Jeff Denson is an award-winning bassist, vocalist, and composer who has released 16 albums as
a leader or co-leader, and toured the USA, Canada, Europe, and Japan,
with both his own groups and others, at venues and
festivals such as the Village Vanguard, Birdland, The Kennedy Center, JVC Jazz Festival Paris,
Montreal Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, and SFJAZZ.
Jeff has worked with Brian Blade, Joe Lovano, Chris Potter, Mike Stern, Joshua Redman, Charles
McPherson, Billy Childs, Jane Ira Bloom, Craig Handy, Ingrid Jensen, Dave Douglas, Walter Smith
III, Kendrick Scott, Rachel Z, Omar Hakim, Gerald Cleaver, Anat Cohen, Warren Wolf, Leo
Genovese, Etienne Charles, Edward Simon, Paul McCandless, Cuong Vu, Ralph Alessi, Dan
Weiss, Lionel Loueke, Mark Turner, Paul Hanson, George Cables, Terri Lyne Carrington, Paul
Cornish, Romain Pilon, and Mimi Fox, and performed with the
legendary Lee Konitz for over a decade.
Jeff is the former Dean of Instruction at the California Jazz
Conservatory in Berkeley, and is currently on faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of
Music.
He has appeared at Chez Hanny with Minsarah, Adam Kolker, Alon
Nechushtan, Kari Ikonen, Sheldon Brown, Ratatet, the Jeff
Denson/Joshua White Project, and the Jeff Denson Quartet.
Frank Martin was born and raised in Oakland, California. He
began his piano studies at age seven. While still in college at Hayward
State he connected with jazz teacher
Art Lande.
In the late 70’s he joined John Handy, and recorded for Warner
Brothers, followed by a US Tour opening for George Benson, Al Jarreau,
and The Crusaders.
Next came a call from drummer/producer Narada Michael Walden. That led
to
many records with him, as well as pop records with Sister
Sledge, Angela Bofill, George Benson, Dianna Ross, Whitney Houston,
Lou Rawls, and Steve Winwood, and performances with The Flamingos, The
Cadillacs, Bo Diddley, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Johnny Taylor, Sam
Moore, Betty Everett, The Chantels, and Philip Bailey.
He then had a stint as musical director for Angela Bofill with
international touring.
Also during the mid 80’s 2 years were spent playing on a TV Variety
Show called “THE AFTERNOON SHOW” backing artists like Mel Torme, the
Nicholas Brothers, Cab Calloway, Albert King, B.B.King, Herbie Hancock,
and Jeffery Osborne.
Since 1997 he and Narada have been part of Sting’s “Rainforest Band”,
performing at Carnegie Hall with
James Taylor, Billy Joel, Elton John, Joe Cocker,
Ricky Martin, Chris Botti, Bobby McFerrin, Tom Jones, Stevie Wonder,
Brian Wilson, Gladys Knight, The Impressions, Bruce Springsteen, and
Percy Sledge.
For over 20 years he has been part of the “Netoband”
led by guitarist Jose Neto. For 16 years the
band was invited to play at London’s legendary “Ronnie Scott’s Jazz
Club”.
In 2003 vocalist Patti Austin asked him to go to South Africa and put
together a
band of local musicians to perform a concert sponsored by the Mandela
Family.
He has also performed with John McLaughlin, Joe Farrell, Richard Bona,
Flora Purim and Airto Moriera, and Robben Ford.
He appeared previously at Chez Hanny with the Frank Martin Trio, and Vernon Ice Black.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Michael Mitchell has been behind the drums since the age of 8.
Michael soon began studying with NYC session-drummers Mike Mechem and
Geoff Clapp, and started playing professionally at the age of 13, in
and around the New York City area. Those relationships provided
opportunities to study with Greg Hutchinson, Damion Reid, and Rodney
Green, and after graduating from Edward R. Murrow High School in
Brooklyn, Michael went on to Manhattan School of Music, where he
studied with Justin Dicioccio, and earned a Bachelors Degree in Drumset
Performance.
Michael teaches at the Stanford Jazz Workshop during the summer
as well as coaching in SJW’s Giant Steps program, a middle school big band initiative that runs during the school year.
He performed previously at Chez Hanny with Steven Lugerner's Jacknife, Raffi Garabedian Quartet, James Mahone Quartet,
and the Marina Albero Trio.