Results for "modern jazz"

Pere Navarro

Born: May 5, 1994

Pere Navarro (Ibiza, 1994) is a trumpeter, pianist, composer, producer, and DJ, recognized as one of the most outstanding talents in the Spanish jazz scene. His innovative approach has reshaped the European music landscape, blending the sophistication and soul of Afro-American music with the eclectic and vibrant essence of his homeland, Ibiza. This unique signature has led to an authentic sound that transcends traditional genre boundaries.

With three albums under his belt, Navarro has solidified a distinctive musical identity. His latest work, QUINTESSENTIAL (2025), an ambitious double album, reaffirms his creative depth and artistic evolution. His previous records, Perenne and Live in Madrid, released under the prestigious Fresh Sound Records label, quickly positioned him as a key figure in contemporary jazz.

Quinn Sternberg

Born: April 4, 1994

Bassist Quinn Sternberg is a new resident of Asheville, NC after spending seven years working as a full time musician in New Orleans. Quinn is originally from Bloomington, Indiana, where he began playing professionally as a teenager and quickly became a staple of the region’s music scene before graduating from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music with a degree in Jazz Studies. He plays both electric and acoustic bass in a wide variety of ensembles and styles. This versatility has made him an asset in collaborations with countless artists as a studio, touring, and free-lance bassist. Quinn’s musical approach relies upon providing functional and supportive bass lines, while still generating intense live energy and creative interaction. This individualistic style has made him a much sought after voice in the South, his native Midwest and beyond.

Yumi Ito

With her voice, Yumi Ito creates worlds far beyond all boundaries. The Polish-Japanese-born Swiss is considered one of the most outstanding representatives of vocal improvisation and moves effortlessly between genres and her roles as a singer, pianist and composer. Ito's own music is correspondingly diverse, a veritable ocean of art-pop, jazz and neoclassical music. Based on countless concerts and tours, the musician acts like a Zen master, clear, reflective and with a uniquely powerful energy. Milestones in her career include performances at the Blue Note New York, Montreux Jazz Festival, tours in Asia, South America, Europe and five released albums as a band leader, most recently the critically highly acclaimed Ysla (2023 via enja yellowbird records).

The Ostara Project

Active since: 2022

For Canadians, the arrival of spring is momentous: the air is fresh and full of possibility as tender green shoots reach up towards the light and the cycle of rebirth and renewal begins again. The Ostara Project, named for the Germanic goddess of the spring equinox, embodies hope and growth by showcasing the strength and creativity of Canadian women in jazz.

Ostara artists are all top-tier musicians, composers and bandleaders who reflect the geographical, cultural and creative diversity of Canada’s musical landscape. Lead by award-winning jazz musicians Jodi Proznick and Amanda Tosoff, The Ostara Project includes Rachel Therrien, Allison Au and Valérie Lacombe, with guest artists invited on a per-project basis. Individually, they are outstanding artists: collectively, they are a force.

Carlos Ferreyra

Born: March 6, 1987

Carlos Ferreyra is a Woodwind specialist based in Kansas City, MO, and has brought his versatile musicianship to audiences in the KC area since 2010. With a broad interest in traditions ranging from classical European and Indian to funk and the folk music of his native Uruguay, Carlos finds his most personal expression in jazz. Drawing inspiration from the great standards of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis, he has honed his craft while residing in Kansas City and New Orleans, two pillars of jazz history and tradition, through studies at Missouri Western State University, and internationally during a residence in Spain.

Zhengtao Pan

Born: May 22, 2003

Zhengtao Pan is a composer and arranger born in 2003 who grew up in Shanghai, China. Currently studying Jazz Composition and Composition at Berklee College of Music, his commercial game works include "Mist Sequence," "Lost Soul Aside," "One Piece: The Bloodline," and "Arknights," among others. He has worked on music outsourcing for companies like ByteDance, Masaya Games, and miHoYo.

Beyond media scoring, Zhengtao Pan excels as an arranger and orchestrator for jazz orchestras and Big Bands, with his concert music premiered by ensembles like the HyperCube ensemble, Cascadia Composers, and Webster University.

Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra

Active since: 2007

Uptown Jazz Orchestra’s mission is to promote the rich cultural legacy of American music through both entertaining and educational performances. Our educational shows are designed to give young people a greater awareness of important historical figures and musical traditions. All other shows are designed specifically with the intent of folks having a good time … hands clapping, toes tapping and rump shaking!

In 2007, NEA Jazz Master and Grammy Award winning trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis formed the Uptown Jazz Orchestra (UJO) for the purpose of keeping important jazz music traditions alive; such as riff-playing, spontaneous group improvisations, and collective New Orleans instrumental polyphony. At the time, Marsalis realized that the New Orleans music community was lacking the infusion of young homegrown talent outside of the great brass band tradition, and chose to form an orchestra that could present traditional, classic, and modern compositions with authenticity. Since that time, UJO has grown into one of the premier large ensembles in the world, releasing four CDs to critical acclaim, and touring locally, nationally, and internationally.

Delfeayo Marsalis

Born: July 28, 1965

Delfeayo Marsalis is one of the top trombonists, composers and producers in jazz today. Known for his “technical excellence, inventive mind and frequent touches of humor…”(Leonard Feather, Los Angeles Times), he is “…one of the best, most imaginative and musical of the trombonists of his generation.” (Philip Elwood, San Francisco Examiner.) In January 2011, Delfeayo and the Marsalis family (father Ellis and brothers Branford, Wynton and Jason) earned the nation’s highest jazz honor" a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award.

Born in New Orleans on July 28, 1965, Marsalis was destined to a life in music. “I remember my dad (Ellis Marsalis) playing piano at the house, and me laying underneath the piano as a child, listening to him play. After briefly trying bass and drums, in sixth grade I gravitated towards the trombone, which was an extension of my personality. Early on my influences and inspirations included J.J. Johnson, Curtis Fuller, Al Grey, Tyree Glenn and Tommy Dorsey.” Marsalis attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts high school, was classically trained at the Eastern Music Festival and Tanglewood Institute, and majored in both performance and audio production at the Berklee College of Music.

Ben Tweedt

Ben Tweedt is a pianist, composer, arranger, and music educator based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Born in Brunswick, Ohio and raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Ben began his classical training on the piano from a young age. By the beginning of his Piano Performance bachelor's degree at the University of Nebraska-Omaha at the age of 17, he began to switch his focus to improvisation and composition while actively participating in the Omaha music scene.

In 2016, Ben moved to his current home city of Cincinnati, where he works full-time as a freelance musician, performing and teaching around the region spanning many genres and playing with a variety of artists. In addition to his own projects including a piano trio and a progressive jazz fusion quartet, Ben performs regularly with other notable musicians in the region including drummer/percussionist Walfredo Reyes Jr. and guitarist Dan Wilson. Ben was also the grand prize winner of the 2019 American Jazz Pianist Competition at the Yamaha Artist Center in New York.

Brendan Nie