skills as a member of the University of Florida Choir and Willis Bodine's Chamber Singers, Cathy met and began performing with jazz guitarist Charlie Bush

Mikko Karjalainen

Born: May 10, 1974

Mikko "Gunu" Karjalainen (b.1974) is one of the most wanted trumpet soloists in Finland. He started his journey with music playing piano at the age of six. Very soon he decided trumpet to be his main instrument and started to explore. At his early teens he played trumpet, piano and harmonica with blues and soul bands in a little town of Kajaani. After moving to Helsinki in mid 90's he was completely thrown into jazz loop. Listening to giants like Clifford Brown, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole and Kenny Dorham strenghtened his love for jazz and helped him to develop his own lyrical approach to this music

Kjetil Jerve

Born: August 28, 1988

Norwegian piano player, father of triplets. Based in Oslo, working internationally. DUGNAD rec artist and maker of #DailyPiano videos on Facebook and Instagram. Born 1988 in Ålesund. Played in Åse Skolekorps Marching Band. Got a really great Swedish piano teacher at age 10, who encouraged to pursue all music, not just classical. Got heavily into early Elton John, soul, funk, fusion, jazz and avant-garde - still studying George Gershwin & Béla Bartók. Played in the local Big Odd Band, leading to The Middle Norwegian Youth Big Band (Midtnorsk ungdomsstorband), meeting future collaborator Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø, Kristoffer Eikrem and Dan Peter Sundland. Went to the Sund Folk College's jazz class (check that thing out!) and got to consistently playing piano with other people in bands for the first time

Lenore Raphael

Jazz writer John Gilbert has called Lenore "Simply one of the best pianists in our art form...she always swings." Critics have used words like "swinging", "emotional" and "artistically subtle" when describing Lenore's playing. Swinging has always been of major importance to Lenore since she listened to her idols Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson. So is "telling the story". She strives to be in touch with the intent of the tune when she plays. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Lenore started at the age of 3 by playing everything she heard by ear. Lenore studied classical piano with concert artist Beulah Eisenstadt

Petra van Nuis

Born: August 1, 1975

Petra van Nuis (pronounced Pay-tra van Nouse) is a Chicago-based jazz vocalist who has been described in Downbeat Magazine as having "a light, gorgeous and fairly delicate voice...a gift for melody and plenty of rhythmic confidence." All About Jazz Magazine calls her music "hauntingly atmospheric and filled with creative substance...poetic, moving and subtly provocative." Famed jazz critic and author of "Singing Jazz" Bruce Crowther says "van Nuis is not as well known internationally as should be the case although she has a devoted following in Japan. An exceptionally gifted singer, she has a light yet subtly textured sound and is always delightfully melodic....lyrics are clearly very important to her and she delivers them with admirable sincerity."