Scott Wendholt/Adam Kolker Quartet

Scott Wendholt is an articulate, passionate, and lyrical trumpeter who approaches music with energy and spirit. He communicates to audiences with sincerity and ease.Born in the mid sixties and nurtured in the Mile High City (Denver), this young veteran left for Indiana University and subsequently moved on to Cincinnati, Ohio. Still feeling a pull from farther East, he, like so many other musicians, migrated to New York City and has remained ever since.Mr. Wendholt is a much in demand artist and has found himself in a variety of settings. He has recorded and/or worked extensively with artists including Kenny Garrett, Cyrus Chestnut, Christian McBride, Don Braden and Bruce Barth. For the last Six years, Scott has found a home with Vincent Herring's quintet. This highly acclaimed band has recorded three albums, including Folklore-Live At The Village Vanguard. He has toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, South America, Africa and Japan with these bands as well as others. To his credit, Scott has been recorded on more than ninety CD's. However, he is recognized as a leader as well. His second recording for the Doubletime Jazz label was released in the spring of 2000, following three successful Scott Wendholt offerings on Criss Cross. This CD has received much favorable press including a 4 star review in Downbeat. Look for his upcoming release with a new quartet he co leads with Adam Kolker on tenor saxophone. The recording features Victor Lewis on drums and Ugonna Okegwo on bass in a "chord-less" quartet setting with all new music and is due out in late 2013 (Fresh Sound).The "Big Band Scene" has also sought out this trumpeter for his versatility and formidable powers. His list of credits include: The Carnegie Hall Big Band (led by Jon Faddis), Maria Schneider¼s Big Band, the Bob Mintzer Big Band and the Buddy Rich Big Band. He currently has the honor of being included in the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (formerly Thad Jones/Mel Lewis) where he is a featured soloist.Mr. Wendholt continues to be in demand on the playing scene as well as in the educational arena. Scott is currently on the faculty at Manhattan School of Music and the Jamey Aebersold summer jazz camps and is in demand as a player/clinician in many colleges and various other learning institutions around the world. Adam Kolker (saxophones, clarinets, flutes) is a multi-talented performer, composer and arranger.He performed and recorded with latin-jazz artist Ray Barretto from 1994 through 2002 (with whom he received two Grammy nominations). He just returned from a two-week tour of Italy with a quartet he co-leads with John Abercrombie. He also has appeared and/or appears regularly in New York City with such groups as the Village Vanguard Orchestra, the Maria Schneider Big Band, Bruce Barth, Freddie Hubbard and the Jazz Composers Octet, Judi Silvano, the Gil Evans Orchestra, Bobby Prevites Horse, Dominique Eade, the Jazz Composer's Collective, Mario Pavonne, David Berkman, Kenny Wheelers Large Ensemble, Lucia Pulido, Michael Weiss, Alan Ferber's Nonet and many others. He has recorded with Bruce Barth, Peter Herborn, The Story, Ben Sher, Allan Chase, Bobby Previte, Gunther Schuller, et al.Adams first release as a leader, Crazybird, on A Records (with Tim Hagans, Kevin Hays, Jeff Ballard and Doug Weiss), reached the top ten on the CMJ Charts, and received critical acclaim from such publications as Jazz Times, JazzIz and the Village Voice.His second CD, Sultanic Verses, on SatchmoJazz Records (with Bruce Barth, Billy Hart, Ray Barretto and John Hebert) is due to be released soon.Change Of Time -- a trio comprised of Kolker, Russ Lossing and John Hebert , and performing music based on Bela Bartoks Mikrokosmos -- just released their first CD, Change Of Time, on OmniTone Records. It also received critical acclaim, including 4 1/2 stars in Downbeat Magazine.Meditacions, also on Satchmo, received the award for "Best Modern Jazz CD" from the Catalan Jazz Society in 2002.Adam is also a professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.Weblinks:www.adamkolker.comprofile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=252843464 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 Nussbaum grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut and started to play drums at age 12 after studying piano for 5 years, also playing bass and saxophone as a teenager. He moved to New York City in 1975 to attend The Davis Center for Performing Arts at City College. While there he began working with Albert Dailey, Monty Waters, Joe Lee Wilson, Sheila Jordan and he played with Sonny Rollins in 1977 in Milwaukee. In 1978 he joined Dave Liebman's quintet and did his first European tour with John Scofield. During the early eighties he continued working with John Scofield in a celebrated trio with Steve Swallow. In 1983 he become a member of Gil Evans Orchestra and played with Stan Getz as well. He later joined Eliane Elias/Randy Brecker Quartet, Gary Burton, and Toots Thielemans. In 1987 he began touring with the Michael Brecker Quintet. In 1988 they recorded the Grammy winning "Don't Try This At Home" During 1992 he was part of the Carla Bley Big Band and that same year John Abercrombie hired him to complete his organ trio.Since then he has kept active in a wide variety of groups. Among them a recently formed quartet 'BANN' with Seamus Blake, Jay Anderson & Oz Noy, A co-op quartet "NUTTREE" with Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi & Gary Versace, The James Moody Quartet, 'We Three' w/ Dave Liebman & Steve Swallow, Eliane Elias Trio, 'Playing in Traffic' w/ Steve Swallow & Ohad Talmor and also busy maintaining an active freelance schedule. Adam has taught as an Adjunct professor at New York University, the New School and State University of New York at Purchase. He also does clinics and master classes around the world.______________________________________ All Music Guide's Biography: Adam NussbaumA very versatile drummer who generally plays in advanced settings, Adam Nussbaum is considered a major asset no matter where he appears and one of the finest jazz drummers of the 1990s. Although he started on piano, bass and alto, he eventually settled on drums.Nussbaum studied at the Davis Center and City College of New York, and by 1978 was making a strong impression in the jazz world, playing regularly with both Dave Liebman and John Scofield (1978-83). Other important associations through the years include Stan Getz (1982-83), Gil Evans, the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Gary Burton, Steve Swallow, Michael Brecker, Don Grolnick, James Moody, Sonny Rollins, Art Pepper, Joe Henderson, John Abercrombie, Sheila Jordan, Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz, NHØP and Charles Lloyd, along with countless others.Weblinks:www.adamnussbaum.net/