Results for "Philadelphia"

Charlie Biddle

Born: July 28, 1926

Charlie Biddle is a musical institution. Across the continent, his reputation precedes him among jazz musicians. In Quebec, his name has been synonymous with jazz, Charlie's life story cuts through linguistic, cultural and racial barriers. When the Biddle Family opened the 1995 Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, they were introduced as "the royal family of Montreal music". That Montreal stages the most successful jazz festival in the world is due in part to the efforts of Charlie Biddle. When he organized the first Montreal jazz festival, "Jazz de Chez Nous" in 1979, he was told that it would never work, jazz was then totally foreign to Quebec's culture

Shakera Jones

Born: November 5, 1977

A native of Montclair, New Jersey has been singing since age four. Influenced by her parents' love for jazz and soul music, Shakera began performing and singing at every opportunity. Shakera moved to Philadelphia to attend Temple University's Esther Boyer College of Music, where she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Music-concentration Jazz Voice. While attending Temple University, Shakera formed the Shakera Jones Quartet. Early performances consisted of mostly jazz standards with original arrangements. During her studies for a Master's degree in Jazz Studies at the University of the Arts, Shakera began to focus on songwriting

Bobby Durham

Born: February 3, 1937

Part of the enormous Philadelphia family tree of jazz players, Bobby Durham has amassed a long list of impressive jazz credits while alternating residencies between Italy and his hometown. He is perhaps best known as a member of several of the virtuoso pianist Oscar Peterson's classic trios from the '50s and as one of the great jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald's most sensitive accompanists, although jazz fans that are into the smoking organ trio sound will know Durham from his associations with the likes of turbaned Charles Earland or the innovative organist Shirley Scott. Durham is a personal favorite of jazz producer Norman Granz, who has turned to Durham again and again for help with his projects involving the likes of Fitzgerald and Basie as well as using Durham as the rhythm section drummer for jam session encounters with the likes of pianist Tommy Flanagan, guitarist Joe Pass, and trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, among many

Johnathan Blake

Johnathan Blake, one of the most accomplished drummers of his generation, has also proven himself a complete and endlessly versatile musician. Blake’s gift for composition and band leading reflects years of live and studio experience across the aesthetic spectrum. Heralded by NPR Music as “the ultimate modernist,” he has collaborated with Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, Tom Harrell, Hans Glawischnig, Avishai Cohen, Donny McCaslin, Linda May Han Oh, Jaleel Shaw, Chris Potter, Maria Schneider, Alex Sipiagin, Kris Davis and countless other distinctive voices. DownBeat once wrote, “It’s a testament to Blake’s abilities that he makes his presence felt in any context.” A frequent presence on Blue Note records over the past several years, Blake has contributed his strong, limber pulse and airy precision to multiple leader releases from Blue Note artists including Dr

Venissa Santi

Born: May 10, 1978

Venissa’s artistry stems from the necessity to express the many influences that have nourished her spirit as a Cuban American. She was born in Ithaca, New York and hails from a long line of Cuban artists. But it was her grandfather, Jacobo Ros Capablanca, a Cuban composer who instilled in her a life-long passion for music. As a child she grew up listening to the sounds of Ravel, Celia Cruz and Michael Jackson as well as theatrical productions and jazz. After completing high school, she moved to Philadelphia, where she enrolled at the University of the Arts, connected with her Cuban roots (via her grandfather’s compositions) and majored in Jazz Vocal Performance

Andy McKee

Born: November 11, 1953

Whether you are talking about Andy McKee’s bass playing or his way of moving through life, three words say it - strength, passion and artistry. Having performed for twenty-five years with many jazz greats, his reputation stretches from his home base of New York, across the United States, to Europe and Japan. The deep resonance of Andy’s sound adds unmistakable dimension to every band he plays in. His impeccable time, musicianship and capacity for rhythmic invention were forged over years of in-the-trenches experience with many legendary jazz masters.

Andy’s hard-swinging approach evolved naturally from his formative years on Philadelphia’s jazz scene

Rodney Green

Some people seek out a career in music, and some just cannot escape it. As an only child growing up in Philadelphia, gospel music and musical instruments surrounded Rodney Green at home and in church, where he spent most of his time. His father was a preacher and organist, and his mother sang in church. Rodney was drawn to the drum kit, and by age three, would climb on the kit play whenever possible. By his early teens, Green was playing drums in church, but outside he was being exposed to other kinds of music like jazz. His older cousin, also a musician, introduced Rodney to jazz, funk, and soul music, and (along with his high school band teacher) started him listening records like, “A Love Supreme,” “Transition,” and “Four More”

Norman David

Born: September 24

Norman David directs, plays with and composes the music for his ensemble, The Eleventet. For almost 20 years beginning in the early 1980s, David led versions of the Eleventet in Boston, central Maine, and NYC. Among the musicians who have played with the band are George Garzone, Dick Oatts, Tim Hagans, John Fedchock, John Swana, Seamus Blake, and Terell Stafford. In early 2001, David debuted the first Philadelphia version of The Eleventet and in mid-2007, he established an ongoing Philadelphia roster of players, comprised of the cream of that city's jazz artists. The Eleventet is featured exclusively throughout the year at Plays and Players Theater, one of Philadelphia's venerable venues for theater and creative arts. Additionally, the band performs at other notable locales and events in the region.

Hot Club of Philadelphia

Active since: 2001

The Hot Club of Philadelphia was started in 2001 by guitarist Barry Wahrhaftig. They are an acoustic ensemble, dedicated to playing 'Gypsy Jazz.' That's the term used to describe the music pioneered by the legendary original 'Hot Club of France Quintet,' which was led by guitarist Django Reinhardt and Violinist Stephane Grappelli. Django and Grappelli were attempting to do their own version of American 'Hot Jazz,' as played by stars like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. They used acoustic guitars, bass and violin, rather than horns and drums. Grappelli and Django added some French and Gypsy flavor and created a blend of music that is quite popular and accessible. The HCPhilly mixes the original style of the HCOF, along with their own modern influences.

Mary Ellen Desmond

Born: May 20

A classically trained vocalist, Mary Ellen made her professional debut in 1988 by performing operatic arias at Philadelphia art openings. Simultaneously she was pursuing an interest in Country & Western music by singing with local bands of this genre for five years, until she settled in her niche within the jazz repertoire. Her father played guitar and banjo in society orchestras featuring popular and jazz standards during the 1940s and 1950s and as a child she grew up listening to this music around the house. She has been performing professionally as a jazz vocalist for over twenty years and considers herself very fortunate to be working with accomplished Philadelphia-based jazz musicians such as pianist Tom Lawton, bassist Lee Smith, tenor sax men Larry McKenna & Robert "Bootsie" Barnes, guitarist Michael Kennedy, and trumpeter John Swana. Originally from Westfield, NJ, Philadelphia has been her home for nearly thirty years