Humblebrag

Glenn Alexander: Glenn Alexander, holds a B.M. from Wichita State University. He is widely recognized as a guitarist, composer and producer, having written for, performed and/or recorded with such artists as Chico Hamilton, L Shankar and the Epidemics, Levon Helm (Midnight Rambles) Jan Hammer, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Max Weinberg 7, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Mahavishnu Project, Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint (Midnight Rambles), Brenda Russell, Phil Perry, Regina Belle, Bruce Springsteen, Labamba & the Hubcaps, Labamba Big Band, Jon Bon Jovi, Tom Scott, T Lavitz and Dave LaRue(Dixie Dregs), Dottie Peoples & The Mighty Clouds of Joy (Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan), Jerry Hahn, Mark Pender Band, Phoebe Snow, Michael Bolton, Darlene Love, Adrian Belew, Lisa Loeb, Billy Burnette, Jane Ira Bloom, Judy Collins, Randy Brecker, Mark Egan, Danny Gottlieb, Doug Wimbish, Gerald Veasley, Manolo Badrena, Mino Cinelu, TM Stevens, Kermit Driscoll, Matt Wilson, Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, and many others. He has performed on and written countless TV commercials and movie scores. Played on the soundtrack of the Spike Lee Movie, Four Little Girls. Attained worldwide airplay and critical acclaim on recordings featuring his performances as well as his own compositions: Stretch, Glenn Alexander, Inside Out (The Connection), Rainbow’s Revenge (Glenn Alexander), Oria (Glenn Alexander), Naked Movies (The Coalition), We Remember Pastorius, Hub City Kid (Dave LaRue), Heroes (Michael Davis), Street News (Bob Magnuson), Gotta Serve Somebody (Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan, featuring Dylan), Mark Pender Band, Guitar on the Edge, Vol. 4., Everything is Fine (Alice Ripley), Men I’ve Had (Sherie Rene), Model Prisoner (Adam Pascal), Return to the Emerald Beyond (Mahavishnu Project) Belonging (Jane Barnett) & “The Other Side of Time” for Mary Fahl, Southside Johnny (Grapefruit Moon), Terry Silverlight (Diamond In The Riff), Mahavishnu Project (Return to the Emerald Beyond). He produced the CD Time Changes, for legendary guitarist Jerry Hahn, featuring Dave Liebman, Steve Laspina and others. He recorded 13 songs by & for Paul Simon arranged by Howard Morgan for solo jazz guitar. Currently writing, recording and performing with Oria Aspen, Dave LaRue of the Steve Morse Band and several other projects such as his group The Coalition with Scott Healy (keys with the Conan O’Brien Show), featuring Michael Merritt (bass with Conan O’Brien) and Shawn Pelton (Drums with Saturday Night Live) which has a release Naked Movies out on Fractal Records, The Glenn Alexander Trio featuring Kermit Driscoll & Terry Silverlight, Duo with Bob Magnuson & performing around the world with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. Mr. Alexander studied with Jerry Hahn, Pat Martino and John Scofield, is Head of Jazz studies at Sarah Lawrence College, and served on the faculty at the New School University for 18 years. John Isley: Originally from North Carolina, I’ve lived in New York City for the past 26 years. I’ve loved this city from the first time I set foot in it, and I cannot imagine living anywhere else. It really is the center of the known universe – at least for me. I’m a musician – multi-instrumentalist, composer, studio rat – and a bit of a technology geek. I’ve spent many years honing my multifaceted craft and even spent a couple of those teaching technology for Apple. My curiosity knows no bounds and I love the pursuit of knowledge and mastery for its own sake. Getting paid sure helps though… I am a huge fan of cold beer, good wine, great food, engaging books and stimulating conversation, and have been known to go well out of my way in pursuit of some combination or other of these things. My current worst bad habit is golf. It’s the game that reminds me why I’m a musician and not a professional athlete. And it keeps me humble. VERY humble… I’ve performed with a litany of well known as well as shockingly anonymous bands and musicians over the years. The highlights have been gigs with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, the Allman Brothers, Little Feat, Levon Helm, Mary Wilson, Bernard Purdie, Reggie Workman, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, and They Might Be Giants; right alongside dozens of others. It’s just as likely you’ll find me toiling away in anonymity in the pit of a Broadway show. I’ve worked on and/or toured with Movin’ Out, Hairspray, Grease, In the Heights, Hair, Memphis, The Rocky Horror Show and Five Guys Named Moe. For those who care for such things, I hold a Master’s degree in jazz performance from Queens College (part of City College, The City University of New York) and a Bachelor’s degree in jazz & contemporary music from The New School for Social Research, New York. My current gig is saxophonist for the soul/rock band Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes. www.southsidejohnny.com Ron Oswanski: Ron Oswanski, a Manhattan School of Music graduate, has performed with some of the most renowned musicians in jazz and contemporary music including: The Maria Schneider Orchestra, Dave Samuels Organ-ic Vibe Trio, Maynard Ferguson & Big Bop Nouveau, Blood Sweat & Tears, Tim Ries & The Rolling Stones Project, Jack Wilkins & Mike Clark, Milt Hinton, Sheryl Bailey Trio, Myron Walden Countryfied, Ira Sullivan, John Corbett's Band, Dave Berger & the Sultans of Swing, Maxine Nightingale and Taste of Honey, The Temptations, and Aretha Franklin just to name a few. His touring credits include: world tours with Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau, and national touring with Blood, Sweat, and Tears. From an early age, Ron began piano studies with Toledo Ohio piano legend Mark Kieswetter. Winning competitions and playing with his fathers Polka band, The Music Factory started his journey into the music business. 1988 marked Ron's first appearance on the Toledo jazz scene. Throughout these early days of high school he performed with many established tri-state area musicians sharpening his musical skills and techniques, along with gaining important professional experience. Jimmy Cook, Gene Parker, Bob Rex, Paul Keller (Diana Krall), Pete Siers (Russell Malone), Ernie Krivda, and Brad Sharp are just a few of the many that took the young musician under their wings. Gigging with Toledo Ohio fixture Eddie Abrams(piano) and himself on electric bass allowed him to even furthur widen his abilities early in his training. Playing bass gigs and hearing his early organ hero "Bill Heid" are the reason’s he gives for such a current interest in the Hammond B3. The ability to control both the bass and chord movements of the band set him in this direction. Ron's achievements were first recognized at a national level while when he gained multiple awards from IAJEs (International Association of Jazz Educators) Arts & Young Talent Search, through Downbeat Magazine and at MusicFest USA in Philadelphia. A seat on the first national McDonalds All American Jazz Ensemble, which was capped by a nomination for the first ever Student Grammy. Closer to his home town of Toledo, Ron won in Detroit at WJRs National Quest for Excellence Music Contest and numerous top awards at many University sponsored jazz festivals including Ohio State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, and Cincinnati. All this was caped by a near full scholarship to Manhattan School Of Music. In 1992 Ron moved to New York City to attend the Manhattan School of Music, where he received a Baccalaureate Degree in Performance (music) in 1996. While at the Manhattan School of music Ron studied two of the world's greatest pianist, Harold Danko and Garry Dial. Shortly after moving to New York at the age of 18, Ron with a recommendation from Tim Ries, was asked to tour with Maynard Ferguson's band which he did for the next 6 years. Television credits with Maynard include an appearance on the Crook and Chase Show, and a Ramsey Lewis BET special which still airs in 2009. Live video recordings are available from Liverkuson and Jakarta. Ron's recording credits with the Ferguson band include two major recordings for Concord Records: These Cats Can Swing (1995 release), and Brass Attitude (1998 release) which includes two of his originals. TIME magazine called both compositions exciting and coined Milk of the Moon a lovely ballad. Milk of the Moon, Ferguson states, "this contemporary approach of subtlety, colors, and beauty have hints of the writing of Gil Evans." Ron also received praise in Jazz Times and Wind Player magazine for these compositions. He was featured several times on both recordings playing piano, keyboards, and the Hammond B-3. As a freelance artist in the NYC area you’ll find him on many new releases in all styles of music incorporating many different instruments. Along with performing as a pianist, keyboardist, and organist Ron is also gaining notoriety as a accordion player. He's endorsed by Victoria Accordion Company, the world's greatest accordion manufacture out of Castelfidardo Italy. Once again, able to musically communicate in any situation, you shouldn’t be surprised to see Ron in a modern jazz ensemble in a NYC club one evening and with a country band the next. His current projects include collaborations with the Dan Willis Band, Carl Fischer’s (Billy Joel) Groove Project, Dave Samuels Organ-ic Vibe Trio. Ron's first major recording as a leader is due out during the Winter of 2010 if not sooner. Co-produced by Michigan native and current member of the Rolling Stones, Tim Ries. The recording includes 9 original compositions, a Led Zeppelin classic, an original by Ries, as well as his favorite polka pulled off with a modern jazz twist. The new recording includes Tim Ries on saxophones as well as John Abercrombie, John Patitucci, Ian Froman, Jay Azzolina, and Clarence Penn. Eric Halvorson Eric has collaborated with such jazz artists as Dave Liebman, Dave Stryker, Vic Juris, Joe Locke, Bruce Barth, James Moody, William Gallison, R n' B legend Ben E. King, and blues icon Pinetop Perkins to name a few. He has toured internationally with vocalist Ute Lemper. Festival appearances include the Montreal Jazz Festival, Norwich Music Festival (UK), Silda Jazz (Norway), Radio Classica (Chile), Cork Jazz Festival (Ireland), Festival de Jazz (Colombia), Bayreuther Jazz Festival (Germany), Kaunas Jazz Festival (Lithuania) and the Iowa City Jazz Festival. He has performed at New York City's top venues including Lincoln Center, Town Hall and jazz venues Iridium, Blue Note, Smoke and Birdland to name a few. He resides in Brooklyn. An organ quartet from New York that plays classic soul jazz. With Glenn Alexander, John Isley, Eric Halvorson and Ron Oswanski.