Mike DiRubbo Quartet

"Something about the sound Mike DiRubbo elicits from the alto saxophone - deep, dark, immense, with a machete edge that denotes a ready-for-anything urban sensibility - immediately grabs the ear. It’s a sound familiar to the cream of New York’s hardcore jazz community since the mid-'90's" writes Ted Panken. Today, in an age where media-created young lions are more interested in downloads than down beats, alto saxophonist/composer/bandleader/educator Mike DiRubbo is the real deal. Ever since he arrived in New York two decades ago, DiRubbo has reigned supreme as one of the most durable and dynamic musicians of his generation. That bold statement is augmented by the aural evidence of his work with the brightest jazz stars including Tony Reedus, Larry Willis, Eddie Henderson, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Dwayne Burno, Peter Washington, Carl Allen, John Hicks and Cecil Payne, and as a solo artist, with seven critically-acclaimed CD’s as a leader. On his instrument DiRubbo has it all: from Benny Carter’s mastery of melody and Johnny Hodges’ ballad mellow tones to Charlie Parker’s light-speed fluency. But what truly sets DiRubbo apart from the rest was his apprenticeship under the legendary alto saxophonist/educator Jackie McLean. New York-based pianist, composer, arranger and educator, Caili O’Doherty (pronounced “KAY-lee” “oh-DOE-er-tee”), is known for integrating structures of language in both her compositions and her approach to improvisation. O’Doherty has received national awards for piano performance and composition from the ASCAP Foundation and Downbeat Magazine. Praised by All About Jazz for its “exquisitely forged, dramatic and darkly hued pieces”, O’Doherty’s debut release Padme (2015) uses lyrics to give the melodies a natural rhythm of language. Padme was selected as a Downbeat Magazine Editor’s pick and received a 4-star review in All About Jazz. O’Doherty's second release was Quarantine Dream (Posi-Tone Records 2022). The album release was followed by a U.S. CD release tour with support from a Jazz Road grant from South Arts. The Caili O’Doherty Quintet was selected by the U.S. Department of State as one of ten ensembles to participate in the 2022-23 American Music Abroad U.S. State Department tour to the Republic of Georgia and Canada. In 2021, O’Doherty received a Chamber Music America Presenters Consortium for Jazz Grant to present her project, “Caili O’Doherty: Celebrating Lil Hardin Armstrong”, featuring her arrangements of compositions by pianist, composer, and vocalist Lil Hardin Armstrong. This project was released as an album, titled “Bluer Than Blue" on Outside In Music in March 2025. Ugonna Okegwo is one of the most distinctive and sought-after jazz bassists in the world. Critics across the globe have praised him for his rich tone, supple sense of swing, stylistic range and inventiveness. These qualities have not only earned him a place on the bandstand with jazz legends as diverse as Clark Terry, Benny Golson, Pharoah Sanders and Joseph Jarman they have established him as one of the leading lights of a younger generation redefining jazz for the new century. "He is very individualistic, both in his soloing and accompanying. I love the way he plays in the ensemble, says Tom Harrell, with whom Okegwo has worked for several years. Ugonna does some really creative things that I haven't heard anyone do with his articulation and timing." Born March 15, 1962 in London to a German mother and Nigerian father, Okegwo was raised in Germany and grew up listening to African-American music -- James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, and, eventually, the great Charles Mingus. "What I always heard first in funk and rock 'n roll were the bass lines, the ostinato, and later, in jazz, the walking bass," he recalls. "That's what first got me playing bass. The fusing of funk and jazz bass conceptions is a foundation of Okegwo's unique approach, making his sound instantly recognizable. In 1986, he moved to Berlin to study with the American expatriate bassist Jay Oliver, and with the American pianist Walter Norris. There Okegwo caught the attention of many prominent jazz musicians, most notably the trombonist and Mingus alum, Lou Blackburn, who invited Okegwo to tour Europe with his Afro-Jazz group Mombasa. While working with Blackburn, Okegwo met and played with trumpeter Joe Newman, drummer Oliver Jackson, and the bassist Major Holley, who encouraged him to move to New York. In 1989, Okegwo made the leap to Manhattan and began playing with musicians like saxophone legends Big Nick Nicholas, Junior Cook, and James Spaulding. In 1992, a call from legendary vocalist Jon Hendricks led to steady work as a sideman - on stage and in recording studios. In 1994 Hendricks even took Okegwo to the White House to perform for the President. During this time, Okegwo's artistry attracted two other gifted young musicians -- pianist Jacky Terrason and drummer Leon Parker. The trio joined forces and at famous clubs like the Village Gate and Bradley's, developing one of the most creative and explosive group sounds of the nineties. Recently, Okegwo expanded his horizons and became a bandleader. In 2002 he took his quartet to Europe and documented the group with a recording entitled "UOniverse" [Satchmo Jazz]. The material, which consists of his compositions and brilliantly arranged standards, draws from a wide range of influences, including jazz, African, funk, and classical music. weblinks: www.Ugonnaokegwo.com Born in Toronto, Adam Arruda has been surrounded by music from a very early age, growing up in a musical family. Adam began playing the drums at the age of 3, and began studying music via the ORFF method at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto at 5 years of age. Later that year Adam began taking drum lessons with Steve Mancuso and playing in Jazz combos at the Humber College Community Music School, led by Cathy Mitro. By his teenage years he was already actively working on the local scene, and began leading his own combo at Humber. Adam received the prestigious Zildjian Outstanding Young Drummer and Combo Drummer Award from 2001-2008 at Music Fest Canada, as well as other honorary awards, and played in the Yamaha All Star Band from freshman year until senior year while he attended Claude Watson School for the Arts. At Claude Watson, Adam gained experience playing in Symphonic Band and delved even deeper in his studies. While in high school, he played in the Jazz FM Youth All Star Band every Saturday, in his senior year. He also attended the Brubeck Summer Jazz Colony in 2006 and 2007, the Vail Summer Jazz program, the School for Improvised Music, the Creative Music Workshop and other workshops in the U.S.A and Canada. In 2007 Adam was invited to the Grammy Awards to perform with the Gibson/Baldwin Grammy Jazz Big Band, and was chosen to study at the University of the Pacific for one year as a Brubeck Institute Fellow along with four others in 2008 under Joe Gilman on full scholarship. At the Brubeck Institute, Adam had the privilege of studying with Joe Gilman, Taylor Eigsti, Jeff Ballard, Geoffrey Keezer, Ray Drummond, Yosvanny Terry, and many others and got a chance to play Jazz Festivals across the U.S, such as Detroit with greats like Christian McBride. The ‘08/’09 Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet received Downbeat Magazine’s Best College Combo twice. Shortly thereafter, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston until 2013 on scholarship, where he studied with Terri Lyne Carrington, Ralph Peterson Jr., Neal Smith, Jamey Haddad, Alain Mallet, Dave Santoro, Darren Barrett, Hal Crook, Jim Odgrin, Lennie Nelson and many others. Now residing in Brooklyn, New York, Adam is among the most sought-after drummers in the music world and has had the privilege of working with such artists as Greg Osby, 3WI, Dayna Stephens, Gilad Hekselman, Sam Yahel, Simona Premazzi, Joshua Crumbly, Nick Hempton, Orlando le Fleming, Glenn Zaleski, Tomoko Omura, Kevin Eubanks, Romain Collin, Luques Curtis, Florian Hoefner, Todd Bashore, James Moody, Phil Woods, Tom Scott, Orrin Evans, Godwin Louis, Nick Hempton, Randy Ingram, Alice Ricciardi, Yasushi Nakamura, Jeremy Pelt, Will Vinson, Corcoran Holt, Bill McHenry, Philip Harper, Erena Terakubo, Jason Palmer, Billy Buss, Sarah McKenzie, Ralph Alessi, Sean Wayland, Matt Marantz, Jonathan Kreisberg, Yotam Silberstein and many more. Adam has performed at the 2007 Grammy Awards, 2004 North Sea Jazz Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, Brubeck Jazz Festival, D.C Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center, Leuven Jazz Festival, Blues Alley, The California Hall Of Fame, Wally’s Jazz Club, The Green Mill, Bohemian Caverns, The Rex Jazz and Blues Bar, The Cellar, Smalls Jazz Club, Minton’s , Fat Cat, Jazz Standard, The Jazz Gallery, National Arts Center, Smoke, Yoshi’s, Jimmy Mak’s and many more venues and festivals. Aside from performing, Adam also teaches private lessons and ensemble playing to all ages. Adam is also a proud endorser of Canopus Drums and Vic Firth drumsticks.