PATMETHENYw/AntonioSanchez,GwilymSimcock&LindaOh

ANTONIOSANCHEZ(Drums,Percussion)

FourtimeGrammyAwardwinnerAntonioSanchezisconsideredbymanycriticsandmusiciansalikeasoneofthemostprominentdrummers,bandleadersandcomposersofhisgeneration.BorninMexicoCityonNovember1st,1971,hestartedplayingdrumsattheageof5andbeganperformingprofessionallyearlyinhisteens.AntoniopursuedadegreeinclassicalpianoattheNationalConservatoryinMexicoandin1993hemovedtoBostontoenrollatBerkleeCollegeofMusicandNewEnglandConservatory.HegraduatedMagnaCumLaudeinJazzStudies.SincehismovetoNewYorkCityin1999Antoniohasbecomeoneofthemostsoughtafterdrummersintheinternationaljazzscene.HisplayingisfeaturedinoverahundredalbumsandhasperformedandrecordedwithsomeofthebiggestnamesinjazzincludingChickCorea,MichaelBrecker,CharlieHaden,GaryBurtonandTootsThielmans.Hehasbeenthedrummerofchoicefor20timeGrammywinnerPatMethenyandhasbeenpartofvirtuallyeveryprojectthefamedguitaristhasputtogethersince2000.They’verecorded8albumstogetherand3ofthemhavebeenawardedtheGrammy.HeregularlycollaborateswithsomeofAntonio’scontinuoussearchasanartisthaspushedhimtocomposeandleadhisownbandsandensembles.Hehasreleased4criticallyacclaimedalbumsunderhisname.Hisfirstone,“Migration”wascalled“oneofthebestnewreleasesof2007”byAllAboutJazzandfeaturesastarstuddedcastwhichincludesPatMetheny,ChickCorea,ChrisPotter,DavidSanchezandScottColley.Hissecondsoloeffort“LiveinNewYork”wasrecoredduringa4dayrunattheprestigiousJazzStandardinNewYorkCityandfeaturessaxophonegreatsDavidSanchezandMiguelZenonaswellasbassistScottColley.2013’s“NewLife”wasmadeentirelyofhisowncompositionsandwaswidelyreceivedbycriticsallovertheworld.ItwasthewinneroftheprestigiousGermanEchoJazzAwardin2014.2015sawthereleaseoftwoverydistinctprojectsthatareimportantmilestonesinSanchez’ssolocareer:“ThreeTimesThree”,adoublealbumwhichfeaturesthreestellartrios:BradMehldauandMattBrewer,JohnScofieldandChristianMcBrideandlastbutnotleastJoeLovanoandJohnPatitucci.ThisrecordincludessixoriginalcompositionsandthreestandardsarrangedbyAntonio.Thesecond2015releasewillbewithMigration,hisworkingbandsince2011.ThiseditionofthebandwillfeatureSeamusBlakeonsaxophone,JohnEscreetonpianoandMattBreweronbass.Thisalbumwillfeaturea60minutelongpiecewrittenbySanchezcalled“TheMeridianSuite”whichpusheshiscompositionalskillsinawaythatnootherprojecthasdonebefore.In2013AntoniowasinvitedbyacclaimedfilmmakerAlejandroGonzalesIñarritu(AmoresPerros,21Grams,Babel,Biutiful)tocreatetheoriginalfilmscoreforhis2014release“Birdman”(FoxSearchlight)featuringMichaelKeaton,EdwardNorton,NaomiWattsandEmmaThompson.ThisisaveryuniqueprojectthatfeaturesSanchez’sdrummingasthemainmusicalingredientinIñarritu’sfilm.ItwontheSoundStarsAwardforbestFilmScoreatthe2014VeniceFilmFestivalandgotnominatedforthe2014HollywoodMusicinMediaAwardsforbestoriginalFilmScore.http://www.antoniosanchez.net

GWILYMSIMCOCK(Piano,Keyboards)

GwilymSimcockisoneofthemostgiftedpianistsandimaginativecomposersontheEuropeanscene.Hemoveseffortlesslybetweenjazzandclassicalmusic,witha‘harmonicsophisticationandsubtledovetailingofmusicaltraditions’.Gwilymhasbeenhailedasapianistof‘exceptional’,‘brilliant’and‘dazzling’ability,andhismusichasbeenwidelyacclaimedas‘engaging,exciting,oftenunexpected,melodicallyenthralling,complexyethugelyaccessible',andaboveall'wonderfullyoptimistic’.Gwilym’sinfluencesarewideranging,fromjazzlegendsincludingKeithJarrett,ChickCorea,PatMethenyandJacoPastorius,toclassicalcomposersincludingMauriceRavel,HenriDutilleux,BélaBartókandMark-AnthonyTurnage.Althoughprincipallyajazzmusician,GwilymhascomposednumerousworksforlargerClassicalensemblethatcombinethrough-composedelementswithimprovisation,creatingasoundthatisdistinctiveandverymuchhisown.Inthelastfewyears,Gwilymhasbecomerenownedforhissoloperformances,releasingacriticallyacclaimedalbum'GoodDaysatSchlossElmau'in2011andtouringthroughoutEuropeandtoplacesasfarafieldasAustralia,theUSA,Canada,KoreaandChinatonamebutafew.GwilymhasperformedwiththecreamofBritishandinternationaljazzartistsincludingDaveHolland,KennyWheeler,LeeKonitz,BillBruford’sEarthworks,RalphTownerandBobbyMcFerrin.Heco-leadstheAnglo-AmericanSupergroup'TheImpossibleGentlemen'withBritishGuitarlegendMikeWalker,SteveRodbyandAdamNussbaum.HealsotourswithClassicalvirtuosoNigelKennedy,withwhomheiswritingaprogramofnewmusicinthenearfuture.Gwilym'scareerisuniqueinspanningahugerangeofmusicalsettings.TestamenttothisisthefactthathewasthefirstBBCNewGenerationArtistfromaJazzbackground,andthathisalbum“GoodDaysatSchlossElmau”wasanalbumoftheyearin2011attheprestigiousBritishmusicawardthe'BarclaycardMercuryPrize'.Hehasperformedwithorchestras,choirs,bigbands,dancersaswellasperformingwithmusiciansfromdiversebackgroundsincludingtheclassical,jazz,folkandrocktraditions.Gwilymhasalsowrittenmusicthathasappearedontelevisionandonstage,mostrecentlycomposingthemusicforanadaptationofEdwardAlbee'sclassic'ADelicateBalance'attheAlmeidatheatreinLondon.HehasfrequentlyappearedonBritishtelevisionandradioandwasguestpresenteron‘SaturdayClassics’onBBCRadio3,andrecentlymentoredandaccompaniedthefinalistsatthefirstBBCYoungJazzMusicianoftheYearawardsonBBC4TV.Gwilymhasledandrecordedavarietyofdifferentprojects.Hisdebutalbum“Perception”wasnominatedforBestAlbumintheBBCJazzAwards2008andhasbeencriticallyacclaimedathomeandabroad.Subsequentalbumshavefeaturedvariousprojects,andhavebeenuniversallypraisedwithreviewscitinghisworkas"sublime","flawless","impressive""amarkerthatfewothersarelikelytoequal".Awardsinclude'BestBand'atthePerrierAward,'RisingStar'attheBBCJazzAwardsandtheBritishJazzAwards,andboth“JazzMusicianoftheYear”and"BestBand"(withTheImpossibleGentlemen)attheParliamentaryJazzAwards.HisimpressiveformaleducationincludesTrinityCollegeofMusic(London),Chetham’sSchoolofMusic(Manchester)–wherehestudiedclassicalPiano,FrenchHornandComposition-andtheRoyalAcademyofMusic(London)wherehegraduatedfromthejazzcoursewithfirstclasshonoursandthecoveted'Principal'sPrize'foroutstandingachievement.GwilymisProfessorofJazzPianoattheRoyalAcademyofMusic,andisverymuchindemandforhisteachingandmasterclasses.http://www.gwilymsimcock.com

LINDAOH(Bass)

BorninMalaysia,raisedin,Perth,WesternAustralia,LindaOhstartedclassicalpianoatagefourandtookupclarinetatelevenandbassoonatthirteen.Atfifteen,Lindadabbledonelectricbassplayingjazzinthehigh-schoolandcommunitybig-bandswhileplayingalotofRedHotChiliPeppers.In2002shewasacceptedintotheW.AAcademyofPerformingArtsandstartedtakinglessonsondouble-bass.LindawasaJamesMorrisonScholarshipFinalistin2003andin2004wasanIAJESisterinJazzandreceivedtheASCAPYoungJazzComposer’sawardin2008.Shealsoreceivedanhonorarymentionatthe2009TheloniousMonkBassCompetitionandreceivedthe2010BellAwardforYoungAustralianArtistoftheYear.In2010shewasnominatedfortheJazzJournalist’sAwardsforUpandComingArtistoftheYear,andreceivedtheawardofNo.1AcousticBassRisingStarintheDownbeatCritic’sPoll.Thissameyearshereceived2ndplaceattheBASS2010CompetitioninBerlin.ShefinishedatW.A.A.P.A,receivingfirst-classhonoursandIn2005shereceivedtheBobWyllieScholarshipawardedtothebestgraduationrecitalistandtheWestAustralianYouthJazzOrchestra(WAYJO)Scholarship.ShewasalsoarecipientoftheASCAPYoungJazzComposersAward2008,andcomposesforfilm–participatingintheBMI2010FilmComposingWorkshopand2014SundanceComposesLab.HerlatestscorewasforSabrinaMacCormick’s“AGoodEgg”featuredattheNYShortsFestival.Lindareceivedanhonorarymentionatthe2009TheloniousMonkSemi-Finalsandreceivedthe2010BellAwardforYoungAustralianJazzArtistoftheyear.Shecame2ndattheBASS2010competitioninBerlin.LindanowlivesinNew-YorkCityLindacompletingherMastersattheManhattanSchoolofMusicin2008studyingwithJayAnderson,JohnRiley,PhilMarkowitz,DaveLiebmanandRodneyJones.Shenowteachestheprecollegedivisionthereandisinvolvedinjazzvideoconferencemaster-classesforhigh-schoolsaroundtheUS.AsanactiveteachershewasalsoinvolvedincreatingaseriesoflessonsfortheupandcomingBassGuruappforiPadandiPhone.http://www.lindaohmusic.com