Chris Byars Sextet

CHRIS BYARS is an award-winning saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator based in New York City. He divides his artistic focus between development of original material and studying the vast repertoire of jazz composers of the 20th century. He plays alto, tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet, and flute. For over two decades, Chris has been a staple of the New York City jazz scene, performing at the city's finest venues, including Smalls, Mezzrow, the Village Vanguard, Dizzy's Club, Birdland, The Jazz Gallery and Iridium.Chris is an innovative and prolific composer. He has written for ensembles of all sizes, from trio to full orchestra. His seventeenth commercially-released CD as a leader, "Look Ahead", was released on SteepleChase Records in May 2023.Chris was commissioned by the WDR Big Band to arrange a concert featuring trumpeter Scott Wendholt in August 2024, his seventh guest appearance with the organization. Chris has also arranged for John Pizzarelli Big Band, The Nashville Symphony, and the Omaha Symphony.As a Cultural Envoy for the U.S. State Department, Chris has traveled to over 50 countries to perform concerts and present educational workshops.Chris is an enthusiastic jazz educator. He teaches in affiliation with The New School and also privately, through his own studio or via Skype. In 2023 and 2024, Chris was a featured clinician for the Barry Harris Institute.It's not easy to be Chris Byars. With an incredible array of talents brought to bear on his composition, arrangements, and cooking jazz performances, it's no wonder he's worked his way to the forefront of the myriad of jazz players overwhelming the scene.- Teddy [email protected] Zaid Nasser is one of the most authentic voices on saxophone today. As the son of jazz and blues great, bassist Jamil Nasser (neé George Joyner), Zaid was born and bred on the jazz scene. As a young saxophonist, he often spent his days with Papa Jo Jones, getting lessons in jazz and life from Father Time himself. Early on, he was sitting in with Lou Donaldson and George Coleman. He has been on the New York scene now for nearly thirty years. He's played with Cecil Payne, Junior Cook, Jon Hendricks, and Harold Mabern. He spent three years with Calvin Newborn's band in Memphis, crisscrossing the south and playing in roadside juke joints, developing a rich, deep sound all of his own. Zaid worked for three years with organist Bill Doggett, and spent another three with Panama Francis in the Savoy Sultans. At the original Smalls under Mitch Borden, he was a regular feature for nearly a decade, leading his own quartet, co-leading a quintet with altoist Mike Mullins, as a sideman in the Across 7 Street Septet, and as a part of the Frank Hewitt's legendary Saturday late night quintet. He was earlier featured on two tracks as a part of Jazz Underground: Live At Smalls on Impulse Records (IMPD245). His talents have also been recognized by saxophonist/producer Ned Otter and included on his album The Secrets Inside (TF004CD) released by the Two And Four Recording Co. John Mosca (trombone), a native New Yorker and The Juilliard School graduate, has performed with Pierre Boulez and the Metropolitan Opera, as well as Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Williams and Stan Getz. In 1975 he joined the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra which won a GRAMMY® the following year for the Live in Munich album. Mosca currently co-leads The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, whose latest release, Up From the Skies, received two 2007 GRAMMY® nominations. Mosca has been actively involved in jazz education for over twenty years, having served on the faculty of numerous university jazz programs, most recently as Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Connecticut. Jazz bass clarinetist Stefano Doglioni was born in 1986 in Feltre, Italy. He began playing clarinet at the age of 9 and since 2004 he dedicated himself exclusively to the bass clarinet. After receiving his bachelor degree in Jazz Music at the Conservatory of Bologna in 2010 he moved to the Netherlands where he attended the Royal Conservatory of Den Haag. Since September 2011 he lives in New York where he attended for one year the "New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music". His mentors includes Barry Harris, Charles Davis, Chris Byars, John Ruocco, Barend Middelhoff. Stefano has performed in Italy, Holland, Switzerland, France and USA and he had the privilege to work with notable musicians Freddie Redd, Franz Elsen, Charles Davis, Ari Roland, Chris Byars, Sacha Perry, John Mosca, Luigi Grasso, Pasquale Grasso, Zaid Nasser, Keith Balla, Alex Hoffman, William Ash, Neal Miner, Tardo Hammer, Billy Drummond, Grant Stewart, Murray Wall. Ari Roland (bass) was born and raised in New York City. He began playing bass at the age of 12 and was working professionally by age 16. He studied at The Juilliard School and has played in the bands of jazz legends such as Lou Donaldson, Barry Harris and Betty Carter. Sketches From a Bassist's Album, his recent CD on Smalls Records, has received widespread critical acclaim.Weblinks:[email protected] A native of Austin, Texas, drummer Keith Balla began playing at the age of 13, inspired by his older brother--also a musician. Soon after, Balla met jazz pianist Marc Devine who encouraged the young drummer, provided him with a wealth of invaluable playing experience, and exposed him to the drummers which continue to be a source of inspiration: Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach, Papa Jo Jones, Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Sid Catlett, Billy Higgins, and many more. After moving to New York at 17, Balla sought the tutelage of the great drummer/educators Kenny Washington and John Riley, and found equal inspiration in the performances of Leroy Williams, Fukushi Tainaka, Jimmy Wormworth, Jackie Williams, Clifford Barbaro, and the archival recordings of the late Jimmy Lovelace. He quickly found himself immersed in the fertile jazz community of Smalls Jazz Club, acquainting himself with, amongst others: Ari Roland, Sacha Perry, Chris Byars, Zaid Nasser, Tardo Hammer, Grant Stewart, Charles Davis, John Mosca, Luigi and Pasquale Grasso, Stefano Doglioni, William Ash, Vahagn Hayrapetian, Yaala Ballin, Josh Benko, Dwayne Clemons, Alex Hoffman, and William and Peter Anderson. In addition to performing at many of New York's finest jazz venues such as Smoke, Zinc Bar, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, and Birdland, Balla has travelled worldwide as a member of the Ari Roland Quartet. Since 2008, working under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State, the group has performed in over 50 countries throughout Africa, Europe, East and Central Asia, and the Middle East. Balla has also conducted a number of intensive drum workshops in Cyprus, where the Ari Roland/Chris Byars group administered a bi-communal jazz educational program for over 5 years, from 2008-2013. Contact: [email protected]