Results for "New York City"

John McNeil

Born: March 23, 1948

John McNeil is regarded as one of the most original and creative jazz artists in the worldtoday. For nearly three decades John has toured with his own groups and has receivedwidespread acclaim as both a player and composer. His highly personal trumpet stylecommunicates across the full range of contemporary jazz, and his compositions combineharmonic freedom with melodic accessibility. John's restless experimentation has kept himon the cutting edge of new music. 

His background includes the Horace Silver Quintet, Gerry Mulligan, and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. John is equally at home in free and structured settings, and thisversatility has put him on stage with artists from Slide Hampton to John Abercrombie.

Anat Cohen

Born: 1975

Idiomatically conversant with modern and traditional jazz, classical music, Brazilian choro, Argentinetango, and an expansive timeline of Afro-Cuban styles, Anat Cohen has established herself as one ofthe primary voices of her generation on both the tenor saxophone and clarinet since arriving in NewYork in 1999.

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Anat grew up with musical siblings; her older brother, Yuval, is himself asaxophonist of note, and her younger brother, Avishai, is one of New York’s busiest trumpeters. Shebegan clarinet studies at age 12 and played jazz on clarinet for the first time in her Jaffa conservatory’sDixieland band. At 16 she joined the school’s big band and learned to play the tenor saxophone. Thesame year, Anat entered the prestigious “Thelma Yelin” High School for the Arts, where she majored injazz. After graduation, she discharged her mandatory Israeli military service duty from 1993-95,playing tenor saxophone in the Israeli Air Force band.

Eric Frazier

​ Eric Frazier was born in Harlem, New York City. He was raised in Brooklyn, New York in a family of eight children. He ran track and road races for 27 years. His love of the physical culture and creative expression led him to the study of the Conga Drum, Djembe Drum and African Dance. He has since expanded his artistic endeavors to singing, trap drums, tap dance, and percussion.  His recordings exemplify a world of music including Jazz, Swing, BeBop, Salsa, R&B. Calypso, Blues, Broadway, Reggae, Reggaeton, World Music and Afro beat. Eric hosted his own television talk show called "Cultural Horizons" on Queens Public Access Cable TV in 1998

Blossom Dearie

Born: April 28, 1926

Blossom Dearie was a remarkable American jazz vocalist, pianist and composer from the bebop era known for her unique voice, definitive arranging style and continent spanning career. From recordings and radio to Calvin Klein ads, the Gilmore Girls television show, and many other film and TV soundtracks, her career swung into the 21st Century. Christina Aguilera and Carly Rae Jepsen are fans, and her friend Tony Bennett honored her as a jazz influence. Elton John recently named the piano he uses in his Las Vegas shows after Blossom. Blossom Dearie was born in the Catskill Mountains of New York State and was given her name by three proud brothers who brought pear blossoms into the house upon her arrival

Maya Nova

Born: January 8, 1974

Bulgarian born Maya Nova is a soulful jazz vocalist, educator and songwriter, whose career has brought her around the world, between Europe, Asia and USA. After earning her BA Degree at the Popular Music Department of National Music Academy, Bulgaria, she pursued the live music stage with several leading jazz and funk groups. Appearances at Sofia Jazz Fall Festival with her Jazz Quartet and the popular TV program “Todor Kolev's Night Show” with National Music Academy Big Band followed shortly. Nova was also a finalist at two Voice Competitions for young talents: “Golden Orpheus” and “Star Moments”, where she performed with the Bulgarian National Radio Big Band

Matt Aiken

Jonathan Levy

Born: July 31, 1978

Percussionist

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.” 

William "Spaceman" Patterson

Born: August 18, 1954

Instrumentalist/ Producer/ Music Director/ Music Supervisor/ Composer/Arranger/Teacher

Spaceman is both a popular musician and consummate musical virtuoso who performs, produces, composes, and arranges all genres of music. His experience in the field of entertainment crosses a wide spectrum.

Patterson studied at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, the New England Conservatory of Music, and the New York Institute of Technology. He has also studied privately with Coleridge Taylor Perkinson and James ”Blood” Ulmer.

His musical credits that read like a veritable who’s who in music, He has performed and/or recorded with such artists as: Miles Davis, Mariah Carey Luther Vandross, Sun Ra, Tom Browne,

Mala Waldron

Born: May 30

Jazz/Soul Vocalist, pianist and composer, Mala Waldron is a native of New York. Mala's musical approach reflects the many varied styles of music she was exposed to as a youngster. She credits her parents, both jazz pianists, with giving her a strong and varied foundation in the jazz culture. Her maternal grandmother, also a pianist, was from the caribbean islands and introduced young Mala to Calypso. Of her earlier influences, she also credits her older brother with introducing her to the best of R&B. At the age of 7, Mala began formal piano lessons. Later, she joined her first band, a local R&B group. This marked the beginning of her career as a full-fledged gigging musician — she was only 15