Trumpeter Erik Jekabson has six CDs out
under his
own
name. His most recent is “Erik Jekabson Quintet” (2017) on the Wide
Hive Record Label.
He currently leads his own ensembles in the Bay Area, including the
Electric Squeezebox Orchestra. He’s spent time on the road with
Illinois Jacquet, John Mayer,
Galactic, and the Howard Fishman Quartet. He also works with Bay Area
musicians such as Fred Randolph, Mario Guarneri, Michael O’Neill and
Kenny Washington, and Manny Moka.
He has performed at such notable venues as the Concertgebouw in
Amsterdam, the Algonquin Room, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center,
Madison Square Garden, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with
David Letterman, Stanford Jazz Workshop, the DeYoung Museum, and the
SFJazz Center.
Erik has a Bachelors Degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and
a Master’s Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and
teaches at the California Jazz Conservatory, the Stanford Jazz
Workshop, and the Brubeck Institute.
He has appeared at Chez Hanny with Harvey Wainapel, Patrick Wolff, Dan
Zemelman, and Shoebox Orchestra.
http://www.erikjekabson.comKasey Knudsen is a San Francisco based
saxophonist, composer & educator. She earned her BA in Jazz
Composition from Berklee College of Music in 2001. Since relocating to
the San Francisco Bay Area, Knudsen has been commissioned by the
Jazzschool's Emerging Artist Series, Intersection For The Arts, and the
De Young Museum.
She leads her own trio and sextet, and co-leads The Schimscheimer
Family Trio with Jon Arkin and Michael Coleman,
as well as The Holly Martins with Lorin Benedict and Eric Vogler.
Knudsen can be heard with Evan Francis, Ben Goldberg, Fred Frith, Eric
Garland, Henry Hung, The Montclair Women's Big Band, Graham Connah,
Adam Shulman, Nathan Clevenger, Aaron Novik, Michael Coleman, the Bay
Area Composer's Collective Orchestra, Jarrett Cherner, Q Morrow, Rob
Ewing, Marcus Shelby, Realistic Orchestra, Scott Amendola, and Rova
Saxophone Quartet.
She appeared here previously with Ian Carey and Evan Francis.
http://www.kaseyknudsen.com
Pianist Keith Saunders spent his formative years inLos Angeles where he studied with Charlie Shoemake and Horace Silver.
Keith worked extensively in L.A. with such well known artists as Eddie
Harris, Roy McCurdy, Bill Holman, and
Bill Watrous, as well as recording with Dick
Berk's Jazz Adoption Agency.
After moving to New York City in 1984, Keith worked and/or recorded
with Richie Cole, Richie Vitale, Hank Crawford, Mickey Roker, Ralph
LaLama, Frank Wess, and Valery Ponamarev. In 1991, Keith
became the leader of The NY HardBop
Quintet, a cooperative unit featuring Joe Magnarelli and Jerry Weldon,
which released four recordings for the TCB Montreux Jazz label.
Relocated to the Bay Area, Keith appears with Calvin Keys,
Noel Jewkes,
Jim Grantham, Chris Amberger, Patrick Wolff, Erik Jekabson, Smith
Dobson, Peppe Merolla, and Dave Rocha.
Keith appeared previously at Chez Hanny with the Robb Fisher-Keith
Saunders Trio, Frank Tusa, Peck Allmond, Michael Zilber, Dave Rocha,
and the Keith
Saunders Trio.
One of the most in demand bassists in the Bay Area, John
Wiitala
has played with Jessica Williams, James Moody, Benny Golson, Pete
Jolly, Joe Henderson, Akira Tana, Vince Lateano, Scott Hamilton, Bruce
Forman, Rebecca Parris, Wesla Whitfield, Madeline Eastman, and Jackie
Ryan, among many others.
John was heard previously at Chez Hanny with Faith Winthrop, Michele
Rosewoman, Patrick Wolff, Mark Levine, Peck Allmond, Scott
Barnhill, Harvey Wainapel, and Tim Armacost/David Berkman.
Drummer Evan Hughes was born and raised in
Berkeley. He began drum lessons at the age of 12, and performed with
the prestigious Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble, the San Francisco
Jazz Festival’s High School All-Star Big Band,
and the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation Orchestra.
While at NYU, he studied with Joe Lovano, John Scofield, George
Garzone, Brian Lynch, Ralph Alessi, Tony Moreno, Billy Drummond, and
Dafnis Prieto.
He has participated in tours of Europe, Japan, Abu Dhabi and Costa
Rica, and played at many prestigious New York City jazz clubs
such as The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, Smalls, and The Jazz Gallery.
Since graduating NYU, Evan has worked closely with multi-grammy winning
producer and composer Don Sickler, developing the "Jazz Drum Corner".
He appeared previously at Chez Hanny with Dan Pratt and Marta Sanchez.