BIO

“Music is an expression of the soul and I always try to speak through my horn,” says Gregory Tardy. “I once heard an older musician say ‘it is better to be felt than to be heard’. I never forgot that. That is my approach to playing any style of music.”

Born into a musical family, Gregory Tardy began his musical career studying classical clarinet. In high school, Gregory excelled in music, winning many awards and scholarships offers. While studying with renowned clarinetists Russell Dagon and Jack Snavely, Tardy began preparing for a symphony career. Over time, he began to be asked to play saxophone, to fill in missing gaps in various ensembles. Although he never practiced the saxophone seriously, Tardy began getting calls to play local funk gigs in the Milwaukee area. At the prodding of his older brother, Tardy finally listened to the duo recording of John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk playing “Monk’s Mood”, and then immediately determined to be a jazz musician.

His passion for the saxophone took over his studies and soon his clarinet was gathering dust. At this time, he moved to St. Louis and after a year of performing on the jazz and blues scene, he decided to move back to his birthplace, New Orleans, in order to focus his jazz studies even further. “This proved to be great move”, Tardy says. “ There were all of these outstanding players down there-many of which went on to be well known, like Nicholas Payton, Brian Blade, Victor Goines, Mark Turner, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis and far too many others to mention. Many, like I, came to study with Ellis Marsalis; some were just hanging out. It was there that I really started to get my playing together.” While in New Orleans, Tardy also played with some of the local brass bands, did some gigging with the Neville Brothers, Allen Toussaint, and groups of all styles. But he never stopped pursuing jazz.

In 1992, Tardy recorded his first solo project, Crazy Love. 1992 is also the year that he was picked up by Elvin Jones Jazz Machine, a relationship that lasted several years. During the time with the legendary Elvin Jones, Tardy felt that it was finally time to move to the Big Apple. In New York, he went on to perform and record with an extremely large array of prominent artists including: Tom Harrell, Dave Douglas, Wynton Marsalis, Jay McShann, Steve Coleman, Betty Carter, James Moody, Bill Frisell, Rashied Ali, John Patitucci, and many more. In 1999, Tardy began to play in various bands led by the great Andrew Hill; a relationship that lasted many years and produced several highly acclaimed recordings. He has also performed and/or recorded alongside many other notable saxophonists, such as Joe Lovano, Mark Turner, Chris Potter, Dewey Redman, Ravi Coltrane, and many others. In more recent years, Tardy has gone full circle, bringing his clarinet out of retirement, using it on recordings by Tom Harrell, Ohad Talmor/Steve Swallow, Stefon Harris, Chris Potter, and Andrew Hill.

“In my band, I try to explore new things, although I usually keep the tradition in the back of my head, as well. I really respect the tradition…but I try not to let it stop me from going for stuff that I hear. I also respect what’s going on now, in jazz-and it influences me.” In March 1998, Tardy’s first major label project as a leader, Serendipity, was released on Impulse Records. He received great critical acclaim for this record and was nominated as Best Debut Artist for the New York Jazz Awards. In the fall he toured Europe on the Rising Stars Tour and when he returned he began to plan his next record. A casualty of the merger of Verve and GRP, he decided to record for a smaller label, J Curve Records. His third album, The Hidden Light, was released in April 2000 to rave reviews. In 2001, Tardy explored freer elements of jazz on a CD entitled, Abundance. Recorded on the Palmetto label, this CD also received much critical acclaim. Four years later, Tardy began recording for the Steeplechase label. His releases to date are: The Truth, Steps of Faith, He Knows My Name, The Strongest Love, Monuments, Standards & More, Hope, With Songs of Joy, and Chasing After the Wind. He also recorded a duo project with BIll Frisell which was released in 2019 on vinyl for the Newvelle Records Label. His most recent project, If Time Could Stand Still, has been released on WJ3 Records. Tardy continues to perform internationally as well as teach at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

“When I listened to jazz over 20 years ago, it put me on a journey to learn, explore and create in the style. And the beauty of the genre is that you can spend a lifetime learning, growing and exploring and it never gets boring.” All About Jazz sums up Tardy’s career so far by writing, “Tardy already has his own voice and is on track to help write the next chapter in jazz history. This is exactly what more and more potential jazz listeners should be hearing.”

Bio

Hailed by John Renbourn as ‘the best Celtic guitarist in the world’ Tony McManus has been listed as one of the 50 transcendent guitarists of all time by Guitar Player Magazine. Conjuring a unique but universal language from that most ubiquitous of instruments, the acoustic guitar, Tony McManus has both extended and transcended the parameters of contemporary Celtic music. Ranked by peers and predecessors alike alongside the guitar world’s all-time greats, his fiendishly dexterous, dazzlingly original playing draws on traditions from the entire Celtic diaspora – Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, Galicia, Asturias, Cape Breton, Quebec – along with still further-ranging flavours, such as jazz and east European music. Long applauded for his uncanny ability to transpose the delicate, complex ornamentation characteristic of traditional bagpipe or fiddle tunes – even the phrasing of a Gaelic song – onto his own six strings, McManus is increasingly being acknowledged also as a pioneering figure in bridging the realms of Celtic music and other guitar genres.

Early on, having heard his session work on several albums, Nashville based Compass Records released “Ceol More” in North America to universally ecstatic reviews. Critics hailed the focussed, spell-binding nature of the music, from the plaintive Jewish hymn “Shalom Aleichem” to the ingenious arrangement of the Charles Mingus tune “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”. Having been nominated as Musician of the Year by both the BBC Folk Awards and The Scottish Traditional Music awards, in 2002 “Ceol More” hit the Critic’s Album of the year list in Acoustic Guitar magazine and named “Live Ireland Awards” Album of the Year.

Since then, Tony’s music has come to define a new role for the guitar in Celtic music. He has come to represent Celtic music in the guitar world, making regular appearances at guitar specific events where just a few years ago jigs and reels would be unheard of. His solo work aside, McManus is also a wonderful accompanist, and he has worked with (among many others) Dougie McLean, Phil Cunningham, Mairi MacInnes, Liam O’Flynn, Martin Simpson, Kevin Burke, Alison Brown, Martyn Bennett, Natalie MacMaster, Patrick and Jacky Molard, Mairead ní Mhoanaigh and Dermot Byrne.

Tony is now also invited annually to the Chet Atkins Festival in Nashville, has appeared at Guitar Festivals in Soave and Pescantina, Italy; Frankston, Australia; Issoudun, France; Kirkmichael, Scotland; Bath and Kent, England; Bochum and Osnabruck, Germany and has taught at five of Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Kamps in Maryville, Tennessee. He recently appeared at the famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in the “All Star Guitar Night” featuring Steve Morse, Bryan Sutton, Muriel Anderson, Béla Fleck and Victor Wooten and headlined by the legendary Les Paul. He has performed and taught at the Ellnora Guitar Festival in one of Illinois’s most prestigious venues, the Krannert Center, with the likes of Pat Metheny, Kaki King, Molly Tuttle, and Steve Dawson. He is a signature artist for PRS Guitars in Maryland, and has performed at their venue with Carlos Santana, among others, and done PR tours for different guitar companies such as Paul Reed Smith and Greenfield Guitars both here and abroad, even to Japan.

Tommy Emmanuel says of Tony “This music is beyond beautiful, its. PERFECT!” and Dick Gaughan says “I have no superlatives to do this justice.”

BIO

An exceptional guitarist with a beautiful sound and great fluidity, a unique composer that blends Brazilian Music, Classical Music, and Jazz, Chico’s been nominated twice for the American Grammy Awards (in 2019 & 2020).

Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, he started playing the guitar when he was 6. At 14, he started working as a studio session guitarist and soon began to be called to collaborate with a wide range of artists in his hometown, then in Brazil, then abroad. In 2002 Chico put together a band of his own and started recording as a leader. His first album, ‘Meia Noite Meio Dia’ (Sony Music/ 2003), was released in 2003 with great reviews at all the most important newspapers and music magazines in Brazil and abroad and was included in the ‘Top 10 Brazilian albums of the year’ in the major newspapers of Brazil: ‘O Estado de São Paulo,’ ‘A Folha de São Paulo’ and ‘O Globo.’ This well-received debut included special guest vocalists Lenine, Ed Motta, Chico César, and Maria Rita.

His second release, ‘Chico Pinheiro’ (Biscoito Fino/ 2005), enjoyed great critical and audience acclaim, once more being included in the ‘Top 10 Brazilian albums of the year’ by newspapers’ O Estado,’ ‘O Globo’ and ‘Folha de São Paulo.’

The third album, NOVA, was released in Dec/ 2007 in collaboration with the American guitarist and composer Anthony Wilson. It was, again, celebrated by critics and the audience.

His fourth album, There’s a Storm Inside (CT Music Japan/ Sunnyside Records, NY, 2010), was released in 35 countries. It included guests such as Dianne Reeves and Bob Mintzer. It was featured on the downbeat, Revista Veja, O Estado de São Paulo, Folha de São Paulo, Jornal O GLOBO, and Revista Rolling Stone among the ‘best albums of the year.’ This record also won prizes as Best Brazilian Jazz Álbum of the year and Best Latin Jazz Composition of 2010 with ‘Mamulengo’ in the Latin Jazz Corner Association, USA. Chico also won as Best Latin Jazz Guitarist in the same association.

In 2012 he released the CD’ TRIZ’ in partnership with the pianist and composer André Mehmari and singer and composer Sergio Santos.

Meanwhile, in the Downbeat Magazine Annual Critics Poll, Chico has been listed (three times) as “Rising Star – Guitar.”

In 2017 Chico released “Varanda,” a unique collaboration project which all major papers and magazines in Brazil and abroad included as ‘best of the year’ again. His composition “Varanda” is performed by Vince Mendoza and the WDR Big Band on the Project “Focus on Brazil”, along with Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo, Gilberto Gil, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Villa Lobos.

Today Chico is considered a leading figure in – and outside the Brazilian music scene, who has distinguished himself as a guitarist, composer, and arranger. Alongside with his main projects as leader, he also has collaborated with artists such as Placido Domingo, Brad Mehldau, Dave Grusin, Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, Danilo Pérez, Nnenna Freelon, Bob Mintzer, Herbie Hancock, Brian Blade (IJD), Ron Carter, Chris Potter, John Patitucci, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, The Israel Chamber Orchestra, The Bob Mintzer Big Band, The Paris Jazz Big Band, The Swiss Jazz Orchestra, The Danish Radio Big Band, The Seasons Guitar Quartet with Anthony Wilson, Julian Lage & Steve Cardenas, Esperanza Spalding, Joyce, Ivan Lins, Rosa Passos, Dori Caymmi, Danilo Caymmi, João Donato, Johnny Alf, Chico César, Ed Motta, César Camargo Mariano, Elza Soares, Luciana Souza, Monarco, Mark Turner, Tom Scott, Joe Lovano, Terri Lyne Carrington, Eddie Gomez, Gary Novak, Lee Ritenour, Abraham Laboriel, Paulinho da Costa, Sammy Figueroa, Cachaíto Lopez (Buena Vista Social Club), Roberto Fonseca, Ari Hoenig, Claudio Roditi, Duduka da Fonseca, Peter Erskine, Giovani Hidalgo, amongst others.

About Chico Pinheiro:

“‎If you enjoy adventurous, creative and contemporary Brazilian music, Chico Pinheiro is the man taking it to the next level.”
– WDNA, Miami , USA

“‎An astonishing guitarist whose technical skill and emotive feel for the instrument is above par for anything guitar-related I’ve experienced of late.”
– Global Village, Savannah, GA, USA 2018

“‎One of the brightest lights on today’s Brazilian jazz scene”
– The BOSTON GLOBE,  Boston, MA, 2018

“‎Chico Pinheiro is a prodigy of guitar”
– Downbeat Magazine, USA, 2017

BIO

Paul Carr, a Houston native and 1985 Howard University graduate, has dedicated his professional career to performing and promoting Jazz through education and community outreach. He carries on the Texas tenor tradition espoused by great heroes such as the late Houstonians Arnett Cobb and Don Wilkerson who served as his early idols and mentors. He grew up in inner-city Houston, Texas and was a member of the Kashmere High School Stage Band, whose director, the late Conrad Johnson, is the subject of a documentary, Thunder Soul, produced by actor, Jamie Foxx. Though never having had private music lessons, Paul has received several outstanding musician awards at high school and college jazz festivals.

Paul has recorded 8 CD’s, which have been well received by critics and jazz fans alike. His new CD “The Real Jazz Whisperer” features Allyn Johnson, Michael Bowie, Lewis Nash and will be released September, 2020. His CD “DC-NYC Organ Sessions” reached #9 on the Jazz Week radio play charts. His CD released in 2013, “Standard Domain,” reached #3 on the Jazz Week radio play chart and stayed on the chart for 16 weeks. Paul has toured Russia, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Central and South America and has shared the stage with many of the greatest names in jazz. Paul was a favorite of President Clinton during his term in office and Paul performed at many of the Clinton’s private events. He also did a special performance for the late King Hussein and Queen Noir of Jordan at their residence in Aqaba, Jordan.

Paul is passionately committed to the education of children and young adults, particularly as it relates to the preservation of jazz. In 2002, he founded the Jazz Academy of Music, which hosts summer camps and jazz ensembles for kids throughout the year. Paul also serves the Director of the Gettysburg College Jazz Ensemble. Paul has changed the lives of hundreds of his students by selflessly sharing his knowledge of music and life. Several of his students have been admitted and even received full scholarships to some of the top music schools and conservatories in the country. In fact, five of Paul students have been admitted to the prestigious Julliard School of Music in New York. Many of his former students are touring and performing all over the world, sharing the stage with some of the top names in jazz music today. Paul’s work was acknowledged in 2012 by ABC Channel 7 News when he was selected as a “Harris Hero” for his amazing work with music students across the area. In March 2014, Paul received the prestigious, Howard University, “Benny Golson Jazz Master Award”, for his outstanding work as a performer, presenter and educator. He also served as a panelist at the 2014 Congressional Black Caucus where he spoke on the importance of jazz education and advocated for a Bill that was circulating in Congress that to offer federal support toward the advancement and preservation of traditional Jazz. In March, 2015 Paul received the County Executive’s “Education Award” for Montgomery County Maryland. Finally, in 2019, Paul was selected as a “Jazz Hero” by the Jazz Journalist Association.

In 2010, Paul re-established the East Coast Jazz Festival as the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, and serves as its Executive and Artistic Director. The festival enjoys over 3,000 attendees that travel from states across the U.S. and beyond. Held every Presidents Day weekend in Rockville, MD, the festival incorporates a strong educational component, with a high school band competition and free master classes for students as well as an entertainment component with performances by NEA Jazz Masters, such as Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Ellis Marsalis, Roy Haynes and Branford Marsalis, just to name of few.

In 2015, Paul presented his teaching technique for improvisation, “The Theoryless Approach to Jazz Improvisation”, at the JEN Conference in San Diego, to a standing room only audience. The presentation was well received by the audience with many questions and request for a copy of the presentation. Paul also present the techniques at the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival to the high school band directors in attendance.

When you think of an ambassador for jazz music today, you have got to include Paul Carr in that grouping, as his work touches all fronts including jazz education, performance and presentation.

BIO

Grammy nominated organist, winner of Downbeat Magazine’s 2016 rising star poll and Hot House magazine’s 2019 poll, Pat Bianchi has established himself as one of the premier organists on the international scene today. His command of the instrument, harmonic prowess, rhythmic intensity and versatility are rivaled by few. Bianchi has had the honor of being a long time member of jazz guitar icon, Pat Martino’s trio and also performed with NEA Jazz Master and saxophone legend, Lou Donaldson’s quartet for a number of years as well.

He has released eight CD’s as a leader and is also a featured artist on over 30 recordings. Building on the success of his 2015 recording “A Higher Standard” his 2019 release, “In The Moment” rose to #1 on the Jazzweek Radio Charts and features an array of guests including Pat Martino, Kevin Mahogany, Joe Locke, Peter Bernstein, Paul Bollenback, Byron Landham, Carmen Intorre, Jr.  Bianchi briefly steps away from his straight ahead roots on his newest release  (2021) “Something To Say” The Music of Stevie Wonder with arrangements that are never ostentatious but rather subtly layered with remarkable details.

Bianchi, who comes from a musically gifted family, began playing organ at the age of 7, after receiving a Farfisa Compact Duo organ as a Christmas gift. His grandfathers (Pat Bianchi – Saxophone and Richard Zona – Trumpet) along with his father (Nick Bianchi – Drums) all working musicians, provided a great deal of support and guidance early in his musical development. Recognizing Pat’s continuing affinity for music, his parents enrolled him in classical piano study. While still maintaining a strong interest in organ, he was playing his first professional gigs by the age of 11, eventually performing with dance bands around his hometown of Rochester, NY.  Bianchi’s interest shifted in his high school years as he began to also focus more on jazz piano. Enrolling in The Eastman School of Music’s preparatory program for piano and music theory, Pat was also mentored by numerous musicians in the Rochester jazz scene, eventually choosing to continue his studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Bianchi never lost sight of his love of Jazz Organ and since a B3 was still out of his reach, he began spending more time on a smaller version of the famed instrument called a Hammond M100. With his passion and dedication, (also not being able to play left hand bass on a Spinet organ) Bianchi taught himself to play bass lines solely with his foot pedals. It was shortly after this time that Bianchi had a chance encounter with his hero {and soon to be mentor} Joey DeFrancesco. This was the moment Pat knew that in time he would leave the piano behind for the Hammond B3. After graduating Berklee cum laude, Bianchi secured the position as the house pianist at the famous El Chapultepec club in Denver, CO. The Pec (as it is known to locals) often brought in guest artists giving Pat the opportunity to play with such greats as Red Holloway, Dakota Staton, Carl Fontana, Javon Jackson, Mark Elf, Bud Shank, Brad Leali, Pete Christlieb, and Conte Candoli. After being at the Pec for 6 nights a week for almost 3 years, Pat became an important fixture on the Denver Jazz Scene.

At this time, Bianchi decided to focus exclusively on the organ making his national debut as an organist, appearing on two recordings as a member the Denver based organ trio, 3osity. The national release of Art of The Jazz Organ Trio and the subsequent recording Tri-O-City brought Bianchi wider recognition and onto a larger stage as a rising star of the organ.

Moving to NYC, Bianchi quickly established himself in the competitive New York scene. At this time, legendary saxophonist Lou Donaldson immediately took notice of the young organist.   Bianchi then joined the faculty of the University of Colorado at Boulder Jazz Studies Program teaching piano, theory and ensembles to undergraduate, masters and doctoral students. During this time he recorded his first album as a leader, East Coast Roots, which features Mark Whitfield on guitar and Byron Landham on drums. At the same time, Bianchi began working closely with drummer Ralph Peterson Jr. on collaborative projects, including and co-leading The Unity Project (a tribute to organist Larry Young and his album Unity).

Upon returning to New York City in June of 2008, Pat officially joined The Lou Donaldson’s quartet in 2009. Continuing to play with Lou, Bianchi also joined Pat Martino’s working trio in 2011 while taking on the responsibilities as musical director. Bianchi is featured on numerous recordings such as Tim Warfield’s Sentimental Journey, a follow up to Warfield’s recording One For Shirley (on which he also appears) as well as guitarist Chuck Loeb’s release, Plain and Simple. At this time Bianchi also continued to perform with drummer Ralph Peterson Jr., forging ahead with The Unity Project. Bianchi was featured, recording much of this material on Peterson’s CD Outer Reaches. Soon after Bianchi released his second recording as a leader, Back Home. This recording features Terell Stafford, Ralph Peterson Jr, Wayne Escoffery, Carmen Intorre Jr. and Gilad Hekselman.

Bianchi not only continues to collaborate, tour and record with many well known musicians, he is also very active in the educational front. Pat has been on faculty at Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) and Queens College (NYC), and is currently on faculty at Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA).

Bio

With over a decade of touring and competitions across the world, Matt Thomas has crafted one of the biggest guitar sounds in the industry today! With mind blowing techniques and deep songwriting, Thomas takes the audience on a wild ride of melodic and theatrical highlights that transports listeners to an imaginary world. With stories files with scientific knowledge and wonder, he not only brings listeners a world-class performance… but also educates and challenges our everyday patterns in life. Thomas uses some of the most complex technology to bring the audience along the journey with him, including 4 individual pick-ups that are sent to a psychedelic array of pedals to achieve a larger-than-life sound.  Seeming like a mad-scientist, Thomas combines technological wizardry and a plethora of guitar techniques such as Percussion, Flamenco, Classical, Bluegrass, Jazz, Swing, Blues, and Acoustic Rock to sound like a complete full band.

 

Awards and Achievements

• 1st Place International Fingerstyle Collective Competition 2019
• 1st place International Contemporary Thumbpicking 2006
• 1st place International Open Thumbpicking 2006
• 1st Place International Open Thumbpicking 2007
• Kentucky Hall of Fame Inductee 2007
• Winfield 3rd place International Fingerstyle Championship 2017

BIO

2021 JUNO Award winner Jocelyn Gould has been called “a leader in the next generation of great mainstream jazz guitarists” by Howard Paul, CEO of Benedetto Guitars. Her joyful energy has captivated audiences around the world and her passion for music is as infectious as her unique ability to connect with audiences. Jocelyn has absorbed the influences of the jazz guitar greats and has woven them into an exciting personal sound, citing Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Joe Pass and Kenny Burrell as primary influences on the guitar.

Jocelyn has performed and recorded internationally as a leader and with GRAMMY-nominated vocalist Freddy Cole, JUNO-winning trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg, DownBeat Rising Star trombonist Michael Dease, Etienne Charles, Jon Gordon, Rodney Whitaker, Randy Napoleon and Diego Rivera.

Jocelyn’s debut album, Elegant Traveler, won the 2021 JUNO Award for Jazz Album of the Year: Solo.

Golden Hour, Jocelyn’s sophomore album, showcases her virtuosic guitar playing and dynamic compositions, and introduces her voice. It has received international critical acclaim and radio play including extensive play on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Golden Hour reached #1 on Canadian and #9 on North American college radio jazz charts. Jocelyn’s Golden Hour Tour took place in June 2022 with performances at 11 Canadian Jazz Festivals.

Jocelyn toured extensively in 2022, including a 6-week American tour featuring the music of Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. She will begin 2023 with a two-month North American tour from Florida to Alaska as one of four guitarists featured in a concert of solo guitar.

Jocelyn is a Professor and Head of Guitar Department at Humber College in Toronto. She is a Benedetto-endorsed artist.

Bio

“It was the mid-1950s when I first saw Elvis on TV. Although I was only three or four years old, I realized I had just witnessed something incredibly powerful, and for me music was what it was going to be all about.”

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Grammy-winning guitarist Bill Mize is a son of Tennessee, and a fitting representative of his state’s rich musical heritage. His critically lauded fingerstyle compositions are fluid and intricate, and their delivery masterful. One suspects an influential teacher, and one would be right. “I received most of my musical education from a cheap Zenith radio,” says Mize, who as a child drifted off to sleep to the decidedly non-sleepy lullabyes emanating from Nashville’s WLAC and WSM and Knoxville’s WNOX.

Maybe that’s why critics speak of his ability to “transport” the listener; the music itself has been transported. The links to his Tennessee roots are unmistakable, but so are the elements of the far wider musical realm he inhabits, and the mixture is as intoxicating as Tennessee moonshine. With a twist.

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Bill is a past winner of the National Fingerstyle Guitar Competition at The Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. Guitar Player Magazine has labeled this event the “U.S. Open of guitar competitions.” Bill received a GRAMMY Award for his collaboration with musician and storyteller David Holt on the recording Stellaluna, and has been featured on the popular guitar compilations “Windham Hill Guitar Sampler” by Windham Hill Records and “Masters of the Acoustic Guitar” by Narada Records. In 2009, Bill’s music appeared in the Ken Burns documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” Mel Bay Productions transcribed Mize’s second CD, “Tender Explorations,” into a songbook, and his original compositions have been transcribed for Fingerstyle Guitar and Acoustic Guitar magazines.

BIO

If that Dickens chap hadn’t already snagged it, “A Tale of Two Cities” would make the ideal title for the John Ellis story. The gifted, versatile saxophonist/clarinetist/composer occupies an imaginary (and extremely imaginative) space directly between the celebratory, welcoming spirit of New Orleans and the edgy, frantic streets of New York City. Both as the leader of his own eclectic projects and as an in-demand sideman for a mind-boggling number and variety of artists, Ellis expresses a keen intellect and easy virtuosity while maintaining a mischievous gleam in his eye and never letting tongue stray far from cheek.

That combination is best showcased in Ellis’ eccentric combo Double-Wide, which recently released its third album, Charm, on Ellis’ own Parade Light Records. While the title is an apt descriptor of the band’s inviting, joyous vibe, its soul is even better captured by the song that gives the album its name: “Charm is Nearly Always Sinister.” That dichotomy perfectly encapsulates Double-Wide’s split metropolitan personality, with a chainsaw-juggling balance of bayou brass, raucous gospel, and devil-may-care modern jazz. Ellis’ band of merry pranksters includes Gary Versace (organ/piano/accordion), Alan Ferber (trombone), Matt Perrine (sousaphone), and Jason Marsalis (drums).

Ellis also leads his own quintet of A-list players, whose most recent album was the 2012 Criss Cross release It’s You I Like. Featuring Mike Moreno (guitar), Aaron Goldberg (piano), Matt Penman (bass), and Rodney Green (drums), the album definitely leans more toward the NYC end of Ellis’ playing spectrum, though its two dedicatees still show off his “serious fun” duality: the repertoire includes songs by moody singer-songwriter Elliott Smith and legendary kids’ TV host Mr. Rogers.

An ambitious composer as well as an agile musician, Ellis in recent years has composed three large-scale narrative pieces commissioned by The Jazz Gallery in collaboration with playwright Andy Bragen. The most recent, MOBRO (released in 2014 on Parade Light), looks at environmental issues through the story of the infamous MOBRO 4000 trash barge.

As if those three wide-ranging projects weren’t enough to occupy his time and talents, Ellis also maintains an impossibly busy schedule as a first-call sideman. Having established himself as one of New York’s premier tenor saxophonists since his arrival in 1997, he’s since worked with artists as diverse as bass great John Patitucci, organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith, MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón, the Brooklyn-bred big band led by composer Darcy James Argue, guitar groove master Charlie Hunter, and pop icon Sting. His discography lists more than 100 album credits as a sideman, with more than a dozen released in 2014 alone, including acclaimed albums by Zenón, drummer Otis Brown III, pianists Helen Sung and Edward Simon, and blues/gospel/soul trio The Holmes Brothers.

While New Orleans and New York are Ellis’ two spiritual (and, over the last 22 years, actual) homes, he doesn’t hail from either city – or any city at all, for that matter. He grew up in rural North Carolina, two and a half miles outside of a tiny town populated by only 200 people. But his mother, an English teacher at the local community college, insisted that her sons be exposed to culture, and the love of music took hold in young John, who pursued that love to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in the relatively big city of Winston-Salem.

In 1993, Ellis moved to New Orleans to study with renowned jazz family patriarch Ellis Marsalis, eventually playing in the pianist’s band while jamming with local peers like trumpeter Nicholas Payton. He released his debut album, The Language of Love, in 1996 and a year later relocated to New York City. Despite the move, the name of his 2005 album One Foot in the Swamp captures his continuing ties to the Bayou, which shines through in the southern-accented, gospel-tinged funk grooves of his music. Ellis has released nine albums as a leader, three of those featuring his urban carnival band Double-Wide, which has toured extensively and was featured on the Main Stage of the 2012 Newport Jazz Festival.

While his presence on countless recordings and stages attests to the esteem in which Ellis is held by his peers, he’s also received numerous more official accolades. Most prominently, he was the second place winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition in 2002. He was the recipient of three composition grants through The Jazz Gallery for his collaborations with playwright Andy Bragen (“Dreamscapes”, “The Ice Siren”, and “MOBRO”) and was selected as the 2014 Make Jazz Fellow by the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, leading to the composition of music for Charm.

Bio

Finger Food is a feast not only for guitar lovers, but also for anyone with a passion for acoustic music. The guitarists perform “in the round” and trade songs and stories about their compositions and their approach to the guitar in a casual concert setting. The music focuses on contemporary instrumental American Fingerstyle Guitar with folk, jazz, Celtic, classical and blues influences.

The guitarists are very different stylistically and these different styles contribute to an evening of broad musical tastes. They will play solo, duets and trio work.  The guitarists also will be performing on some very unique custom built instruments and historic instruments.

Danny Dozier is a legendary guitarist in the state of Arkansas. Danny’s solo performances showcase his wide range of guitar styles and his superb choice of material. He has performed at the Ozark Folk Center in many configurations over the years, fronts the Danny Dozier Band at gigs around the state and the country and is the two-time winner of the Merle Travis Fingerstyle Guitar Championship at the Ozark Folk Center. Danny has just released a CD with fiddler extraordinaire and producer Tim Crouch.

Steve Davison is a Little Rock guitarist who performs on the 6 and 12 string guitar. He tours the country with artists such as Ken Bonfield and Peter Janson. They have performed at acoustic venues around the country and shared the stage artist such as Larry Coryell, Muriel Anderson, Peter Janson, Tim Farrell, Dakota Dave Hull, Ken Bonfield, Doug Young, Teja Gerken, Tim Sparks and other guitarists.. Steve was also the winner of the 2005 Arkansas Acoustic Music Festival in the solo category and has been a featured artist on AETN Presents. Steve has performed at the Montreal Guitar Festival, the Healdsburg Guitar Festival in California and the Memphis Guitar Festical in Tennessee. In 2015 Steve won the Ozark Folk Center, Merle Travis Fingerstyle Guitar competition in the contemporary section. Steve was chosen Guitarist of the Year for 2019 by the Arkansas Country Music Associatio. More information about Steve is available at http://www.stevedavison.com

Micky Rigby is an exceptional guitarist from Little Rock who has performed at multiple acoustic venues across the state. Micky was a runner up at the Merle Travis Fingerstyle Guitar Championship at the Ozark Folk Center and was a familiar face at Acoustic Sounds Café in the past in Little Rock. Micky has an extensive repertoire and is an accomplished player of the guitar and the banjo.

BIO

Adam Larson (b. 1990) is an American saxophonist, composer and author. An endorsed artist for P. Mauriat saxophones, The Boston Sax Shop and Key Leaves, Adam began playing saxophone at the age of 11. Described by critic Howard Reich of The Chicago-Tribune as “a player for whom the word ‘prodigious’ was coined”, by Peter Hum of the Ottawa Citizen as “a saxophonist who brings Donny McCaslin and Mark Turner to mind”, and by Nate Chinen of The New York Times as “the sort of jazz musician who gets flagged early on as a promising talent and then hustles to meet every requirement for success”, Larson has garnered numerous awards that distinguish him as one of the most promising artists of his generation. Upon graduating from high school in 2008, Adam moved to New York City to pursue his BM and MM in Jazz Performance on full-scholarship from The Manhattan School, finishing his studies in 2014.

Larson has released seven albums; two for Outside In, one for Ropeadope Records, two under the Inner Circle Music label and two produced independently. Larson’s most recent record “With Love, From Chicago”, received a rare 4.5 Star rating from Downbeat Magazine and was featured in JazzTimes Magazine, among other national media outlets.

Larson keeps an active schedule with his own groups and as a sideman, having performed at several venues across the U.S. including The Green Mill, The Jazz Standard, Birdland, The 55 Bar, The Jazz Gallery, The Blue Note, The Village Vanguard, Smalls, Jazz at The Bistro, The Jazz Estate, The Jazz Showcase, Dazzle, Noce, The Jewell and several others.

Music has allowed Adam to see more of the world than he once thought possible, having toured Poland, India,Taiwan, Holland, and Germany as well much of the United States. Larson’s Trio received a South Arts “Jazz Road Touring Grant” in 2022 and In 2015 Larson’s quartet was selected as one of ten ensembles to tour on behalf of the U.S. State Department’s “American Music Abroad”program and toured Africa for 35 days visiting The Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin and Ghana.

Beyond maintaining an active touring and recording schedule, Larson continues to be a sought after clinician and masterclass presenter and has been a guest at more than seventy-five Universities across the world. Appearances include visits to HKU Conservatory-Utrecht, Temple University, Yale, Manhattan School of Music, and University of North Texas among many others. Larson is currently on faculty at UMKC Conservatory where he teaches classes in the Arts Entrepreneurship program and previously taught jazz saxophone, music business and pedagogy. In addition to his duties at UMKC, Larson has a diverse private lesson studio of online students from the U.S. and abroad.

Adam has authored 12 jazz etude books that have been sold in over 45 countries and States. He has created and released a successful online masterclass dedicated exclusively to developing great technique, called “Lightning-Fast and Crystal- Clean”. He maintains an impressive portfolio of commissioned ensemble writing for school jazz ensembles, having written more than thirty original works to date. Adam was commissioned by the Illinois Music Educators Association to compose the All-State composition for the 2020 convention, where he directed the Honors Jazz Band. Larson has also directed the South Dakota All-State Jazz Combo.

With a vested interest in giving back, Larson has also worked in various capacities with organizations that showcase exceptional young talent in the United States. Adam has served as a mentor for the Grammy Foundation and as an adjudicator for the Monterey Jazz Festival Next Generation Jazz Orchestra and YoungArts organization. Serving in the role of creative director of the YoungArts New York regional show, Larson has presented multiple genre-bending,

Pat Kirtley grew up in a musical Kentucky family. As a child he was exposed to the musical influences of his mother’s family – listening to country and bluegrass – and his father’s family who were more attracted to pop and classical music.[1]

Kirtley’s first exposure to guitar, at age 5, was hearing guitarist and composer Spider Rich (writer of many tunes for Chet Atkins, including Yakety Axe) in a small recording studio where Kirtley’s father worked as a part-time assistant. Rich was playing fingerstyle in the style of Chet Atkins, and Kirtley says from that moment, he wanted to learn guitar. He began learning at age 8, taught by two uncles who were influenced by Chet Atkins and Merle Travis, as well as pop and country music of the day.

In his teenage years he was also drawn to recording and its technology. By age 13, he had acquired a tape recorder and had become interested in electronics, not just using the equipment, but teaching himself how to build and modify it. He soon began experimenting with tone modification and looping techniques on his recorder and took his early steps in recording with some of his first, never to be published compositions as a 14-year-old.[[2],[3]

In the early seventies, after having played in groups including pop, rock, jazz, and a nine-piece R&B show band, Kirtley moved away from electric guitar and began focusing on the acoustic, playing both steel-string and nylon-string guitars. During this time he began to develop his unique playing style, using alternate tunings, and writing original material. In 1974-75 Kirtley recorded his first album, with eastern Kentucky guitarist Wendell Cornett. Though the album was never released, it established the characteristics of Kirtley’s acoustic style, introducing tunes like “B-Rod’s Rag” and “Old Joe Clark” which were re-recorded 20 years later for his first CD Kentucky Guitar.

While always an ardent guitar player, Kirtley began his professional career on the other side of the microphone, working as a studio engineer and producer for twelve years beginning in the mid-70’s.[3] He continued playing and creating his compositions, but never published them or pursued working professionally as a guitarist until around 1989, when he began touring as a solo act.[1] In 1992 he entered the fingerstyle competition at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas – without notable success. He didn’t give up, and won the 1994 National Thumbpicking Contest in Mountain View, Arkansas. That same year, he released his first CD Kentucky Guitar, which earned very positive reviews.[citation needed] The next year, 1995, he went to Winfield for the third time and became the National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion in the Walnut Valley Festival competition.[4]

In 1996, Kirtley was chosen to participate in a project for Narada Records, a CD titled Guitar Fingerstyle, featuring a collection of tracks from leading contemporary acoustic guitar artists. The release was a success for the label, selling nearly a quarter-million copies worldwide.[citation needed] 1997 and 1998 saw Kirtley releasing two more CDs, Irish Guitar and Rural Life. Both contain his own solo guitar compositions, and arrangements of pop and traditional tunes. He then appeared on other artist’s CDs as accompanying guitarist and also began developing pieces for a group/duo context, leading up to his CD “Just Listen” (2000), which featured collaborations with Tommy Emmanuel, jazz guitarist Craig Wagner, and acoustic super-group Nickel Creek. The group sound context was further developed on Kirtley’s Brazilian Guitar, released in 2002. This CD focuses on Brazilian Samba and Bossa Nova styles and was recorded with an ensemble setting. Here Kirtley’s sound comes from the nylon-string guitar instead of his usual steel-string.

Through this period, Kirtley also released a number of video projects, including three instructional titles for Stefan Grossman‘s Guitar Workshop, as well as producing a number of videos on other artists. In 1999 he released the video Nine Pound Hammer: Guitar Styles of Western Kentucky, produced on-location in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, introducing several significant guitarists in this genre to new audiences. Kirtley also participated in four more CD projects for Narada Records, two CD collections on Rounder Records, and has released two books of transcriptions of his music for Mel Bay Publications.

Currently[when?] Kirtley tours in the USA and internationally, for concerts, guitar workshops and music camps, producing videos and keeping several recording projects running.[citation needed] He co-authored a book about home recording and writes articles for guitar magazines about guitar technique, recording and other related topics, in magazines such as Electronic Musician, Acoustic Guitar, Onstage, Home Recording, and Wood & Steel, as well as in the German magazine Akustik Gitarre.[5],[6]

From 1996 to 2009, he represented Taylor Guitars in workshops and guitar clinics at dealers throughout the US and internationally. In 2006, Kirtley was honored as the newest inductee to the National Thumbpicker’s Hall of Fame.

TONY DAGRADI is an internationally recognized jazz performer, artist, composer, author and educator.

BIO

For nearly four decades he has made his home in New Orleans, performing on tenor and soprano saxophone with many of the Crescent City’s most celebrated artists, including Ellis Marsalis, Allen Toussaint, Professor Longhair, James Booker, The Meters, Dr. John, James Black, Johnny Adams and Gatemouth Brown. An accomplished classical performer as well, he’s often called upon to augment the woodwind section of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. His performing past also includes five years as a member of the internationally acclaimed Carla Bley Band and appearances and recordings with Bobby McFerrin, Mose Allison and Nat Adderley.

Dagradi is most well known for his work with Astral Project, an adventurous quartet made up of top New Orleans players dedicated to playing cutting-edge improvisational music. Over the years the band has performed throughout the world, garnering universal praise as one of the most innovative, compelling jazz bands anywhere. For more information on Astral Project click here to visit the band website.

Since 1990 Dagradi has been a Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Loyola University in New Orleans where he maintains a large saxophone studio, teaches classes in improvisation, and directs various ensembles. To learn more about the music program at Loyola click here.

Downbeat (December 2014) 

Four Stars

On first listen, Tony Dagradi’s Gemini Rising sounds simply like a New Orleans ensemble hitting its stride with equal parts grace, grit and gumbo. But wait a minute – this is a horns-and-drums band only. Master saxophonist Dagradi performs on soprano, alto, tenor and baritone, layering his horns (up to 10 in a tune) with the accompaniment of three New Orleans Drummers: Herlin Riley, Johnny Vidacovich and Troy Davis. It’s amazing that essentially two musicians (per track) and technology can…

Read more

11/06/2014

ST (Saxophone Today – Nov/Dec 2014) 

Tony Dagradi’s recent release, “Gemini Rising,” is a unique recording of original compositions, and one Monk composition (Monk’s Mood) performed by a section of saxophones (all played by Dagradi) and only drums. Joined by some fo the busiest working drummers in New Orleans, John Vidacovich, Herlin Riley and Troy Davis, the music on the CD overflows with rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic energy.

A mainstay on the New Orleans music scene for over thirty years, Dagradi has not only performed with some the city’s…

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11/06/2014

Jazz Inside – Gemini Rising

Gemini Rising is a unique entry in Tony Dagradi’s discography. For this project of mostly original music, Dagradi overdubbed on four of his horns and is just joined by one of three different drummers. After hearing one selection, it is obvious that nothing is missing and the results are quite simulating and spirited.

Tony Dagradi has long been one of the leading modern jazz performers based in New Orleans. Normally he is heard on tenor and soprano. Among the many artists with whom he has performed are Ellis…

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08/08/2014

Gemini Rising – Offbeat Magazine

In the late ’80s, Tony Dagradi played and recorded with the New Orleans Saxophone Ensemble, an all-star group that was modeled after the internationally renowned World Saxophone Quartet. It included the late Earl Turbinton and Fred Kemp plus baritone saxophonist Roger Lewis.

Gemini Rising uses a similar concept though with a major twist. Dagradi performs all the horn parts – soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones – accompanied by a single drummer. Herlin Riley, Johnny Vidacovich and Troy Davis take…Read more

06/10/2014

Astral Project At New Orleans Jazz Fest 2013

Astral Project first played New Orleans Jazz Fest in 1978. And this savvy, virtuosic quartet has been bringing its well-honed modern jazz ideas to the Fair Grounds ever since. On Friday at the Jazz Tent, the quartet showed that the young lions of decades past haven’t lost their roar, their teeth, or the feline grace of their improvisations.

Reedman Tony Dagradi still runs harmonic mazes with aplomb. (On tenor, Dagradi is virile and fleet, on soprano he’s a pastoral piper – take your pick).

Guitarist Steve…Read more

06/10/2014

Saxophone Journal

November/December 2012 Vol. 37, No. 2

New Saxophone Publications by David Demsey

Sax Solos Over Jazz Standards: Book-CD set

Recommended for: musicians who already have some knowledge of jazz theory, but are struggling to unlock their own “true voice” as a composer or improviser  Tony Dagradi has a long reputation as a major-league modernist tenor player. He has for years been on the faculty of Loyola University in New Orleans, and has played with the best of that city’s legendary musicians as well as Carla…

06/10/2014

Sax Solos Over Jazz Standards

Today, I would like to introduce “Sax Solos Over Jazz Standards,” a new book and play along CD which was just released by Jamey Aebersold’s Jazz Books. My goal in producing this music was to present sophisticated and balanced melodic statements based on standard changes which could serve as superior models for practice and study. While these solos are carefully and painstakingly ‘composed,’ each is designed to evoke the spirit of an improvised performance.

At the core of any investigation into the art of…Read more

06/10/2014

Interview With Tony Dagradi

Astral Project is often called the best contemporary jazz band in New Orleans, with good reason. They play with the cohesion of a band that’s been together fordecades, andthe passion of youngsters. Their music is at times outside, inside, funkified, and even a bit sanctified.

Tony Dagradi is the leader of the group. Playing a number of saxophones, he can surprise a jaded listener by taking the soprano sax places smooth jazzers have never dreamed about.

I had a chance to talk with Dagradi by phone from his New…Read more

06/10/2014

Tony Dagradi Sextet Plays Kind Of Blue

On March 5, 2009, in Roussell Hall at Loyola University in New Orleans, the Tony Dagradi Sextet featuring Jamelle Williams on trumpet, Rex Gregory on alto, Michael Pellera on piano, Roland Guerin on bass and Troy Davis on drums re-created the music from Miles Davis’ landmark recording, “Kind Of Blue.”

Click here to see a Vimeo recording of the event.

Tony Dagradi’s Sextet opened the show on Thursday, March 5th, at Loyola’s beautiful Roussel Performance Hall. The sextet performed the music of Miles Davis’…Read more

06/10/2014

Tony Dagradi Organ Trio

It’d be tough for anyone to possibly enjoy playing their instrument more than drummer Simon Lott does. Watch Lott a few times and you’ll notice that a distinct full-body grinignites even as he approaches the kit. By the time he plays the first note, his face is aglow with rapturous delight that infects all those around him–players and listeners alike.

Tonight’s lucky subjects included duo-mate Brian Coogan(organ) and Astral Project’s Tony Dagradi(tenor and soprano sax). The last two times this trio performed…Read more

Bio

Kinloch Nelson has been playing guitar since 1956, seriously since ’68 and professionally since ’73. Over a decades-long career he has played folk, classical, ragtime, American primitive, new-age, R & B, surf, rock, oldies pop, country, and jazz music in bands, ensembles, and as a solo performer/composer/arranger.  Nelson has contributed transcriptions and instruction videos to Acoustic Guitar Magazine, performed for NPR radio and TV, and released CDs/&vinyl on Tompkins Square, Heartland, Sampler and BKNjr Records. His recent CD/vinyl recording, “Partly On Time” on Tompkins Square Records garnered positive reviews from Rolling Stone, Fretboard Journal, Mojo Magazine, Underscore Music Magazine and others, and was featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine.  Nelson studied classical guitar with British guitarist/composer Stanley Watson, jazz guitar with Gene Bertoncini at Eastman music School, and theory at The University of Rochester, (NY). Teaching credits include 25 years at Rochester NY’s Hochstein Music School, four years at Maryland Summer Center for the Arts teaching Music As A Creative Language, and numerous workshops at guitar and folk festivals in the US and Canada since 2004.

 

   “A gifted performer and brilliant arranger who can do wonders with virtually any song.”  ~ Dave Walker – Just Jazz Magazine

   “In a genre where players often seem to rush to mysticism, Nelson plays as if he has all the time in the world to leave his mark.  ~ David Fricke ~ Rolling Stone

 

   “A musician with incredible depth and breadth. Kinloch Nelson plays with the virtuosity of a classical master and the sensibility of a pop performer.”

                                                                                                                                                                  ~ Portland Press Herald, Portland ME

 

    “Kinloch Nelson’s guitar playing is an infuriating lullaby: it can soothe with its complex yet subtle dexterity while mystifying those of us in the six-string set who wish we could play half as well.  Watching Nelson play guitar is essentially witnessing the deconstruction of the instrument.  Listening is a journey through American roots: jazz, country, blues, classical, folk and whatever it is that ties them all together. Nelson’s knowledge of the guitar and the dexterity with which he explores its intricacies is simply amazing. I swear the guy’s got more than ten fingers. “      ~ Frank De Blaise ~ 

City Newspaper, Rochester NY