CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS
Event Info
Admission is only $10 (FREE for members!)
About
Paul Krassen, a jazz pianist, is a graduate of William Paterson College School of Jazz where he studied with such jazz luminaries as Rufus Reid, Norman Simmons, Harold Mabern, Rob Schneiderman, Pete Malinverni and many others. He also studied classically with the late Gary Kirkpatrick. Paul currently leads his Smoking Section Quintet and plays jazz gigs as a sideman throughout the Philadelphia area. He has released 2 CDs under his own name with Larry Mckenna and Tony DeSantis.
Mark Allen hails from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, but has lived and worked in the Philadelphia area for the last six years. Mark is currently on the saxophone faculty at the University of the Arts, where he has also completed a Master's Degree in Woodwind Performance. He has had the privilege of studying with Joel Frahm, Ben Schachter, Chris Farr, and Ron Kerber. In addition to co-leading several ensembles, Mark is an active member of The Norman David Eleventet, the Captain Black Big Band, and several other Philadelphia/New York ensembles. He has shared the stage with jazz luminaries such as George Garzone, Marcus Belgrave, Wycliffe Gordon, Dick Oatts, Orrin Evans, Frank Lacy, and Tim Hagans, among others. Mark is also active in the Philadelphia theater scene as a woodwind player, performing on saxophones, flutes, clarinets, and oboe.
David Brodie performs regularly with some of Philadelphia’s finest such as Larry McKenna, Dave Posmontier, and Victor North and has shared the stage locally with some of the most celebrated jazz musicians in the world including Chris Potter, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Randy Brecker, Seamus Blake, and Steve Wilson. He is the bassist for M’oudswing, a world fusion ensemble with whom he has recorded two albums and performed at the Tanjazz festival in Tangeirs, Morocco and at the Festival Mawazine Rythms Du Monde in Rabat. He has performed with Symphony in C, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and with renowned cellist Kinan Abou-Afach. He has played early jazz throughout his career, playing and recording with Ronnie James and the Jez Hot Swing Club and more recently with the Philly Stomp and with Drew Nugent & the Midnight Society. His most recent project is leading The Future Tense Quartet which includes saxophonist Victor North, trumpeter Elliot Bild, and drummer Doug Hirlinger.
Tony DeSantis received his Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance from the University of the Arts and has since been active in the Philadelphia music scene for over thirty five years. In the past he has performed with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Artie Shaw Orchestra and Glenn Miller Orchestra. He has also performed with jazz notables such as Slide Hampton, J J Johnson, Al Grey, Bill Watrous, Clark Terry, Jon Faddis, Richie Cole, Frank Foster, Stanley Turrentine, Lockjaw Davis, Bob Mintzer. Joey DeFrancesco, Charles Earland, Trudy Pitts, Don Patterson, Natalie Cole and Freddy Cole. Tony can be found on recordings with jazz artist Clark Terry, Phil Woods, Buddy DeFranco, Denis DiBlasio, John Swana, Larry McKenna and Robben Ford, Tony is currently playing with The Eleventet, the Captain Black Big Band, the Larry McKenna Jazz Orchestra, City Rhythm Orchestra, Dave Stahl Big Band and Chico’s Vibe. He also is currently teaching at Moravian College, Swathmore College and Saint Joseph University.
Byron Landham, known as "Wookie," was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 16th, 1969. He took an interest in drums at the age of 7 and studied classical percussion and jazz drumming at the Settlement Music School. He became a top call on the Philly jazz scene and has recorded on at least fifty CDs and played with many renowned musicians such as Betty Carter, George Coleman, Bobby Hutcherson, Joey DeFrencesco, Frank Wes, Pat Martino, Cyrus Chestnut, Russell Malone, Ruth Naomi Floyd, Hannibal Lokumbe and the Liberation Orchestra, and Dave Sanborn. He's currently on faculty at Temple University, Philadelphia (PA) as an adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies for Drumming and teaches drums and Jazz combo at the "We Love Jazz" summer music camp and jazz festival in Isola Del Cantone (Italy).