Jeff Denson - Outside My Window (RIDGEWAY RECORDS 2018)

The exceptional bassist is an expressive vocalist in both his own compositions and interpretations of Jeff Buckley, Peter Gabriel, Abbey Lincoln and Chris Cornell

At first glance, bassist Jeff Denson seems to be reinventing himself with each of his albums, and his twelfth album Outside My Window also represents a departure in a new direction. With his powerful tone and lyrical-compositional vision, this versatile musician has come to life Over the past 15 years, he has earned recognition as one of the key bassists of his generation. This album recalibrates the range of its creative expressive possibilities by attaching equal importance to his singing voice. Working with an outstanding international quartet, Denson provides an emotional and exciting program, interweaving surprising interpretations of iconic songs and deeply felt original compositions.

That Denson turns out in the middle of his career as a sensitive and enthusiastic singer is not so surprising. The 2012 released "Secret World", the first under his own name, featured two original compositions featuring Denson's vocals, establishing a pattern that continues on most of his solo albums. Last year, Sgt. Pepper's memory album "May I Introduce to You," in collaboration with the San Francisco String Trio, featured his vocal interpretation of "Fixing a Hole" as one of the highlights. Denson's music covers a wide stylistic range, "but my voice is the thread running through everything, whether I sing or not," he says. "I was a singer before I became a bassist. With my entry into the jazz world, I had to put my voice down for a long time. But that I use the voice more from year to year is a logical step for me. This is the first time I sing on an entire album and the songs are a direct continuation of the music I compose and arrange. "

Denson's arrangements of the four pieces by other artists are not so much a reinvention of the works but a new view through the filter of his rich sonic palette. The first is a version of "Grace," a piece inspired by the Negative Press Project album "Eternal Life: Jeff Buckley Songs and Sounds," which Denson produced for Ridgeway Records last year. This is followed by a simple yet touching version of Abbey Lincoln's "Bird Alone", a reharmonized version of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" in 6/8 time scale and an arrangement of "Fell On Black Days" by Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell; a tribute to one of the bands that provided the soundtrack to Denson's schooldays.

"In my opinion he is the best singer of the rock / grunge generation," says Denson. "I wanted to pay tribute to him and his art. And Abbey is one of my favorite singers. I've always liked how she sings, how she pulls the beat; like Billie Holiday. She has such a full, intense sound and in particular this title has always touched me. I wanted to see what I can do with it. "

Denson's four original compositions need not hide from the cover pieces, neither "For a Brand New Day" with Beatle-like optimism nor the "We Have Really Gone This Far" clanking with a prepared piano to "Through the Mist", a melancholy piece The Denson has been fundamentally reworked with Minsarah since its original version in 2006, and sounds as if it had just been beamed across from Miles Davis' Next Universe in "In a Silent Way." The vocalist contributes a wordless vocal solo. The final piece, titled Outside My Window, is a wistful invitation to the rich musical world of Jeff Denson.

The album is based on deep musical friendships. Dayna Stephens and Denson met at Boston's Berkelee School of Music and have since played together in different constellations. Israeli-born drummer Ronen Itzig is also a Berkelee pupil, and they have built a close connection through their interplay in the rhythm section of Joe Lovano's 21st Century Ensemble. Both have their degrees at the Florida State University, where they worked together daily, recording three albums with pianist Bill Peterson and one with singer Inga Swearingen over the course of two years. The highly esteemed Finnish pianist Kari Ikonen is a relative newcomer to Denson's musical world and quickly became indispensable. Denson hired icons for a tour with legendary alto saxophonist Lee Konitz and "noted with pleasure that this was my trio with Itzig. Everything fit together and was inspiring. The next few tours with Lee Konitz were always with them. "

Konitz played a key role in rediscovering Denson's vocal voice through his encouragement after hearing Denson sing on "Secret World." During a joint performance at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, the saxophonist made the surprising announcement "Jeff is going to sing," recalls Denson. "They did not even have a microphone on stage, but I sang the tune. Then I booked a West Coast tour with him and we sang spontaneously together every night. It felt great to play the jazz standard repertoire and then sing with him on stage. On the other hand, I also knew that I wanted to make my own music and sing like I was singing; without restrictions."

Denson, born December 20, 1976 in Arlington, Virginia, grew up around Washington DC. He played alto saxophone from the third grade, but he gave up in the middle school, but the music had him back soon after as school friends committed him as a singer for rock bands. When one of these groups also needed a bassist, he also took over this role and it was not long before he discovered the divine world of electric bass players in jazz and funk. "Bassists like Jaco, Bootsy Collins, and Stanley Clarke were my entry," recalls Denson. "The virtuoso electric bass in the fusion opened the door to jazz for me." The music of Miles Davis then led him to the double bass, but it was Mingus who inspired him to hang up the Fender. "On 'Haitian Fight Song', he plays this incredible introduction. That was the key moment, "says Denson. "It was clear to me that I could never produce such sounds on the electric bass."

During his studies at Northern Virginia Community College, he earned his living as a freelance musician by playing jazz, orchestral music, rock covers, and being head of his own funk combo as bassist and singer in Greater DC. Shortly after receiving a scholarship to Berklee College of Music he made acquaintance with the German pianist Florian Weber and the Israeli drummer Ziv Ravitz, two fellow students with whom founded the Minsarah. The collective trio released their debut album on Hubermusic in 2003, and in 2006 they released an eponymous, critically acclaimed album on Enja Records. In addition to international concert tours with this group, Denson managed to pursue a rigorous academic career.

Hired by Florida State University, he earned a Master of Music title in Jazz and discovered his penchant for teaching. After graduating from Magna Cum Laude in 2005 and preparing to move to New York City, he happened to meet bass guru Mark Dresser. He had just accepted a professorship at the University of California in San Diego and convinced Denson to relocate to Southern California. There he got, again with full scholarship, the doctorate in Contemporary Music Performance with a focus on composition. During his stay in San Diego Denson also toured extensively with Minsarah. Lee Konitz heard the band in 2006 on a concert series in Germany. "The beginning of a great adventure," says Denson.

With Minsarah in the role of his band, the critically acclaimed 2007 Lee Konitz New Quartet released his first album, Deep Lee. This was followed in 2009 by the album Live at the Village Vanguard, which won the 2010 Album of the Year award from French Jazzman Magazine, and 2014 standards Live: At the Village Vanguard (all on Enja). In 2012, Denson debuted as a bandleader with his album Secret World and demonstrated his versatility with the simultaneous release of two duo albums: I'll Fly Away, inventing American hymns and spirituals from scratch with San Diego-based pianist Joshua White The Swiss clarinet virtuoso Claudio Puntin freely improvised dialogues on the album Two.

In 2011, Denson moved to San Francisco and accepted the appointment to full professorship at the California Jazz Conservatory. In the following years, he worked closely with some of the best musicians in San Francisco Bay, including bassoon virtuoso Paul Hanson, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, guitarist Mimi Fox, and violinist Mads Tolling (his fellow San Francisco String Quartet) , Denson is also a prolific composer and arranger whose work includes a whole range of different jazz formats, as well as string ensembles, solo bass, and a chamber opera.

With the unveiling of Ridgeway Arts, a nonprofit organization, he has united his diverse fields of activity under one roof. Ridgway Arts aims to expand and strengthen the San Francisco metropolitan area and make a significant contribution to the American jazz landscape and art in general through a focus on four approaches: expression, education, presentation and documentation. He introduced the initiative with The Jeff Denson Trio + Lee Konitz and subsequently Arctic from Alan Hall's critically acclaimed Ensemble Ratatet. Meanwhile, the label has developed into an important channel of connection to a roster of international musicians and serves as a portal to Denson's multifaceted musical imagination.

"Artists are always fantasizing about new projects," he says. "My clear goal has always been to create my own musical world."

Grace

In Your Eyes

For a Brand New Day

Have We Really Gone This Far?

Through the Mist

Bird Alone

Fell On Black Days

Outside My Window

Jeff Denson - vocals & double bass

Dayna Stephens - tenor, soprano & bari saxophones & EWI

Kari Ikonen - piano, Fender Rhodes & Moog Synthesizer

Ronen Itzik - drum set & percussion

SHOWS

• May 24 – The Sound Room, Oakland, CA

• May 25 & 26 – Moody’s Bistro, Bar & Beats, Truckee, CA

• May 27 – 30 – Black Cat, San Francisco, CA

• May 31 – SoHo Restaurant & Music Club, Santa Barbara, CA

• June 1 – Dizzy’s, San Diego, CA

• June 2 – Alvas Showroom, Los Angeles/San Pedro, CA

• June 3 – D’Anbino Vineyards & Cellars, Paso Robles, CA

• August 11 San Jose Jazz Festival, San Jose, CA

• September 7 & 8 – The Velvet Note, Atlanta, GA

• October 12 – Atlas Performing Arts Center, Washington, DC

• October 13 – An Die Musik, Baltimore, MD

• October 26 – California Jazz Conservatory, Berkeley, CA

• October 27 – North Coast Brewery, Fort Bragg, CA

Alan Hall and Ratatet - Heroes, Saints and Clowns (RIDGEWAY RECORDS 2018)

Ratatet sprung from a collective trio named Electreo, which featured bassoon, bass and drums.

Seeking a fuller sound and more musical options; San Francisco based leader, composer, and drummer Alan Hall added trombone, vibes and keyboards.

1. Demographic Shift 02:50

2. Lane and Joanna 05:33

3. Heroes, Saints and Clowns 05:39

4. A Short Poem for a Shattered Age 03:11

5. Grattitude 05:06

6. Michael Shannon 04:25

7. Agnes Martin 02:51

Ratatet Is: 

Paul Hanson - bassoon, tenor sax

John Gove - trombone

Dillon Vado - vibes

Greg Sankovich - piano, organ

Jeff Denson - electric and acoustic bass

Alan Hall - drums, composer, leader

w/ special guests: Joseph Hebert - cello, Paul McCandless - oboe

and "One Planet Drum Corps"

Produced by Alan Hall and Jeff Denson

Co-produced by Dan Feiszli

Recorded and Mixed by dan Feiszli

Mastered by Ken Lee

Mimi Fox, Mads Tolling, Jeff Denson: San Francisco String Trio - May I Introduce to You (RIDGEWAY RECORDS 2017)

The San Francisco String Trio celebrates the 50th Anniversary of

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with May I Introduce to You, a

Kaleidoscopically Creative Reimaging of the Beatles’ Epochal Album

Bay area super group with guitarist Mimi Fox, bassist/vocalist Jeff Denson, and violinist Mads Tolling

Available September 8, 2017 via Ridgeway Records

In Concert  o Sunday, August 13 - San Jose Jazz Festival, San Jose, CA

o Thursday, September 7 - The Freight and Salvage, Berkeley, CA

When Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play, he couldn’t have foreseen the extraordinary San Francisco String Trio. The Bay Area super-group featuring guitarist Mimi Fox, bassist/vocalist Jeff Denson, and violinist Mads Tolling has found a consistently enthralling vehicle for musical exploration in the 1967 masterpiece. Slated for release on Ridgeway Records on September 8, 2017, May I Introduce to You is the trio’s debut album and a loving homage to the classic Beatles record on its 50th anniversary.

The SF String Trio brings together three celebrated masters who have each recorded critically acclaimed albums as bandleaders. Much like the Beatles drew on an array of traditions and styles in crafting Sgt. Pepper’s, the cooperative ensemble approaches each track as an opportunity to imbue supremely familiar songs with a sense of delight and surprise. “The idea was to do something different to shake up these fantastic songs, but not just for the sake of doing something new,” says Fox. “We’re all coming from a jazz background and we like to mix things up.”

“We love to blend genres and you can hear tango, R&B, pop and classical influences too,” Tolling adds. “We’re all arrangers and we’d work on pieces individually then bring them in and work on them as a group and really make them come to life.”

Though the musicians grew up in different generations (and different countries), they’re united by vaunted reputations as improvisers, abiding love of the Fab Four, and faculty positions at the California Jazz Conservatory. As the senior member of the ensemble, Fox remembers the explosive impact of Sgt. Pepper’s release as a child growing up in New York. Tolling, a classical prodigy, fell in love with the Beatles as his gateway to pop music as a teenager coming of age in Denmark in the mid-90s. And Denson heard the album in regular rotation amidst his mother’s records while growing up outside Washington D.C. in the 1980s. The universally beloved album left a deep and enduring impression on each of them that has continued to provide inspiration in their work as jazz artists.

“When I first moved out here I taught a class on the Beatles at the California Jazz Conservatory,” says Denson, who became the first full professor in the CJC’s newly accredited Bachelor of Music program in 2011. “When I first went to Berklee, where Mads and I met, I took an arranging class and wrote a chart for ‘She’s Leaving Home.’ It’s always been a really special album to me and part of my life.”

The trio’s emotional connection to Sgt. Pepper’s is evident throughout May I Introduce to You, and every track sheds a bright and revealing light on the genius of the Beatles. Tolling transfuses some of Joe Cocker’s gospel fervor into his ballad arrangement of “With A Little Help From My Friends,” and sets a good deal of “Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds” to a crunching 5/4 beat. Fox evokes George Harrison’s sitar with a sleek modal interpretation of “Within You Without You” and delivers a ravishing solo rendition of “She’s Leaving Home.” Denson’s arrangement of “Fixing A Hole” incorporates his striking vocals, as does his multilayered unpacking of “A Day In the Life,” another tour de force that distills the song’s chord. “Essentially we have three drummers in the group, as we’re all comfortable with our instruments’ percussive qualities,” Fox says, “as well as the harmonic and melodic possibilities.”

It’s hard to overstate the wealth of experience the trio brings to this project. An internationally acclaimed touring artist for the past quarter century, Fox has performed/recorded with horn heavy weights (Branford Marsalis, David Sanchez, Houston Person), fellow fret masters (Charlie Byrd, Stanley Jordan, Charlie Hunter), Hammond B-3 greats (Joey DeFranceso, Barbara Dennerlein, Dr. Lonnie Smith), and vocal stars (Abbey Lincoln, Diana Krall, Kevin Mahogany). She’s shared the stage with legends Stevie Wonder and John Sebastian and Patty Larkin featured her on the Vanguard Records project La Guitara. Fox has released 10 critically acclaimed albums as a leader, including three on Steve Vai's Favored Nations label. Her YouTube videos have received hundreds of thousands of views. In conjunction with Heritage’s 30th anniversary, the Kalamazoo guitar company has rolled out the Mimi Fox Artist signature model.

Born and raised in Copenhagen, Tolling was on his way to a successful career as a classical soloist when he discovered Miles Davis. His growing passion for jazz brought him to Berklee in 2000, where at the recommendation of Jean-Luc Ponty bass luminary Stanley Clarke recruited him for his touring band.

He moved to the Bay Area in 2003 to join the pioneering crossover string ensemble Turtle Island Quartet, an eight-year run that included two Grammy Awards for 2006’s 4+Four, and 2008’s A Love Supreme: The Legacy of John Coltrane (both on Telarc). Since setting out on his own in 2012, Tolling has established himself as an ambitious bandleader, accomplished composer, and daring improviser committed to expanding the violin’s sonic parameters. A Yamaha clinician who’s given workshops in the US, Canada, Japan and Dubai, Tolling earned the #1 slot as Rising Star Violinist in the 2016 DownBeat Critic’s Poll. His latest album, 2017’s Playing the 60s (Madsman Records), mines the New Frontier era for powerfully engaging but oft-overlooked material while introducing an ardently grooving group sound.

Denson first gained international attention in the cooperative trio Minsarah with Israeli drummer Ziv Ravitz and German pianist Florian Weber. It was the group that caught the ear of alto sax legend Lee Konitz, who adopted the combo as his rhythm section on 2007’s Deep Lee, 2009’s Live at the Village Vanguard, which earned the 2010 Album of the Year Award from France’s Jazzman Magazine, and 2014’s Standards Live: At the Village Vanguard (all on Enja). A prolific composer and arranger, he’s written music for an array of jazz settings, from big band to trio, as well as for string ensembles, solo bass, and a chamber opera. Since settling in the Bay Area, Denson has released five solo albums in six years and continued to tour internationally with Lee Konitz and his own projects along with forging new creative alliances with some of the West Coast’s most prodigious improvisers. He’s explored intricate harmonic soundscapes with drummer Alan Hall and bassoon and electronics virtuoso Paul Hanson, and recorded with Konitz again, this time under his own name, on 2015’s The Jeff Denson Trio + Lee Konitz. The album introduced Denson’s Ridgeway Records label, which over the last two years has become an essential outlet for brilliant young artists and established masters in the Bay Area and beyond.

Denson first met Fox shortly after he arrived in the Bay Area and was immediately impressed by her musicality. “We started getting together and playing duo, and talking about different possibilities,” Denson says. “Mads and I had met at Berklee but really got a chance to play together after I moved here and I did some things with his band. Mads and Mimi had also been talking about playing together. Finally, we connected all the dots and we had great musical chemistry right away.”

Their formidable chemistry ignites on May I Introduce to You, a project that sets a new standard for jazz interpretation of the Beatles. Inspired by each other and an era-defining album, the San Francisco String.

Trio pays the ultimate compliment to the Liverpool lads by treating their songs as an extension of the Great American Songbook. “The Beatles have spanned generations,” Fox says, “and their melodies, particularly Paul’s ballads, hold their own with Irving Berlin and Cole Porter. Musically, emotionally and creatively, this project has everything going for it.”

www.sfstringtrio.com

Jeff Denson News!

Bay Area bassist/composer/vocalist Jeff Denson is a man on a mission.  He's just back from performances in Baltimore and DC celebrating his "dazzling" new CD Concentric Circles and has a slew of CA dates with his quartet this fall.  He's also touring in Europe with Lee Konitz and throughout California as a part of guitarist Joel Harrison's Spirit House Band with Cuong Vu on trumpet and Brian Blade on drums.

As David Wiegand noted in the San Francisco Chronicle, "Denson is a man of many talents."  Those talents include not only being an in-demand player, but also overseeing his innovative non-profit Ridgeway Arts and teaching at the California Jazz Conservatory, where he is a full professor. 

Jeff Denson Fall Performances

* Aug. 26, 8 p.m. performance with San Francisco String Trio at Throckmorton Theater, Mill Valley, CA

* Aug. 27, 2 p.m. performance with drummer Alan Hall's Ratatet 4 at Seasons of the Vineyard, Healdsburg, CA

* Sept. 18-19, recording with San Francisco String Trio  

* Sept. 25, 8 p.m. Jeff Denson Quartet at Silo's, 530 Main St., Napa with Napa Valley High School Big Band. Tickets $20. 707-251-5833, www.silosnapa.com

* Oct. 2,  Jeff Denson Quartet at Jazz Church West, 3201 Camino Tassajara, Danville. 925-648-7000, www.peacejourney.org

* October 14 - 17, performances in San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego with Joel Harrison Spirit House Band with Joel Harrison, guitar; Cuong Vu, trumpet, Paul Hanson, bassoon; Brian Blade, drums

* Oct. 21, 8 p.m. Jeff Denson Quartet at The Jazzschool, 2087 Addison St., Berkeley. Tickets $20. 510-845-5373, www.cjc.edu

* Nov. 30, Jeff Denson Trio + Lee Konitz with Kari Ikonen, piano; Ronen Itzik, drums Flame Jazz: Sigyn-sali, Turku, Finland

* Dec. 1, 7 p.m. Jeff Denson Trio + Lee Konitz with Kari Ikonen, piano; Ronen Itzik, drums at Koko Jazz Club, Helsinki, Finland

* Dec. 3, 8 p.m. Jeff Denson Trio + Lee Konitz with Kari Ikonen, piano; Ronen Itzik, drums at Bimhuis Amsterdam, Netherlands

* Dec. 22 & Jan. 6, 8 p.m. Jeff Denson Quartet at Impulse Jazz Room, Walnut Creek, CA

Jeff is the executive producer of Ridgeway Radio, which be featuring free bi-monthly podcasts of interviews.  August interviews include pianist Vadim Neselovskyi, singer-songwriter Megan Slankford; September will feature vibraphonist/composer Warren Wolf, violinist/composer Mads Tolling; October's interviews will be trumpeter/composer Cuong Vu, electric bassist/composer Kai Eckhardt; and in November vocalist/composer Tammy Scheffer will be featured.

Denson's Ridgeway Records releases the Opaluna's selfititled debut CD as part of its Rising Star series and in September will release Metal na Madiera by Ian Faquini & Paul Santoro. 

In addition, Ridgeway Presents will feature Bay area workshops and performances by Vocalist Tammy Scheffer, August 31 - September 3 in Napa, San Jose, Berkeley and San Francisco and Denson will work with the Napa Valley High School Big Band and present a September 25 concert at Silo's with the high school band and his quartet.  Other artists coming on Ridgeway Presents include pianist Karl Ikonen, March 30 - April 2, 2017.

Jeff Denson Quartet - Concentric Circles (2016) RIDGEWAY RECORDS 

in 

REPUBLIC of JAZZ

Jeff Denson Quartet - Concentric Circles (2016) RIDGEWAY RECORDS

present

Jeff Denson Quartet - Concentric Circles (2016)

Concentric Circles is the fifth album by Denson and after the last three where he explored freely improvised music, a unique take on gospels and hymns, and a tribute to the music of Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz, he has returned to exploring his original compositions in the same vein as his initial recording, Secret World.

Denson’s music pushes through the boundaries of conventions in music. By inventively mixing the world of composed and improvised music, Jeff Denson creates a unique language of his own, where intoxicating melodies and rhythms transport the listener away to unknown lands where vivid hues of tone paint the aural canvas of the inner ear.

The music is steeped in the jazz tradition, where the propulsive rhythms are the heartbeat of the music and the musicians are master improvisers of harmonic structures, song forms, and melodic invention. Where the music diverges from the jazz tradition and creates its unique fingerprint is in the handling of the juxtaposition of the composed and improvised material, the roles and uses of the instruments within the compositions, unique instrumentation itself, its musical forms and the unmistakably memorable melodic language of Jeff Denson. The strength of the melodies transcend genre or idiomatic leanings and plant themselves in the ears of the listeners, leaving them singing them long after the music has stopped.

The title Concentric Circles represents the concept of Jeff’s latest album to be released on Ridgeway Records June 10, 2016. The concept of nested circles around a common center is represented by the fact that Jeff put this quartet together by bringing together the members of his two separate trios: the Jeff Denson Trio with Dan Zemelman and Alan Hall (whom toured recently in Europe and the US with jazz legend, Lee Konitz in support of Denson’s last recording, Jeff Denson Trio + Lee Konitz) and Electreo with bassoonist, Paul Hanson and Hall again on drums. The concept of the concentric circles is represented in the intricate nature of the counterpoint between the instruments in the compositions, which as Denson says, “function like the inner workings of a Swiss watch”.

City Life on Trains

Anticipation

A Thought That Lingers

Wishing Well

Look Before You Leap

Time Waits for No One

21st Century Blues

Once the Door Opens

Circle

I Got It Bad

Jeff Denson Quartet includes:

Paul Hanson, Bassoon

Dan Zemelman, piano

Alan Hall, drums

Jeff Denson, double bass, vocals & compositions

BUY THIS ALBUM

Ridgeway Arts Inc. Launches Ridgeway Radio in June 2016

Ridgeway Arts Inc. Launches Ridgeway Radio in June 2016

Plus 2016 Recordings from Jeff Denson Quartet, Opaluna and Ian Faquini / Paul Santoro

Performances/Educational Workshops by Tammy Scheffer, Denson and Kari Ikonen 

“The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us, fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts help us express our values, build bridges between cultures, and bring us together regardless of ethnicity, religion, or age.” – Jeff Denson, founder & artistic director of Ridgeway Arts, Inc.

Ridgeway Arts, Inc. – The multi-faceted San Francisco Bay Area-based non-profit founded by renowned bassist/composer/educator/community activist Jeff Denson and a small group of colleagues – will launch Ridgeway Radio’s On the Scene SF/O, an interview show hosted by Andrew Lion, in June 2016. The bi-monthly podcast will feature artists of multiple genres as well as music industry luminaries, and offer listeners insight into the life and art of players.  Not only will the importance of jazz and other art forms be highlighted, but also the creative process and business of making music in the 21st Century.  All episodes will be archived at www.ridgewayarts.org/ridgeway-radio and www.otssfo.com.

Ridgeway Radio’s schedule includes:

• June: saxophonist/composer Dayna Stephens.

• July: bassist/composer Marcus Shelby (Episodes 1 and 2)

• August: pianist Vadim Neselovskyi, singer-songwriter Megan Slankford

• September: vibraphonist/composer Warren Wolf, violinist/composer Mads Tolling

• October: trumpeter/composer Cuong Vu, electric bassist/composer Kai Eckhardt

• November: vocalist/composer Tammy Scheffer

Ridgeway Arts, Inc. officially kicked off in summer 2015 with the release of the highly celebrated Jeff Denson Trio + Lee Konitz recording.  Drummer/composer Alan Hall’s Arctic featuring Ratatet followed.  They’ve also organized concerts and educational workshops with artists such as Hall and renowned pianist/composer Vadim Neselovskyi.  Upcoming releases and concerts include:

Ridgeway Records

• Concentric Circles by the Jeff Denson Quartet will be released June 24. CD release concerts take place:  July 29 at Art Boutiki  • August 13 at Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco  • September 25 at Silo’s in Napa  • October 2 at Jazz Church West  • October 21 at The Jazzschool, Berkeley.  

• Ridgeway Records Rising Star Series showcases bright new talent.  To be released this year are the eponymous recording by Opaluna on August 26, and Metal na Madiera by Ian Faquini & Paul Santoro on September 23.

Ridgeway Presents 

August 31 – September 3, 2016 – Vocalist Tammy Scheffer  

Aug. 31: Workshop with California Jazz Conservatory students.

Sept. 1: Workshop with Napa Valley High School acappella group; 8 p.m. concert at Silo's in Napa

Sept. 2: School workshop; 7:30 p.m. performance at Art Boutiki in San Jose

Sept. 3: Afternoon public workshop at Jazzschool; 8 p.m. performance at Jazzschool in Berkeley

Sept. 4: 8 p.m. concert at Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco

September 12 & 25, 2016 – Bassist/composer Jeff Denson

Sept. 12: Bassist/composer Jeff Denson presents a lecture at the Napa Valley High School about being a 21st Century musician, jazz education, recording and the diverse skill sets needed to be a musician in today’s world. The event takes place at 11:20 a.m.

Sept. 25: The Napa Valley High School Big Band will perform two of Denson’s pieces arranged for the group at Silo’s in Napa. Denson and his band will then perform music from his new CD Concentric Circles. Concert at 8 p.m.

March 30-April 2, 2017 – Pianist Kari Ikonen

March 30: school workshop, 7:30 p.m. performance at Art Boutiki in San Jose

March 31: afternoon workshop with Napa Valley High School jazz combo; 8 pm concert at Silo's, Napa

April 1: afternoon public workshop at Jazzschool; 8 p.m. performance at Jazzschool

April 2, 4 p.m. at Chez Hanny in San Francisco

About Ridgeway Arts:

Under Jeff Denson’s vision and leadership, Ridgeway’s collective efforts include education and community outreach, the Ridgeway Presents concert series, Ridgeway Radio, Ridgeway Records, and Denson’s own performing and composing activities, all designed to enhance and fortify the Bay Area scene, and to make a strong contribution to the national landscape of jazz.

The Educational/ Community Outreach component has been developed in conjunction with the California Jazz Conservatory (CJC) where Denson is Director of Outreach and a full-time professor. The program has a triple purpose of exposing primary and secondary students to the profound legacy of jazz; providing opportunities for young musicians to learn from and perform with top professionals of both local and national renown; and fortifying the Bay Area scene to encourage graduating students to remain in the area.

Ridgeway Presents is the organization’s curating program. Concerts and workshops feature national artists, local musicians of varying statures, and emerging student ensembles from the CJC and high school jazz programs. The program embraces the restoration of “learning on the bandstand” (young talent sharing the stage with professionals).  It’s how jazz musicians used to learn but is an element of jazz which has been neglected in recent years. Ridgeway Presents fosters partnerships with venues and institutions to support live performance, and works nationally on exchange programs with members of the UNITY Arts Alliance.

Ridgeway Records was conceived with an innovative plan in a partnership mode, in which artists share revenue, team resources, marketing and distribution – all integrated within the overall plans of Ridgeway Arts.  The label’s first album – the aforementioned Jeff Denson Trio plus Lee Konitz – was released in the summer of 2015. Other projects include Arctic (released in March 2016) the debut recording by Alan Hall’s six-member Ratatet.  The Sgt. Pepper Project, with its fresh and innovative take on the revered album’s compositions, is slated for early 2017 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original release. The first album by Electreo, as well as Paul Hanson’s Homecoming, a sweeping exploration of Jewish music for a sextet of bassoon, violin, guitar, cello, bass and drums, are also on Ridgeway Records. Denson, who has developed a productive ongoing relationship with the famed Fantasy Studios, serves as producer and/or executive producer on all of the label’s projects. Ridgeway Records Rising Star Series features up-and-coming young talent.

Ridgeway Radio is an interview show hosted by Andrew Lion. The bi-monthly podcast features Bay Area musicians and music industry luminaries and offers listeners insight into the life and art of jazz players, the state of jazz in the Bay Area and beyond, and the importance of jazz as an art form.

Groundwork is being laid for additional projects including Ridgeway Publishing (educational books by Denson and other extraordinary educators).  

As Denson says: "Ridgeway Arts is here to lend a voice to the remarkable creativity in our communities and to work to bring it to the people who are hungry for it.”  

For more information, visit: 

www.ridgewayarts.org

www.jeffdenson.com