Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Javier Vercher was born in Madrid, Spain on February 7, 1978. At the age of 6, his family moved to Valencia where he began studying with his father music theory, piano and clarinet. By 17 years old he won the title of medium degree in classics Clarinet, plan 66, in the Conservatory Joaquín Rodrigo de Valencia.
After finishing his studies at the conservatory began exploring jazz and attended several seminars with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Perico Sambeat, Chris Cheek and Jorge Pardo in 1995. At 18, Berklee College of Music in Boston and the Association of Interpreters and Performers gave him a scholarship to study, graduating with a degree in Performance.
In 1999, he met the legendary drummer and composer Bob Moses Rakalam and soon after was playing around town with his band. In 2002, he moved to New York and began playing with local musicians such as Lionel Loueke, Henry Cole, David Doruzka, Ferenc Nemeth and RJ Miller.
In 2003, Vercher formed a trio and began composing for began to develop compositions for this format. He recorded his first solo album “Introducing The Javier Vercher Trio for Fresh Sound. His trio would later enlist the talents of guitarist Lionel Loueke at several festivals in Spain including the Madrid Jazz Festival, Jazz Festival Vitoria-Gasteiz, Jazz Festival Valencia and Almansa Jazz Festival to name a few.
Javier received the Musician Revelation Tete Montoliu Award, produced his second album “Wheel Of Time”, recorded with Alejandro Sanz on his 2007 Warner Bros. album “El Tren de los Momentos”. His quartet worked throughout the Caribbean, South America and Spain.
In late 2009 he moved to Barcelona and the following year released his next album “Wish You Were Here” in 2010 with Larry Grenadier, Lionel Loueke, Sam Yahel and Francisco Mela. Since then tenor saxophonist Javier Vercher has continued to perform, record and tour.
Put A Dose In Your Pocket
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Min Rager was born on February 4, 1975 in Seoul, Korea and began her music career playing in local jazz clubs and her reputation rapidly grew. In 1997, she moved to Montreal to attend McGill University and while there she continued to evolve as a pianist and composer. She graduated in 2003 with an Award of Excellence in Jazz Piano and formed a quintet as support for her original compositions and arrangements.
The following year her quintet recorded a studio recording for CBC Radio Beat Jazz II program. The show aired nationally in 2004 and was released as Min debut album Bright Road on Effendi in October 2005. She has composed a jazz suite for two pianos in 2008, performed at the International Jazz Festival of Montreal, had her quintet was named for General Motors Grand Jazz Award and played the Montreal Off Jazz Festival where she received “Best New Artist” honors.
Min Rager is currently on staff both at McGill University as a faculty member part-time where she teaches at the jazz department at the Conservatory of McGill University where she teaches jazz piano when not performing.
Dose A Day – Blues Away
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Jonny King was born Jonathan Z. King on February 2, 1965 in New York City, New York. Raised in New York City, he graduated from Princeton and Harvard Law School. A jazz pianist primarily self-taught, he has neither received any formal music education nor attended any jazz schools. His school of music was life – obsessively listening to records, going to jam sessions and soaking up as much live and recorded music as possible from traditional to avant-garde.
He credits pianist Mulgrew Miller and Tony Aless as his important influences, mentors and personal teachers. As well as recording under his own name, he has performed with, among others Roy Hargrove, Kenny Garrett, Bobby Watson, Christian McBride, Joe Lovano, Ira Coleman, Billy Drummond, Mark Turner, Vincent Herring, Steve Nelson, Peter Washington, Joshua Redman, Steve Davis, David Sanchez, Milton Cardona and Larry Grenadier.
He has released three albums in the 90s on the Criss Cross and Enja labels – In From the Cold, Notes From The Underground and Meltdown. In between his duties as an attorney at a copyright practice, he continues to approach music the way he learned, both as a performer and composer.
Give A Gift Of Jazz – Share
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Daily Dose OF Jazz…
Lena Bloch was born on January 31, 1971 in Moscow, Russia. She immigrated to Israel in 1990, to attend Rubin Academy of Music and Dance, and then received a full scholarship for Jazz In July workshop. Acquiring her Artist Diploma cum laude from Cologne Conservatory, she was granted another full scholarship to attend the Jazz Workshop in Banff, Canada. Bloch has studied with Yusef Lateef, Billy Taylor, Joe Lovano, Kenny Werner, Dave Holland and Lee Konitz.
By 2001 Lena met her most important teacher, Lee Konitz, who she studied and was introduced to the music of Lennie Tristano’s school, especially Warne Marsh. She played the first tenor chair in the Jazz Ensemble and got a “Downbeat Student Award” 2005 and MENC Award 2004 in Minneapolis. She has won the “Outstanding Performance Award”.
Since 1993 Lena has been leading her own quartet and trio, writing music and arranging and she played in the legendary “Embryo” band touring Italy. She is an inventive improviser who incorporates Middle-Eastern and Eastern European elements into the jazz idiom, achieving a unique sound.
She has performed with Mal Waldron, Johnny Griffin, Horace Parlan, Keith Copeland, John Marshall, Alvin Queen, Steve Reid Vishnu Wood, Arturo O’Farrill, George Schuller, Billy Mintz, Dave Shapiro, Roberta Picket, Scott Wendholt, Dan Tepfer, Bertha Hope, Ray Drummond and Matt Wilson among many others. Alto saxophonist Lena Bloch is also a creative and inventive educator, who continues to successfully teach woodwinds and jazz improvisation to all ages and levels since 1990.
Put A Dose In Your Pocket
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
D.D. Jackson was born on January 25, 1967 in Ottawa, Canada. He started playing piano as a child, eventually graduating from the Manhattan School of Music. He would go on to become an alumnus of the Lehman Engel BMI Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop.
Jackson performs all over the world with his groups and has also appeared and recorded with some of the most distinguished names in jazz and beyond including: David Murray, Art Davis, Ray Drummond, James Spaulding, James Carter, Dewey Redman, Oliver Lake, Billy Bang, Regina Carter, Dafnis Preto, Cindy Blackman, Billy Hart, Andrew Cyrille, Mor Thiam, Mino Cinelu, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and others.
He is also an accomplished classical pianist, released a recording of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”, he wrote a regular column “Living Jazz” for Downbeat magazine and the related “D.D. Jackson Living Jazz Podcast”.
Jackson is an alumnus of the Manhattan Producers Alliance, was a composers for The Wonder Pets and 3rd & Bird; scored the entire 26-episode season of The Ocean Room, won a Juno Award, is currently based in New York City teaching at Hunter College and the Harlem School of the Arts and has recorded twelve CDs as a leader and co-leader.
Jazz Is Global – Share
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