Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Diego Urcola was born on November 5, 1965 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and began his musical studies at age 9 in the Music Department of the Colegio Ward where his father Ruben served as director. He continued his studies and in 1988 he received the title of Profesor Nacional de Música from the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica.

Subsequently, having received a scholarship to study abroad, the trumpeter and flugelhorn player moved to Boston where he attended Berklee College of Music. In 1990 Diego graduated with an emphasis in Jazz Performance, and less than a year later moved to New York and established himself on the jazz scene.

Urcola toured with Slide Hampton, has been a member of the Paquito D’Rivera  Quintet since 1991, toured with the United Nations Orchestra, has worked with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, plays steadily with the Caribbean Jazz Project since 2004, and performs regularly with the legendary saxophonist Jimmy Heath and the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Star Big Band.

Urcola has played with  Joe Henderson, Steve Turre, Milt Jackson  Avishai Cohen, Edward Simon, Antonio Sánchez, Dave Samuels, Brian Lynch, Michel Camilo, Chucho Valdés, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Claudia Acuña, Danilo Perez, Conrad Herwig and the Calle 54 Band among others. He leads and records with his own group, has captured second place honors at the 1997 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Trumpet Competition, received a Latin Grammy as part of D’ Rivera’s band, and since has been nominated three times for a Grammy Award. The jazz trumpeter continues to perform, compose and record integrating the flavor of tango with jazz.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Jane Monheit was born November 3, 1977 in Oakdale, New York on Long Island. As a child, Jane spent her summers as a student at the Usdan Center For the Creative and Performing Arts, and is a recipient of their distinguished alumna award.

She began singing professionally while attending Connetquot High School in Bohemia, N.Y. from which she graduated in 1995. As a student at the Manhattan School of Music she studied voice under Peter Eldridge, graduated with honors. Monheit was the first runner up to Teri Thornton in the 1998 Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute’s vocal competition.

An international artist, Jane has performed at most of the major concert halls, cabarets and jazz venues around the globe. She has released seven albums and two DVDs, and has appeared as a guest artist on many others, as well as soundtracks for the movie “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” singing Over The Rainbow.

Monheit has appeared on numerous television shows and also been a featured performer in the nationally televised Christmas at the White House, the Capitol Fourth of July Celebration, and The National Memorial Day Celebration.

Vocalist Jane Monheit has collaborated with artists such as Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Lewis Nash, David “Fathead” Newman, Michael Bublé, Geoffrey Keezer, Donald Harrison, Romero Lubambo, Terence Blanchard, Ron Carter, Christian McBride, and Tom Harrell and has been nominated twice for her recordings. She spends most of the year on tour with her band but also performs with the major symphonic orchestras throughout the country.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Matthias Lupri was born Matthias Albrecht Lupri on October 29, 1964 in Germany but grew up in Manhattan, Kansas and Alberta, Canada. Initially he played the drums, playing in blues, rock and country music bands as a teenager. In his early 20’s he studied music at Mount Royal College, where he heard  Gary Burton‘s recordings and became interested in jazz vibraphone music.

Lupri practiced the instrument for the next five years while on the road with rock bands as a drummer, and then enrolled at Berklee College of Music to study with Burton himself.

After graduating Matthias easily slid into the jazz circles in the U.S. and around the world. He has performed and recorded with  Greg Osby, Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Reuben Rogers, and Rick Margitza among others. He continues to be sought after on the national and international jazz festival circuit.

Vibraphonist Matthias Lupri’s has released six recordings as a leader that have charted in radio’s Top 40 Gavin, CMJ and Chart Magazine Canada, has been heard on the television show “Alias”, and was named as a rising artist on vibraphone twice in the Down Beat critics poll. He continues to perform, collaborate, record and tour.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Mace Hibbard was born and raised in Waco, Texas on October 22, 1976. His early music lessons included piano and voice until settling on the saxophone at age ten. Through his teen years he played with his father, trumpeter Dave Hibbard, attaining a firm grasp of jazz history and its standard repertoire.

Hibbard attended the University of Texas in Austin, earning a Bachelor’s in Musical Performance and a Masters in Jazz Studies. While in Austin, he developed as a composer and formed “Odd Man Out”, releasing their self-titled debut on Viewpoint Records in 2000. Developing his reputation as an outstanding performer in all genres, playing in ensembles as diverse as The Austin Symphony, singer-songwriter Drew Smith, The Creative Opportunity Orchestra, and The Stingers.

After 10 years of being one of the most sought after woodwind players in Austin, Mace relocated to Atlanta, Georgia. This led to his association with The Derek Trucks Band and Soul Stew Revival with Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi in 2005, with this union culminating in his winning a 2010 Grammy Award for his playing and horn arrangements on Already Free. He has performed at the 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival, 2009 Battle Royale celebration concert at the Savannah Music Festival where he was a featured soloist alongside such jazz luminaries as the Marcus Roberts Trio, The Clayton Brothers, Terrell Stafford, Scotty Barnhart, Jeff Clayton, Wycliffe Gordon and Andre Hayward.

Mace released his debut album as a leader, “When Last We Met” in 2007 to critical acclaim and worldwide airplay, his sophomore project “Time Gone By” was released in 2011. His playing and compositions can be found on recordings by Melvin Jones, Yonrico Scott, Ben Tucker, The Joe Gransden Big Band, Jennifer Holliday, Trey Wright, Bryant Thompson, and Marlon Patton, and is a featured saxophonist/composer on Atlanta Sax Allstars.

Saxophonist Mace Hibbard continues to perform leading his quintet while touring and sharing the stage with Marcus Printup, The Temptations, The O’Jays, The Four Tops, Kenny Rogers, Wayne Newton, Frankie Avalon, Frankie Valli, The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra, and rock bands Scrapmatic and Son Volt and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

An educator in his own right Mace teaches jazz saxophone and improvisation at Georgia State University, has taught jazz studies at Jackson State University, and has conducted clinics throughout the United Staes and Canada. Soprano and tenor saxophonist, composer and educator Mace Hibbard continues to evolve his legacy in jazz.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Bill Charlap was born William Morrison Charlap on October 15, 1966 in New York City. Coming from a musical background and a distant cousin to famed jazz pianist Dick Hyman. His mother, singer Sandy Stewart had the hit “My Coloring Book”, his father, Broadway composer Moose Charlap.

Charlap began playing piano at age three. He later studied classical music but remained most interested in jazz. Over his career he has worked with Gerry Mulligan, Benny Carter, Tony Bennett, Phil Woods, Scott Hamilton, Ron Carter, and others. In the mid-90s, he was the musical director of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, A Celebration of Johnny Mercer, part of New York’s JVC Jazz Festival. In 1995 he joined the Phil Woods Quintet.

Charlap has recorded seven albums as a leader or co-leader for Blue Note, has had two Grammy nominated CDs: “Somewhere” and “The Bill Charlap Trio, Live At The Village Vanguard”. He has recorded two albums as a leader for Venus Records, as well as eight albums as a member of the New York Trio.

Bill appears at least twice a year for lengthy runs at some of the world’s major jazz clubs with his rhythm section, consisting of double bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. He became the Artistic Director of New York’s 92nd Street Y “Jazz in July” six program series in 2004. In 2008, the pianist became part of The Blue Note 7, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the label, recording Mosaic with promotion tour around the world. He continues to compose, record and tour.

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