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Bill Anschell
Seattle native Bill Anschell returned to the Emerald City in 2002 after spending 25 years studying, composing, and performing around the world. After earning his Music Degree from Wesleyan University, Conn., Anschell settled in Atlanta in 1989. There, as Jazz Coordinator for the Southern Arts Federation (SAF), he fired up the jazz department, virtually from scratch and created “JazzSouth,” an internationally syndicated radio show.
By 1992, Anschell’s performing itinerary demanded his full attention and he left the SAF position playing at major festivals including the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the Montreux Atlanta Festival and five tours of South America. His last three albums all made Jazzweek’s national “Top 50” chart for radio airplay and his compositions have received network exposure on NBC’s The West Wing and HBO’s The Wire. In 2005, Anschell received a Golden Ear Award for “North-west Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year” and in 2006 his trio was named the “Northwest Acoustic Jazz Ensemble of the Year.”
Jeff Baker
Called "...one of the best male vocalists in the jazz world today," by WCLK radio in Atlanta, Jeff Baker has quickly become one of the most significant new talents in vocal jazz. His diverse musical recordings, exciting live performances, infectious energy and personality have earned him accolades with critics and listeners alike.
One of the driving forces behind Eagle, Idaho’s ArtsWest School for the performing arts, Jeff has received national recognition with first-ballot GRAMMY nominations for his albums “Monologue” and “Shopping for Your Heart”. His latest album, “Of Things Not Seen”, will debut at an exclusive CD Release Concert at this year’s Jazz At The River festival.
Damien Bard
Drummer, Idaho native, and founding member of the Boise-based piano trio, Acoustic 3, Damien has performed at venues ranging from Tokyo, Japan to Berlin, Germany to Fairfield, Iowa. He has appeared at the Gene Harris Boise State University Jazz Festival, The Lynnwood Jazz Festival, the Sun Valley Swing & Dixie Jazz Festival as well as the Jazz on the Green Concert Series, Boise River Festival, Art in the Park and Alive after Five.
Damien has performed as a member of the Boise-based New Quartet, the Allegro Jazz Sextet, and the Billy Mitchell Jazz Quintet. He has recorded with local artists including saxophonist Brent Jensen, trumpeter Rob Walker and pianist Keelan Dimmick. Damien also appears on Acoustic 3’s most recent recording, “Forever.”
John Bishop
A major voice in Northwest jazz for more than 25 years, John Biship’s drumming has appeared on over 75 recordings, complementing countless big name performers including Bobby McFerrin, Sonny Fortune, Benny Golson, George Cables, Kenny Werner, Bobby Hutcherson, Tom Harrell, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Charles McPherson, Hal Galper and Jessica Williams. And All About Jazz calls him, "...a wonderfully creative and fluid percussionist who weaves an often understated but complex web of textures."
In 1997, Bishop founded the graphic design firm, OriginArts and the jazz label Origin Records. Later creating its offshoots—OA2 Records and a classical imprint, Origin Classical. In partnership with fellow drummer Matt Jorgensen, the duo has over 235 releases from 120 artists between the three labels and expanded into festival productions with their annual Ballard Jazz Festival, now in its 7th year. Bishop also teaches jazz drumming at the University of Washington and was recently inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame.
Geof Bradfield
Born in Houston, Geof Bradfield attended the well-known High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and completed a master’s degree at CalArts, performing with luminaries such as Charlie Haden, Albert “Tootie Heath”, Roscoe Mitchell, Leo Smith, and Joe LaBarbara.
Currently, he works extensively with Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls and the Ryan Cohan Quartet as well as the Mike Allemana Quartet, Dan Cray and his own groups, performing locally and touring in North America and Europe. His debut, Rule of Three, has received critical acclaim from Ben Ratliff of the New York Times and Peter Margasak of the Chicago Reader. Most recently, Geof was awarded the prestigious and highly competitive NewWorks: Creation and Presentation Grant by Chamber Music America. The grant will enable him to compose and perform a collection of interconnected short pieces inspired by his travels in Africa. Geof is also currently on the Faculty of Columbia College in Chicago.
Chuck Deardorf
Chuck Deardorf has been an integral member of the Northwest Jazz scene for over two decades. As a first call bassist in Seattle for the last twenty years, he has been chosen to perform with a long list of legendary artists such as Chet Baker, Kenny Werner, Bill Mays, Herb Ellis, Charlie Byrd, Eric Alexander, Phil Woods, Zoot Sims, Pete Christlieb, Joe LaBarbara, Jeff Hamilton, Victor Lewis, Joe Williams and Mark Murphy among others. He is currently a member of the Deardorf/Peterson Group, the Jovino Santos Neto Quartet, and the Susan Pascal Quartet along with the Bill Ramsay Big Band. An accomplished studio musician, Chuck’s bass has been heard on many first run movie soundtracks, dozens of albums and CD projects and numerous Broadway and touring shows.
Paul Gabrielson
A native of Seattle, Washington, Paul Gabrielson is a jazz bassist who is fluent in many styles of music. He has shared the stage and recorded with The Kingston Trio, folk songwriter Tom Paxton, and rock icons Steve Miller, The Tubes and Maria Muldaur. Paul earned his Bachelors in music at Central Washington University and a Masters of Arts in Music at City College in NYC studying with jazz bassist John Patitucci.
Paul also spent time studying with jazz greats Ray Brown, Cecil McBee and John Clayton before choosing to live in New York City teaching undergraduate studies at City College. Among the musical luminaries he works with are drummers Jeff Watts, Jeff Herschfield, Mark Ferber; Pianists Benny Green, Bob Florence, Bill Mays, Geoff Keezer, Larry Fuller; Guitarists Ron Affif, Paul Bollenbach, John Hart, Steve Cardenas; Horn players Ingrid Jensen, Dave Schnitter, Terrell Stafford, Jon Gordon, The Mingus Big Band, Sheila Jordan and Mark Murphy.
Darrell Grant
Performer, composer and Portland State University professor, Darrell Grant, has built an international reputation as a stellar pianist and versatile musician. A gifted artist whose four previous recordings have topped jazz charts, Grant explores the lyricism and soul of songs with beauty, joy and passion. He has appeared on major concert stages from the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall to the Monterey, Telluride and San Francisco Jazz Festivals. He has been a guest on Marian McPartland’s "Piano Jazz" on NPR and toured internationally with many jazz legends.
Gary Hobbs
Drummer Gary Hobbs is a native of the Pacific Northwest and lives in Vancouver, Washington. He has played professionaly for over 3 decades and appears on over 50 recordings. Gary played with The Stan Kenton Orchestra from 1975 through 1977 and, through the years, has played with scores of high-profile jazz professionals. Carnagie Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Tivoli Garden, Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap are among the venues Gary has played along with scores of festivals and clubs all over the world. He's also active in jazz education, teaching at The University Of Oregon and traveling all over the US doing clinics, concerts and jazz camps.
Laurence Hobgood
Pianist Laurence Hobgood has enjoyed a multi-faceted and dynamic career. Musical Director for vocalist Kurt Elling since 1995, he has played on, arranged, and co-produced all of Elling’s cds (6 for Blue Note and 2 now for Concord), each Grammy-nominated. He also received his own Grammy nomination in 2001 for his arranging on “Flirting With Twilight”, Elling’s fifth Blue Note release.
The Chicago Tribune honored him as a 1995 Chicagoan Of The Year in the Arts. He has performed both with Elling and with his own trio at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Birdland, Chicago’s Symphony Center, Ravinia, as well as most of the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals. His new CD, "When The Heart Dances", a duet recording with iconic bassist Charlie Haden, will see its U.S. release in 2009.
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McClenty Hunter, Jr.
McClenty (pictured far left) received his first drum set at the age of 2 and, as a teenager under the direction of his church’s minister, Darin Atwater, performed in three live recording sessions with Gospel GRAMMY award-winning artists Richard Smallwood, Donnie McClurkin and The National Inspirational Youth Conference Choir. While enrolled at Howard University in Washington D.C., McClenty was indoctrinated into the jazz culture under the mentorship of legendary jazz drummer, Grady Tate. In 2007, he completed a Master's degree in Jazz Studies at world-renowned Juilliard School. Currently, he serves as Music Director of KIPP Academy String and Rhythm Orchestra while performing throughout the global community.
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Tom Jensen
Tom Jensen’s abilities and experience range from performer to composer to arranger, allowing him to collaborate with artists on a number of projects that include working with Joshua Williams on Songs From Warsaw as composer; Canterville Ghost as orchestrator and arranger in Chorzow Poland; and Utah Provo, Utah and Feel The Music as an arranger.
Jensen has performed across the United States at events such as the JVC Jazz Festival, Berkeley Jazz Festival, Mt. Hood Jazz Festival and the Gene Harris Jazz Festival. He has performed or collaborated with Christian McBride, Tom Harrell, Jay Leonart, James Gordon Williams, The Four Freshman and Grammy award-winning arranger, bassist and composer, John Clayton. Most recently, Jensen collaborated with Curtis Stigers on a song that will be on Curtis' next album due out later this year.
Jeff Johnson
Born in Minneapolis, Minn., Jeff Johnson, ventured off at age 20, spending time in Philadelphia and New York, working with a veritable who's who of great jazz musicians such as Philly Joe Jones, Charlie Rouse, Barney Kessel, Chet Baker, Lew Tabackin, Eddie Daniels, Mark Murphy, Joanne Brackeen, Julian Priester, Jay Clayton, Marlena Shaw, Billy Hart, Annie Ross, George Cables, Bud Shank, Claudio Roditti, Ernestine Anderson and Michael Wolfe, to name just a few.
THOMAS MARRIOTT
Trumpeter, Thomas Marriott is one of the most exciting musicians to emerge on the national jazz scene in more than a decade. The six-time Golden Ear award winner is a skilled instrumentalist, composer and producer.
Marriott’s diverse interests are reflected in the range and success of his albums. His 2005 release, Individuation, was named among the top 10 jazz records of 2005 by WBEZ radio, Chicago and 2007’s album, Both Sides of the Fence, received over 3,300 spins nationally. His most recent release, Flexicon, launched in April of 2009 and went straight to the top of the Jazz Week Chart, reaching as high as number 14 in its first three weeks. The Seattle native serves on the Board of Governors of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences; is featured on more than 50 recordings with musicians of all genres and styles; and has produced albums for a number of artists.
Greta Matassa
One of the most talented singers working in jazz today, Greta Matassa was voted "Northwest Vocalist of the Year" by Earshot Jazz in 2009 for the sixth time in 15 years. She has been a mainstay on Seattle's Jazz stages for many years and with her recent tours of Russia, Singapore and Hawaii, Matassa’s sound is now reaching new audiences.
Jazz Review calls her worldly, gentle, bold, dynamic and a gift from the heart, saying, “Matassa is one of America's finest singers, and stands firmly among the best in today's jazz." She has released seven CD's on the respected jazz label Origin Records and a DVD live concert with Mimi Fox. In May 2009 Matassa announced the release of her latest album featuring the Los Angeles pianist and arranger, Tamir Hendelman, as well as a host of Los Angeles mainstay musicians.
John McLean
Jazz guitarist, John McLean's 25-year career has included work as a performer, composer, arranger, producer, bandleader and educator. Since completing studies at The Berklee College of Music (B.M.) and the University of Miami (M.M.), Mclean has toured throughout the world performing and recording in a wide variety of musical contexts. He has appeared and recorded with such artists as Kurt Elling, Mose Allison, Dave Douglas, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Patricia Barber, Randy Brecker, Adam Nussbaum, Arthur Blythe and many more.
McLean’s latest recording, Better Angels features his exciting septet in a program of original music and innovative arrangements of jazz classics. The project reflects his increasing interest in combining jazz improvisation with more elaborate compositional structures and fresh instrumental settings. McLean is currently based in the Chicago area and is on the music faculties of Roosevelt University and North Central College.
Justin Nielsen
A multi-dimensional musician and educator, Justin Nielsen has been a major figure in the Treasure Valley music scene for many years. He is equally at home playing, composing and teaching a wide array of musical styles and has been called upon to perform and give workshops at universities, festivals and conventions throughout the country, including the Gene Harris Jazz Festival; the International Festival of Creative Pianists; and The National Band Association Convention.
Nielsen is a two-time winner at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and a selectee for the Young Composer's Competition. As a freelancer, he has been called to play with jazz greats Kevin Mahogany, Byron Stripling, John Stowell, Corey Christianson, Mike Vax, Brent Jensen, Jeff Baker and many others. Nielsen is a co-founder of ArtsWest Private School for the Fine and Performing Arts and he currently directs their award winning jazz department.
Gail Pettis
Four-time nominee and recent winner of Earshot Golden Ear Awards "Northwest Vocalist of the Year," Gail is a welcome addition to the Pacific Northwest jazz scene. Gail's rich, warm vocals and understated phrasing inspire comparisons to Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughn and Carmen McRae and have been described as "deliciously soulful" by CadenceMagazine.
In addition to public and private engagements, Gail enjoys spending time in the studio. Her voice-over work has been heard on radio and television commercials. Her debut CD, "May I Come In ?" was released to an enthusiastic national audience in August 2007 on the OA2 Record label. The recording has also been showcased on listeners on XM Satellite Radio and Music Choice television and was recently nominated for Earshot Golden Ear "2007 Northwest Recording of the Year".
Kim Richmond
Los Angeles based freelance-musician, Kim Richmond’s reputation is primarily as a doubling saxophonist (most often lead alto saxophone, doubling on flutes and clarinet). He is considered a jazz stylist, composer and arranger and has been a member of the orchestras of Stan Kenton, Bob Florence, Vinny Golia, Clare Fischer, Louis Bellson and Bill Holman. Richmond’s recordings Passages and Refractions both received received Grammy nominations and his most recent release, the six-piece ensemble Live at Café Metropol has received much critical praise.
In spite of his busy schedule in the professional music world, Richmond is involved with the educational music field, serving as a guest lecturer, conductor and soloist at college music festivals and workshops around the country. In Los Angeles, he is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California, teaching ensembles, saxophone and composition.
Rob Walker
Rob Walker has performed with many of music's most notable acts including Wayne Newton, Natalie Cole, Ray Charles, The Temptations, The Supremes, and The Moody Blues. He was recognized by Downbeat magazine as a "Musician Deserving Wider Recognition.” As a jazz soloist, Walker appeared at the 2002 Park City International Jazz Festival and at the San Miguel International Jazz Festival in Mexico in 2000, 2002 and 2009. Walker has also played in the pit for Broadway national tours Chicago and Spamalot, as well as Glenn Beck's Christmas Sweater Tour.
Rob Walker has performed with many of music's most notable acts including Wayne Newton, Natalie Cole, Ray Charles, The Temptations, The Supremes, and The Moody Blues. He was recognized by Downbeat magazine as a "Musician Deserving Wider Recognition.” As a jazz soloist, Walker appeared at the 2002 Park City International Jazz Festival and at the San Miguel International Jazz Festival in Mexico in 2000, 2002 and 2009. Walker has also played in the pit for Broadway national tours Chicago and Spamalot, as well as Glenn Beck's Christmas Sweater Tour.
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Artists also performing at this year's Jazz at the River festival: Paul Gabrielsen (New York, NY), Sandon Mayhew (Boise, ID) and Brianne Grey (Boise, ID)
