Results for "New York City"

Steve Coleman

Born: September 20, 1956

Steve began playing music just days before his 14th birthday as a freshman at South Shore High School on the south side of Chicago. His first instrument was violin but later that year he switched to the alto saxophone. For three years Steve studied the basics of music and saxophone technique, then he decided that he wanted to learn how to improvise. Looking for the best improvising musicians to listen to is what brought Steve to the music of Charlie Parker, although it helped that his father listened to Parker all the time. After spending two years at Illinois Wesleyan University Steve transferred to Roosevelt University (Chicago Music College) in downtown Chicago in order to concentrate on Chicago's musical nightlife

Bill Charlap

Born: October 15, 1966

Bill Charlap was born in New York City into a musical family. His father, Moose Charlap, was a Broadway composer and songwriter whose credits included the scores to "Peter Pan, The Conquering Hero," "Whoop-up," "Alice Through the Looking Glass" and "Kelly." His mother, Sandy Stewart, is a popular song singer who performed with Benny Goodman, co-starred on TV's Perry Como Show and scored a Grammy nomination for her hit single, "My Coloring Book" by the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb. Mr. Charlap began playing the piano at a very young age. He studied with jazz pianist Jack Reilly and classical pianist Eleanor Hancock and informally picked up pointers from jazz/popular song pianist Dick Hyman, who was a distant cousin on his father's side. Mr

Sara Caswell

2018 Grammy Nominee Sara Caswell “is a brilliant world-class violinist…one of the very best of the present generation of emerging young jazz stars” according to the late David Baker, internationally-renowned jazz educator and former Director of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. Rooted in an early exposure to a variety of musical genres, Sara’s technical facility intertwined with her gift for lyricism continue to attract growing attention to her artistry as a jazz soloist, sideman, and teacher. Recognized as a “Rising Star” in the DownBeat Magazine Critics and Readers Polls every year since 2013, Sara’s two groups (the Sara Caswell Quartet and the Caswell Sisters Quintet) have been heard in venues ranging from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club to university concert halls nationwide

Joe Bushkin

Born: November 7, 1916

Joe Bushkin, who passed away in November 2004, was a legend in his time. A pianist, composer, arranger and vocalist of superb talents and impeccable taste. A professional for over 70 years, he started at age 15 playing gigs with Benny Goodman, Bunny Berigan and Eddie Condon. Among his many achievements, he had the distinction of accompanying Billie Holiday on her first recording, as a leader, writing Frank Sinatra’s first hit song, “Oh! Look At Me Now” when they were with Tommy Dorsey’s band, and serving as Bing Crosby’s last musical director and playing on his last recording session

Patrick Brennan

New York City based composer, saxophonist & bandleader patrick brennan is a participant in the Blues Continuum who’s pursued a contrarian and independent musical path for over 40 years. He formed his long term, rhythm- section-centric ensemble sonic openings under pressure, in 1979, a project that interfaces flexibly jointed compositional matrices with polyrhythm & collective improvisation. He’s initiated the Sudani Project, a collaboration with Gnawi Ma’alem Najib Soudani of Essaouira, Morocco and U.S. percussionist and singer Nirankar Khalsa. He further explores his multilinear orchestral conceptions via the solo saxophone project rōnin phasing and sustains a modularly organized large ensemble, transparency kestra, now in its 5th year of monthly NYC performances.

George Braith

Born: June 27, 1939

George Braith, a legend in the field of modern progressive jazz, commands an uncanny and absolutely phenomenal knowledge and use of harmonics, rarely evidenced in modern jazz music today. As described by Chris Kelsey, in Jazz Times, his Braithophone chops are developed, and his lines are long, and graceful. His tenor work is lithe, melodic and unpredictable in the best sense. Braith's playing is a study in wisdom and authenticity. George Braith is an inventor who has created the Braithophone, an instrument that blends two saxophones (soprano and alto) and Boptronics which is "the conjunction of improvisational jazz and the use of electronic virtual instruments." George Braith is a Blue Note artist and when you hear his Blue Note releases you will be struck by the originality of his approach

Michael Blake

Born: May 19, 1964

An enduring presence for the last 30 years, saxophonist, composer and bandleader Michael Blake has built his reputation playing jazz and creative music in New York City. This visionary composer and arranger has produced a cornucopia of recordings that vary in context and mood. He has played tenor and soprano saxophone with a diverse range of artists including {{m: The Lounge Lizards = 8874}}, {{m: Charlie Hunter = 7830}}, {{m: Henry Butler = 5501}}, {{m: Steven Bernstein = 16405}} & the Hot 9 and Ray Lamontagne.

Michael was born on May 19th, 1964 in Montreal, Canada. In the late 60’s his family moved across the continent to California’s Bay Area where the indelible sounds of Psychedelic Rock, Funk and Soul would have a huge impact on his young ears

Joey Berkley

Born: September 28, 1957

Tenor Saxophone
Composer
Arranger
Recording Artist
Educator…

…migrating south from Toronto, Canada in 1978, Joey Berkley immersed himself in the competitive New York City jazz scene. The musician benefited from his experiences in Manhattan, and maintains that these early years of struggling were not only necessary, but also crucial to his musical development. In fact, his CD that was released in 1999 and marks his debut as the bandleader of the Joey Berkley Quartet, is aptly titled Made in NYC. The disc, which features many of Joey’s original compositions, came out on A- Records. Both as a freelance musician on the NYC music scene or with his own groups including The Joey Berkley Quartet, Joey has performed in many of the prestigious venues past and present- Birdland, The Village Gate, The Apollo, Radio City Music Hall and the Bottom Line. In 2002 Joey co-founded the Westchester Jazz Orchestra (WJO)

Karl Berger

Born: March 30, 1935

Karl Berger is a six time winner of the Downbeat Critics Poll as a jazz soloist, recipient of numerous Composition Awards ( commissions by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, European Radio and Television: WDR, NDR, SWF, Radio France, Rai Italy. SWF-Prize 1994 ). Professor of Composition, Artist-in-Residence at universities, schools and festivals worldwide; PhD in Music Esthetics.

Karl Berger became noted for his innovative arrangements for recordings by Jeff Buckley ("Grace"), Natalie Merchant ("Ophelia"), Better Than Ezra, The Cardigans, Jonatha Brooke, Buckethead, Bootsie Collins, The Swans, Sly + Robbie, Angelique Kidjo a.o.; and for his collaborations with producers Bill Laswell, Alan Douglas ("Operazone"), Peter Collins, Andy Wallace, Craig Street, Alain Mallet, Malcolm Burn, Bob Marlett a.m.o. in Woodstock, NY. New York City, Los Angeles, Tokyo, London, Paris, Rome.

Jorge Sylvester

Born: February 5, 1953

JORGE SYLVESTER: Alto Saxophonist, Composer, Conductor, Arranger, Bandleader, Producer, Educator Born in Colon, Panama Jorge attended the Panama Conservatory of Music and the University of Panama. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music from the State University of New York College at New Paltz in 1981. A unique innovator and impressive composer and arranger in the idiom of creative music, his sound is reminiscent of Eric Dolphy and Ornette Coleman. Jorge has remained on the cutting edge of the creative NY Jazz scene since his arrival from Spain in 1980. Sylvester’s blend of African-Caribbean rhythms with new music is what gives him his distinguished voice. Beginning his professional career at age 14, Jorge was leading his own Caribbean dance band, writing his own arrangements and compositions