Lee Waterman and Jazz Caliente

Lee Waterman - Guitarist, Composer

Lee is originally from New York, where his early interest in music was nurtured by his grandmother, a locally prominent classical pianist. At the age of nine he studied drums and later played in the school band. In his late teens, Lee took up guitar and Latin percussion. For the next several years he studied jazz guitar and music theory with internationally known guitarist and author, Warren Nunes. This strong foundation in the classic jazz styles plus the multicultural influences of percussion studies forged his eclectic compositional style.

Among his credits, Lee has led several Bay-Area based combos throughout the last two decades, has performed with sax great John Handy, and opened for many headliners, including Tito Puente and Pancho Sanchez.

"From samba to mambo, bossa to bolero and bebop - to Lee Waterman's original compositions, Jazz Caliente percolates with West Coast cool." -- Jesse Chuy Varela

http://leewatermanproductions.com/

Melecio Magdaluyo - Tenor and Soprano Sax, Flute, Clarinet, and Congas

Melecio is without doubt one of the finest reed men on the West Coast. He has appeared and recorded with Ray Charles, Tito Puente, Eddy Palmieri, George Coates, Pete Escovedo and John Santos' Machete Ensemble. He and Lee are the founding members of the group and have been working together since 1988.

Michael Wilcox - Electric Bass

Michael has performed with Richie Cole, the Fifth Dimension, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Oakland Eastbay Symphony, Eddie Duran, Jules Broussard, Tom Coster, and Larry Schneider. He was an Adjunct Faculty member in the Jazz Department at San Jose State University for five years (1989-1994) and currently teaches at the Jazzschool in Berkeley.

Michael has appeared at Chez Hanny with the Sheldon Brown Group, and with his own Michael Wilcox Trio.

Bill Belasco - Drums

Bill's energetic and propulsive style is beautifully balanced by his impeccable sense of timing and sound color.

After taking up drums at the age of three, He played in various school groups and orchestras, eventually going on the road with The Graduates, a brass rock band that toured throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Over the years, his mastery of samba, bossa nova and baiao rhythms of Brazil, as well as many Afro-Cuban, jazz, and popular idioms, has made him one of the top drummers on the San Francisco music scene. He's performed with such diverse groups as Majestic Swing, The Sharmen Duran Trio, The Dave Miller Trio, the Pickle Family Circus, and the Mike Vax Big Band.

Tommy Kesecker-Vibraphone and percussion

Tommy graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and currently records and tours internationally with the world renowned group Zakir Hussain and the Rhythm Experience. Other recent projects include "the Different Drums and Percussion Group", which performs for and educates local children, and the Klobas/Kesecker Ensemble.

Tommy has appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival and Russian River Jazz Festival as well as a variety of concert venues throughout the U.S. and beyond.

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