Born in Oakland, CA, saxophonist Craig Handy attended Berkeley
High
School’s reputable Jazz Program, and North Texas State University,
where he won the coveted Charlie Parker Scholarship.
Handy moved to New York in 1986 and began several associations with
formidable artists including Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Abdullah
Ibrahim, the Mingus Dynasty Band, Betty Carter, and Dee Dee
Bridgewater.
In 1992 he lead his first of two recordings on Arabesque Records,
"Split Second Timing", which featured Ed
Simon, Ray Drummond, Ralph Peterson, Jr., and Robin Eubanks. Two years
later he followed up with
"Introducing Three For All + One", with Charles Fambrough and
Ralph Peterson, Jr.
In 1995, he continued playing with the new critically acclaimed band
“Chartbusters”, featuring Donald Harrison, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Idris
Muhammad, and recorded two releases on the NYC and Prestige labels.
Handy toured with Herbie Hancock throughout 1996 to mid-1999, and led
two more recording projects on the Sirroco label – 1999’s "Reflections
in Change' and 2000’s "Flow". By this time he had amassed performing
and recording credits with Cedar Walton, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson,
George Adams, Freddie Hubbard, and Wynton Marsalis.
He appeared previously at Chez Hanny with Sylvia Cuenca.
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Matt Clark
holds a BFA
in Jazz Studies from Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Highly regarded as
a pianist and arranger, he has performed and/or recorded with such jazz
icons as Bobby
Hutcherson, Benny Golson, Eddie Marshall, Jon Faddis, David
“Fathead” Newman, Gene Bertoncini, Joshua Redman, Marcus Shelby,
and Teddy Edwards,
as well as practically everyone who appeared at Jazz at Pearl's in it's
heyday.
He was here previously with Larry Schneider, Steve Heckman, Noel
Jewkes, Mitch Marcus, Mandala, Sheldon Brown, Harvey Wainapel, and the Robb Fisher -
Matt Clark Trio.
David Ewell (String Bass) hails from Berkeley, CA,
and graduated from
Berkeley High's nationally renowned music program, and from UC
Berkeley.
He has worked with Arthur Blythe, Bobby Watson, Greg Tardy, John Handy,
Bishop Norman Williams, Howard Wiley, Ben Goldberg, Mark Levine, Marc
Carey, Omar Sosa, Calvin Keys, Randy Vincent, Will Bernard, Julian
Lage, Babatunde Lea, E.W. Wainwright, Jaz Sawyer, Colin
Bailey, Donald “Duck” Bailey, Tom Rainey, John Santos, and Lavay Smith.
He appeared here previously with Eddie Marshall, Mark Levine, Mitch
Marcus, Steve Heckman, Marko Djordjevic, and The Supplicants.
Drummer Akira Tana has worked with Sonny Rollins,
Sonny Stitt, Zoot Sims, Hubert
Laws, Milt Jackson, Jim Hall, Art Farmer, Tete Montoliu, Paul Winter,
Paquito D'Rivera, James Moody, J.J. Johnson, Lena Horne, the Heath
Brothers, and Manhattan Transfer. He has appeared on over 150
recordings.
Tana co-led a quintet with bassist Rufus Reid, called TanaReid, which
released five CDs. A further five CDs followed with his own bands,
Otonowa, and The Secret Agent Men Band.
Akira appeared here previously with Larry Vuckovich, Jerome Sabbagh,
Jon Mayer, Knucklebean, Rob Schneiderman, Tim Armacost/David
Berkman, John Klopotowski, Mark Lewis, Peter Barshay Trio, Karen &
Norbert Stachel & LehCats, Akira Tana
and Friends from
Osaka, and Akira Tana Organ Trio.