Saxophonist and composer Matt Steckler recently released
"Old Friends Beckoned New Sounds Reckoned"
featuring NYC colleagues Lonnie Plaxico, Yayoi Ikawa, and Tony Lewis.
As a composer and bandleader, Matthew has been recognized for his seminal work with the projects "Dead Cat Bounce" and "Persiflage",
chronicled in Downbeat & Jazz Times, and featured at festivals and major concert series in the United States.
Matthew has also performed alongside Lonnie Plaxico, Gary Smulyan, Lee Konitz, Anthony Braxton, Roswell Rudd, George Russell,
Gunther Schuller, Curtis Fowlkes, Pheeroan Aklaff, Jon Hendricks, Jay Hoggard, George Lewis, Marty Ehrlich, Tyshawn Sorey, Dan Weiss,
Jim McNeely, Lenny Pickett, Randy Brecker, Joe Lovano, Bob Moses, Gerald Cleaver, and Bobby Sanabria.
From 2017-20, he served on the faculty in Jazz & Contemporary Popular Music at the renowned Brandon University School of Music in Canada; and he has taught at NYU, and RPI.
Matthew holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Composition from New York University, an M.M. in Jazz Performance from New England Conservatory of Music, and a B.A. in Music from Wesleyan University.
He studied performance with Jerry Bergonzi, Thomas Chapin, Danilo Perez, Cecil McBee, Nick Brignola, Jay Hoggard, and Paul Bley, and composition/theory with
Jim McNeely, Anthony Braxton, and George Russell.
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,
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, Karen & Norbert Stachel,
and the Robb Fisher - Matt Clark Trio.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, bassist Fred Randolph
started taking ukulele lessons as a young child. At age 11, inspired by
Jimi Hendrix, he switched to the
guitar. After listening to Howard Roberts and Jimmy Smith in high
school, he became fascinated with the unique harmonies of jazz, and his
musical direction was forever altered. He began to seriously study and
play jazz, first on the guitar, and later, on the saxophone and trumpet
during his college years at UC Berkeley.
His instrumental epiphany occurred, however, when he was working on his
Master’s Degree in Composition at CSU Hayward, he fell under
the spell of the bass, captivated by its endless possibilities and
sounds. The acoustic and electric basses are now his primary
instruments.
He has performed with Maria Muldaur, Dan Hicks, Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, Collective West Jazz Orchestra,
Charged Particles, Sandy Cressman, Mads Tolling, Michael Smolens, Vince Lateano, Fil Lorenz Big Band, Roberta Donnay,
Bobbe Norris and Larry Dunlap, Kenny Washington, Gaea Schell, Marcos Silva, Silvestre Martinez, Michael O’Neill, Susan Chen,
Ian Carey, Scotty Wright, Dmitri Matheny, Barry Finnerty, Richard Howell, Bob Kenmotsu, Steve Carter, Ian Dogole, Calvin Keys,
Paul McCandless, Melanie O’Reilly, Sheldon Brown, Al Molina, Terrence Brewer, Akira Tana, and Frank Martin.
His fourth CD as a leader, "Mood Walk" was released in 2020.
Fred appeared here previously with David Widelock, Ian Carey,
Homespun Trio, and the Fred Randolph Quintet.
Drummer Deszon X. Claiborne is one of the busiest
musicians in the Bay Area. His very diverse credits include Don Cherry,
Ornette Coleman, Bo Diddley, Phyllis Hyman, Jay McShann, Michael White,
Andy Narell, Alex Acuna, Ray Obiedo, Alphabet Soup, Charles Brown, Dave
Ellis, Rodney Franklin, and Peter Apfelbaum.
He studied with Ralph Humphrey, James Levi, Billy Cobham, Richard
Peterson, Barry Jekowsky, and Kenneth Nash, and has taught at the
Stanford Jazzz Workshop and Berkeley's Jazzschool.
He appeared previously at Chez Hanny with Larry Schneider, Glen
Pearson, Charles McNeal, Johnnie Valentino/Kenneth
Burgomaster/Elissa Lala, Anne Sajdera, Kerry Politzer, and Frank Martin.