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May 6, 2012
Our second great show. The Jazz Leaders are the hardest working musicians in Los Angeles.
From this show we have a "LIVE" CD recording and great youtube clips.
Photos by Bob Barry
Dr. Bobby Rodriguez – trumpet/flügel horn - is a Latin legend and Grammy Nominated recording artist, trumpeter, author, producer and an award-winning educator. He is a professor of Jazz and LatinJazz at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, UC Irvine, and Pasadena City College and is very involved in the community. Dr. Bobby has earned a Gold and three Platinum records, produced six of his own recordings, “Celebration,” ”Trumpet Talk,” “LatinJazz Romance,” “LatinJazz Explosion,” “A LatinJazz Christmas,” and “Bobby Rodriguez LatinJazz plays Duke Ellington,” as well as two recordings for the powerful 23 piece HMA (Hispanic Musicians Association) Salsa/Jazz Orchestra, “CaliforniaSalsa” and “California Salsa II.” He has also produced countless recordings for other artists and as he says, “I’m just one more success story from East L. A.”
Rickey Woodard – saxophone - was born in Nashville, Tennessee. After studying saxophones under Bill Green and majoring in music at Tennessee State University, Woodard worked extensively with a wide range of performers. He worked with jazz artists such as Jimmy Smith, Billy Higgins, Frank Capp and Al Grey and also backed singers from the jazz and pop worlds including Ella Fitzgerald, Ernestine Anderson, Barbara McNair and Prince. He also recorded with Capp and with the big band co-led by Jeff Clayton and Jeff Hamilton. Mostly playing tenor saxophone, he established a solid if localized reputation in the USA before venturing onto the international jazz festival circuit. By the early 90s Woodard was fast becoming a popular visitor to Europe and the UK. Playing alto and soprano saxophones in addition to tenor (he also plays clarinet, flute and guitar). Woodard is a vibrant and forceful soloist, his tenor saxophone styling hinting at an affection for the work of Wardell Grey, Dexter Gordon and, especially, Hank Mobley. For all such stylistic mentors, however, Woodard is very much his own man and this, allied to his playing skills and an engaging personality, assures him of a continuing welcome at jazz venues at home and abroad.
Billy Mitchell – piano - was born in Tarrytown, NY and raised in Buffalo, NY. Billy Mitchell tinkered with the piano as a child but did not get serious about music until he entered Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. While pursuing a political science degree he joined the school jazz band and was soon playing gigs in and around Atlanta. In 1970 Mitchell moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career and was soon backing up such artists as Gloria Lynn, Ester Phillips, Randy Crawford and Linda Hopkins, to name a few.
His solo career has included appearances in film, most notably Clint Eastwood's "Bird." His work as a clinician has centered on his book, "The Gigging Musician" (Backbeat Books) based on interviews and his articles as a writer for Gig Magazine. In 2002 Billy founded The Scholarship Audition Performance Preparatory Academy (SAPPA). This program is designed to increase participation of inner-city students in music and arts scholarship competitions.
Bobby Matos – conga - was born and bred in New York, percussionist, composer/ arranger and bandleader Bobby Matos has dedicated his life to playing and spreading the best Afro Latin Jazz he can. He is a veteran of many tours and recordings and has played with such stars as Bobby Hutcherson, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Miriam Makeeba, Jack Costanzo, Dave Pike, Pucho & the Latin Soul Bros., Ralph Irrazarry, Larry Harlow, Celia Cruz, Eric Gale, and others. His recordings on the LifeForce Jazz label are in stores and online and they feature a wide range of Latin jazz sounds that reflect influences from Cuban Charanga to John Coltrane. Available on line at cdbaby.com, lifeforcejazz.com, and descarga.com
Bobby's latest recording, "Beautiful as the Moon," features a wide range of Latin jazz sounds that reflect influences from Thelonius Monk, Herbie Hancock, Armando Peraza and even Yiddish theater tunes. Bobby's website is www.bobbymatosmusic.com and his facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/profile.
Ryan Cross – bass - was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, moved to Los Angeles, California when he received a full scholarship. He studied with John Clayton at the University of Southern California. Graduateing in 1999 with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies his career immediately took flight. He has appeared and recorded on over 40 TV shows and movies to date. Due to his high level of proficiency in all styles of music, Ryan is able to readily adapt his live performance skills to the studio-recording environment on a moment's notice. This has helped him become a polished film composer of award winning films. Is a name that is synonymous with professionalism and musical excellence. American Idol, Friends, The West Wing, Studio 60, Along Came Polly and Poseidon are just a few of the television and film productions that have benefited from his expertise. At the age of 16, he discovered the acoustic bass and seized the opportunity to study under Ray Brown, one of the most well-known and prolific bass players of our time.
Ryan served as the contractor for Alicia Keys' CD release, "As I Am", on which he contracted twenty-five musicians and personally recorded bass and cello tracks. He has also graced the recording studio and stage with Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott, John Legend, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Macy Gray, Ciara, P-Diddy and Rihanna. Ryan plays a strong advocacy role in the preservation and implementation of music in school. For several years, Most recently, Ryan founded the Elevation Orchestra, a 17-piece multicultural string orchestra with piano, bass and drums. The Elevation Orchestra strives to work closely with children and parents in the urban community to elevate their knowledge of culture, history and art by playing concerts all over the country in schools, churches, museums and symphony halls.
Paul Kreibich – drums - was born in Los Angeles, CA, is a drummer, percussionist, composer and teacher. He has been a mainstay on the jazz scene for many years, locally and internationally. He has played drums on tour with such world-class artists as Ray Charles, Carmen McRae, Nancy Wilson, Red Rodney, Mose Allison, and the Woody Herman Orchestra to name a few. From 1995 to 2000 he toured and recorded with the great pianist Gene Harris. With over 70 discography credits to date, Paul has recorded with many jazz greats such as Ray Charles, Gene Harris, Phil Woods, Diane Reeves, James Moody, Cedar Walton, Bobby Shew, Jon Hendricks, Bill Perkins, Herb Geller, Bob Cooper, Charlie Shoemake, Gerald Wiggins, and Conte Candoli. Recently, Paul is featured on some recordings of note, “Phil Woods: Groovin’ to Marty Paich and The Mike Barone Big Band, “ Metropole,” and “By Request.”
Paul has been noted by many of his contemporaries as a "melodic drummer". Jazz reviewers have praised his brushwork and artful timekeeping. In addition to his drumming, Paul’s two CD releases as a leader, Lonesome Tree and The Jazz Coop: Spiral Stairway showcase his original compositions. He also plays and composes for Luther Hughes and the Cannonball-Coltrane Project, who’s recent CD, Things Are Getting Better, reached #2 nationally on the Jazzweek radio chart. Paul teaches in the jazz department at California State University, Fullerton and privately. He is an endorsing artist for Drum Workshop drums, Istanbul Mehmet cymbals, and Vic Firth sticks. In respect of Paul, drum legend Stan Levey said, “This man is a truly outstanding drummer, one of the best I’ve heard. A lot of drummers have their own agenda, but Paul is always listening, listening…sensitive to the needs of the leader. I call it simpatico. His brush- work is very tasty – and that’s a rarity today. It’s a pleasure to listen to him.” |
