Mark Lewis is master of the alto sax, baritone sax, flute, and
piano,
author of approximately 1700 compositions, and has recorded and
produced more than thirty albums on various labels.
His latest album, "The New York Session", features piano legend George
Cables, veteran bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Victor Lewis. Mark
was recently rated number two for alto saxophone (after Richie Cole)
and number three for flute (after Charles Lloyd and Hubert Laws) in the
39th Annual Jazz Station Awards out of Los Angeles for his work on this
album.
A well-traveled saxophonist and flutist, he’s been a part of jazz
scenes from Seattle and San Francisco to Rotterdam and Paris.
Rotterdam, the Netherlands was Mark's home base for many years. He
toured and played in the better clubs throughout Europe, and taught
jazz theory and improvised music classes in several music
conservatories. Mark lived and performed for several years in San
Francisco and Victoria, BC as well.
Mark has performed and recorded with pianists George Cables, Mark
Levine, Overton Berry, and Ted Gioia; drummers Victor Lewis, Candy
Finch, and Eddie Moore; bassists James Long, Hein van de Geyn, David
Friesen, Larry Grenadier, and Chuck Metcalf; saxophonists Noah Howard
and Art Foxall; trumpet player Randy Brecker; and vibraphonist Bobby
Hutcherson.
Pianist Adam Shulman has been a staple of the San Francisco
Jazz scene since he moved to the city in 2002. Before the move, Adam
was a student at UC Santa Cruz where he received a degree in classical
performance. While at UCSC he studied jazz piano with Smith Dobson.
Adam can be seen as a sideman with Bay Area musicians Marcus
Shelby, Anton Schwartz, Andrew Speight, Erik Jekabson, Ed Reed, Mike
Olmos, Gary Brown, Patrick Wolff, John Wiitala, Vince Lateano, Faye
Carol, Kellye Gray, Ian Carey, and Mike Zilber,
and internationally renowned artists
Stefon Harris, Willie Jones III, Dayna Stephens, Miguel Zenon, Mark
Murphy, Alan Harris, Luciana Souza, Paula West, Larry Coryell, Sean
Jones, Grant Stewart, John Clayton, Bobby Hutcherson, Bria Skonberg,
and the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
In addition to his sideman work, Adam is a composer and arranger. He
has released 4 albums of original music under his name. He has also
done much of the arranging work for the jazz and cabaret singer Paula
West.
Adam appeared here previously with Eddie Marshall, Faye Carol and
Marcus Shelby, Dayna Stephens, Harvey Wainapel, Ian Carey, Patrick
Wolff, Ratzo Harris, and the Adam Shulman Sextet.
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, Erik Jekabson, Tim Armacost/David
Berkman, and John Klopotowski.
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, and John Klopotowski.