Steve Nelson Quartet

Steve Nelson (born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American vibraphonist, and has been a member of Dave Holland's Quintet and Big Band for over a decade. He graduated from Rutgers University with both Master's and Bachelor's degrees in music, and his teaching activities have included a position at Princeton University.[1] He has appeared at concerts and festivals worldwide and has made recordings as the leader of his own group. As a resident of the New York area he has performed and recorded with many great musicians including Kenny Barron, Bobby Watson, Mulgrew Miller, David "Fathead" Newman, Johnny Griffin and Jackie McLean. His latest recording is Sound-Effect (2007), featuring pianist Mulgrew Miller, Peter Washington on bass, and on percussion Lewis Nash. RICK GERMANSON has been a highly in-demand pianist on the New York City Jazz scene for over a decade. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rick moved to New York City on the heels of winning the GRAND PRIZE at The American Pianists' Association Jazz Piano Competition in 1996. His accomplishments have garnered much adoration from the media and led to him being chosen as Best of New Talent in 2004 by All About Jazz NYC. THE RICK GERMANSON TRIO has performed at Smoke, Smalls, The Kitano and Fat Cat in N.Y.C., Blues Alley in D.C., The Indianapolis Jazz Festival and The Artists' Quarter in Minneapolis. Rick has four recordings out as a leader. Two on Fresh Sound New Talent: "HEIGHTS" (FSNT 155, 2003) and "YOU TELL ME" (FSNT 217, 2005). And one on Owl Studios "OFF THE CUFF" (OWL 2009) which reached #15 on the Jazz Radio Play Charts. Both Downbeat and JazzTimes magazines have given Rick's recordings rave reviews. The latest is on SmallsLive "RICK GERMANSON-LIVE AT SMALLS" (SL 0024, 2013) and features Dr. Eddie Henderson and Lewis Nash. Rick has also been documented on fifty sessions as a sideman with many of the top musicians in jazz today. Since 2001 to the present, Rick has been touring and recording with The Cannonball Legacy Band featuring Louis Hayes (the original drummer of the Cannonball Adderley Quintet). From 2003-2008 Rick toured with the legendary guitarist Pat Martino. Currently, Rick is also the pianist with guitarist Russell Malone, bassist Kyle Eastwood and with trombonist Papo Vazquez's Pirates Troubadours, among others. In addition to the aforementioned, Rick has toured throughout the world, performing at many of the top jazz festivals, concert halls and clubs with the following jazz artists: Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine; Joe Chambers; Regina Carter; George Coleman; Tom Harrell; Slide Hampton; Frank Morgan; Eric Alexander; Frank Lacy; Jimmy Cobb and Cobb's Mob; T.S. Monk Band; Steve Nelson;Marlena Shaw; Kevin Mohagany; Grady Tate; Dr. Eddie Henderson; Steve Davis; Donald Harrison; Brian Lynch; Jeremy Pelt; Jim Rotondi; Duane Eubanks; Charles McPherson, Charles Davis; Craig Handy; Cecil Payne; Gerald Cannon; Carolyn Leonhart and Mingus Dynasty Big Band among others. Rick is also an experienced educator, having given clinics and master classes at such institutes as New York University; The Julliard School; Jazz at Lincoln Center Outreach Program; New Jersey Performing Arts Center Jazz for Teens Program; The Jazz Standard Jazz Discovery Program; McNally-Smith College of Music in St. Paul, MN. Rick is currently a jazz piano professor at the acclaimed Jackie McLean Institute, The Hartt School of Music at The University of Hartford. Weblinks: www.rickgermanson.com Originally hailing from Nottingham, England, New York City based bassist Mark Lewandowski musical journey began with him leaving home to study at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music in London. It was during these years at the Guildhall School that Mark began rapidly producing a strong name for himself as a fixture of the London jazz scene; playing regularly at the world famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, by only his second year in the capital. After graduating with a first class honours degree from the Guildhall School, Mark had the great honour of being awarded the Yamaha Jazz Award, which was presented to him by the UK Government at the Houses of Parliament. During this period he began a period of intense study with American master-bassist, the great Henry Grimes (Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane). During this period in London, Mark had the opportunity to perform at many of the major concert halls and festivals in the United Kingdom including The Barbican, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, Pizza Express Jazz Club with a diverse range of musicians both established and up- and-coming, including mainstays of the British jazz scene such as Sir John Dankworth, Julian Joseph, Alan Skidmore, Bobby Wellins, Peter King, Christine Tobin, Liam Noble, Jean Toussaint, Mark Lockheart, Julian Siegel, John Warren, Mark Sanders, Soweto Kinch and Paul Dunmall. 2017 saw the release of Mark’s debut release ‘Waller’ on Whirlwind Recordings label. This album solidified his reputation as a stellar bandleader and received rave reviews internationally. Featuring two of the most respected musicians on the European jazz circuit, pianist Liam Noble and drummer Paul Clarvis, Waller is an exploration of the music of one of the early innovators of the jazz genre, Thomas ‘Fats’ Waller. The album featured highly in critical polls ranking at Number 3 in Chris Phillips’ Jazz FM Charts. This same year saw a seismic change, as Mark was accepted into the world famous Juilliard School’s highly prized Artist Diploma Ensemble. It was this that facilitated his move to New York City in August of 2017. Having only been in the United States for a little over 2 years, Mark’s career has taken off in the same rapid way that it had back home in the United Kingdom. He has been fortunate to work with such luminaries as Wynton Marsalis, John Surman, Joe Chambers, Johnny O’Neal, Steve Wilson, Javon Jackson, JD Allen, Sheila Jordan, Billy Drummond, Grant Stewart, Vic Juris, Dave Kikoski and many more. Mark Lewandowski’s multiple recording credits occupy all areas of the jazz genre including such major artists as American cult composer and saxophonist John Zorn with whom Mark is featured on his Tzadik release ‘The Book of Beriah’ and closer to home with the Leo Richardson Quartet, who’s record ‘The Chase’ was selected as one of the Sunday Times ‘Best 100 Albums of the Year’ in all genres. Native New Yorker Charles Goold, is one of the city's hardest working jazz drummers of his generation. Son of Ned Goold, legendary saxophonist whose credits include Harry Connick Jr, Jack McDuff, Vernell Fournier and many others, Charles was able to hear, live and embody jazz from the day he was born. Charles has also performed with a variety of musicians since playing professionally at the age of 14. Under the tutelage of his father, Charles was able to get "real" jazz education from an early age, playing weekly at Smalls with his father and going to see and study legendary bebop drummers such as Leroy Williams, Jimmy Lovelace, Jimmy Wormworth and Billy Kaye, not to mention Goold's first gig was playing at Arturo's with great pianist Harry Whitaker. Goold recently graduated from the Juilliard School all while continuing to perform in New York City. With this precious knowledge and experience handed down from his elders and pursuance of formal education, Goold has been able to perform with of the best in the jazz industry and wide variety of acts from classic stalwarts like John Hendricks, The Cab Calloway Orchestra and Andy Bey to more contemporary acts like Johnny O'Neal, Steve Nelson and a concert with Tony Bennet, Ne-Yo, Savion Glover and Brandon Flowers of the Killers at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival, collaborations with rap legends Talib Kweli and Ghostface Killah along with performing on the Off-Broadway Musical "Old Hats."