Artists of the Month: August 2012

MONDAYS (8/6, 8/13, 8/20 and 8/27)

 

ArcoIris Sandoval

 

ArcoIris Sandoval is a pianist, composer, and educator originally from Tucson, Arizona. 

 

Born into a musical family, ArcoIris began studying piano as a young child, giving her first performance when she was 6 years old. At the age of 12 she performed an original composition with the Tucson Symphony and Tucson Pops Orchestra. By high school ArcoIris was performing regularly with professionals in the area and was the pianist for the Tucson Jazz Institute’s award winning Ellington Band.

 

While attaining a bachelor’s in piano studies from the University of Arizona under the tutelage of Jeff Haskell and Paula Fan, ArcoIris had the opportunity to perform throughout the U.S., Mexico, Europe and China. She managed an active teaching and performance schedule while completing her degree and her education was highlighted by performances with Chris Potter, Brian Lynch, Paul Horn and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. During her time living in Arizona, she performed at the Telluride Jazz Festival in Colorado, at the Solar Decathlon in D.C., the Berger Center for Performing Arts in Tucson, for Sandra Day O’ Connor, at the Biosphere for Earth Day and for various Haiti relief benefit concerts.

 

Moving to New York City in 2010, ArcoIris was one of few participants accepted into the 2011 Mary Lou Williams’ Women in Jazz Workshop held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She obtained her Masters degree in Jazz Piano Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and has studied with Phil Markowitz, Garry Dial, Dave Liebman and Jim McNeely. ArcoIris has performed at Lincoln Center with the Manhattan School of Music Afro Cuban Orchestra directed by Bobby Sanabria and performs with her trio throughout the city. She was recently chosen as a semifinalist for the 2012 Montreux Solo Jazz Piano Competition held in Montreux, Switzerland.

TUESDAYS (8/7, 8/14, 8/21 and 8/28)

 

Megumi Habuka

www.megumihabuka.com

 

Megumi Habuka is a Jazz singer based in New York. Born and raised in Saitama, Japan and went to Berklee College of Music at the age of 22. She started to play piano when she was 5, started to sing and make a song when she was 11. After Megumi entered at college in Japan, she has worked at Jazz Club and performed every weekend. She leaned basic Jazz theory, idioms, and skills at there. While a student at Berklee, she studied/played with great musicians such as Walter Beasley, Dennis Montgomery III, Anne Peckham, and Dianne Richardson. After graduated Berklee in 2011, Megumi moved to New York and started working on her first EP called “Perfect” which will be released in August 2012.

WEDNESDAYS (8/1, 8/8, 8/15, 8/22 and 8/29)

 

Eiko Rikuhashi

http://www.pianoeikorikuhashi.com/

 

Eiko Rikuhashi was born in Osaka, Japan and began playing piano at the age of eight years old. With the assistance of her music teacher, she studied both classical and popular music and in 1999 won her first piano competition. As she became a more experienced musician, Eiko decided to study her insutrument on a more formal level by enrolling at the AN Music School in Kyoto, Japan. While attending school, Eiko began performing at the local venues and composing her own original works. Such was her love and devotion to music that she decided to leave her native home in Japan and moved to New York City so that she could gain more experience at working with other artists. Eiko also wanted to hone her skills at performing as both a side person as well as leader of her own group.

 

Since her arrival in New York City, Eiko has worked with jazz luminaries such as pianist Anthony Wonsey (Elvin Jones, Marlena Shaw, Nicholas Payton), bassist Dmitri Kolesnik (Lenny White , Eric Alexander , Harold Mabern) and saxophonist Keith Loftis (Ray Charles, Dave Koz, Mary J , Blige). She has also perfomed at venues such as Tomi Jazz, ,Miles Cafe, Rue B, The blue Owl, Dean Street Cafe, Shrine and many other well known jazz clubs in the New York metropolitan area.

Artists of the Month: September 2012

TUESDAYS (9/4, 9/11, 9/18 and 9/25)

 

Trevor Long

http://rawbonemusic.com/

  

Trevor Long was born in sunny Santa Barbara, CA. Initially, he was groomed to be a woodworker by his father, Ted, but at the age of 11, Trevor fell under the spell of the slide trombone because it “looked weird”. After hearing the likes of J.J. Johnson and Robin Eubanks, he became interested in jazz and improvisation as his main creative outlet.

 

Trevor received his B.A. in Trombone Performance with a jazz emphasis at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. While at Lawrence, Trevor studied trombone, improvisation, and composition with Nick Keelan, Mark Urness and Fred Sturm. Upon graduating, he relocated to New York City to immerse himself in the music scene there. He recently completed a Master's program in Jazz Performance at The Aaron Copland School of Music, where he studied with Luis Bonilla and Michael Mossman.

 

In addition to leading his own duo, trio, and sextet, Trevor has played as a member of salsa bands Grupo Arcano and Johnny Mambo y el Rico Son, and premiered a solo trombone piece by classical composer Motheo Matlala. Currently, Trevor performs with his sextet, the Trevor Long Group (which recently recorded their first album), along with a number of big bands in the New York area.

 

When he is not playing his trombone, Trevor can be found found teaching music in NYC public schools through the Third Street Music Settlement program.

WEDNESDAYS (9/5, 9/12, 9/19 and 9/26)

 

Yoshino Nakahara

http://www.yoshinonakahara.com/

 

Yoshino Nakahara is a pianist, composer and educator, raised in Tokyo for most of her life. She started piano when she was four years old and studied classical music at Yamaha music school. She performed in concert halls regularly and played in a nationwide piano competition as a chosen delegate. In the meantime, she composed classical/pop tunes and was awarded finalist in the Children’s Composition Competition twice. She had the opportunity to perform at Suntory Hall. Her favorite repertoire included Debussy and Chopin. During her school years, she was playing trombone and flute while she was active as an accompanist and also loved playing pop music by ear.

 

After graduating from Keio university with law degree, she started her career as an office worker. At that time, she played keyboard in a couple of Pop/Rock bands. A few years after starting her job, she picked up saxophone and became interested in jazz. She came back to piano and studied jazz with pianist Masaaki Imaizumi. As she went out to see live jazz as much as possible, she realized her growing passion for being a musician.

 

In 2009, she came to the U.S. and started to fully concentrate on studying Jazz Piano at Berklee College of Music with a scholarship. She was honored to receive the Professional Music Major Achievement Award in 2011. She has studied with Hal Crook, Barry Harris, Taylor Eigsti, George Garzone, Joanne Brackeen, Dave Santoro, Ed Tomassi, Darren Barrett, Ray Santisi, Steve Hunt, among many others, and explored a variety of music.

 

She has been performing her original compositions and Jazz/Fusion/Latin tunes with her band at various venues including Lily pad, Cafe Luna, MIT, Harvard club, Hilton Hotel in Boston, and then has moved her home base to New York.

Artists of the Month: July 2012

MONDAYS (7/2, 7/9, 7/16 and 7/23)

 

Tomiyasu Ikuta 

http://www.tomoyasu.co/

 

Tomoyasu is from Kagawa prefecture in Japan. When he was 18, he started to listen to Jazz, Fusion and Funk. At the same time, he was inspired by Jazz and Fusion Drummers, such as Art Blakey, Max Roach, Steve Gadd and Dave Weckl. After he graduated from high-school, he decided to move to New York.

 

After Tomoyasu moved to New York, he studied various music at the Drummers Collective. He learned Jazz and fusion from Ian Froman, Peter Retzlaff, Kim Plainfield and Yoichi Sato. Every thing he learned was all new things, beside he knew that as a drummer, he had to do a lot of things. He said ”All his teachers were really respectful in terms of music. So it was not only about playing music, he learned how to organize, how to work with the other musicians which was really basic”. After he graduated from the Drummers collective, he met Taylor Jones who is a great guitar player and gentle man. Later he achieved on his recording. 

 

Recently, he’s embarked new challenge of composing his own music. He’s been so excited to improve himself.”

TUESDAYS (7/3, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24 and 7/31)

 

Benjamin Servenary

 

Benjamin Servenay is a jazz multi-instrumentalist based in New York. Born and raised near Brussels, Belgium, Mr. Servenay grew up playing piano, influenced heavily by the harmonic language of Bill Evans. Upon moving to the US in 2006, he began learning upright bass under the mentorship of the late Andy McCloud, a stalwart of Harlem jazz who played with such diverse names as Elvin Jones, Jon Hendricks, Sonny Fortune and Savion Glover.

 

 

Mr. Servenay is dedicated to playing classic standards while also exploring modern jazz idioms. He has performed in such venues as Minton's Playhouse, Greenwich Village Bistro, Spike Hill, Kenny's Castaway, Somethin' Jazz Club, Tutuma Social Club and Alphabet Lounge. He has an engineering degree from France and a Master's in Applied Math from Harvard.

WEDNESDAYS (7/11, 7/18 and 7/25)

 

Jacob Teichroew

http://jacobteichroew.com/

 

Jacob Teichroew is a saxophonist, woodwind player, composer, arranger, and music educator based in Brooklyn, New York.

 

Before leaving for college, Jacob performed weekly as the lead alto player in the Thad Wilson Jazz Orchestra, a Washington D.C. mainstay. He left Washington to pursue degrees in classical saxophone and philosophy at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI.

 

Jacob moved to New York in 2007, where he received his M.A. Jazz Studies at Queens College. He soon became sought after as an improvising saxophonist and woodwind player. In addition to an array of gigs as a sideman, he performs regularly with HasHaveHad, the Russ Flynn Large Ensemble, the Le Zhang Quintet, Grupo Arcano, Tamela D’Amico, the James Hall Group, the Trevor Long Group, Loren Benjamin, and he leads his own band, the Jacob Teichroew Quintet.

 

Aside from performing on saxophones, flute, clarinet, and bass clarinet, Jacob writes for and manages jazz.about.com, and teaches music privately and in New York City Public Schools through Third Street Music School, Young Voices / Big Sounds, and Music Crossing Borders.

Artists of the Month: June 2012

MONDAYS (6/4, 6/11, 6/18 and 6/25)


Joonsam Lee

Joonsam Lee, born and raised in Seoul, Korea, moved to the NYC area in 2007 and in terms of huge musical spectrum, he has taken part in various musical projects including bebop jazz, improvisational music, free music, rock, pop, classical music, Korean traditional music and Broadway musical. Since settling in Manhattan, he has been very active in the NY metropolitan area, performing at some of the finest jazz clubs and venues, not only as a side man but also a bandleader. He performed in New York at Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smalls, Fat cat, 55 bar, Kitano, Cleopatra's needle, Jules bistro, etc, and toured Italy (Grand Tour Jazz festival, Jazz di Marcia Jazz festival, etc), South Korea (Jarasum International Jazz Festival), Taiwan (Taichung Jazz Festival), Ukraine (Oddesa Jazz Festival) and U.A.E. with N.Y.U. Jazz Orchestra as well as appearing with symphony orchestras (NYKSO, Ureuk, Leon Lacey).

TUESDAYS (6/5, 6/12, 6/19 and 6/26)
 
Hironori Momoi
 
Drummer, composer and educator Hironori Momoi was born in Tokyo, Japan on August 29, 1984. His father always played music at home, so he grew up with music.
 
In August 2007, Hironori moved to New York and started studying jazz at The City College of New York. He studied jazz/classical theory, playing in ensembles, composing and arranging with great musicians at CCNY, such as John Patitucci and Mike Holober.
While a student, he won The Ervin Drake Scholarship and The Edward Rensin Memorial Award. In May 2010, he attained BFA degree in jazz drum performance from CCNY as summa cum laude.
 
His passion for jazz brought him to study in MA at Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College from fall 2010. He has studied there with great musicians such as Michael Mossman,David Berkman and Antonio Hart.
Hironori has been selected among the students to perform on the radio,WBGO and his composition "Showers" was featured. He has also performed at Lincoln Center for Champions of Jazz Benefit 2011 as an opening act for Jimmy Heath, Roy Hargrove, Joe Lovano and others.
 
Hironori is currently performing at various venues in NYC.
WEDNESDAYS (6/6, 6/13, 6/20 and 6/27)
 
Tomoko Omura
 
Tomoko Omura is a jazz violinist in New York. Born in Japan, she started playing the violin at the age four. While she was studying classical violin, she got into rock and jazz when she was a teenager. After she entered the university, she started improvising on violin. Her passion for jazz brought her to U.S. in 2004 and she has studied at Berklee College of Music where she was awarded “Roy Haynes Award”. After Berklee, she started working on her project of the self-produced jazz album “Visions” while she was an active musician in Boston. The album was released in 2008 to critical acclaim. The same year, she was awarded “Honorable Mention” at International Songwriting Competition. In June 2009, "Strings" magazine recognized her as one of 15 "Emerging Solo Artists". She relocated to NY in fall, 2009 and has been performing exclusively both in Japan and the U.S. with her group and the other groups in various styles.

Artists of the Month: May 2012

TUESDAYS (5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22 and 5/29)

 

Yvonnivk Prene

http://yvonnickprene.com/

http://newyorkharmonicalessons.com/

 

Pianist Aaron Goldberg says "I am confident he will be one of the finest jazz musicians ever to play his challenging but beautiful instrument".

Influenced by harmonicists such as Stevie Wonder, Toots Thielemans, and Gregoire Maret, Yvonnick Prene stepped out on his own to conquer his own voice on the harmonica. Born in Paris, France, and a New Yorker for the past 4 years, Yvonnick began his career as a sideman at age 17, recording and performing around the world with some of today’s top musicians such as Laurent Cugny, Manu Katche, Nate Smith, Ira Coleman, Tom Kennedy, Ben Street, Laurent de Wilde, Alexandre Tassel, Cyrille Aimee, Dave Glasser, Yotam Silbersten, Freddy Bryant, Yaron Herman among others.

Yvonnick has garnered numerous awards that showcase his abilities as a performer and a composer. Among those he was awarded the first prize of "Trophées du Sunside" in Paris with the Scott Tixier Group 2007, he was selected to participate in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency Program in Washington D.C, 2011, he was also awarded multiple full-tuition scholarships at The City College of New York 2007, Columbia University 2008, and at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music 2009.
He earned in 2011 a Master’s degree in Music and Research at the Sorbonne University and a Bachelor of Fine Art from The New School.

For harmonica lessons contact Yvonnick at yvonnickprene@orange.fr.

WEDNESDAYS (5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23 and 5/30)

 

Yuko Okamoto

http://www.yukookamotomusic.com/

 

Yuko is quickly becoming a prominent and highly sought-after musician within themusic industry.Her natural talent as a pianist and her mature musicality as a composer are quickly gaining attention, especially on the New York music scene.

 

Born and raised in Miyagi, Japan, she studied piano at an early age with Yamaha Music School. Yuko began learning jazz standards and studied jazz improvisation on her own. She took the opportunity to audition for an International Electone Competition and she became one of the semifinalists. After graduating from Miyagi Gakuin High School, where she studied violin, choir, piano and classic and contemporary composition, Yuko moved to Tokyo, then after to the United States. 

 

Yuko studied jazz and contemporary music at Berkle College of Music. She met many great musicians and began studying with some of the most influential professors in Boston and highly acclaimed musicians such as Gorge W Russell Jr., Bill Elliott and Walter Beasley. During her time at Berklee, Yuk was selected to participate in the 2008 Summer Concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, where she performed her original music. In addition to this festival, Yuko performed many different venues around the East coast. In 2008, Yuko was awarded a Berklee full scholarship and performed at Boston City Hallwith other scholarship recipients. During this time Ms. Okamoto took her music internationally and was offered collaboration by various movie, video, music companies.

 

Yuko moved to New York City to continue her career as a professional musician. Her own band was chosen semi-finalist of Bucharest International jazz competition. And she performed International jazz festival in Ukraine 2011 as the first Japanese player this festival.

Artists of the Month: April 2012

MONDAYS (4/2, 4/9, 4/16, 4/23 and 4/30)

 

Quentin Angus

http://www.quentinangus.com/

 

"Soloing with ingenuity, and a flawless technique, springing unexpected phrases of dazzling invention."- John McBeath "Quentin Angus is a very talented young guitarist and composer with a great future ahead of him." - Jon Gordon

Quentin Angus has received international and national recognition, including; an 'International Downbeat Magazine Student Music Award' (2011),  an 'ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award' (2012), a semi-finalist in the 2012 International Songwriting Competition (ISC), and has recently been named one of four finalists in the '2012 APRA Art Music Awards', in the 'Award for Excellence in Jazz' Category.

He has performed in Japan, USA, Australia, Europe and New Zealand, including Jazz Hoeilaart (Belgium), and the Adelaide International Guitar Festival (Australia). This has included recording/ performing with John Abercrombie, Colin Stranahan, Linda Oh, Rogerio Boccato, Bob Minzer and Wolfgang Muthspiel, and recently releasing his debut album 'Retrieval Structure' which has been described as; "a statement of bold beauty, artistry and ability." – Doug Munro

TUESDAYS (4/3, 4/10, 4/17 and 4/24)

 

Kenji Yoshitake

Kenji Yoshitake's Website

 

Kenji Yoshitake was born in Japan in 1985. He started electric bass when he was 12 years old.After high school graduation, he entered Senzoku GakuenCollege of Music in Yokohama. And he studied acoustic bass,jazz theory, ear training, jazz arranging and ensemble. WhenAaron Goldberg, Eric Harland, Reuben Rogers, JonathanKreisberg, Matt Penman, Mark Ferber and Tiger Okoshivisited the school for clinic, he was offered to participate in arepresentative band to play on stage with them as ademonstrator.In 2007, after receiving scholarship, he moved to Boston to goto Berklee College of Music.At Berklee, he studied with musicians such as JohnLockwood, Greg Osby, Dave Santro, Victor Mendoza, DaveSamuels, Oscar Stagnaro, Marcello Pellitteri and Whit Brown.After Berklee College of Music graduation, he moved to NewYork and He has playing around New York area. He performed with musicians such asRick Germanson, Lafayette Harris Jr, Tadataka Unno, JackieWilliams, Grant Stewart, Vince Cherico, Jason Brown, TonyMiddelton, Jesse Elder, Kyoko Oyobe, Bruce Saunders,Marcello Pellitteri, Terumasa Hino, Tomonao Hara, MasahikoOsaka, Kazuhiko Michishita.

WEDNESDAYS (4/4, 4/11, 4/18 and 4/25)

 

Charles Turner III

http://www.charlesturner3.com/

 

Charles Turner III, Jazz vocalist was born in Los Angeles, California. He received his B.M. degree in 2010 from Berklee College of Music. He has performed in many venues around NYC city and has also played outside of the country in Germany,Spain,France, Brussels, and switzerland at the Montruex Jazz Festival. In 2008 he performed alongside Bobby Mcferrin at Carnegie in the instant Opera Concert. He has also performed alongside artist such as Marcus Miller, Dee Dee Brigdewater, Patrice Rushen, Terri Lynn Carrington, and Lalah Hathaway. Charles has a deep passion for jazz music and will continue to make great around NYC and the world.

Artists of the Month: March 2012

MONDAYS (3/5, 3/12, 3/19 and 3/26)

 

Angela Davis 

http://www.angeladavismusic.com

 

Australian saxophonist Angela Davis is currently based in New York City and is a emerging as a unique creative voice after having immersed herself in the music scene. 

So far Angela has recorded/performed with Don Burrows, Kevin Hunt, Jim Pugh, James Morrison, Graeme Lyall, John Hoffman, Matthew Jodrell, Kristin Berardi, Steve Newcomb, Joe Chindamo, the Lars Halle Jazz Orchestra and the American Jazz Repertory Orchestra.

As a group leader Angela has premiered original compositions at the Melbourne Women's International Jazz Festival and at the Noosa Jazz Festival. As a sideman she has performed throughout Australia and America at festivals such as the Villanova Jazz Festival, the Mainline Jazz Festival, the Sunshine Coast Jazz Festival, the Valley Jazz Festival and the Bangalow Jazz Festival. 

TUESDAYS (3/6, 3/13, 3/20 and 3/27)

 

Arthur Sadowsky

 

Arthur Sadowsky is now considered one of the top electric bass players in the New York scene. Currently he is performing, composing, arranging and the musical director of “Arthur Sadowsky and the Troubadours” regularly gigging in Manhattan. Born and raised in the icy tundras of the USSR Arthur was surrounded by music and art from a very young age and knew this was going to be a life-long passion. Studying Russian classical music throughout his childhood it wasn’t until the age of 14 when he heard the music of Joe Zawinul that his life would change forever. Hearing jazz for the first time was the awakening he was looking for, according to Arthur “it was like being able to fly or speak to Dolphins.” He knew to pursue this dream he would have to leave his country.
 
Arthur’s love affair with the Bass Guitar started when he was 16, he recalls “I was at a night club checking out a musician friend of mine and the band was on break, standing alone in the middle of the stage was this sleek and sexy Electric Bass gently supported on a guitar stand by its neck. I was in love for the first time in my life and this passion will never wane.”
 
Through years of study Arthur has perfected his craft as a performer, composer and arranger and has truly created his own unique sound with heavy influences from the great lineage of jazz musicians most notably Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Joe Zawinul. “I can’t wait to see what is next for me on this artistic journey through life. I am looking forward to sharing my deep and passionate love of music with all of you, please stay tuned and never stop swinging.”