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Please find band photos, sound clips and bios below.
For the 2005-2006 press kit, please click here.
Jazz Ensembles
Adam Klipple & Drive-By Leslie
Alvin Atkinson and the Sound Merchants
Ari Roland Quartet
The Charlie Porter Quartet
The Cultures of Rhythm
Duende Quartet
Urban Music Ensembles
AFAR
Opus Akoben Hip-hop Ensemble
T.V.O.A.
Adam Klipple & Drive-By Leslie
Listen!
Visit Drive-by Leslie's website or Adam Klipple's website.
ADAM KLIPPLE & DRIVE-BY LESLIE is a groove-influenced crew of provocateurs. Mr. Klipple and company have developed a chemistry that transcends genres. As evidenced in their second recording, From Memphis to Bishkek, the group skillfully fuses funk, world music allusions, dissonant harmonies and jazzy improvisations in a way that is both expansive and accessible. Drive-By Leslie explores many styles of electric jazz from the organ trio to the present.
Adam Klipple (keyboard) has been described as a standout pianist in the style of McCoy Tyner and Cecil Taylor. He also plays Hammond B3 organ and a variety of vintage keyboards. Mr. Klipple has received several composition grants to collaborate with folk musicians in the Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. His quartet toured to Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus for a series of performances and education under the auspices of the U.S. State Department.
David Phelps (guitar) is a wildly inventive guitarist performing across the genres of jazz, blues and funk. He has toured the world playing with musicians of every stripe, including Henry Butler, Adam Holtzman, Dave Liebman, John Medeski, Phoebe Snow, Kenny Wollesen, Michael Blake, Scott Colley, Stomu Takeshi, Satoshi Takeshi, John Lurie, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and many others. He is currently a member of Peter Apfelbaum's 11-piece band The New York Hieroglyphics and also leads his own band, The Electric Troubadors.
Willard Dyson (drums) is a versatile musician whose rhythmic ingenuity spans jazz, R&B, Latin and Brazilian music. He is very active on the New York City jazz scene and works regularly with a diverse group of musicians, including Charlie Hunter, Cassandra Wilson, and The New York Voices. Mr. Dyson has toured in the U.S., Japan and Europe and has performed at the JVC, Playboy, and Essence Music Festivals. He has a B.A. in Percussion Performance from California State Hayward University and a M.M. in Jazz and Commercial Music from the Manhattan School of Music.
As a professional jazz bassist on the New York City scene for over 10 years, David Ambrosio (bass) has played with many great jazz musicians, including pianist Kenny Werner, legendary vibraphone/clarinet duo Terry Gibbs and Buddy DeFranco, and Ravi Coltrane. David holds a Bachelor of Arts from Manhattan School of Music in Classical Composition, and a Master of Arts in Jazz Performance from Queens College. His commitment to continually expand his musical horizons has made him knowledgeable in classical, Brazilian, and Cuban musics, as well as many styles of jazz.
Alvin Atkinson and the Sound Merchants
Listen!
Visit Alvin Atkinson's website.
ALVIN ATKINSON AND THE SOUND MERCHANTS integrate heavy jazz and blues influences with inflections of rhythms and melodies from around the world. The group's mission is to share their spirit and music with audiences worldwide as literal merchants of sound.
Alvin Atkinson, Jr. (drums) has played alongside artists such as Houston Person, James Carter, Cecil Bridgewater, and Reggie Workman, Miguel Zenon, Maceo Parker, Luis Perdomo, Steve Turre, Vanessa Rubin and Wycliffe Gordon. He has also performed at the White House for President George W. Bush and as the house drummer for the Emeril Live television show on the Food Network. Mr. Atkinson participated in a U.S. State Department tour of Africa and South America in 2004. He currently teaches at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Middle School Jazz Academy and The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City.
Paul Beaudry (bass) enjoys a career as a performer, composer, producer and educator, playing with such jazz legends as Clark Terry, Frank Wess, Cecil Bridgewater and Wycliffe Gordon. He was selected as a member of Jazz Aspen's JAS Academy, the Steans Institute for Young Artists at the Ravinia Music Festival, and the Kennedy Center's Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program. A committed educator, Mr. Beaudry has taught at York College, Hunter College High School, and the Stanford Jazz Workshop.
Sean Higgins (piano) earned his B.M. in Jazz Performance at University of North Carolina-Wilmington and his Master's Degree at Northern Illinois University. He has played at the 2004 Iowa City Jazz Festival, the 2004 Lima Jazz Festival in Peru, and at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in New York City. Mr. Higgins has also performed with his group as the opening musical act for such headliners as Dave Holland, Fourplay, Talib Kweli, Ryan Cohen, and Stefon Harris and Blackout.
Stacy Dillard (saxophonist) attended college at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio before moving to New York to join its vibrant musical scene. His touring history includes performances in South Africa and Russia. Mr. Dillard has played with Wycliffe Gordon, Eric Reed, and Frank Lacy, among others, and he currently leads three bands of his own: cPhyve, cPhour and The Other Side.
Ari Roland Quartet
Listen!
Visit Ari Roland's website.
The members of the ARI ROLAND QUARTET have been performing together for two decades. In addition to a nine-year run at the New York City jazz club Smalls, they have toured internationally and have recorded extensively for Smalls Records. The Ari Roland Quartet continues to perform frequently in New York City and will release a new CD this spring.
Ari Roland (bass) was born and raised in New York City. He began playing bass at the age of 12 and was working professionally by age 16. He studied at The Juilliard School and has played in the bands of jazz legends such as Lou Donaldson, Barry Harris and Betty Carter. Sketches From A Bassist's Album, his recent CD on Smalls Records, has received widespread critical acclaim.
Chris Byars (saxophone) is a native New Yorker who began playing saxophone at age 12. He has toured in Europe, Asia, and South America and has performed as a featured soloist with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Harry James Big Band, Glenn Miller Orchestra and Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. Also a noted arranger, Mr. Byars has written for the bands of John Pizzarelli and Jerry Dodgion. He and Ari Roland co-lead the group Across 7th Street, which will bring jazz into the New York City public schools this year.
Sacha Perry (piano) was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and began piano studies at age 10. Eritik, his Smalls Records release, has received great acclaim in both the US and international jazz press, and The Sacha Perry Trio is scheduled to release a new CD early next year. Mr. Perry has performed at numerous jazz clubs and festivals in Europe, Chile, Turkey and Armenia and can be heard regularly as an integral part of Ned Goold's Quartet.
Stefan Schutz (drums) was born in New York City. Trained early on as a classical percussionist at Interlochen and Manhattan School of Music Prep, Stefan went on to study jazz at the New School in New York. Since graduating in 1995, Stefan has been fortunate to work with many fine artists, including Jon Hendricks, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and the Mark Morris Dance Group among others. Active in education, Stefan has been involved in Arts Outreach programs for the Mark Morris Dance School, BAM, and the Lincoln Center Institute.
The Charlie Porter Quartet
Listen!
Visit The Charlie Porter Quartet website.
THE CHARLIE PORTER QUARTET was formed in 2005 and is becoming a steady presence in New York City clubs and performance venues. The group's main focus is to develop new music while also keeping tradition alive with standard jazz repertoire.
Charlie Porter (trumpet), a New York-based trumpeter, composer and bandleader, is equally at home playing both jazz and classical music. He has performed and recorded with such notable musicians as Paquito D'Rivera, David Taylor, and Kenny Drew, to name a few. A core member of Kristjan Jarvi's Absolute Ensemble, Mr. Porter has toured extensively in Europe and Australia. He earned his undergraduate degree at The Julliard School and is currently on scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music in pursuit of a Master's Degree in Jazz Performance. Mr. Porter performs regularly with various groups in New York City.
Adam Birnbaum (piano) is quickly emerging as one of the top young voices in jazz piano. After receiving an Artist's Diploma as a member of The Juilliard School's inaugural Jazz Studies class, Mr. Birnbaum went on to win the 2004 American Jazz Piano Competition and became the American Pianists Association's Cole Porter fellow in Jazz. He has since performed throughout the world for prestigious musical festivals such as the Tanglewood Jazz Festival in Massachusetts and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, as well as in various jazz clubs in New York City. Mr. Birnbaum has recently performed and recorded with jazz legends such as Carl Allen, Wynton Marsalis, and Ben Wolfe, among others.
Joseph Lepore (bass) was born in New York and moved to Europe with his family as an adolescent. He began his formal music training in Italy at age 12 and started playing the double bass when he was 15. Mr. Lepore graduated from Italy's Conservatory of Salerno with high honors in 1992 and worked as a professor for a number of years, providing instruction on the double bass in various schools in Salerno and Rome. Since his return to New York in 1999, Mr. Lepore has performed with the group Tiro '65 and numerous other musicians. He toured West Africa in 2004 as part of a U.S. State Department program.
Quincy Davis (drums), a Michigan native, has been playing drums since he was six. He began his formal musical education at the private arts high school Interlochen Arts Academy and went on to study with drum master Billy Hart at Western Michigan University. As a college student, Mr. Davis performed in several jazz festivals to great acclaim. After teaching elementary and middle school music for a year, he moved to New York in 2000 and quickly became a sough-after musician. Over the past six years he has played with jazz luminaries such as Wynton Marsalis, Frank Wess, Eric Reed, and Paquito D'Rivera. With these and other bands Mr. Davis has performed in over 10 different countries and in many well known jazz clubs in New York City.
The Cultures of Rhythm
Listen!
Visit The Cultures of Rhythm website.
THE CULTURES OF RHYTHM is a New York-based collective of experienced young musicians from a variety of musical backgrounds. Comprising current and former members of such groups as the Duke Ellington Orchestra, French Kicks, Isley Brothers, Mofro, and Kevin Jones and Tenth World, diversity is the group's greatest asset. With a wide variety of perspectives represented, the players find common ground on a fundamental level, and the resulting musical explorations are a celebration of soulfulness, distilled into exciting new forms.
Kevin Louis (bandleader, trumpet), a New Orleans native, graduated from Oberlin Conservatory of Music with a degree in jazz performance and earned a Master's Degree from Queens College. His repertoire includes gospel, funk, jazz, rhythm and blues, merengue, and salsa. Mr. Louis has studied with such noted musicians as Clyde Kerr Jr., Edward Jordan, Kenneth Davis, Stacy Cole and Bobby Watson and has worked in the bands of Living Colour drummer Wil Calhoun and the hip-hop artist Mos Def. This tour marks his fifth trip with the U.S. State Department--he has previously toured the U.S., Japan, Europe, Southern Africa, the Middle East, and South America.
"Bujo" Kevin Jones (congas, djembe, percussion) has been playing professionally since age 13 and has performed worldwide. Influenced by a wide range of percussion traditions, he has collaborated with a diverse group of artists spanning the genres of R&B, jazz, Latin jazz, African, Neo-African, and hip-hop. Whether backing up The Isley Brothers and Whitney Houston, performing alongside Randy Weston, Hilton Ruiz, and Steve Turre, or playing traditional African music with Malaki Ma Congo Drum and Dance Ensemble, Bujo constantly strives to balance creativity and the art of improvisation with a good groove. In addition to performing and recording, he is a clinician and teacher at several organizations and also produces recordings for other artists.
Adam Scone (organ) has dedicated his life to keeping the sound of the Hammond B3 organ alive. He has been playing organ in the popular band Mofro since 2004, touring throughout the United States, Europe, and Russia. In the past year the group has performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival and the Austin City Limits Music Festival, among others. Mr. Scone has also worked in alto saxophone legend Lou Donaldson's band and with such jazz greats as Jimmy Cobb, Ben Dixon, and Bubba Brooks. He participated in several U.S. State Department tours from 2001-2003, enabling him to bring the organ sound to 18 countries in Africa, South America and throughout the Middle East.
Aaron Thurston (drums) is currently a member of the pop/rock outfit French Kicks. From 1999-2003, Mr. Thurston toured 28 countries for the U.S. State Department, bringing jazz to regions such as Southern Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Southern Asia. As a member of French Kicks, he has toured throughout the United States and England, including performances on the American television programs "The Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and "Last Call with Carson Daly." When he is not touring, Mr. Thurston is based in New York City, where he performs in jazz, rock, pop, folk, singer-songwriter, Brazilian, and country bands, among others.
Duende Quartet
Listen!
Visit Mark Merella's website or Duende's recording studio website.
DUENDE QUARTET is devoted to playing Latin jazz in the style of Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader and Willie Bobo with a taste of the legendary Blue Note Records sound of the 60s. In a unique small group setting Duende Quartet captures the vibe of the jazz combo, with piano as the lead instrument, while using the rhythms of a Cuban conjunto. The group has a vast repertoire ranging from traditional Cuban songs to modern jazz compositions. Duende, a word of Andalusian origin literally meaning goblin or imp, is sometimes described as the indefinable, magical power of creativity that results in a work of art, or more simply defined, soul. Duende is a musical value that has inspired the quartet.
Harry Appelman (piano) was a finalist in both the 1987 and 1988 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competitions and the 1989 Great American Jazz Piano Competition. He participated in a U.S. State Department program in Central and South America in 2002 and has toured the United States and Canada with the Woody Herman Orchestra and the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Mr. Appelman currently performs in the Washington D.C. area.
Mark Merella (drums) is a drummer/percussionist currently working in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. His professional career spans over 25 years and covers a wide range of styles. He has performed with many artists in the jazz and Latin fields, including Fred Foss, Steve Turre, Steve Berrios and many others. Mr. Merella is also an avid educator and currently co-leads the group Mosaic.
Josh Schwartzman (bass) plays acoustic bass, Ampeg Baby bass and piano in a variety of musical settings. He studied at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, New York and privately with the late Dr. Asher Zlotnik, alumnus of the Peabody Institute of Music. Mr. Schwartzman is founder, bassist and contributing composer/arranger for the popular Latin jazz band Rumba Club and has played with such musical greats as Tito Puente, Giovanni Hidalgo and Jon Faddis.
Sam Turner (drums), a highly-esteemed percussionist from New York City, has worked nationally and internationally with such legends as Machito, Frank Sinatra, James Brown, and many others. He may be best known for his 15-year stint as sideman with Lionel Hampton and for his genre-defining boogaloo recordings with Monguito Santamarķa in the 1970s. He is a recipient of the United Nations Peace Award and presently performs and teaches in the Washington D.C. area.
AFAR
Listen!
Visit AFAR's website.
AFAR is an instrumental hip-hop band with jazz, R&B and gospel influences. Committed to pushing the boundaries of how hip-hop defines itself, the group focuses on three concepts: live music, unity and education. Through its recordings, performances, and educational workshops nationally and abroad, the band seeks to spread the message that in this age of electronic music, live instrumentation remains the source of it all.
Richard Johnson (piano) was first introduced to the piano by his father, a church gospel pianist, at the age of five. He went on to graduate from Berklee School of Music and earned a Master's Degree in Jazz Pedagogy from the Boston Conservatory. Before forming AFAR, Mr. Johnson was a member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and also played alongside such music legends as Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, B.B. King, and Herbie Hancock. He has participated in three international tours with the U.S. State Department, sharing his talents with audiences in Central and South America and South Asia.
Jason C. Berry "Jahah" (lyricist) is an emcee, singer, songwriter and producer who penned his first song at the age of 15. He has appeared as a guest on albums by Grammy-winning rapper Speech from the group Arrested Development. His tracks have been featured on the television channels Fox Sports, MTV, VH1, UPN;programs such as The Super Bowl, Major League Baseball, NBA Rhythm 'n Rims and in various video games. Jahah also released an independent album entitled Mama's Only Son in 2004.
Double D. (bass) is AFAR's only completely self-taught musician. After an early introduction to gospel music in church, he began playing drums and then adopted the bass 10 years ago. With experience on both instruments, bassist Double D. is the ultimate addition to the rhythm section.
Che (drums) is a resourceful and inventive drummer who taught himself to play on pots and pans before beginning his formal musical training in middle school. After honing his craft in the church he went on to play professionally with Julie Dexter, "The UK's Queen of Soul." He is particularly proud to represent his hometown, Atlanta, on the live music stage.
Opus Akoben
Listen!
Visit Opus Akoben's website.
OPUS AKOBEN is an innovative rhyme-driven hip-hop funk band. Their name combines opus, the English word for a piece of music, with Akoben, the African Adinkra symbol warhorn, which means a call to action. The band calls its sound "funk hop" and describes it as "what Sly and the Family Stone would sound like if they did hip hop." They participated in the 2005 Rhythm Road tour to Northern Africa and the Middle East.
Jay Nichols (drums) is a drummer and pianist. He is a producer and songwriter for television and film and is currently the drummer for international recording artist Citizen Cope. Mr. Nichols has performed in Japan, Europe, and across the U.S. He currently lives in Washington D.C.
Terence (Sub-Z) Nicholson (vocals) is an accomplished painter, musician and martial artist who co-founded the Freestyle Union in 1994. He attended the Corcoran School of Art on a scholarship for painting and sculpture and later founded Opus Akoben with his childhood comrade, Carl Walker. Mr. Nicholson remains active in the visual arts community and has also earned a black belt in Chinese boxing. He currently teaches martial arts to children with special needs in Washington, D.C. and exhibits his paintings and sculpture.
Kokayi (pronounced koh-kai-yee) (vocals) unites people with his incredible performance ability. He is multi-talented - singing, playing piano and drums, writing poetry, and creating visual art. His acclaimed freestyle ability earned him a space on the board of the Freestyle Union, an organization dedicated to the art of hip-hop.
Ezra Greer (bass) started playing guitar at age 5 and switched to bass at age 8. He grew up playing in the very fertile scene of funk bands in the D.C. metro area and went on to produce tracks with various hip-hop artists. In 1991, Mr. Greer produced an album with saxophonist Steve Coleman. He has been playing and producing with Opus Akoben since the group's conception.
T.V.O.A.
Listen!
Visit T.V.O.A.'s myspace or visit ChrisRel's myspace.
T.V.O.A. stands for Timeless Voices of America. The group blends classic theme-driven hip-hop with the subtle nuances of R&B, creating music intended to go straight to the heart with lyrics and melodies that resonate with the soul.
ChrisRel (lyricist) was born in the Bronx and raised in Spring Valley, NY. He began rapping at the age of 12 and has been delivering conscious rhymes ever since. While working on his debut album, "Follow Me," ChrisRel traveled to London and Sweden to perform and record new material. He has since moved back to New York and performs regularly at various music venues. ChrisRel was also featured on The Next Big Hit showcase for several weeks. He is currently signed to Toronto-based Attack Records, where he is recording his second album for release in early 2007.
Jason "Sire" Turnbull (DJ/producer) grew up watching his older brother play drums at his church and was inspired to start making his own music at age 13. He is currently developing up-and-coning artists through his production company, V.O.A. and has recently produced rapper 50 Cent's "Windowshopper" and an upcoming single by Freeway.
Denny Jackson (vocalist) began her musical journey at age 4 on her church choir landing. She has since shared the stage with artists ranging from Nikki Giovanni and Rev. Al Sharpton to rapper Tracey Lee, Latoscha Scott of the Grammy Award-winning R&B group X-Scape and gospel legends The Winans. Ms. Jackson has also lent her voice to various studio projects and live performances on the Atlanta music scene.
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