The
Bob Mintzer Quartet

BOB MINTZER - saxes
www.bobmintzer.com

Diversification has always been a focus for Bob Mintzer. Aside from being a tenor and soprano saxophonist, Bob also plays flutes, clarinets, EWI, and is world reknown as a composer, arranger, and educator. He has been active in the Jazz, Pop, Orchestra, Latin, and World music genres. "I've always been intrigued by the differences and similarities between cultures and their respective art forms," says Bob.

As a leader, he has recorded 11 Big Band CDs for the DMP label with five Grammy nominations and eight small group jazz CDs for BMG, OWL, Canyon, and DMP labels. Bob won a Grammy in 2002 for the Bob Mintzer Big Band recording Homage to Count Basie.

Kendor Music publishes the Bob Mintzer Series big band collection as well as a saxophone quartet, saxophone method book, and small band arrangements. Warner Brothers Publications has published three jazz etudes books by Bob Mintzer titled 14 Jazz & Funk Etudes, 14 Jazz & Blues Etudes, and 15 Easy Jazz, Blues & Funk Etudes. They are used successfully worldwide and supply a glimpse at Bob's musical concepts.

Bob is a 10 year member of the contemporary jazz group the Yellowjackets. This band has received numerous Grammy nominations and is a regular participant at major jazz festivals throughout the world. He has recorded nine CDs with the Jackets and works with them four months out of the year. Bob performs with his own big band periodically and also works with many other bands as well as a guest conductor and soloist on and ongoing basis, and he also has a working jazz quartet. The educational scene is vital for keeping the music alive for Bob. He perfoms at 20 workshops annually as well as maintaining a busy schedule teaching private saxophone at Manhattan School of Muisc. As a player on over 300 recordings, Bob has performed and/or recorded with Buddy Rich, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band, Louie Bellson, Jaco Pastorius, Michael Franks, the Yellowjackets, Take Six, Bobby McFerrin, Dave Liebman, Randy Brecker, George Gruntz, Steve Winwood, Diana Ross, Queen, the American Saxophone Quartrt, New York Philharmonic, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, and Mongo Santamaria.

PHIL MARKOWITZ - piano
www.philmarkowitzjazz.com

Phil Markowitz, six time grant recipient, whose resume reads like a "Who's Who of Jazz", is now celebrating his thirty-first year as a jazz performer and composer. Phil has received composition awards from The Howard Foundation, and Chamber Music America-Doris Duke Jazz Project to compose a new suite for orchestra, inspired by artworks of the Abstract Expressionist School entitled: "Abstract Expression- Musical Portraits of American Masters". With his dynamic piano trio, which he's been leading for the past ten years, Phil exhibits an unyielding, progressive approach to his compositions, which range from hard cutting chromaticism to the most lyrical expressions of post romantic ballads. He is dedicated to realizing the full potential of improvisational music and the jazz idiom.

Phil's career started while at The Eastman School of Music, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree. He formed the electric jazz trio "Petrus", which, in a nationwide search, was selected by jazz impresario George Wien, as the "Best New Jazz Group", resulting in a performance at the 1973 Newport Jazz Festival at Lincoln Center, in New York.

Phil's past associations with modern and classic masters are well documented in his recording and live credits. There was a four-year tenure with Chet Baker (1979-83), a three and one half year stint with The Mel Lewis Orchestra (1983-86), as well as performing and/or recording with groups led by Joe Chambers, Phil Woods, Miroslav Vitous and Al DiMeola , among others. His current associations with Dave Liebman and Bob Mintzer continue to this day, with more than fifteen of their recordings on which Phil has contributed as performer, composer, and/or producer.

Phil's touring life continued at a whirlwind pace for the last 2 years, with concerts in Scandinavia, Italy, Spain and Portugal, Japan, and a ten city West Coast Tour with his trio. Noteworthy performances have included a live internet broadcast from Birdland in NYC with "Tenor Summit" ( the all-star group with Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano, Billy Hart, Dave Liebman, and Rufus Reid), The Sofia International Jazz Festival; Telluride Jazzfest, and the the Salamanca Jazz festival.

Recent recordings include "7+8", and "Taxi Ride" which features an incredible reunion with his lifelong friend, Toots Thielemans. In the late 70's, Markowitz was playing his composition, "Sno' Peas", with the legendary jazz harmonica player at a Manhattan club, when pianist Bill Evans walked in. Evans' and Thielemans' subsequent recording of the song on the classic Grammy-nominated "Affinity" album put Markowitz on the map as a notable jazz composer. Other recent releases include recordings with Yellowjackets member, Bob Mintzer ("Homage to Count Basie" and "Quality Time"), "Downbeat" Poll winner Nick Brignola ("Poinciana") and his 7th consecutive recording with soprano master Dave Liebman , the recreation of Coltrane's "Meditations", which was recorded live at Symphony Space, in New York City.

Phil has been honored for his composition and performance brilliance by the Howard Foundation (2001), Doris Duke Foundation (2000), National Endowment for the Arts (1994 and 1983), and by The New York Foundation for the Arts (1996 and 1984) and keeps busy with his schedule of performing, composing, recording, and teaching.

JOHN RILEY - drums
www.johnriley.org

John began playing drums at age eight, after receiving a snare drum as a gift. With the support, encouragement and patience of his parents, John and Mary Ann, he played in the school band and began drum lessons with a good local teacher, Tom Sicola. While under Tom's guidance, he gained control of the snare drum through work on the rudiments and reading. Eventually, he acquired a complete drumset and lessons expanded to include "beats of the day," coordination and reading studies for the drumset. At age twelve, John began playing in rock bands and heard his first jazz recordings, the soundtrack to The Gene Krupa Story and Max Roach's Conversation. Two years later, he played his first "professional" gig, which he obtained through an audition played over the telephone. John began studying with Joe Morello in 1971, after meeting him at a drum symposium. John went on to attend the University of North Texas, where he was introduced to a larger world of music and percussion. While at UNT, he played in, toured, and recorded with the famed One O'clock Lab Band. In 1976, he moved to New York City and was soon called to join the Woody Herman Band. Following that great experience, John returned to New York and began freelancing with a wide spectrum of world class musicians including Stan Getz, Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Scofield, Bob Mintzer, Gary Peacock, Mike Stern, Joe Lovano, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, John Patitucci, Bob Berg, and many others.

John has a Bachelor of Music degree in jazz education from the University of North Texas and a Master of Music in jazz studies from Manhattan School of Music. He is on the faculty of Manhattan School of Music, The New School, and SUNY Purchase, and is an Artist in Residence at Amsterdam Conservatory, Holland. John is also the author of The Art of Bop Drumming, Beyond Bop Drumming and has taught master classes around the world.

LINCOLN GOINES - bass
www.lincolngoines.com

Bassist/composer and author Lincoln Goines, A native of Oakland, CA, Lincoln Goines has lived in New York city since 1977 and has recorded and performed internationally with many artists including Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Nancy Wilson, Tito Puente, Gato Barbieri, Herbie Mann, John Handy, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Mongo Santamaria, Paquito D'Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Valentin, John Scofield, Michael Franks, Dave Samuels, Rick Braun, Special EFX.  He is co-author of the book and video Funkifying the Clave:Afro-Cuban Grooves for Bass and Drums. (Warner Bros.)