Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Ryan Kisor was born April 12, 1973 in Sioux City, Iowa and learned trumpet from his father. He started playing in a local dance band, the Eddie Skeets Orchestra, at age ten. By 12 he was taking classical trumpet lessons, met Clark Terry when he was 15 while attending his summer jazz camp, and played with all-star high school bands. In 1990, he won the Thelonious Monk Institute’s trumpet contest at the age of 17, performing against Nicholas Payton and Marcus Printup.

Following this he was signed by Columbia Records and released his first two albums, 1992’s Minor Mutiny and 1993’s On the One. Following this, Kisor entered the Manhattan School of Music and studied under Lew Soloff among others.

He has played in New York with the Mingus Big Band, Michel Camilo Big Band, with Gerry Mulligan, Wynton Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Horace Silver and Walter Blanding. Since 1994 he has been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, has released fifteen albums as a bandleader and continues to perform and record.

Inspire A Young Mind

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Greg Ruggiero was born on April 11, 1977 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and and studied the guitar as a youth. Then at the age of twenty-seven he decided to make his jazz mark in the clubs of New York City and moved to Brooklyn in 2004. It was just three years later that he released his debut record as a leader “Balance” on the jazz label Fresh Sound New Talent.

As a sideman he has recorded with Luisa Sobral, Mark Turner, Nasheet Waits, Greg Osby, Matt Brewer, Logan Richardson, Nick Halley and Gavin Fallow and has several projects that are still in production. Greg has the honor of featured artist at the Canjazz Festival in Galicia, Spain; taught workshops, recorded two records, and performed in concert.

As an educator he sits on the New School University Applied Music faculty, has taught at the Academy of Creative Education in Los Angeles, California, and has been a guest artist and clinician at the Crossties Jazz Festival hosted by Delta State University in Greenville, Mississippi along with Mulgrew Miller.

Ruggiero was a part of the Jazz of Enchantment radio program and educational series as one of the top 20 Jazz artists associated with his home state of New Mexico, along with Frank Morgan, Bobby Shew, Rob Wilkerson and Matt Brewer. Greg has performed with Matt Brewer, Logan Richardson, and many others.

Of late, Greg has renewed his passion for the jazz standard repertoire leading his trio or quartet. Taking license from the classic vocal performances of Billy Holiday, Nat Cole, Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald to name a few, his passion has led the guitarist to release his sophomore project “My Little One”, a collection of original music set to lyrics.

Put A Dose In Your Pocket

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Leron Thomas was born on April 8, 1979 in Houston, Texas and his musical journey began with inspiration fro his family rich with respect and understanding of quality music. He graduated from Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and ventured to New York City to develop as a trumpet player and composer, enrolling in Manhattan’s The New School.

While studying, Leron’s own music was evolving and maturing and began performing professionally with various artists including Bilal, Billy Harper, Charles Tolliver and Roy Hargrove. The quality of his original compositions was enhanced when playing live alongside talented peers Robert Glasper, Damion Reid, Vicente Archer, Marcus Strickland, Harold O’Neal, Isaac Smith, Reggie Quinerly and Omer Avital.

After matriculation through The New School in 2003 he remained in Manhattan to pursue his professional career as a writer and trumpeter. Thomas expanded his scope of playing and has worked with many artists from a variety of genre’s including Michael Stipe, Lauryn Hill, Bobby Watson and Mos Def, to name a few. Subsequently he found ways to liberate himself through a natural, fluid progression into writing and performing ‘other music’. These compositions required his personal trumpet tone along with his vocals to emphasize the diverse sound.

Since 2004 he has developed this genre-crossing music incorporating jazz, blues, pop, country, electro-pop and rock. With eight independently released projects and critical acclaim, he explores a range of artistic media. Having composed for film, he is featured in an independent short film 2010 and appears on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Bubblers Eight. Trumpeter Leron Thomas continues to compose, perform and record.

Inspire A Young Mind

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Requisites

This is My Beloved, recorded by Arthur Prysock, eight years before the author, Walter Benton, death in 1976. His recitation of the poems written in diary form are addressed to Lillian and is set to a beautifully scored background of jazz. The book was first published in 1943 and became one of the bet selling books of poetry, selling over 350,000 copies at that time. This landmark recording is a necessity for every collector who has ever wanted to understand love.

Record Label: Verve

Record Date: December 16,1968 / Los Angeles, California

Producer: Hy Weiss, Pete Spargo

Music Accompaniment Composer: Mort Garson

Liner Notes: Helen Hanff

Playing Time: 37 Minutes

Songs: I Need Your Love, Your Eyes, Your Words, Your Body Makes Eyes At Me, Come Love Me, I Was Very Tired And Lonely, You Did Not Come, I Stood Long Where You Left Me, Each Season, Every Year, Eleven Years, Remembering How We Could Be Warm Together, Sleeping…So Still, So Still, I Shall Wish For You

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Benny Green was born in New York City on April 4, 1963 and grew up on the West coast in Berkeley, California. From the age of seven he studied classical piano and had an interest in jazz from an early point, as his father played jazz tenor saxophone.

Discovered by Faye Carroll, while still in his teens worked in a quintet led by Eddie Henderson. He attended Berkeley High, participated in the school’s jazz ensemble and in his later school career had a weekly trio gig at Yoshi’s, which marked his entrance to the world of professional jazz.

After graduation he spent time in San Francisco but became more successful on his return to New York. Green joined Betty Carter’s band in 1983 and since 1991 has led his trio, recording for Blue Note, Telarc and Criss Cross.

As an educator Benny frequently teaches in workshops across the United States, such as Jazz Camp West in California, and Centrum/Jazz Port Townsend in Washington. He currently is on faculty at the University of Michigan.

Pianist Benny Green has sixteen albums as a leader, 75 to date as a sideman and has performed and recorded with Art Blakey, Anat Cohen, Ray Brown, Gary Bartz, Bob Belden, Clark Terry, Don Braden, Cecil Brooks III, Arnett Cobb, Mark Elf, Larry Gales, Tim Hagans, Jay Hoggard, Freddie Hubbard and Milt Jackson among many, many others. He continues to perform, record and tour.

Give The Gift Of Knowledge

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