Mason Gross Jazz Faculty

July 20, 2016Nicholas Music Center

Upcoming EventsMason Gross Summer Stage Concert Series

Music and dance performances for young audiences. Free and open to the public; no tickets required. All shows begin at 7 p.m.

Dance New Jersey Member Concert*July 2110 Hairy Legs, Moe-tion Dance Theater, Connolly & Co., and Ariel RivkaDance perform in an evening of modern dance.Victoria J. Mastrobuono Theater, 85 George Street*Wristbands will be distributed upon entry to this performance.

TRIDENTJuly 24 and July 31A chamber trio featuring Allison Brewster Franzetti (piano), Mira Kang (cello), and Naomi Youngstein (violin) performs music from the Czech Republic, Latin America, and new works by area composers.Schare Recital Hall (Marryott Music Building), 81 George Street

JACK QuartetJuly 27The innovative string ensemble, known as “superheroes of the new musicworld” (The Boston Globe), performs repertoire by leading composers.Schare Recital Hall (Marryott Music Building), 81 George Street

Limited seating available. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

ProgramEquinox – John Coltrane (1926–1967)

Blue 7 – Sonny Rollins (1930)

Bolivia – Cedar Walton (1934–2013)

Inner Urge – Joe Henderson (1937–2001)

Witch Hunt – Wayne Shorter (1933)

One Finger Snap – Herbie Hancock (1940)

The Eternal Triangle – Sonny Stitt (1924–1982)

About The Mason GrossJazz Faculty

Ralph Bowen (saxophone) is from Ontario, Canada, andbegan playing in the clubs and dance halls in and aroundToronto. After studying at Indiana University, he moved to NewYork in 1986 to play with Michael Philip Mossman’s group, Outof the Blue, and finished his college education at RutgersUniversity. Bowen then proceeded to perform with a lengthylist of jazz musicians. His discography of over 70 titles includesassociations with Orrin Evans, Michel Camilo, Horace Silver,Renee Rosnes, Kenny Garrett, Steve Wilson, Kenny Davis,Michael Philip Mossman, Ralph Peterson Jr., Anthony Branker,and Jared Gold. He has been on the Rutgers jazz faculty since1990, teaching jazz theory, improvisation, and saxophone.

Kenny Davis (bass), upon moving to New York in 1986,played with Out of the Blue and then quickly adapted to theNew York scene. While there, he also made a living by doingsessions and jingles. Davis appeared with artists includingFreddie Hubbard, Cassandra Wilson, Abbey Lincoln, DianneReeves, and Art Farmer while studying music with Ron Carter.In 1999, Davis got a call from Kevin Eubanks, the bandleader/music director of The Tonight Show Band. Davis wasthe bassist of The Tonight Show Band from 1999 to 2002. Hetaught bass at the University of Connecticut from 2003 to2009. In 2006, Davis received his master of music degreefrom Rutgers University. He released his first album as a leader,Kenny Davis, on Daken Records in 2009.

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Conrad Herwig (trombone) is one of the leading trombonistson today’s jazz scene, having begun in 1980 with the Clark TerryBig Band and later performing with Slide Hampton and Worldof Trombones, Mario Bauzá and his Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Mel Lewis, Bob Mintzer, theMingus Big Band, Eddie Palmieri, Red Garland, Dave Liebman,Max Roach, Danilo Pérez, and Brian Lynch. He has recorded 24albums as a leader and was voted No. 1 Jazz Trombone(Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition) in the DownBeatInternational Jazz Critics Poll. In 2015 the Jazz JournalistsAssociation nominated Herwig in the Trombonist of the Yearcategory. Herwig is the head of the jazz studies program atMason Gross.

Vic Juris (guitar)made his recording debut on alto saxophonistEric Kloss’s Bodies’ Warmth (Muse) in 1975. He later giggedwith fusioneer Barry Miles before hooking up with alto-saxburner Richie Cole, appearing on 1977’s Alto Madness and1978’s Keeper of the Flame (both on Muse). In the early ’80s,Juris immersed himself in acoustic guitar, performing duetswith Larry Coryell and Biréli Lagrène, and by the late ’80s hejoined bassist Gary Peacock’s group. Juris has been a memberof the Dave Liebman Group since 1991. This band hasrecorded 10 albums and traveled throughout Europe, Japan,Israel, and the United States. Juris is also a jazz educator whoteaches at Rutgers University and Lehigh University, and hasconducted clinics throughout the United States and Europe.

Victor Lewis (drums)moved to New York City in 1974, wherehe performed with many top jazz artists including WoodyShaw, Carla Bley, David Sanborn, and Dexter Gordon. He was amember of the Stan Getz Quartet from 1980 to 1991, alongwith Kenny Barron (piano) and Rufus Reid (bass). By the late

1980s, he had built himself a busy career as a freelancer,touring and recording with artists like Barron, Art Farmer, J.J.Johnson, Mike Stern, John Stubblefield, Grover Washington Jr.,Gary Bartz, Bobby Hutcherson, and Bobby Watson. He featuresseveral of his compositions on his own albums includingFamily Portrait; Eeeyyess!; Know It Today, Know It Tomorrow;and Three Way Conversations. In 2003, Lewis joined the jazzfaculty at Rutgers University, where he teaches drums andcoaches chamber jazz groups.

Bill O’Connell (piano), a renowned composer, has his originalcompositions on albums by Mongo Santamaría, Emily Remler,and Charles Fambrough, and on nearly every recording madeby flutist Dave Valentin. He has also written for television,including a documentary about Latin Jazz legend Tito Puente.Over the years, O’Connell has displayed his versatility byperforming, writing, and arranging for numerous other jazzartists including Gato Barbieri, The Fort Apache Band, andvocalists Jon Lucien, Kenny Rankin, and Astrud Gilberto.O’Connell was featured as a pianist and arranger on the 2010album by trombonist Conrad Herwig, The Latin Side of HerbieHancock. He performs with Dave Valentin, Conrad Herwig’sLatin Side, his trio Triple Play, and his quintet, and teaches atRutgers University.

Marc Stasio (piano) is a composer, arranger, and educator.He produces scores for hire, serves on the Rutgers jazz faculty,and has performed abroad for over 35 years. Stasio’s work isheard on recordings and performances by today’s top artists injazz and contemporary music, including Michel Camilo, ConradHerwig, Hiromi Uehara, Igor Butman, Craig Handy, RobbyAmeen, Orrin Evans, Rubén Rodriguez, Ralph Bowen, andKenny Davis. He received a bachelor’s degree in arranging from

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Berklee College of Music and a master’s in jazz studies fromMason Gross School of the Arts, and is pursuing his doctorate.As professor of jazz studies at Mason Gross, he specializes inteaching composition and arranging and serves as managingdirector of the program.

Guest ArtistsChampian Fulton (vocals/piano) grew up in a musicalhousehold—her mother and father (jazz trumpeter and educatorStephen Fulton) recognized her fascination with jazz at an earlyage, also prompted by Stephen’s musician friends includingClark Terry and Major Holley. Since then, Fulton’s piano andvocal skills have been recognized by peers and critics asdistinctive and sophisticated, having performed with LouDonaldson, Frank Wess, Eric Alexander, Buster Williams, andLouis Hayes. She has become a guardian of the legacy of RedGarland, Erroll Garner, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, and DinahWashington. As a leader she has five recordings to hercredit including her debut album, Champian with David Bergerand the Sultans of Swing (2007), and Champian Sings andSwings (2013), which the New York Observer named “one ofthe top 10 jazz releases of the year.” Recognized as a RisingJazz Star by the DownBeat Jazz Critics Poll (2013 and 2014),Fulton’s “galvanizing presence” (The New Yorker) and heralluring musical presentation have made her “a charmingyoung steward of the mainstream jazz tradition” (The New YorkTimes).

Joe Mosello (trumpet) is a graduate of the EastmanSchool of Music in Rochester, New York. After Eastman, heplayed lead trumpet with the Jazz Ambassadors of the U.S.Army Field Band in Washington, D.C. He then toured withMaynard Ferguson’s band for the next five years. Mosellowas a member of the band when they recorded the hit songfrom the Academy Award-winning movie Rocky. He thensettled in New York City and has played lead trumpet withbig bands in New York from Toshiko Akiyoshi and LouisBellson to Bob Mintzer and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. He has also performed with Frank Sinatra, RayCharles, B.B. King, Julie Andrews, Sammy Davis Jr., JohnnyMathis, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, Jerry Lewis,Wayne Newton, Vic Damone, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson,Ashford and Simpson, Chuck Mangione, The Temptations,The Four Tops, and Blood, Sweat, and Tears, among others.