From the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno”, the former members of his resident band
KNICK SMITH TRIO | (USA)
Jazz
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AVAILABILITY FOR EUROPE 2023
DECEMBER 1ST/20TH
THE KNICK SMITH TRIO
Nick Smith | Keyboards
Edwin Livingston | Bass
Marvin “Smitty” Smith | Drums
NICK SMITH
Nick has toured with various artists, including Stanley Clarke, Stevie Wonder, Queen Latifah, Kenny Garrett, Kirk Whalum, George Duke, Roy Ayers, Brandy, Kenny Lattimore, Donald Byrd, Michel Polnareff, and Dianne Reeves. For almost ten years, Nick toured with Stanley Clarke and worked on the Showtime series Soul Food and several movie projects. Some of the movies include Higher Learning, Eddie, Sprung, Funny Valentine, and The Color of Friendship. Nick also worked with bassist Robert Hurst on the music for the motion picture, Brown Sugar. In 1995, Nick appeared nightly on the Tonight Show featuring Jay Leno. After leaving the Tonight Show, Nick built a home studio and began recording. He has composed enough music to complete several CD’s and is currently working on three CD projects.
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EDWIN LIVINGSTON
Edwin has performed and/or recorded with:
Elvin Jones, Ellis, Delfeayo, and Jason Marsalis, Donald Harrison, Jr., Lionel Loueke, Otmaro Ruiz, Mike Garson, Russell Ferrante, Leni Stern, Dave Weckl, Will Kennedy, Peter Erskine, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Joe LaBarbera, Henry Butler, Queen Latifah, The Benjamin Wright Orchestra(Raphael Saadiq, Justin Timberlake, Will.I.Am, Brian McKnight, Mary J Blige, Aretha Franklin), Vince Mendoza, Bob Mintzer (Grammy nominated large ensemble album), Yellowjackets, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jovanotti, Keiko Matsui, Melody Gardot, Natalie Cole, Ben Vereen, Frankie Valli, Thelma Houston and many others.
In addition to a full playing, touring, and recording career he is on the faculty at the USC Thornton School of Music, teaching bass & small ensembles in the jazz studies department. He is also on faculty at The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) teaching core curriculum, ensembles and bass.
Edwin has appeared in several feature films, including Ray, Dreamgirls, Dolemite Is My Name, and Low Down, he has also performed on NBC LIVE Jesus Christ Superstar with John Legend, Sara Bareilles, & Brandon Victor Dixon. He’s performed with Seal on The Late Late Show with James Corden, with Melody Gardot on Later…with Jools Holland, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Today Show, LIVE with Regis and Kelly and the A & E show Private Sessions with Queen Latifah.
MARVIN “SMITTY” SMITH
Marvin “Smitty” Smith is a musician extraordinaire whose work has been described as a “comment on invention, firm and adventurous time and technical sufficiency.” He has traveled extensively throughout the Orient, Europe, and the continental USA; and he has shared the stage with such greats as Sonny Rollins, Hank Jones, Frank Foster and Frank Wess, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Slide Hampton, and Milt Jackson. He is a former member of the Ron Carter Quartet, The New York Jazz Quartet, and The Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet.
Featured on more than 45 albums, additional performances and recordings augmented with Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison, Ray Brown and Phineas Newborn, George Shearing, Bobby Watson, Hamiet Bluiett, Branford Marsalis, David Murray, Emily Remler, Peter Leicht, Kevin Eubanks, Donald Byrd, Monty Alexander, Diane Reeves, Michel Camilo, and Grover Washington Jr. Currently he’s a member of Steve Coleman’s Five Elements, and The Dave Holland Quartet. Smitty conducts seminars and clinics for students in jazz workshops, both in the United States and Europe; and is currently on staff of jazz program at the Banff Centre of Fine Arts, Canada, and Drummers Collective, New York City.
JEFF BERLIN TRIO | FALL 2023 LINE UP
Jeff Berlin | Bass
Jorge Vera | Keyboards
Will Calhoun | Drums
Jeff Berlin is a flexible and powerful electric bassist. He was one of the major fusion bassists to emerge during the mid-’70s. His father sang opera and his mother played piano. Berlin had nine years of violin lessons starting from when he was five and was considered a child prodigy, appearing with orchestras in New York City. However, when he was 14 he switched directions and began playing electric bass; Jack Bruce was an early hero. Berlin attended the Berklee College of Music for a time and then moved back to New York. For a short period he was in a trio with Allan Holdsworth and Tony Williams. In 1975 he recorded in Europe with Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz and then in New York he became quite busy with studio work, club dates, and record sessions. Berlin played with many top musicians including Pat Martino, Gil Evans, Toots Thielemans, Al DiMeola, George Benson, Earl Klugh, Larry Coryell, Bob James, Dave Liebman, Herbie Mann, Ray Barretto, the Brecker Brothers and others. Jeff Berlin was also a regular member of Bill Bruford’s band (which included guitarist Holdsworth and keyboardist Dave Stewart) for a couple years starting in 1977; four recordings resulted.
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Jeff Berlin subsequently moved to Los Angeles, worked in clubs with Scott Henderson and Frank Gambale, became an educator (helping to found the Bass Institute of Technology), played rock (including with Frank Zappa), and turned down an opportunity to join Van Halen. During 1985-1986 Berlin recorded two fusion/rock dates for the soon-defunct Passport label. He moved to Florida in 1990 and toured with Yes, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Kazumi Watanabe, and other musicians from a wide variety of creative genres. In addition, he began teaching at the Players School. His third set as a leader, 1997’s Taking Notes for Denon, was Berlin’s most jazz-oriented set to date. He continued releasing a number of albums into the 21st century, including Lumpy Jazz (2004) with his core trio featuring pianist Richard Drexler and drummer Danny Gottlieb; the highly regarded In Harmony’s Way (2004) with guest appearances by saxophonist David Liebman, vibraphonist Gary Burton, and guitarist Mike Stern; Ace of Bass/Aneurythms (2006); and the piano trio-oriented High Standards (2010), again featuring Drexler and Gottlieb in addition to the session leader.
Website: https://www.jeffberlinmusicgroup.com/
Ven. 02/12 IT #Roma | CrossRoads Live Club
Dom. 04/12 IT #Bergamo | Druso
Lun. 05/12 HU #Budapest | RaM Theater
Mar. 06/12 IT #Bologna | Bravo Caffè
Mer. 07/12 IT #Forlì | Forum Live Jazz c/ Teatro Dragoni Meldola
Gio. 08/12 IT #Napoli | Teatro Auditorium Salvo D”acquisto
Ven. 09/12 IT #Cosenza | Teatro Auditorium Unical
Dom. 11/12 IT #Bari | Teatro Comunale Luciani di Acquaviva delle Fonti
Mar. 13/12 NL #Zoetermeer | Poppodium Boerderij
