Pianist and composer Helio Alves has received high praise as an in-demand sideman with Joe Henderson, Yo-Yo Ma, Slide Hampton, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, Paquito D'Rivera, Claudio Roditi, Oscar Castro-Neves and Gato Barbieri, to name but a few. And now, with more than 40 recordings in just over a decade - two at the helm of his own ensembles - this incomparable musician is quite deservedly earning respect as a leader. too.
Pianist Michael Cochrane's website features reviews, sound bites, cds, itinerary, projects, biography.
MICHAEL COCHRANE , pianist, composer, arranger, and instructor has resided in the Tri-State area since the fall of 1974. He has performed and/or recorded with: Sonny Fortune, Hannibal , Jack Walrath, Eddie Gomez, Valery Ponomorev, Paul Nash, John Clark, Clark Terry, Nancy Monroe, Chip White, Michael Brecker, Chico Freeman, Galen Abdur Razzaq, The Spirit Of Life Ensemble, Bob Ferrel, The New World Quintet, Ted Curson, Oliver Lake, Bradford Hayes and many more. Mr. Cochrane has performed in colleges, clubs, and concert halls throughout the United States. In New York, for example, clubs have included The Village Vanguard, Sweet Basil, Bradleys ... halls have included Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tulley Hall and Merkin Hall. His touring experience spans 16 European countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Yugoslavia, Lithuania, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and England. He has also performed in Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico, The Philippines,The Caribbean, and Estonia.
Mark Sherman's website features sound bites, discography, itinerary, projects, biography.
Mark Sherman's background, Juilliard education, working, performance and recording experience have all contributed to a unique vision which incorporates elements of jazz, classical and rhythm and blues. Mark is an accomplished soloist (vibraphone and piano), ensemble player, composer and accompanist. "I am striving for happiness and love through the continuous organization and exploration of sound and harmony."
Sherman graduated from the High School of Music and Art and went on to Juilliard where he had 5 solid years of percussion training with tympani master Saul Goodman. He played in symphonic situations led by Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta and Sir George Soiti. While at Juilliard he met a kindred soul who was at home in both the classical and jazz worlds - Wynton Marsalis. They jammed together regularly and years later it was with the help of Wynton's endorsement that Mark recorded in 1986, A New Balance which showcases Mark's skills as a composer, vibist and synthesiser specialist.
Mark Sherman's background, Juilliard education, working, performance and recording experience have all contributed to a unique vision which incorporates elements of jazz, classical and rhythm and blues. Mark is an accomplished soloist (vibraphone and piano), ensemble player, composer and accompanist. "I am striving for happiness and love through the continuous organization and exploration of sound and harmony."
Sherman graduated from the High School of Music and Art and went on to Juilliard where he had 5 solid years of percussion training with tympani master Saul Goodman. He played in symphonic situations led by Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta and Sir George Soiti. While at Juilliard he met a kindred soul who was at home in both the classical and jazz worlds - Wynton Marsalis. They jammed together regularly and years later it was with the help of Wynton's endorsement that Mark recorded in 1986, A New Balance which showcases Mark's skills as a composer, vibist and synthesiser specialist ...
Pianist Peggy Stern's website features biography, activities, recordings sound bites, newsletter, etc.
Peggy Stern is as well-known as a composer as she is known for her fine piano playing. She arrived at jazz via classical music, R&B, and salsa. Her music has a particularly broad ethnic base -- in addition to European and American classical music, Peggy's music draws from Brazilian, African, Jewish, Irish, Cuban, and traditional jazz influences. Eclectic indeed!
Peggy has composed, played, recorded, and toured in a wide variety of situations: from solos to octets to jazz choruses. Her compositions range from highly original pieces to reharmonized jazz standards. "Everything she writes wants to dance, " says Ken Dais of Jazziz.
Peggy's background would account for her varied musical tastes. She began playing Classical piano at an early age, continuing her studies at the Eastman School of Music, and finishing a Masters Degree, still in Classical music, at the New England Conservatory. And then she began to improvise. While living in San Francisco, she played in salsa bands, notably Azteca and Supercombo with Benny Vallarde. She did a stint in an R&B band (called Cat's Cradle) with singer Linda Tillery, and was "instructed" by Paul Jackson (bass) and Mike Clark (drums) of Herbie Hancock's Headhunter band ...
Pianist David Hazeltine's website features reviews, sound bites, itinerary, biography, cds.
David Hazeltine is one of a handful of young pianists who has successfully forged his own distinctive style and musical voice out of the accumulated greatness and weight of a modern piano tradition. David's influences extend from Art Tatum and Bud Powell to such great living masters as Buddy Montgomery, Barry Harris and Cedar Walton.
David made his professional debut at age thirteen in Milwaukee, and later worked extensively in and around Chicago and Minneapolis. In Milwaukee, David served as house pianist at the famed Milwaukee Jazz Gallery, working with such greats as Charles McPherson, Eddie Harris, Sonny Stitt, Pepper Adams and Chet Baker. In fact, it was Baker who encouraged David to make his mark in New York City.
Since moving to New York City in 1992, David has made a name for himself as a "musician's musician." In addition to his working trio (with drum legend Louis Hayes and bassist Peter Washington), David is in constant demand as a sideman. Recent credits include work with Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, the Faddis-Hampton-Heath Sextet, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, the Louis Hayes Quintet, and Marlena Shaw, for whom he serves as pianist, arranger, and musical director. Recently David was spotlighted on Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" radio program. David is also a member of the band "One For All" which features rising tenor star Eric Alexander ...