Jason Brown Organ Group

In demand drummer, Jason Brown, has been a driving force behind major artists since the early days of his career. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, Ohio; Brown learned his trade under the tutelage of Billy Hart.For seven years he toured and recorded with Grammy nominated vocalist & composer, Carmen Lundy; with Pat Martino he appeared at major festivals worldwide, such as Jarasum International Jazz Festival and Rochester Jazz Festival. He has also worked with renowned artists such as Lizz Wright, Cedar Walton, Nicholas Payton, Wayne Escoffery and Kurt Rosenwinkel. Now a key member of Amina Figarova’s Sextet, Jason Brown has performed at the Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg and major venues throughout Europe and the USA. As a leader, Brown has been a featured artist with the Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra of St Petersburg on several occasions and taken his quintet, featuring saxophonist Steve Grossman, to the White Knight’s Festival in Russia. He has also led his own bands at Smalls Jazz Club and various other venues in New York and throughout the USA, Russia and Ukraine. "A thoughtful soloist whose subtle swing has plenty of fiber" is how Ira Gitler described tenor saxophonist Jerry Weldon in The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. A native New Yorker, the tenorman is a veteran of the New York Jazz Scene, his résumé reading like a virtual "Who's Who of Jazz."After graduating from the Rutgers University Jazz Program under the direction of Paul Jeffrey in 1981, Jerry joined the legendary Lionel Hampton Orchestra, touring extensively in the U.S., Europe, South America, and Japan. Jerry continued his association as one of Hamp's favorite tenor soloists through the '90s and into the new millennium. Next came a long and rewarding tour of duty as a member of master organist Jack McDuff & his "Heatin' System," resulting in many fine recordings on the Concord label.In 1990, Jerry became a charter member and featured soloist with Harry Connick Jr.'s newly formed Big Band. Jerry has toured the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia and has also performed on many television shows worldwide with the Connick Orchestra. In 2001, Jerry was also part of Connick's Broadway musical production, "Thou Shalt Not" where he appeared on stage as well as in the orchestra.The '90s also found Jerry in another long and fruitful musical cooperative- the New York Hard Bop Quintet, along with trumpeter Joe Magnarelli, pianist Keith Saunders, bassist Bim Strasberg and drummer Clifford Barbaro, the unit toured throughout the U.S. & Europe while recording four stellar albums for the Swiss TCB label.Jer has worked and recorded with organists Jimmy McGriff, Joey DeFrancesco, Bobby Forrester, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Mel Rhyne, trombone great Al Grey, piano giants George Cables and Cedar Walton, drum legends Roy Haynes and Jimmy Cobb as well as guitarist/singer George Benson, guitarist Earl Klugh, bassist Keter Betts and singer Mel Tormé.In 2003 Jerry was involved in a very special musical project: "Jazz @ Lincoln Center Plays the Music of Dexter Gordon". Along with fellow tenorists Jimmy Greene and Wayne Escoffery and the George Cables Trio, the sextet performed at New York's Kaplan Penthouse and also toured the U.S. "That was really special to me" Jer said, "Dexter was one of my very favorite musicians. I was thrilled and honored to have been a part of it."Weldon is a bandleader in his own right, leading ensembles at many of New York's jazz clubs and at jazz festivals around the U.S. He has recorded several albums under his own name, among them, "Head To Head," a swinging two-tenor date with Michael Karn on the Criss Cross Jazz label "Midtown Blues," a rousing quintet with long time collaborator Joe Mags (Magnarelli) recorded live at Fat Tuesdays in NYC, and two hard-swinging dates with the late, great organist, Jerry's long-time pal, Bobby Forrester. "It was after working with Bobby all those years that made it easier to the go with Jack (McDuff), Jimmy (McGriff) and all the other cats" says Jer, "Bobby was truly a hero of mine."Jer continues to be extremely active on the New York scene- "I just want to keep it swinging. If I can do that, I'm happy." Weblinks:www.jerryweldon.com Asaf Yuria was born in June 1985. He started playing the saxophone at the age of nine and began playing at local clubs in Tel Aviv while still a teenager. By the time he reached high school, Asaf was performing with some of Israel’s finest musicians including Arnie Lawrens, Jess Koren, Amit Golan, Amos Hoffman, Ofer Ganor and Harold Rubin, to name a few. Since he graduated from the renowned New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in 2012, Asaf performed with a variety of musicians including Jimmy Cobb, Kirk Lightsy, Billy Kaye, Joe Magnarely and Eddie Henderson. Most recently, Asaf has become an indispensable feature of jazz maverick Omer Avital’s world-renowned quintet – an achievement that signals his arrival at the pinnacle of the jazz world. He is currently living in New York, where he leads his own quintet, performing his original music and had just released his first Album 'Papa Wawa' with ZAMZAMA records. Pianist Mike LeDonne was born in Bridgeport Connecticut in 1956. He was raised in his parent's music store and by the age of 10 his father, a jazz guitarist, began booking him on gigs. At age 21, Mike graduated from New England Conservatory and moved to New York City with the Widespread Jazz Orchestra. In 1981, he left Widespread to travel to the UK with Panama Francis and the Savoy Sultans. On returning, he began a two-year stint as the house pianist at Jimmy Ryan's, then one of New York' s oldest jazz clubs. It was there that he came under the influence of and played with many old masters such as Roy Eldridge, Papa Jo Jones and Vic Dickenson. He spent 1982-1983 with the Benny Goodman sextet and went on to play with Buddy Tate, Al Grey, Ruby Braff and many others. Later he worked with the Art Farmer-Clifford Jordan Quintet, went to Paris with Grady Tate, and played with James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Turrentine, Charles McPherson and Sonny Rollins. He also spent time as accompanist to singers Ernestine Anderson, Annie Ross and Etta Jones. In 1988 he started playing with the Milt Jackson Quartet (along with Mickey Roker and Bob Cranshaw). Mr. Jackson recorded Mike's compositions and arrangements. Mike also became the band's musical director. In the fall of 1992, Mike was chosen to be part of a group of top young musicians for the Phillip Morris Superband World Tour. Mike served as musical director for that group, which featured Ryan Kisor on trumpet, Joshua Redman on tenor saxophone, Jesse Davis on alto saxophone, Christian McBride on bass and Lewis Nash at the drums. Around this time, Mike toured with the Newport All-Stars in lineups that also featured Harry "Sweets" Edison and Clark Terry. Mike has been playing and recording with Benny Golson since 1997. He has also been leading trios which have included Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Hart, Pete LaRoca and Louis Hayes. Most recently, he has worked with Bobby Hutcherson. Mike has played concerts and clubs around the world since 1981. Along with his many recordings as a sideman, he has five CDs on Criss Cross Jazz and three on Double Time Records. The first two, 'Bout Time and The Feeling of Jazz are quintet projects with Tom Harrell, baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan, bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Kenny Washington. His third CD, Common Ground is a trio recording and also features Irwin and Washington. The fourth CD, Soulmates, includes Ryan Kisor, Joshua Redman, and Lewis Nash, with Peter Washington on bass and Jon Gordon on alto saxophone. 'Bout Time was one of the recordings selected as "Record Of The Year" in the 1989 Jazz Journal Critics Poll. The Feeling of Jazz was chosen as one of the "Top Ten Records of 1991 " in the Jazz Times' Critics Poll. Soulmates came in second in the "Best 12 Recordings of 1994" WBGO Poll (WBGO is the leading jazz radio station in the New York area). Waltz For An Urbanite features vibraphonist Steve Nelson and guitarist Peter Bernstein, along with Peter Washington and Kenny Washington. Waltz For An Urbanite won "Record Of The Month" in its first month of release on WBGO in Newark. Mike's sixth CD, To Each His Own, is on the Double Time label. It's a trio featuring Peter Washington and Mickey Roker on drums. This disc received four stars in a Downbeat review. Mike's seventh CD Then And Now, also on Doubletime, is a quintet recording featuring Eric Alexander on tenor sax, Jim Rotondi, trumpet, Peter Washington on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums. The latest CD Bags'Groove, is a tribute to Milt Jackson which features Steve Nelson on vibes, along with Jim Snidero on flute, Steve Wilson on alto flute, Jim Rotondi on flugelhorn, Steve Davis on trombone, and a rhythm section including Bob Cranshaw and Mickey Roker. This CD also received 4 stars in Downbeat magazine. Mike is the co-author of Jim Snidero's Jazz Conception for Piano and Piano Comping books, on Advance Music. In Sept. In 2002 Mike joined the faculty at the Juilliard School of Music. He has won praise not only from critics but from master musicians: Oscar Peterson picked him as one of his favorite pianists of today. weblinks: www.mikeledonne.com