- Peter McCann
Jason Palmer,
Trumpeter, is slowly becoming one of the most in demand jazz musicians of his generation. He has shared the stage with icons such as Roy Haynes, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith (the organist), Wynton Marsalis, Greg Osby (quintet member 2004-2006), Kurt Rosenwinkel (first trumpeter to ever be hired by this highly acclaimed guitarist), Ravi Coltrane, Geri Allen, Patrice Rushen,
Clarence Penn, Common (hip-hop icon), Roy Hargrove, Billy Pierce, etc. Jason took 1st Place in the 2009 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition. The June 2007 issue of Downbeat Magazine cited Jason as one of the "Top 25 trumpeters of the Future”.
His debut recording entitled "Songbook” (Ayva Musica) features nine original compositions and includes guest saxophonists Ravi Coltrane and Greg Osby. The record garnered rave reviews upon its’ release and appeared on several "Best of 2008” lists including All Music Guide’s list for best jazz album. Jason was a member of Greg Osby’s quintet from 2004-2006 which performed at major jazz festivals in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, France, Malta, Netherlands, as well as two stints at the Village Vanguard in New York City. Jason is currently a member of Grace Kelly’s Quintet and Matana Robert’s Mississippi Moonchile, performing at major jazz festivals in Sicily, Germany, Finland, Croatia, Serbia, Bratislava, Canada, as well as the Freihofer Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, clubs in NYC such as the Knitting Factory, Dizzy’s, Rose Hall at Lincoln Center, Blue Note, Jazz Bakery (L.A.), Sculler’s Jazz Club and Regattabar (MA), and the Clearwater Jazz Holiday (FL). In September of 2009 Jason completed a 4-week 24-date extensive tour of the UK in support of UK bassist Michael Janisch’s debut album entitled Purpose Built, which also features Jason Palmer’s trumpet work.
Jason’s quintet has been serving as the house band at Boston’s historical Wally’s Jazz Café for the past nine years. He has also presented his band at the Tanglewood Jazz Fest, the Jazz Standard and the Jazz Gallery in NYC, the Studio in Hartford Ct, as well as other venues throughout New England. In 2007, Jason Palmer was commissioned by the Festival of New Trumpet Music in NYC to premier a new work for his quintet.
In addition to maintaining a heavy performing schedule, Jason Palmer continues to maintain a busy schedule as an educator/actor/board member at JazzBoston. At a time when many music educators in the Boston area are commuting from New York City, Jason commuted from Boston to New York City to serve on the faculty at the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in the fall of 2008. Jason has taught trumpet and directed ensembles in the Preparatory Division and the School for Continuing Education at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston for the past ten years and is teaching at the Mission Hill School for the past five years. He is also a faculty member at the Aquinas College Jazz Camp (Grand Rapids, MI, 2004-present) and has given masterclasses in Portugal, the UK, and Mexico. Jason was the leading actor in director Damien Chazelle’s Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench. The movie received great reviews after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2009. Since then the film is screening at film festivals in Greece, Bratislava, Martha’s Vineyard (MA), Houston (TX), Denver (CO), Seattle (WA), Los Angeles (CA), Calgary (Canada), Minneapolis (MN), Mill Valley (CA).
Awards; 2009-1st Place Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition
Doug Johnson,
Pianist, is both a classical and jazz musician. Originally from Michigan, he was a member of the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra. He received his M.M. from the New England Conservatory of Music,
where he studied with Dave Holland, William McKinneley and George Russell. He has been an artist in residence at the Banff Festival in Canada and at the Sandpoint Festival with Gunther Schuller.
Doug Johnson is versatile pianist who plays a wide selection of music ranging from the "Great American Songbook," Latin music, to classical piano selections from Chopin, Schubert and Mozart. Doug was a regular pianist at the Bristol Lounge for many years. He teaches at Berklee College of Music and Wellesley College. Doug performs in a variety group configurations, from solo piano to Quintet.
Evan Gregor, 
A
versatile acoustic and electric bassist, Evan Gregor has been hired as a
sideman by a wide range of artists including Gary Burton, Dave Liebman,
Phil Woods, Patti Austin, Brad Shepik, Pete McCann, Darcy James Argue’s
Secret Society, The New York BMI Jazz Orchestra, Christian Scott, Bill
Goodwin, Bob Dorough, Urbie Green, The Mahavishnu Project, Christian
Howes and many others, which has taken him all over the world. He is a
member of Grace Kelly’s quintet, Dave Liebman’s "Lineage,” Phil Woods
and The Festival Orchestra, Danny Sher’s Quintet and other groups. He
holds a BM in Jazz Composition/Electric Bass from Berklee College of
Music and an MM in acoustic bass from William Paterson, both Summa Cum
Laude.
Evan has served as
faculty at The Collective, an accredited school for college aged rhythm
section players in New York City. He also teaches and coordinates
ensembles for CampJazz in Delaware Water Gap, PA, and recently released
"From Student to Jazz Artist" - a unique 3+ hour interview/discussion
with David Liebman on developing as a young artist, available through
Advance Music.
"bassist Evan Gregor deserves special praise for his beautiful tone and secure pitch, even in the highest register"
Steve Elman - the Arts Fuse
Jordan Perlson was born in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where he began drumming at the age of 10. Jordan studied privately with numerous teachers throughout his childhood, but it was not until he began studying with famed drummer Joe Morello, at the age of 17, did he really begin to develop his technique and sound.
On scholarship, Jordan attended Berklee College of Music where he graduated with a dual degree in Performance and Music Business.
While in college, Jordan studied with teachers such as Ian Froman, Jammey Haddad and Jon Hazilla. While still a student, Jordan had the pleasure of performing with Michel Camilo, Pat Metheny and many others. Now a long time resident of the New York City scene, Jordan keeps a very busy performing and recording schedule. He has shared the stage with such musicians as Kaki King, David Liebman, Gary Burton, Chris Potter, Hiromi, Greg Osby, Cuong Vu, Henry Hey, Donny McCaslin, Brad Shepik, Chris Cheek, George Garzone, David Binney, Wayne Krantz and many others. Jordan also spent two years drumming for the New York cast of Blue Man Group.
Jordan has composed music for and can be heard on commercials for Powerade, Nissan, The New York Rangers, Netflix and other major commercial market products.
The young drummer also recently opened a home recording studio, built specifically for drum tracking. He is currently working on an instructional book as well as his first solo project of original material. He can be contacted via jordanperlson.com or directly at jordanperlson { at } gmail.com.
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Mark Walker Grammy award-winning drummer/ percussionist Mark Walker (1961-) hails
from "Central America" (Chicago, Illinois). He began playing drumset at
age ten and played his first professional club, concert and recording
gigs barely out of high school. He gained valuable experience
performing an extremely wide range of styles in the Chicago area and
later became a first-call session drummer and percussionist, playing on
over a thousand jingles and record dates.
Since moving to New York in 1995, he has performed and recorded extensively with
Oregon,
Paquito D’Rivera,
Michel Camilo,
the Caribbean Jazz Project,
Dave Samuels,
Andy Narell,
Lyle Mays,
David Leibman,
Cesar Camargo Mariano
and many more. He has appeared on major television shows such as "Late
Night with David Letterman", "The Rosie O’Donnell Show", "PBS
presents..." and "BET On Jazz". He also appears on screen with Paquito
D’Rivera in Fernando Trueba’s Latin jazz documentary
Calle 54 (Miramax). He has also performed at all the major jazz festivals worldwide.
Mark likes to work with a full drumset plus plenty of hand percussion.
In 2001, he was appointed Associate Professor at
Berklee College of Music
in Boston, where he has created new curricula, served on the education
committee, and taught drummers, percussionists, and ensembles. He has
also served on the faculty at Drummers Collective in New York City and
has conducted master classes, clinics, and workshops in South America,
North America, and Europe, both as a solo artist and with such groups as
Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera Quintet, the Caribbean Jazz Project,
Sakesho, Lyle Mays Quartet,
Chucho Valdes,
Bill Watrous, and others. He also wrote for the all-star instructional drum set book
"Killer Grooves"published by Carl Fischer.
His solo projects include the sample/loop discs
"Chameleon Drums, Vol 1 & 2" (Sonic Emulations) and "Ritmo De Las Americas" (Sampleheads). He has also co-produced and co-composed with Oregon,
Bob McGrath and
David Onderdonk and has arranged for Oregon, Paquito D’Rivera, Caribbean Jazz Project and others.
He has won 3 Grammy Awards and earned several Grammy nominations for his work with various artists, including Oregon,
Donato Poveda,
Paquito D’Rivera and Caribbean Jazz Project. He won the grand prize
for Jazziz magazine’s "Percussion On Fire" competition in 1996. He has
also earned the Indy award and the Jazz award (German record
manufacturers) for his work with Oregon.
Mark Walker is a Yamaha, Paiste, Remo, Vic Firth and LP artist. His website is
www.wiggage.com/markwalker.html.
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Pete McCann is one of the first-call sidemen in New York. He works in
several
groups including the Patti Austin band, Lee Konitz Nonet, Chris
Tarry Quintet, Melissa Stylianou group, New York Nonet, Dan Willis
Sextet,
JD Walter Trio, and Alison Wedding’s group. Pete has performed
with
some of the greats in jazz: Kenny Wheeler, Dave Liebman, Lee
Konitz,
Kenny
Garrett, Peter Erskine, Gary Thomas, Greg Osby, Brian Blade, and
the
Maria Schneider Orchestra.
He has appeared on over 60 CDs
including:
Almost Certainly Dreaming, Chris Tarry group;
I Think
It’s Going To Rain Today, Curtis Stigers; The Other Side of Ellington,
The Palmetto
All-Stars; Standard Wonder (The Music of Stevie Wonder), Dave Pietro; Round
’Bout Now, George Schuller; and Phase 2, Mahavishnu Project.
Pete’s playing encompasses a wide variety of musical styles and genres
--
Straight-ahead, Post-Bop, Avant-Garde, Latin, Jazz-Rock Fusion. He has
performed throughout the US, Canada and Europe from clubs to jazz festivals,
musicals, award shows, and even an opera.