Results for "modern jazz"

Ryan Meagher

Born: August 18, 1981

As with all the best jazz musicians, guitarist Ryan Meagher (pronounced Marr) refuses to sit still. The Portland-based composer and player maintains a steady stream of activity, whether that’s teaching at various schools throughout the Northwest, performing regular gigs around his hometown, or writing thoughtful music that spans the vast spectrum of jazz music, from post-bop to Latin to avant-garde.

Meagher’s forward momentum was fomented early, during his teen years growing up in San Jose, California, where he split his time between taking baseball practice and working out his guitar chops in a series of youthful garage bands. From there, he began his most serious music studies, both in the classrooms and rehearsal halls of San Diego State University, and, starting in 2003, the clubs and venues of New York City. That combination of academic inquiry and the make-or-break proving ground of one of the country’s brightest artistic centers brought about Meagher’s thoughtful compositional style and a curiosity that has allowed him to move between musical worlds with ease.

Anıl Bilgen

Born: July 20, 1989

Lisa Marie Simmons

Lisa Marie Simmons is a multi-disciplinary storyteller raised in Boulder Co. based in Italy. She is a singer/songwriter (Ropeadope Records), essayist (Huffington Post, Boston Globe, Family Stories Project, Kweli Literary Journal), and published poet

Hard Bop Messengers

Active since: 2018

Live At The Last Hotel, the upcoming release from John Covelli’s Hard Bop Messengers, is a jazz album that literally tells a story. The visionary, original, genre-defying musical journey that reminds you of what jazz can be, was born from a residency at the REAL Last Hotel in downtown St. Louis. Each song paints a picture with bounce and bustle, that takes you to a place and time that somehow feels both nostalgic and modern. The lyrics tell the story of the trials and tribulations of a fictional hotel through the eyes of its employees.

Covelli knew he had something special when he assembled this group and he gives them all room to shine. Nick Savage, Chris Meschede, Luke Sailor, and Ben Shafer are, like himself, of the esteemed Webster University jazz program. Matt Krieg, originally from St Louis, puts the vocals where they need to be to tell Covelli’s lyrical tale. Covelli has played in dozens of bands over the years and learned just as many styles.

Stéphane Mercier

Born: June 6, 1970

Coming from a family surrounded by music and musicians, Stéphane Mercier studied different instruments early on before focusing on the saxophone and the flute, composition and arrangement. After studying at Berklee College of Music in the mid-90’s, he intensively toured with Mark Turner, Seamus Blake, B.Connection, Exile Society...then moved to Brooklyn, NY (95-02), where he played and/or recorded with a.o. Aaron Goldberg, Chris Cheek, Avishai Cohen, Randy Brecker, Jeff Ballard, Ingrid Jensen, Matt Penman,… Stéphane moved to Paris for a couple of years before Brussels, where he currently resides

Brad Kang

Born: August 28, 1992

Facing West

It all began with a podcast. Tenor saxophonist and pedagogue Donnie Norton received a call from his old friend, Doug Stone to appear on Stone’s podcast. Stone, a tenor saxophonist and educator himself, runs a program focused on all things tenor saxophone entitled “Tenor Talk” and saw Norton as a perfect fit for the program on an episode in 2020. Following the podcast, the saxophonists began talking about their mutual connections, both from school and life, and soon the names of drummer Brian Claxton and bassist Braun Khan came up. “All of the members knew each other and had played with each other in various other walks of life,” Norton says, “but the four of us had never played together as a unit.” That quickly changed as the four went from a group of friends to a powerful quartet, creating original music that pays homage to the freedom of expression found in the great chordless jazz ensembles of the past.

Rafael Zaldivar

Born: October 29, 1982

When JUNO Nominee Rafael Zaldivar sits down at the piano, he brings a wealth of inspiration to the keys: his compositions display his percussion expertise, his many years of collaborating with top jazz musicians, and his cultural heritage. Born in Camagüey, Cuba, Zaldivar is carrying on a rich family legacy of musicianship. After taking up percussion and piano at a young age, Zaldivar pursued his studies at the Higher Institute of Arts in Havana. By 1998, Zaldivar meets the great Herbie Hancock and Kenny Barron in Havana. Once Zaldivar came to Canada at the age of 22, he completed a B.A

Brett Reed

Vicki Burns

Born: August 26, 1961

Vicki Burns has a pleasing wide-ranging voice, crystal clear diction, and she knows how to sing as if she means it.” Bebop Spoken Here 

“Avoiding the predictability of safe havens, her music brims with many more surprises and uncharted delights... Vicki Burns is irresistible.” Dr. Herbert Wong 

Jazz singer Vicki Burns is the complete package. With her three-octave range, sure sense of rhythm, and perfect intonation, she can scat convincingly, swing like a horn, and write hip songs worthy of attention from other vocalists.

She has produced three CDs as a leader: Siren Song (2005), Live at Anna’s Jazz Island (2008), and her 2022 release Lotus Blossom Days.  Jazz writer Marc Myers said, "Vicki's voice on Lotus Blossom Days is warm and round, sophisticated and optimistic with shades of blue. She also takes terrific risks that pay off.”