Steve Johns is one of the most dynamic and versatile drummers on both the New York City and international Jazz scenes. Since the early 1980’s he has performed and recorded with virtually the who’s-who of the Jazz World. Steve has played with The Sonny Fortune Quartet, The Benny Carter Quartet, The Billy Taylor Trio, Nat Adderley, Jimmy Owens, Stanley Turrentine, Jimmy Heath, The Randy Brecker Quintet, Jesseye Norman, Dave Liebman, The Ronnie Cuber Band and many others.
Steve Johns was born into a musical family in Boston in 1960, and began playing drums at the age of nine. His mother, Goldie Tyler Johns, was a songwriter, and three of her brothers were saxophonists, including the legendary Jimmy Tyler, who was Steve’s primary influence and inspiration. It was Jimmy who encouraged Steve to study formally with Alan Dawson, and his three years with the master percussionist and educator enabled him to make rapid progress. While attending Natick High School, Steve played in both the concert and jazz bands and earned chairs in both the district and state jazz ensembles. After graduating in 1979, Steve continued his studies at the New England Conservatory of Music where he received a thorough grounding in classical percussion from Vic Firth and Fred Buda, while playing with such local jazz greats as James Williams, Miroslav Vituous, Jeff Berlin, and Mike Stern. At NEC he met his wife-to-be, Debbie Keefe Johns, a fine saxophonist in her own right. In 1982, Steve made the move to New York, quickly establishing himself as an inspirational player at home in any musical style. Over the ensuing three decades, Steve has worked in every conceivable setting, from big bands such as the Gil Evans and the Count Basie orchestras, to accompanying singers like Jessye Norman, Helen Merrill, Diane Schuur, and Dakota Staton, to more experimental settings such as the Thomas Chapin Trio and groups led by Marty Ehrlich and Mario Pavone. He has toured worldwide as the regular drummer for Sonny Fortune, Benny Carter, Dr. Billy Taylor, and many other luminaries. His five-year tenure as a member of Taylor’s trio brought him wide exposure, including 75 performances for the pianist’s NPR program Jazz at the Kennedy Center with such guests as Wynton Marsalis, Nancy Wilson, Milt Jackson, and Randy Brecker. Steve has appeared on over seventy albums by Leon Thomas, George Russell, Thomas Chapin, Dr. Billy Taylor, Houston Person, John McNeil, Sonny Fortune, Peter Leitch, Gary Smulyan, and Bob DeVos, among many others. In addition to his work as a sideman, Steve is also a member of the collective group Native Soul, and has been co-leader on recording projects by that group (One Mind, 2012, American Showplace, Soul Step, Talking Drum Records), as well as on an album with saxophonist Peter Brainin (No Saints, No Sinners, Playscape). In addition to his extensive credits as a player, Steve has long been active as an educator. While with the Billy Taylor Trio, he took part in over a hundred lecture/demonstrations throughout the U.S., and has regularly served on the faculty for educational programs at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Long Island University, Montclair State University, the Litchfield Jazz Camp, the Vermont Jazz Center, and Jazz House Kids. Steve and Debbie co-direct the JCC Thurnauer TeenTown Jazz Program in Tenafly, NJ, which has featured such guests as Larry Coryell, Bernie Williams, and Jimmy Owens.
Steve and Debbie’s musical talents have been passed directly to a new generation. Their son, bassist Daryl Johns, while still a teenager, has already made his mark as one of the most highly touted musicians to burst onto the scene in recent years. A highlight of Steve’s career was the 2015 release of his CD aptly titled Family, on which Steve, Debbie, and Daryl were joined by guitarists Dave Stryker and Bob DeVos.
Inspired by the musicianship of greats such as Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Jackie McLean, Cannonball Adderley, Dr. Billy Taylor, Art Blakey and Billy Higgins, Harper has been the leader and musical inspiration for a vibrant sextet for more than a decade. Through that ensemble, he develops and mentors many young jazz musicians who have gone on to successful careers including Jazzmeia Horn, Josh Evans and Bruce Williams. The group, Jeli Posse, appears regularly all over the United
States from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. to Yoshi’s, the legendary West Coast jazz club and their most recent CD hit number one on the JazzWeek charts within weeks of its release.
Constantly in reverence of his predecessors while remaining innovative in his own right, Harper has become one of the most celebrated drummers in jazz. He is a virtuoso on the drum set as well as the balafon, the West African equivalent of the marimba. Critics have written that Winard is as pleasing and entertaining to watch as he is to hear. “As tasteful a drummer as one could ask for,” according to Jeff Kaliss of JazzTimes. Harper’s first major gig was with Dexter Gordon in 1982, and shortly thereafter with Johnny Griffin. It wasn’t long before his drumming skills captured the attention of Betty Carter. He spent four years working with Ms. Carter’s band, inevitably honing his jazz-as-entertainment sense of showmanship. He was an integral part of Dr. Billy Taylor’s Trio beginning in the 1990’s and was the legend’s go-to drummer for more than two decades. http://www.lksassociates.com
Bassist, composer, and educator Fumi Tomita was active in the New York jazz scene for over fifteen years. His 2019 recording, The Elephant Vanishes: Jazz Interpretations of the Short Stories of Haruki Murakami, was released to critical acclaim by Origin Arts records and was listed in the top ten records of 2019 by Jazziz. He also appears as a member of HGTS on their debut release And Then They Played… released in April 2020 by Summit Records. Celebrating Bird: A Tribute to Charlie Parker, a collaboration with saxophonist David Detweiler, was released in September 2020 by Next Level Music.
He has presented his research at the International Society of Bassists Conference, Issues in Contemporary Jazz, Jazz Education Network, International Society for Improvised Music, BassEurope, Massachusetts Music Educators Association, and the National Association for Music Education. His article “As Long As There’s Music: Spirituality in Charlie Haden’s Performance and Solo on “Irene”” was published in Jazz Perspectives in the fall of 2019. His book “The Jazz Rhythm Section” was published by Rowman & Littlefield in conjunction with NAfME in 2019. Additionally, he has published articles in Bass world, Jazz Perspectives, and the Massachusetts Music Educators’ Journal and is preparing his second book, Introduction to Early Jazz, for State University of New York Press. He is currently the Assistant Professor of Jazz at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Bassist Avery Sharpe was born in Valdosta, Georgia and his first instrument was the piano. “I started playing when I was eight years old,” he recalls. “My mother is a piano player/choir director in the Church of God in Christ, and she gave lessons to everybody in the family—I’m the sixth of eight children—but it didn’t stick until it got to me.” He moved on to accordion and then switched to electric bass in high school, after his family had relocated to Springfield, MA.
He studied economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA., while he played electric bass in gospel, funk, and rock groups. With encouragement from renowned bassist Reggie Workman, he learned acoustic bass and soon was performing with Archie Shepp and Art Blakey. In 1980, Sharpe won a spot in McCoy Tyner’s group and worked with him for the next 20 plus years, playing hundreds of gigs worldwide and appearing on more than 20 recordings with Tyner.
Sharpe’s credits also include sideman stints and recordings with jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsales, Yusef Lateef, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Billy Taylor and many more His first recording as a leader was the 1988 album Unspoken Words on Sunnyside Records. In 1994 he started his own artist record label, JKNM Records. To date he has more than 12 titles as a leader for JKNM Records.
Sharpe is equally adept at songs and longer compositional forms. In 1989, he wrote and conducted the soundtrack for the movie An Unremarkable Life. A decade later, his six-movement piece America’s Promise debuted with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. In the 1990’s Sharpe received a commission by the classical group Fideleo to write three extended works. In 2004, he wrote a musical portrait for the stage for Chamber Music Plus. The stage production Raisin’ Cane, has been touring since 2007 and features the actress Jasmine Guy (featured actress from TV, “A Different World”) and Sharpe’s Trio. In 2006, he was commissioned by the Springfield Symphony to write a Concerto for Jazz Trio and Orchestra which premiered in the 2007, featuring the Trio with (former “Tonight Show” Musical Director)Kevin Eubanks on acoustic guitar. Avery continued his historical connection with releases of CDs, honoring Jesse Owens “Running Man”, Sojourner Truth-“Ain’t I A Woman”, Sister Rosetta Tharpe-“Sharpe Meets Tharpe”.
Sharpe’s latest project “400: An African American Musical Portrait” is presently receiving rave reviews. The project marks the 400th year since Africans were brought to the U.S.A shores in 1619. The recording was released in May 2019 on JKNM Records and features- Don Braden, Duane Eubanks, Ronnie Burrage, Zaccai Curtis, Tendai Muparutsa, The Extended Family Choir and special guest Kevin Eubanks.
Avery Sharpe’s extensive educational activities include numerous clinics and workshops at home and abroad. He has presented at the University of Massachusetts, Williams College, Berklee School of Music, Bates College, the University of Miami, and at colleges in Peru, Brazil, Australia and elsewhere.
Avery Sharpe was the Sterling Brown ‘22 Distinguished Visiting Artist in Residence in Music at Williams College and was Artist Associate in Jazz Bass, and Jazz Coach at Williams College. He was also Faculty Advisor for the Williams Gospel Choir and affiliated faculty for Africana Studies.
His awards include The NAACP Martin Luther King Jr Special Achievement Award, several National Endowment for the Arts Grants and the New England Foundation for the Arts Achievement in Jazz Award.
Jeffrey W. Holmes is Director of Jazz and African-American Music Studies and the award-winning UMass Jazz Ensemble I/Studio Orchestra at UMass. JAAMS program students have won over 60 DOWNBEAT Magazine Awards in virtually every annual collegiate category. A nationally-commissioned and published composer/arranger, and multiple recipient of National Endowment for the Arts Composition Grants, he has toured extensively, and was a featured artist on the Jazz at the Kennedy Center series in Washington D.C. He leads the Jeff Holmes Big Band featuring his wife vocalist Dawning Holmes, and the Jeff Holmes Quartet (Of One’s Own on Miles High Records). Recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Massachusetts Association of Jazz Educators, Holmes is also the Artistic Director of the Jazz In July Summer Workshops at UMass, contributed thirty jazz biographical entries to the New Grove Dictionary of American Music (Oxford Press), and remains active as a pianist, trumpeter, guest conductor and adjudicator/clinican.
Earl MacDonald’s seemingly inexhaustible commitment to the jazz art form is apparent in his performing, composing and teaching. The former musical director and pianist for Maynard Ferguson serves as the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Connecticut and teaches annually at UMass Amherst’s Jazz in July program.
The Winnipeg native earned a bachelor of music degree in jazz performance at McGill University and a Master’s degree at Rutgers, where he apprenticed with Kenny Barron.
A recipient of the Sammy Nestico Award for outstanding big band arranging, MacDonald has released seven albums as a bandleader; two of which earned JUNO nominations for jazz album of the year. For his chamber jazz explorations on “Mirror of the Mind”, MacDonald was described as “a magical, musical alchemist of hip hybrids” (Owen McNally, Hartford Courant). Similarly, his large ensemble project, “Re:Visions” was touted as having “gone beyond where most big bands go, establishing Earl MacDonald as a major force in the world of jazz composition” (Dan Bilawsky, AllAboutJazz.com).
Visit MacDonald’s web site, www.earlmacdonald.com, where you can take a free online lesson, read articles and reviews, hear his music, peruse his blog, and learn more about Earl MacDonald’s performances, teaching, and latest projects.
Originally from Venezuela, Luis Perdomo began playing piano at age 10, and by age 12 he was playing professionally on radio and TV as well as concerts and clubs. Later on, Luis moved to the U.S to attend the Manhattan School of Music on a scholarship, he graduated in 1997 and would later obtain a Master’s degree from Queens College, where he was a student of the great pianist Sir Roland Hanna.
Soon after moving to New York, Perdomo quickly established himself as an in-demand pianist amassing quite an impressive resume. Some of the artists Luis has recorded and/or performed with include Ravi Coltrane, David Sanchez, Tom Harrell, John Patitucci, Ray Barretto, Brian Lynch, Miguel Zenon, Dave Douglas, David Gilmore, Ralph Irizarry & Timbalaye, Henry Threadgill and Steve Turre, among others; a list that is as notable both by its high standard as well as its diversity. He has made also a mark as a performer, composer and arranger on recordings by Ray Barretto, Ignacio Berroa, John Benitez and Ralph Irizarry. He can be heard most recently on both Grammy nominated Ravi Coltrane's "Spirit Fiction" and Miguel Zenón's "Tipico".
Luis has also been very active worldwide in recent years as a teacher, solo artist, and as a leader of his own trio: The Controlling Ear Unit and several other projects, and has released nine highly praised recordings as a leader: "Focus Point" (2005), "Awareness" (2006), and the highly acclaimed "Universal Mind" featuring Drew Gress and Jack Dejohnette (2012) for Ravi Coltrane's RKM Music label. "Pathways" in 2008, The "Infancia" Project in 2012, “Links” in 2013 and “Spirits and Warriors” in 2016 for Criss Cross Jazz; "Twenty - Two" in 2015 and “Montage” in 2016 were recorded for Hot Tone Music. Luis has also participated in over 150 recordings as a sideman.
As an educator, he has taught masterclasses worldwide, and has taught summer jazz camps including the “Jazz in July” at the University of Massachusetts, Langnau Jazz Nights in Switzerland; Banff International Workshop and the University of Manitoba in Canada, Badajoz Jazz Workshop in Spain; Brattleboro Jazz Center in Vermont; Tonica Jazz Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico and the Guimaraes Jazz Workshops in Portugal, among others.
aIn 2016, Mr Perdomo served as the artistic director of the Langnau Jazz Workshops in Switzerland. Luis has also taught at the New School for Social Research, and currently serves as an adjunct piano professor at Queens College in New York City. For more information, please visit www.luisperdomojazz.com
“My approach to teaching jazz improvisation always leaves room to experience what each individual really sounds like.” Freelance guitarist and teacher, Ferrier has performed with Jon Faddis, Randy Brecker, Eddie Bert, John Fedchock, Claudio Roditi, Yusef Lateef, Peter Erskine and others. He holds a B.M. degree in Performance from Berklee College of Music, M.M. degree in Jazz Composition/Arranging from UMass Amherst, and has studied with John Laporta, William Leavitt, Herb Pomeroy, Bill Pierce, George Garzone, and others. He is a professor and Director of Jazz Studies at Holyoke Community College, and is the applied jazz guitar instructor at University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Steve Davis is widely regarded as one of today's leading voices on the trombone. After graduating from The Hartt School's Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz ('89), Davis first gained widespread recognition in 1990 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. As the last to join the Jazz Messengers, Steve’s first record dates would be Blakey's last, including One For All (A&M), the title track penned by Davis. Over the years since, Davis has worked with a broad range of jazz luminaries such as his first mentor Jackie McLean, Chick Corea, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, James Moody, Cecil Payne, Harold Mabern, Larry Willis, Freddie Hubbard & The New Jazz Composers Octet, Slide Hampton's World of Trombones, Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Hank Jones, Roy Hargrove & Willie Jones III. Raised in Binghamton, New York, Steve has performed at major venues around the world including appearances at the North Sea, Montreaux, Newport and Detroit Jazz Festivals, The Jimmy Fallon Show with Stevie Wonder and at the White House Tribute to Ray Charles (PBS). Davis appears on over 150 recordings, including 20 as a leader. His 2022 release Bluesthetic (Smoke Sessions) includes an all-star band featuring Steve Nelson, Peter Bernstein, Geoff Kezzer, Christian McBride & Willie Jones III playing a program of Steve's originals. Davis' 2019 release, Correlations (Smoke Sessions) features rising stars Joshua Bruneau & Jonathan Barber, as well as renowned veteran stars Xavier Davis, Wayne Escoffery & Dezron Douglas. Correlations has garnered rave reviews and spent months atop the JazzWeek Radio Charts. Other notable releases include Say When: Celebrating J.J. Johnson and Think Ahead (Smoke Sessions), For Real and Gettin’ It Done (Positone). During 2019, in addition to performing with his own Correlations Band, Steve appeared on Chick Corea's Grammy Winning Spanish Heart Band CD, Antidote and toured Europe with the group in July. Davis also continues to work regularly with the collectively-led sextet One For All (feat. Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, David Hazeltine, John Webber & Joe Farnsworth), bassist Nat Reeves' Quintet, as well as playing with John Lee's Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars, the Jimmy Heath, Ron Carter and Christian McBride big bands. Steve’s original composition, Optimism appears on the McBride Big Band’s Grammy Award winning release Bringin' It (2018). Davis performs and plans to record with both his son, guitarist Tony Davis and his wife, vocalist Abena Koomson-Davis. As always, Steve maintains an active presence on the vibrant local CT jazz scene & appears on bassist Matt Dwonzsyk's Wonderful World CD. A long-time educator, Steve has guided a broad range of emerging musicians at the Hartt School's Jackie McLean Jazz Studies Division, University of Hartford, CT where he was recently honored for over 30 years of service. In Fall '22, Prof Davis will join the Berklee College of Music Brass Dept. as Full Professor. Other prestigious educational affiliations have included the San Francisco Conservatory's RJAM faculty, Jamey Aebersold’s Summer Jazz Workshops, Skidmore Jazz Workshop, Jazz in July at UMASS Amherst, Stanford University Jazz Workshop. www.stevedavismusic.com
Recently, as a performer, Davis continues to be ever-in-demand. He performed with Stevie Wonder and The Roots on NBC’s Jimmy Fallon Show, as well as appeared at The White House with Christian McBride’s Big Band and Special Guests’ Tribute to Ray Charles on PBS. Steve just completed a two-week European tour with bassist Avishai Cohen’s NY Division sextet featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel. As a bandleader, Steve led his quintet/sextet in performances at The Greater Hartford Jazz Festival, Smoke and Small’s Jazz Clubs in NYC and at Black-Eyed Sally’s and The Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford. Steve has a new CD Say When celebrating J.J. Johnson, which has been #1 on Jazz Week radio; and For Real (Posi-tone) feat. Larry Willis with Abraham Burton, Nat Reeves and Billy Williams. In addition, Davis recently appeared on CDs by Steve Turre... Bones Of Art (High Note), Willie Jones III... Max Roach Tribute Live at Dizzy’s and forthcoming recordings by Charles Davis, Joe Magnarelli & Christian McBride. Davis toured Canada for one month as a featured guest with The Cory Weeds Quintet recording Cory Weeds’ Let’s Go feat. Steve Davis (Cellar Live) at Smoke Jazz Club in NYC. Steve continues to work with One For All (feat. Eric Alexander), The Larry Willis Quintet, The Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars (feat. Roy Hargrove, Cyrus Chestnut, Lewis Nash) and big bands led by Jimmy Heath, Ron Carter & Christian McBride. Davis was also nominated for the fifth consecutive year as Jazz Trombonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists’ Association.
Lester Franklin Newton II was born on February 2, 1978 on Bellville Air Force Base, in Belleville, Illinois, but moved to Williamsburg, VA at age 2 where he spent most of his childhood. Frank, as he is known by most, graduated from Bruton High School in the spring of 1996, and went on to attend James Madison University where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies with a performance emphasis (Saxophone). After graduating James Madison University in the spring of 2000, Frank was accepted to play in Disney’s 2000 Collegiate All-Star Band, in Orlando, Florida. It was in Orlando where Frank began arranging music, and wrote for the Disney All Star Band. After a short stint with Celebrity Cruise Lines as a saxophonist, Frank joined the U.S. Navy in February 2001, as a saxophone and clarinet instrumentalist. During his six years in the Navy, Frank was a staff arranger, clinician, jazz soloist, and band leader. He has performed in many foreign countries, such as Japan, Russia, China, South Korea, Australia, India, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. His music has been played on the international stage at the 2006 Adelaide International Police Tattoo, and the 2006 Black ships festival held in Shimoda, Japan just to name a few. Mr. Newton left the Navy in 2006, to pursue his love of writing at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Frank was a graduate teaching assistant at University of Massachusetts Amherst. While attending UMass, he was awarded the 2007 Fletcher Henderson Jazz Excellence Scholarship and served on the music chair’s student advisory board. In March 2008, Frank was awarded a student composers award for best jazz arrangement from Downbeat Magazine. In May 2008, Mr. Newton graduated from UMass Amherst with a Masters of Music in Jazz Composition and Arranging and was selected to the National Scholars Honor Society. In February 2009, while teaching at Amherst College, Franklin was selected as the 2009 Robin McBride Commissioned Composer for the Amherst College jazz department. Franklin is married with two children and currently lives in Chicopee. He maintains a busy schedule as a freelance private instructor, composer/arranger and performer. He is the Director of Arts at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School and performs regularly with the jazz quartet FlavaEvolution (founding member),TJ and the Peepers, Soulrizer Crew, The Jeff Holmes Big band, and the Amherst Jazz Orchestra.
"Helping students unlock their creative potential through various practice techniques, listening to all kinds of music, and playing everything in all keys are the ways I use to empower each musician as they become more independent in their own approach."
Bruce Diehl is currently a Senior Lecturer and the Director of Jazz Performance at Amherst College. In this capacity, Bruce directs the Amherst College Jazz Ensemble, the jazz combos, and teaches jazz improvisation, jazz theory, and taught two history-based courses: the History of Jazz and the Birth of Bebop. Bruce curated the 14-year Jazz@Schwemm’s coffeehouse performance series hosted at the Keefe Campus Center, and now curates the Jazz@Friedmann Room series that takes place on Thursdays in October and March.
In 1995, Bruce completed his Master’s Degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging at UMASS Amherst. While there he studied composition/arranging with Jeff Holmes, Yusef Lateef and Frederick Tillis and saxophone with Lynn Klock and Wayne Tice. Bruce completed his undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music, earning degrees in Saxophone Performance and Instrumental Music Education while studying saxophone with Ramon Ricker and Albert Regni, and jazz arranging and composition with Rayburn Wright. Bruce’s compositions and arrangements have been performed by various groups across the country, and he enjoys composing and/or arranging new works and transcribing recorded pieces for his student groups at Amherst College. He has directed District Junior and Senior High Festivals in Vermont, Massachusetts and the Maine All-State High School Jazz Combo. His first recording as a leader Bug Juice was released in early 2015. A sabbatical leave in 2018 allowed Bruce to study with saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, currently the tenor saxophonist in Steely Dan.
Poetic and passionate, American vocalist, composer and improviser Dominique Eade blends musical virtuosity with a songwriter’s straightforward emotional sensibility, creating music that has garnered critical acclaim, inspired audiences, and served as a creative signpost for generations of singers. The New York Times called Eade “an exceptional singer” with a “wide vocal range and a grasp on the intricacies of style,” one “who weighs a chanteuse’s coolness against a jazz musician’s exploratory instincts.” The Atlantic Monthly recognized Eade for her “rich voice and effortless delivery” while the Boston Phoenix called her music “sublime and daring.” Eade’s performances throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe include the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival, the Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival, Mountain Stage, the Rigas Ritmi Jazz Festival, the Panama Jazz Festival, the Molde International Jazz Festival, and the What is Jazz Festival, and clubs such as Los Angeles’ The Jazz Bakery, New York’s The Blue Note, The Five Spot and The Jazz Standard, D.C.’s Jazz Alley and Boston’s RegattaBar. Eade was signed to RCA Victor in 1998, recording with jazz luminaries Dave Holland, Victor Lewis and Benny Golson.
Deemed “a fearless collaborator” by pianist Fred Hersch, Eade’s musical associations have ranged from Alan Dawson and Stanley Cowell to MacArthur grant recipients Ran Blake and Anthony Braxton. In 2017, NPR Critic Nate Chinen listed Blake and Eade’s performance of music from their critically acclaimed Town andCountry (Sunnyside) at New York’s Park Avenue Armory as one of the Top Ten Jazz Performances of the year. Eade has recorded and co-produced 7 CD’s under her name, landing her on top ten lists at Billboard, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, DownBeat magazine, the Jazz Journalist Association, and elsewhere. Appearing as a guest in jazz and contemporary classical ensembles including the Either Orchestra and Boston Musica Viva, Eade is the featured vocalist on the 2020 Dave Douglas/Elan Mehler album, If There Are Mountains (Newvelle). Eade was nominated for Best Debut Artist in the 1998 First Annual Jazz Awards in New York City, and received the 2006 Outstanding Alumni Award at New England Conservatory, where as a teacher for over 3 decades, she has mentored an array of talented musicians including Roberta Gambarini, Michael Mayo, Rachel Price, Sofia Rei, Jorge Roeder, Sara Serpa, Sarah Jarosz, Darynn Dean, Luciana Souza, Akenya Seymour, Jo Lawry, Aoife O’Donovan, and many
Stephen Page’s musical journey started with drums and trumpet before he dedicated himself to the piano at age seventeen. It was then that he began the quest that would define his life: a search for the totality that is jazz—a balance of musical discipline, self-discovery, the intensity and risk of improvised creation in the moment, and the innovative genius of the legendary artists who defined the genre.
After completing his jazz studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Page continued studying with jazz luminaries Billy Taylor, Yusef Lateef, and Kenny Werner. In 1999 Page found his oracle, the renowned music educator Charlie Banacos, and for ten years was blessed to receive teachings that Banacos had designed uniquely for him. Privately, Page cultivated his sound by dissecting and analyzing the greats who influenced him – Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Bud Powell, and Oscar Peterson among others- deconstructing and assimilating to create his own dynamic voice.
The legendary vocalist Sheila Jordan, whom Page has accompanied for over a decade, has this to say about him: “Stephen Page is a great accompanist aside from being an all-around fantastic musician.” Although Page creates innovative improvisations, the melodic core of the song still resonates with the listener. The great saxophonist Archie Shepp, with whom Page has jammed on many occasions, has said, “Apart from a brilliant talent, Stephen Page possesses two qualities essential to a performing artist: patience and originality.” Long-time McCoy Tyner bassist Avery Sharpe notes “Stephen Page is in a class by himself, his piano playing is sensitive and extraordinary. Whether playing solo, with a singer, or with an ensemble, his touch and listening abilities are fantastic. He interprets jazz standards in a new and meaningful way and does an impeccable interpretation on originals. When he has worked with me, it has been a pleasure.”
Page has played throughout the eastern seaboard with a variety of musical combinations from solo work to big bands. He teaches at Amherst College,
Deerfield Academy and The Williston Northampton School, as well as in his private studio. Page continues to distill his life’s work into original compositions.
“Master drummer who speaks volumes in refined sensibilities with superb technique” - As quoted by Modern Drummer Magazine
Greg is a freelance drummer, specializing in versatility within traditional drumming styles. He is a graduate of the Hartford Conservatory of Music Jazz and Pop program. Studied with Alan Dawson, Jim Chapin and Joe Morello.
Professional credits include tours and or recordings with the big bands of, Count Basie, Harry James, Benny Goodman, Nelson Riddle, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Cab Calloway Sammy Kay, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, George Gee, and the vocal groups of the Coasters, Ink Spots, Marveletts, Crystals, Marveletts, Pied Pipers, Mills Brothers and Chordettes, Lennon Sisters. Drifters, Shirelles. He has toured with Sammy Davis Jr. Nneena Freelon, Vicki Carr, Connie Francis, Benny Waters, Joe Wilder, Connie Frances, Billy Danials, Eddie Fisher, Claire Barry, Billy Taylor, Tony Bennett, Buddy Grecco, Bobby Vinton, Pattie Page, Jerry Vale, Grover Mitchell, Claude Williams, Carice, Grace Kelly, Melba Joyce, Sheila Jordan, Don Cornell, Lana Leong, Betty Carter, Barry Harris, Charlie Ventura, and Lenny Welch.
Greg has been the house drummer at the famous El Morocco and Copa Cabana Clubs in New York City and prominent Catskill show rooms. He has appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in Billy Taylor’s Jazz History performances.
He recorded with alto jazz legend Phil Woods on CD “Classic Swing with a Modern Drive”
Greg is the recipient of the Jazz Ambassador Award and a 1999 inductee into the American Jazz Archives.
He is endorsed by D’Addario musical instrument Company, Pro Mark drumsticks, Evans drum heads.
Faculty member of the University of Massachusetts Jazz in July program, Mt. Holyoke College and Westfield University.
Author of the text book for drummers, “Classic Swing Drumming” Mr.Caputo is also an eclectic drum set clinician and a knowledgeable jazz history lecturer.