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 Peter "Chuck" Badie is a bassist best known for his "romping" style on such R&B hits as Jessie Hill’s Ooh Poo Poo Pa Doo, Ernie K-Doe’s Mother-In-Law, Barbara George’s I Know and Chris Kenner’s Something You Got. Badie got his professional start with a group called the Buccaneers that consisted of Earl Anderson, Oliver "Snow" Berry, Joe Tillman and others. After a stand at the Dew Drop Inn, Badie got the call to go on the road with Roy Brown (Good Rockin’ Tonight) from 1950 to 1952.
Returning to New Orleans, Badie began playing with Paul Gayten’s band (which included saxophonist Lee Allen, guitarist Bill Jones, drummer Frankie Parker and trumpeter Jack Willis). That led to Badie joining Dave Bartholomew’s band, which in turn, led to a 2½-year gig with Lionel Hampton’s band. Badie took a hiatus from music after the death of his father, and resumed his career by joining the American Jazz Quintet around 1957, which consisted of Nat Perrilliat, Alvin Batiste, Ellis Marsalis and Ed Blackwell. He also did session work with Allen Toussaint, which produced the hits Mother-In-Law, Ooh Poo Poo Pa Doo and Something You Got.
Badie became a part of A.F.O. when it was formed in 1961, playing exclusively with the company’s executives until 1963. In 1964, he toured and recorded with R&B singer Sam Cooke before returning to New Orleans to perform at Mason’s and other clubs around the city.
Badie, a native of New Orleans, was born on May 17, 1925.
Chuck is the soloist on Track 6 of AFO 92-10- A Compendium.
 Alvin Batiste is a clarinetist and jazz educator. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Southern University and his master’s degree from Louisiana State University (both in Baton Rouge, Louisiana), Batiste returned to Southern in 1969 to create the Jazz Institute. He also has served as artist-in-residence for the New Orleans Public School system, and developed a multi-ethnic music curriculum…
In his musical career, Batiste has performed with the Ray Charles Orchestra, Larry Darnell, Joe Jones, Smiley Lewis, Joe Robichaux, Guitar Slim and George Williams. He also played with the American Jazz Quintet.
Most notably, while still a student at Booker T. Washington High School, Batiste was a guest soloist with the New Orleans Philharmonic playing Mozart’s Concerto in Bb, the first time that a Black student ever had such an honor. It also earned Batiste the nickname, "Mozot." Years later, the Philharmonic debuted his North American Idio-syncrasies for Jazz Players. He was also commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts to compose a concerto for African instruments and orchestra.
Batiste’s Jazz Institute at Southern University has welcomed such artists as Cannonball Adderley, James Black, Kenny Burrell, Ron Carter, George Duke, Quincy Jones, Edward "Kidd" Jordan, Ellis Marsalis, Sonny Stitt, Clark Terry and a host of other jazz luminaries. The program continues today and has musically supported such artists as Branford Marsalis, and other artists. Batiste continues to perform with his group, the Jazztronauts.
Batiste, a native of New Orleans, was born on November 7, 1932.
Alvin plays on AFO 91-10- In the Beginning and AFO 92-12- Boogie Live! 1958.
 Warren Bell started his career with the original Dooky Chase band by playing alto saxophone. He was a member of the group that included trumpeter Teddy Riley, trumpeter Tony Moret, trombonist Benny Powell, Arnold Benjamin, Harry Sweetwyne and trumpeter Big Fat Emery. Bell’s "beautiful alto sound" blended well with the ensemble. He speaks fondly of the Chase band and its arranger John Brunious a.k.a. Pickett, who wrote A Sultan’s Dream, a favorite among New Orleans musicians.
Bell went on to play tenor sax with Dave Bartholomew’s band. He also performed with a group at the Caravan (in uptown New Orleans off Freret Street) and at the renowned Mason’s on Claiborne Avenue. Bell curtailed his music career to support his family and worked for a chain of local food stores. He continues to play whenever a gig arises or when requested by fellow musicians.
Bell, a native of New Orleans, was born on April 2, 1929.
Warren is guest soloist on AFO 91-10- In the Beginning, Track 11.
 James Black was a colorful, yet quick-tempered drummer that became an accomplished composer. He was a master of the New Orleans "second line" rhythm as a drummer, although he started off as a teenager playing the trumpet, studying under Yvonne Bush at Clark High School and playing piano with June Spears and the Rocketeers, a local band.
By the early 1960s, Black was doing session work as a drummer for Fats Domino. He went on to study at Southern University in Baton Rouge on a music scholarship. He withdrew in his senior year (about 6 months before graduation) to play with Ellis Marsalis at the Playboy Club in New Orleans. This led to a group with Marsalis on piano, Nat Perrilliat on saxophone and Black on drums. Black had already contributed a couple of compositions to Nat and Cannonball Adderley’s 1962 session In The Bag.
In 1963, Black wrote four of the seven cuts for Marsalis’ Monkey Puzzle album, including the landmark 5/4 piece Magnolia Triangle, one of his greatest compositions.. He went on to perform with Joe Jones and the Dixie Cups, including the session work on their hit, "(Going to the) Chapel of Love." Black later played with Horace Silver, Yusef Lateef and Lionel Hampton. He returned to New Orleans in the 1970s to lead his own groups that included Perrilliat, Marsalis, Richard Payne and Chuck Badie. Black also performed with Marsalis’ groups and other musicians until his death.
Black, a native of New Orleans, was born on February 1, 1940. He died on August 30, 1988.
James plays on all tracks of AFO 91-04- The Classic Ellis Marsalis.
Edward Blackwell and his drumming skills were a prime influence on New Orleans drummers in the 1950s. He was a member of the original American Jazz Quintet, which consisted of Harold Battiste, Ellis Marsalis and others.
Blackwell toured extensively with Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Randy Weston and other jazz luminaries.
Blackwell was born on October 10, 1929 and died on October 8, 1992.
Ed plays on all tracks of AFO 91-10- In the Beginning, and all tracks of AFO 92-12- Boogie Live.
 John Boudreaux started off playing drums in elementary school along with Smokey Johnson under the tutelage of Harold Battiste, who was substituting for the regular band teacher. He was influenced at a young age by Ed Blackwell, James Black, Harry Nance and others on the New Orleans music scene.
Boudreaux began his music career playing with the Hawkettes, which later became well known through Art Neville’s time with the band. He performed with a road band that billed itself as Shirley & Lee (not the real duo) and then started playing with Clarence "Frogman" Henry before joining Melvin Lastie’s band.
Those gigs led to work with Allen Toussaint, Benny Spelman, Ernie K-Doe and Mac Rebennack (Dr. John). His drum work is most notable on the hits Mother-In-Law (Ernie K-Doe), Land of a Thousand Dances (Chris Kenner), Sittin’ On My Ya-Ya (Lee Dorsey) and Ooh Poo Poo Pa Doo (Jessie Hill). Boudreaux did extensive session work with the personnel at A.F.O. Records.
Boudreaux is a native of New Roads, Louisiana.
John plays on all tracks of AFO 92-10- A Compendium.
 Melvin Lastie joined the Paul Barbarin band at age 15 to play the trumpet, and organized a professional jazz band in his senior year at Booker T. Washington High School in New Orleans. That band featured a piano player named Antoine "Fats" Domino as one of its members.
Lastie went on the road at age 16 with Hosa Hill’s band and returned to New Orleans in 1948 to form the Melvin Lastie Orchestra. After a stint in the Army, he and his brother joined musical forces to become The Lastie Brothers and toured extensively.. The pair hooked up with renowned blues singer Joe Turner in 1954, with Melvin leading Turner’s band during that tour.
Melvin got tired of the road and returned to New Orleans to run his father’s concession business while playing regularly at the famous Show Bar on Bourbon Street. He then ran his own nightclub – "The High Hat" – from 1957 to 1959; it took up an entire block and featured three bars with entertainment by Lastie and a host of other artists. He was also a representative for the American Federation of Musicians, Local 496 (New Orleans) and he handled all recording transactions for the musicians union during that time.
Lastie, with Harold Battiste, formed A.F.O. Records in 1961. In 1963, they moved A.F.O. to Los Angeles with a full staff and began producing Sam Cooke’s label. The duo was instrumental in two of Cooke’s hits – Tennessee Waltz and A Change Is Gonna Come. Joe Jones, who was handling the Dixie Cups, called on Melvin to produce what became their first hit, (Going to the) Chapel of Love. He went on to arrange music and play for Willie Bobo, eventually handling all of his business transactions. He also produced Bobo’s first hit Spanish Grease, and his second hit album, Uno, Dos, Tres. Lastie and Battiste began working together again in 1969 to produce several artists, including King Floyd and Al "Shine" Robinson.
Lastie, a native of New Orleans, was born on November 18, 1930 and died December 4, 1972.
Melvin plays on all tracks of AFO 92-10- A Compendium.
 Tami Lynn was a singer known throughout New Orleans as a youngster for her distinctive spirituals. She sang around town with her church group and often joined traveling groups, such as the Clara Ward Singers, whenever they visited New Orleans. She could be heard every Sunday on Dr. Daddy-O’s Gospel Show on WMRY Radio.
Lynn began singing R&B by coincidence. She lived in the same block as the Joy Tavern and a singer named "Angel Face" didn’t show up for a couple of gigs with Red Tyler’s group. The owner, George Clark, suggested that Red listen to "…that little gal down the street…her mama say she can sing." Lynn accepted, hesitantly and nervously sang that night.
A.F.O. executives began performing at the Joy Tavern and took Lynn under their wing. After signing a contract with the company, she recorded Baby, a song written for her by Red Tyler. She toured with a few A.F.O. artists and then went on to New York to perform a few shows at Birdland, opening for John Coltrane. She recorded I’m Gonna Run Away From You in 1965 – the song didn’t hit and she returned to New Orleans, only to stop performing for a while.
Lynn occasionally worked with A.F.O. executives on projects, including King Floyd’s first album and a Dr. John album. She also did some session work and a few commercials. She had a breakthrough in the early 1970s when John Abby at Mojo Records in England discovered I’m Gonna Run Away and re-released the song, which went to the top of the charts in Britain. She went on the road with Dr. John again before retiring.
Tami sings 9 of the 15 tracks on AFO 92-10- A Compendium.
 Ellis Marsalis studied clarinet, saxophone and at the then-Xavier School of Music, a high school under the auspices of Xavier University and Gilbert Academy. Ellis’ peers included singer Germaine Bazzle, Richard Payne, pianist Edward Frank and pianist Roger Dickerson. Marsalis and Dickerson formed a group called the Groovy Boys’ Band, and Ellis played the bass. He replaced Plas Johnson as a saxophone player in the Johnson Brothers Group. Marsalis began playing the piano after taking some lessons and then enrolled at Dillard University. He still played the sax, but then gravitated toward the piano.
Ellis, Ed Blackwell and Harold went to L.A. and got involved in some music experimentation with Ornette Coleman. After a short time, Marsalis returned to New Orleans to help his father operate a motel, one of the few nice inns for Black people during segregation. He performed for a time with the American Jazz Quintet. After a stint in the Marines, Ellis formed a trio with drummer James Black and Marshall Smith that performed regularly at the Playboy Club in the French Quarter. The group became a quartet with the addition of Nat Perrillat and developed into one of the finest jazz bands in the city. Marsalis’ father supported Ellis by helping him open a jazz club at his motel, The Music Haven. A.F.O. Records, which Ellis was a part of, produced a live recording at the club. The quartet disbanded when Marsalis began working with Al Hirt.
Marsalis began teaching music at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), a performing arts high school. Ellis went on to teach music at Virginia Commonwealth University and at the University of New Orleans; he retired in 2001. His children have gone on to musical fame in the jazz and classical genres: saxophonist Branford, who was a bandleader on "The Tonight Show," performed with rock artist Sting and has won several Grammys; trumpeter Wynton, who has won Grammys in both classical and jazz categories, won a Pulitzer Prize for his brilliant work, Blood on the Fields, and heads the renowned Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra; trombonist Delfeayo, who has produced numerous work for his father and brothers as well as other artists; and drummer Jason, whose work with the Latin-jazz group "Los Hombres Calientes," also earned him multiple awards and accolades.
Marsalis, a native of New Orleans, was born on November 14, 1934.
Ellis plays on all tracks of AFO 91-04- The Classic Ellis Marsalis.
 Richard Payne flirted with playing piano, bassoon, French horn and violin before settling on the bass. He was intrigued by classical music, particularly Mozart, and studied music at the Xavier Junior School of Music before moving on to Xavier Preparatory, under the tutelage of Clyde Kerr, Sr. Turned on to jazz by classmate Edward Frank, Payne drifted back and forth between playing music in both genres.
Payne decided to become a music teacher at Colton Junior High, but maintained his love of classical music by playing with the Baton Rouge (La.), Lake Charles (La.), Alexandria (La..), Jackson (Ms.) and New Orleans symphony orchestras. In his spare time, he tried to develop various forms of aircraft.
Payne, a native of New Orleans, was born in September, 1931 and died on May 17, 2000.
Richrad plays on Tracks 11 and 13 of AFO 91-10- In the Beginning.
 Nathaniel Perrilliat didn’t begin playing the saxophone until he started attending Joseph S. Clark High School and was taught by Mrs. Yvonne Bush. Nat practiced constantly, always challenging himself to play tunes at "unbelievable tempos," and honed his chops performing at talent shows at the Caffin Theater in downtown New Orleans.
Perrilliat got his first professional gig with legendary New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair, playing music with Longhair’s distinctive funky sound. Nat went on to tour with Roy Montrell and do some session work for Allen Toussaint. In the early 60s, Perrilliat joined the Ellis Marsalis Quartet, recording the seminal album, Monkey Puzzle. After that association ended, Nat went on the road with Junior Parker, Joe Tex and Fats Domino.
Perrilliat, a native of New Orleans, was born November 29, 1936 and died January 26, 1971 in Sacramento, California.
Nat plays on all tracks of AFO 91-04- The Classic Ellis Marsalis.
 Alvin "Red" Tyler was delayed getting into music because of finances and a stint in the service. The G.I. Bill gave him the opportunity to study at the Gruenwald School of Music under the tutelage of Willie Humphrey, Shirley Bloom and others. After five months of intensive study, Red was asked to join Clyde Kerr’s band, and then on to be a part of the popular Dave Bartholomew Band. Tyler joined the band that backed Roy Brown-impersonator Earl Barnes (Brown had recorded the hit, Good Rocking Tonight), but that was a short-lived gig.
Red decided to stick to the more stable world of session work, recording with Fats Domino, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Guitar Slim, Shirley and Lee, Smiley Lewis, Johnny Adams and others. Tyler went on to do some arrangements for some white rock artists, including Jimmy Clanton and Frankie Ford. Tyler began performing at the Joy Tavern with his quartet, which eventually became the A.F.O. executives for the A.F.O. label. That group consisted of Tyler, Harold Battiste, Melvin Lastie, John Boudreaux, Peter "Chuck" Badie and Tami Lynn.
After a brief stint in Los Angeles once A.F.O. folded in 1963, Red returned to New Orleans for one last shot as a record company executive. He formed Parlo Records with George Davis and Warren Parker, recording Aaron Neville singing Tell It Like It Is, which became a national R&B hit and reached sales of one million. Distributors made off with the money from the hit, and Tyler and company never received a dime. Red became a full-time liquor salesman and plays occasional gigs with his quartet.
Tyler, a native of New Orleans, was born on December 5, 1925 and died on April 3, 1998.
Alvin plays on all tracks of AFO 92-10- A Compendium.
The Next Generation 1990–1999
Brian Blade was born on July 25, 1970 in Shreveport, Louisiana. His mother, Dorothy Blade is a retired kindergarten teacher and his father, Brady L. Blade, Sr. is the pastor of the Zion Baptist Church in Shreveport. During his childhood, Brian would hear Gospel music in his everyday life, as well as the music of Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind and Fire, and the Staple Singers. In elementary school, his music appreciation teacher, Lucy Bond, introduced her students to the music of Maurice Ravel and in this class, Brian would play the recorder and various melodic percussion instruments associated with the Carl Orff pedagogy.
From about age nine to age thirteen, Brian played violin in the school orchestra and continued to play until following in the footsteps of his older brother, Brady l. Blade, Jr. who played the drums in the Zion church.
During high school, both Brady, Jr. and Brian were students of Dorsey Summerfield, Jr. and performed as part of Dorsey’s professional group, the Polyphonics. During this time and through his experience with Mr. Summerfield, Brian began listening to the music of John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Elvin Jones, and Joni Mitchell.
In 1988, Brian moved to New Orleans to attend Loyola University. It was at this time that Brian would become friends with Jon Cowherd. Both Brian and Jon were able to study and play with most of the master musicians living in New Orleans, including: John Vidacovich, Ellis Marsalis, Steve Masakowski, Bill Huntington, Mike Pellera, John Mahoney, George French, Germaine Bazzle, David Lee, Jr., Alvin Red Tyler, Tony Dagradi and Harold Battiste.
There were many inspiring musicians living and visiting New Orleans who helped Brian in his development. Some of these friends are Chris Thomas, Peter Martin, Nicholas Payton, Antoine Drye, Martin Butler, Delfeayo Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Harry Connick, Jr., Gray Mayfield, Marcus Roberts, Victor Goines and Daniel Lanois.
In 1998, Brian and Jon Cowherd began recording their own music with the group Fellowship. The band members are Chris Thomas, Myron Walden, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Melvin Butler. They have released 3 albums together – Fellowship and Perceptual, both on Blue Note, and the 2008 Verve recording, Season of Changes.
Since 2000, Brian has been part of the Wayne Shorter Quartet with Danilo Perez and John Patitucci.
Neal Caine was born Jan. 11, 1973 in St. Louis, Mo., Neal started to play the violin, the Suzuki Method, at three years old and continued playing classical violin through his teenage years. In highschool, Neal switched to electric and acoustic bass. Upon graduating from University City High School, Neal moved south to study at Tulane University and immerse himself in the rich music scene of New Orleans. While in New Orleans, Neal not only studied at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans, he also began to work around the clubs in town with a variety of musicians such as Ellis Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Nicolas Payton, Mark Whitfield, Donald Harrison, Brian Blade among others. During his freshman year at Tulane, when faced with the choice of taking his final exams or going on a European tour with the Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet, Neal chose the latter and has been working ever since. After three years in New Orleans, Neal joined the Elvin Jones Jazz Machine. At twenty one years old, Neal moved to New York City.
After more than three years of working with Elvin Jones, Neal began touring with Diana Krall. With guitarist Russell Malone, Neal played with Krall for a year before joining the band of jazz legend Betty Carter. Known not only for her unique style and tight bands, but for turning out the top young musicians of the day. Neal was in her band for a year until her untimely death. After a brief stint in the Benny Green Trio, in 2000, Neal joined the Harry Connick jr. big band and has been working with him ever since. In 2005, Neal released his first cd as a leader, “Backstabber’s Ball’ (Small’s Records). It is compiled of all original compositions and features the excellent drumming of Jason Marsalis, and the deft sax work of Ned Goold and Stephen Riley.
Neal has worked with musicians like Elvin Jones, Diana Krall, Harry Connnick Jr., Betty Carter, Ellis Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis,Jeff Watts, Javon Jackson, Oliver Lake, Dr. John, Dr. Micheal White, Art Neville, Ivan Neville, Mulgrew Miller, Dany Brilant, Micheal Kaeshammer, Danny Barker, Mark Anthony, Kim Burrell, Sonny Fortune, Michelle Camillo, Benny Green, Jay Hogard, Wycliffe Gordon, Marlon Jordan, Vanessa Rubin, Wes Anderson, Ali Jackson, Wynton Marsalis, Eric Reed, Russell Gunn, Mark Turner, Loston Harris, Irvin Mayfield, The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, David Torkanowsky, Antonio Hart, and Jude Law, among others. He has performed all over the world, including Brazil, China, Australia, Lebanon, India, Japan, Malaysia, Canada, Phillipines, Korea, Thailand, Singapore and in all the major clubs and festivals in Europe and the United States; including The North Sea Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, the Montreaux Jazz Festival, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scotts’, Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Blue Note, Small’s, the Village Vangaurd, The Grand Ole’ Opry, The Kennedy Center, the Sydney Opera House and others. He has worked on Broadway as member of the Pajama Game Orchestra. He has performed with the Boston Pops, under the direction of John Williams, with the Detriot Symphony, the Sydney Symphony, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared on many t.v. and radio shows like ‘Melrose Place’, BBC, PBS ‘The American Experience’, Black Entertainment Television, ‘The Tony Awards’, ‘The Today Show’, ‘Oprah’, ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’, ‘The Ellen Degeneres Show’, ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien’, ‘The View’, “Emiril Live’, American Morning(CNN), NPR’s ‘A Prarie Home Companion’, the half-time show for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, the 2008 NBA All-Star Game,the closing ceremonies for the 2002 Winter Olympics, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Award Show, for President Goerge Bush, Canadien Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and President Felipe Calderon of Mexico, and for Pope Benidict XVI’s final visit to Yankee Stadium.
Neal has recorded with many musicians including Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Mulgrew Miller, Nicholas Payton, Micheal Kaeshammer, Ellis Marsalis, Alex Acuna, Paulihno da Costa, Mark Anthony, Kim Burrell, Freddy Washington, Jimmy Cobb, John Hicks,Kermit Ruffins, Maria Maldaur, Irvin Mayfield, Billy Hart, Dany Brillant, Brian Blade, Marcus Printup, Andre Hayward, Greg Hutchinson, Billy Harper, Kelli O’Harra, Greg Tardy, Vince Gardner, Kim Burrell, Eric Harland, and Wes Anderson.
visit his website at www.nealcaine.com
Geoff Clapp was born in Greensboro North Carolina and began playing the drums at age four. He studied with famed pianist Ellis Marsalis at the University of New Orleans. Geoff soon became one of New Orleans most sought after drummers touring w/ the Ellis Marsalis Trio and New Orleans based trumpeter Jeremy Davenport. During his career, Geoff has had the opportunity to perform, record and tour with artists such as Ellis Marsalis, Donald Harrison, Terence Blanchard, Wynton Marsalis, to name but a few.
Derek Douget finely mixes his Louisiana upbringing with his strong individualism and idiosyncratic voice.
Raised in the town of Gonzales, Louisiana, an hour from New Orleans, Douget was adopted into a mixed race family. His Cajun father exposed him to all things Acadian from food to music. In a region known for mixing African, Latin, Native American, and European traditions and cultures, Douget celebrates his part in this great community of mixed cultures that has always been a hot bed for jazz musicians.
From banging away on homemade drums and learning harmonies from church hymnals to his classical musical training and then jazz career, Derek Douget has always had a passion for music. At age ten, Derek started playing the saxophone in his middle school band. By high school, Douget focused his energies seriously pursuing and studying music. He displayed his early talent and drive, and under band director Sheily Bell, Douget earned places in the regional Honor Band (for 4 years), Louisiana All State (for 3 years), the tristate ArkLaTex band (for 2 years) and the regional Honor Choir (for 1 year).
While in high school, Douget first heard the recordings of Ornette Coleman, Charlie Parker and Count Basie. These recordings resonated so strongly within him that Derek decisively re-directed his career from playing classical saxophone, to a career in jazz so he could better express his individuality.
Derek Douget received a full scholarship to The University of New Orleans where he studied under Ed Petersen and was mentored by Ellis Marsalis and Harold Battiste. Douget further advanced his jazz dexterity by completely immersing himself in the great talent of the New Orleans music community. Derek learned from and worked with established jazz “elders” and an eclectic range of bands, from the Latin band Mas Mamones, to the popular Henry Butler, and the traditional clarinetist, Dr. Michael White.
The University of New Orleans twice selected Derek, while an undergraduate, to represent the university in bands that performed and taught workshops throughout Western Europe and Israel. By the time he graduated in 1997, Douget had performed with many notable musicians on the New Orleans scene, toured nationally with Nicholas Payton, recorded the movie soundtrack “Soul of the Game” with Terrance Blanchard, and was a member of the Ellis Marsalis Quartet.
Playing the alto and soprano saxophones, Derek recorded his debut CD “Perpetual Motion” which he released in 2002. The following year, he made the shift to playing primarily the tenor saxophone that more naturally fit his sound.
He then concentrated on earning a Master’s Degree. The University of New Orleans recruited him for their graduate program and their inaugural Louis Armstrong Quintet, a performing group of graduate students dedicated to teaching jazz in New Orleans area schools, with support and funding from the Louis Armstrong Foundation. In 2005, Douget completed his Master’s program.
Douget moved to Brooklyn, NY, in 2006, after Hurricane Katrina, and continued to record and tour internationally with a variety of talented musicians, including The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Maurice Brown and Ellis Marsalis.
In 2008, the Ellis Marsalis Quartet released “An Open Letter to Thelonious,” a tribute album to Thelonious Monk that presents the collaborative efforts of Ellis and Derek after a decade of playing together.
His New York City performances include work as a bandleader and sideman at The Jazz Standard, St. Nick’s Pub, Smalls and Jazz at the Lincoln Center.
At the close of 2009, the saxophonist headed home; he and his wife moved back to New Orleans. He enjoys playing with the great community of musicians in the city where he developed his jazz voice.
Notably, he performed on the 2010 Grammy Winning Album “Book One” with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. The Grammy was awarded for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.
Derek Douget has performed/worked with: Nicolas Payton, Ellis Marsalis, Elvin Jones, George Cables, Terence Blanchard, Marcus Roberts, Peter Martin, Billy Drummond, Branford Marsalis, Peter Washington, Randy Brecker, Michael White, Wyclef Jean, Jason Marsalis, Lenny White, Maurice Brown, Jeremy Pelt, Curtis Fuller, Steve Masakowski, Henry Butler, Kermit Ruffins, Alvin Batiste, Roland Guerin, Lew Tabakin, Stefon Harris and many other excellent musicians.
Antoine Drye was born on July 15, 1972 in Washington D.C., Antoine Drye began playing trumpet at the age of 8. Marching bands and wind ensembles accounted for much of his early playing, until 1988, when he was accepted into the trumpet studio of Raymond Mase at the North Carolina School of the Arts (N.C.S.A.) in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Orchestral, chamber and big band playing, as well as various theory, harmony and history courses were the main focus during these years.
After leaving N.C.S.A., Drye moved to New Orleans to study at the University of New Orleans in the program headed by Ellis Marsalis and Harold Battiste. While attending U.N.O., he was fortunate enough to study and/or play with many New Orleans legends and greats. Teddy Riley, Victor Goines, Ellis Marsalis, Harold Battise, Donald Harrison, Wendell Brunius, Leroy Jones, Earl Turbentine, Willie Metcalf, The Brand New Heavies and John Boutte stand out as heavy influences. Drye worked on a regular basis with Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis, Wessell Anderson, Willie Lockett and the Blues Crew and John Boutte, and occasionally with Ellis Marsalis and Donald Harrison.
Before leaving New Orleans, following his graduation in 1995, Drye had the good fortune to record the music of Harold Battiste with his fellow schoolmates and friends on a record titled “Next Generation – The Music of Harold Battiste” on AFO Records. His second record date was as a sideman on “The Ways of Warm Daddy”, Wessell Anderson’s second Atlantic Records work.
In 1996 Drye moved to Paris for one year, where he had opportunities to play with many top European players including Michel Petruccini, Stefano de Batista, Hal Singer, Steve Potts, Ce Quie Marche Debout and many others. He traveled throughout France, even going to Corsica to play at the Kalvi jazz festival. He has played in many European and Asian countries including France, Germany, Austria, Holland, Spain, Italy, Albania, Enland, China and Korea. From Paris, he moved to Grand Cayman Island for two years. There he increased jazz awareness by playing and bringing top jazz musicians to the island.
Since arriving in New York three years ago, Drye has worked with Rashied Ali, Miles Griffith, Donald Edwards, Elise Wood, Wycliff Gordon, Donald Harrison, Jazz Reach and Wilson Pickett to name a few. He has recorded with Rashied Ali, Miles Griffith, Russell Gunn and recently completed a live recording with Angie Stone for the new Austin Powers movie soundtrack Gold Member. Drye works as a freelance musician and can be heard in and out of town with various artists.
John Ellis grew up with a love of baseball, dewberry cobbler, and turkey and stuffing. Raised in rural tobacco country in North Carolina, he was more familiar with the sounds of hunting rifles and the dangers of snapping turtles than he was with the sounds and dangers of jazz. He was a pretty unlikely candidate for a career in music at all, as a matter of fact, but somewhere between singing hymns in his father’s church, fooling around with Scott Joplin Rags on the piano, and marching in the high school band, he began to realize that music was the only thing he really wanted to do.
As a sophomore in high school he began his serious study of music at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where his brother, David Ellis, had studied a couple years earlier in the Fine Arts department. There, John apprenticed with the world-renowned saxophonist James Houlik, who is still one of his most important mentors. After four years at NCSA, John moved to New Orleans, hoping to begin a serious study of jazz. He spent one year at the University of New Orleans under the direction of legendary jazz patriarch Ellis Marsalis, and soon after, John joined Mr. Marsalis’s band, traveling to promote the record “Whistle Stop” and performing at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
His jazz education then took him out of the classroom and onto road, as John traveled to Singapore for three months to play with pianist Jeremy Montiero, who was opening a jazz club there. Soon after his return, John was chosen to be in one of seven duos to perform in the inaugural year of the Jazz Ambassadors program, sponsored by the USIA and The Kennedy Center. He traveled as a cultural ambassador to South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and Kenya with guitarist Todd Duke. John returned to New Orleans and began performing with his own group there, releasing his debut record entitled, “Language of Love” in 1996. He was also selected that same year to be one of 13 semi-finalists in the Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition. Blown away by the level of the other saxophonists John met there, he decided to move to New York to continue his education. He attended the New School jazz program from ’97 through ’99, studying with George Garzone, Reggie Workman, and Joe Chambers among many others.
Upon John’s graduation in ’99, he was immediately asked to return to New Orleans for a year to teach saxophone at Loyola University while Tony Dagradi was away on sabbatical. He quickly reintegrated himself into the scene in New Orleans, playing and recording albums with the bands of both Jason Marsalis and Roland Guerin. Not wanting to stray to long from New York however, John returned shortly after the school year ended, and before the year was out he had begun playing and traveling with 8-string guitar wizard Charlie Hunter and with R&B sensation Bilal Oliver. He also released his next album, “Roots, Branches, and Leaves”, which explores the source of John’s musical identity through arrangements of folk songs sung to him in his childhood. It features Nicholas Payton, Jason Marsalis, Roland Guerin, Aaron Goldberg, and Bilal, and it was released on the Spanish label Fresh Sound / New Talent.
From December of 1999 to May of 2006, John traveled and recorded with several incarnations of Charlie Hunter’s groups, appearing on four of Charlie’s albums, “Songs From The Analog Playground”, “Right Now Move”, “Friends Seen And Unseen”, and “Copperopolis”. Through Charlie’s tours and recordings John had the chance to work with a wide variety of musicians including Norah Jones, Mos Def, Theryl DeClouet, Kurt Elling, Steven Chopek, Chris Lovejoy, Jans Ingber, Dean Bowman, Curtis Fowlkes, Johnny Vidakovich, Terreon Gully, Gregoire Maret, Alan Ferber, Ron Miles, Josh Roseman, Sam Newsome, and Derrek Phillips. By the end of his time with Charlie, John was playing tenor saxophone, melodica, bass clarinet, and Wurlitzer in the band. He also made time to reenter the Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition in 2002, where this time he finished in second place.
In February of 2005 as John was ending his tenure with Charlie, he released his third album as a leader called “One Foot in the Swamp”. This record featured Nicholas Payton, John Scofield, Aaron Goldberg, Jason Marsalis, Roland Guerin, and Gregoire Maret, and it was his first nationally distributed record, appearing on the Hyena record label. When John left Charlie’s band in May of ’06, his departure corresponded with his second release for Hyena called “By A Thread”, which featured Mike Moreno, Terreon Gully, Reuben Rogers, and Aaron Goldberg.
John’s third Hyena release, “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow”, introduced a new band called Double-Wide, which features the unusual combination of saxophone, drums, organ, and sousaphone. Double-Wide’s newest record, “Puppet Mischief”, was released in February 2010 on ObliqSound and features the core band of Jason Marsalis, Brian Coogan, and Matt Perrine as well as special guests, Gregoire Maret and Alan Ferber.
Since 2007 John has been collaborating with playwright Andy Bragen. They’ve produced three significant works, all made possible by the support and funding of the Jazz Gallery and their Composers Series. The first, Dreamscapes, explores musical interpretations of dreams, and features a string quartet, tuba, vibes, percussion, and woodwinds. The second, called The Ice Siren, is a through-composed hour-long narrative piece featuring the same Dreamscapes band with the addition of guitar and two singers. In April of 2011, they debuted Mobro. Ninety-minutes long and featuring four singers, four brass, two guitars, bass, and drums, Mobro is their most ambitious work to date. It tells the story of the Mobro 4000, a garbage barge that sailed for seven months in 1987, traveling from New York to North Carolina, New Orleans, Mexico and Beliz among other places, only to finally return to Brooklyn to be incinerated.
Jason Marsalis: From a tender young age it was clear that Jason Marsalis had what it took to be great. Jason is the son of pianist and music educator Ellis Marsalis and his wife Dolores, and the youngest sibling of Wynton, Branford and Delfeayo. Together, the four brothers and their patriarch Ellis, comprise New Orleans venerable first family of jazz.
Ellis and Delores began to cultivate Jason’s interest in music at age three, with the purchase of a toy set of drums. Jason is fond of telling the story of a game he and his parents would play with the drums. “When I was three, my parents bought me a toy drum set and the used to introduce me to an imaginary audience. They would say, ‘Ladies and gentleman introducing the fabulous Jason!’ and I wouldcome out and start banging away much to my parents delight. I too enjoyed it to the point that I startedto go up to my parents unsolicited and say, ‘Dad, introduce me again!’”
By age six, not only had Jason gotten his first real drum set, but he was also taking lessons from the legendary New Orleans drummer James Black. At age seven he was sitting in with his father jazz group, as well as playing with his trombonist brother Delfeayo. Jason was progressing so rapidly as a drummer that in 1984 his father started using him consistently on engagements. Jason was starting to become a seasoned road veteran before the age of nine, even traveling to the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston for Delfeayo’s senior recital.
Though Jason had also taken up violin at age five, drums remained his primary focus throughout his grade school years. In 1991, he auditioned and was accepted to the acclaimed New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts High School (NOCCA). Throughout his high school years he continued to hone his skills by playing gigs with his father and brothers, as well as studying orchestral percussion techniques at the venerable Eastern Music Festival.
Shortly after graduation from NOCCA in 1995, Marsalis ascended to the drum throne of a new group lead by virtuoso pianist and former sideman for Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts. Despite a demanding touring schedule with Roberts, Marsalis furthered his educational goals by attending Loyola University in New Orleans, as well as studying composition with Roger Dickerson at Southern University.
While Marsalis has worked with such international jazz luminaries as Joe Henderson and Lionel Hampton, he remains visible on the New Orleans scene as well, working with a diverse cross section of bands from Casa Samba (Brazilian) to Neslort (jazz fusion). He is also a co-founder of the Latin jazz group Los Hombres Calientes. In addition, he regularly hosts a local jazz jam where he plays vibraphone.
The sense of style and tastefulness that Marsalis exhibits in his playing explains why is a highly sought after musician. This style has been well documented on recordings with artists such as the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Marcus Printup and Marcus Roberts to name but a few. He has also produced two albums under his own name, Year of the Drummer (1998) and Music in Motion (2000), as well as producing a reissue of his father’s earlier recorded work, Syndrome (1996). In addition, Marsalis is a respected clinician and an endorser of Fibes drums and Zildjian cymbals.
With each passing year Jason Marsalis continues to grow and develop as both a composer and performer. With a fire in his heart and a passion for the music, his will to swing has never been more resolute. The maturity of this young lion and the command he possesses over his instrument is clearly evident to those who have heard or seen him.
David Morgan grew up listening to everything from the Beatles to John Coltrane to Chopin. In 1987, when still in high school, he was severely bitten by the jazz bug. Two years later he moved to the University of New Orleans to pursue his love of jazz where jazz was born. At UNO, he studied piano and composition with legends Ellis Marsalis and Harold Battiste. It was there that he first played with Wynton Marsalis, James Rivers, Wes Anderson and Nycholas Payton. “My time in New Orleans, studying with Ellis and Harold by day and playing in clubs almost every night was an unparalleled stage in my development. I cherish that time in my life”
Before heading for New York, producer/composer Harold Battiste released his first jazz CD, “Comment” on AFO Records. Battiste says, “His credentials as composer, producer, arranger, leader and player are rooted in the best traditions of jazz: taste, wit, integrity and swing. Did I forget to mention FUNK?! New Orleans left some stuff on him.” Morgan has since released two additional critically acclaimed live jazz CD’s, “Hands of Time” (Turnipseed Music) and “The David Morgan Trio-Live at the Blue Note” (Half Note Records) featuring drummer Jason Marsalis, bassist David Grossman and guitarist Peter Bernstein.
For the past 10 years, Morgan has been the musical director and producer for singer/songwriter Neshama Carlebach. Their fifth CD, “Journey” was released in October, 2004 to fantastic reviews. They are finishing up their latest pop CD, due out at the end of 2006. They consistently tour worldwide- from the U.S. to Russia, South Africa, England and Israel.
As a composer, Morgan has been busy writing for television and film. He composed jazz music for CBS’s hit Judging Amy, and continues to write rock, pop, funk and orchestral score and themes for CBS Sports. He wrote the musically diverse score for the comedy feature film, “Hacks,” written and directed by ex-Saturday Night Live writer, Glenn Rockowitz. Morgan also performs and records with singer/songwriter Peter Himmelman and recently arranged and played piano and Hammond organ on an R&B album produced by legend, Nile Rogers. His new pop/rock album Ordinary Glory was just released.
Glenn Patscha began playing Hammond Organ at around 4 years old. He continued to play and study the piano locally until the age of 18.
In 1989 he relocated to study with Ellis Marsalis at The University Of New Orleans. During that time he played and toured with many New Orleans greats both young and old including Leroy Jones, Nicholas Payton, Danny Barker, Brian Blade, Donald Harrison, Earl Palmer, Jeremy Davenport, Harold Battiste and Jesse Davis. In the latter period of his New Orleans years he recorded with N’Dea Davenport, Marianne Faithfull, Cubanismo, The Wild Magnolias and The Yockamo All Stars.
Patscha formed the band Ollabelle with Amy Helm, Fiona Mcbain, Byron Isaacs, Tony Leone and Jimi Zhivago in early 2002. Soon after, T Bone Burnett signed Ollabelle to his Columbia/Sony Music imprint DMZ. The band has since received great critical acclaim and will be releasing its third studio album “Neon Blue Bird” in August 2011.
In the past few years Patscha has worked with Levon Helm, Roger Waters, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Ryan Adams, David Bromberg, Madeline Peyroux, Chocolate Genius, Lizz Wright, The Holmes Brothers, Linda Thompson, Teddy Thompson, Jim White, Loudon Wainwright, Laurie Anderson, John Popper, Elysian Fields, Gustavo Cerati, Rebekka Bakken and many others. With Ollabelle, he also sang many of the harmonies in Julie Taymor’s feature film “Across The Universe”
In 2008 Patscha recorded “Songs From The Jefferson Highway,” his first solo recording in over a decade. The record is a testament to Patscha’s diverse musical path and his obsession with texture and tone.
Recently, Patscha has began scoring films which have included Finnish Film Maker Alli Haapasalo’s “Kukkulan Kuningas – On Thin Ice” and co-composed the score for Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning “Sangre de mi Sangre” with Brian Cullman. He is currently working on completing a Documentary film about New Orleans icon “Harold Battiste.”
Nicholas Payton: The son of bassist and sousaphonist Walter Payton, he took up the trumpet at the age of four and by the time he was nine he was playing in the Young Tuxedo Brass Band alongside his father. Upon leaving school, he enrolled first at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and then at the University of New Orleans, where he studied with Ellis Marsalis.
After touring with Marcus Roberts and Elvin Jones in the early 90s, Payton signed a recording contract with Verve; his first album, From This Moment, appeared in 1994. In 1996 he performed on the soundtrack of the movie Kansas City, and in 1997 received a Grammy Award (Best Instrumental Solo) for his playing on the album Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton. After seven albums on Verve, Payton signed with Warner Bros. Records, releasing Sonic Trance, his first album on the new label, in 2003. Besides his recordings under his own name, Payton has also played and recorded with Wynton Marsalis, Dr. Michael White, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Doc Cheatham and Joe Henderson.
In 2008, Payton became part of The Blue Note 7, a septet formed that year in honor of the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records. The group recorded an album in 2008, entitled Mosaic, which was released in 2009 on Blue Note Records/EMI, and toured the United States in promotion of the album from January until April 2009.
Jason Stewart started playing the bass at age 17 in his hometown of New Orleans. He was introduced to jazz at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, where he studied with trumpeter Clyde Kerr Jr. and bassist Bill Huntington. After high school, he performed regularly with many New Orleans musicians including trumpeters Leroy Jones, Nicholas Payton; pianist Ellis Marsalis; drummers Jason Marsalis, Shannon Powell; trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis; and saxophonist Victor Goines, while also completing a degree in Communications from Tulane University. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in music. From 2001-2005, Mr. Stewart moved back to New Orleans to freelance and play with Ellis Marsalis and Nicholas Payton. After Hurricane Katrina hit the crescent city, he spent six months helping his family pick up the pieces and then moved back to Brooklyn, where he lives now. He continues to play in the Ellis Marsalis Quartet.
Brice Winston is a saxophonist/composer/educator currently residing in Tucson, AZ. For several years Brice has been touring and recording with Grammy award winning artist Terence Blanchard, performing all over the world in countless major jazz festivals and clubs. Terence’s 2007 Blue Note release A Tale Of God’s Will – A Requiem For Katrina features the band with large orchestra and was awarded a Grammy in 2007 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. After living in New Orleans for over 16 years, Brice relocated to his hometown of Tucson, AZ following the events of Hurricane Katrina. Brice is currently teaching in Tucson with the newly formed Tucson Jazz Institute.
You can find Brice Winston on Harold Battiste’s Lagniappe & The Next Generation on AFO Records.
The Next Generation 2000–2012
Jesse McBride officially started playing the violin at the young age of four. Through elementary and middle school, Jesse entered and won many solo violin competitions. In 1994, Jesse entered the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Tx where he was encouraged to pursue jazz piano through his teacher Charles Rhinhardt, a local pianist, and Robert Glasper, a fellow classmate. This encouragement proved to be important for development as Jesse has made Jazz his first love.
After high school, Jesse entered the University of New Orleans’ (UNO) music program where he studied under the watchful eye of Ellis Marsalis, Peter Martin, and Doug Bickel. Jesse has performed with Donald Harrison, Jason and Delfeayo Marsalis, Harold Battiste, Alvin Batiste, Stefon Harris, Carmen Lundy, Vanessa Rubin, Wess Anderson, Tim Warfield, and Hannibal to name a few.
The Next Generation (begun by Harold Battiste) has been compared to Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in New Orleans. The focus of the music is the 2nd 50 years of New Orleans Jazz. Jesse has since taken over the direction of The Next Generation with new young talent in New Orleans.
Jesse can humbly note his regular performances in New Orleans jazz clubs like Snug Harbor, The Funky Butt, and Sweet Lorraines. From straight-ahead to contemporary jazz, funk, and R&B, Jesse continues to bridge gaps the styles and generations.
You can purchase his records here: The Next Generation & The Next Generation Vol. 2
Andrew Baham began playing the trumpet at age 11, inspired by the discipline and appeal of the marching bands in New Orleans. From that time on, Andrew’s love for music grew stronger . While in junior high, he attempted to arrange music for the band, earning respect and accolade from his fellow band members.
Around the same time a friend (fellow musician James Alsanders) talked Andrew into auditioning for the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (commonly referred to as NOCCA), an arts high school in New Orleans that has a long list of acclaimed alumni. At NOCCA, Andrew received lessons from Ronald Benko (of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra), renowned trumpeter and educator Clyde Kerr, Jr., and Grammy Award Winner Nicholas Payton. In 1998, he received an endorsed trumpet from the Yamaha Corporation of America and became the first recipient of the Doc Cheatham Memorial Scholarship.
Baham has performed with artists Mystikal, Mannie Fresh, Grammy Nominee Los Hombres Calientes, Adonis Rose, and The Ellis Marsalis Quinet. He has production credits with The Stooges Brass Band’s “It’s About Time”, Big Sam’s Funky Nation’ “King Of The Party”, and others.
He has recorded with alto saxophonist Darryl Reeves, The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, the Soul Rebels Brass Band and the Lil’ Stooges Brass Band. Baham is also making an appearance in the movie ” Ray”, starring Jamie Foxx. When he’s not performing with funk powerhouse Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Baham leads his own quintet performing music from his newest release as a leader under the AFO label, “And They Called It Love”.
Joseph C. Dyson, Jr.ʼs musically inclined family introduced him to music at the early age of two years. He began playing as a drummer in his fatherʼs church with other family members. His musical education began at Mc Donogh #15 Creative Arts/Magnet Elementary School in New Orleans and continued at NOCCA. Dyson has honed his skills over the years as a participant in the Project Prodigy Summer Music Camp, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp, Berkleeʼs Five Week Summer Performance and Jazz Workshop, Port Townsend Jazz Workshop, Tipitinaʼs Internship, and the New Jazz School Jazz Camp. He has received numerous scholarships, including the full tuition Presidential Scholarship to Berklee College of Music from which he graduated with honors. He has been priviledged to be associated with some of the finest musicians in the industry, having studied with the likes of Donald Harrison, Alvin Batiste, Clyde Kerr, Herlin Riley, Chico Hamilton, Adonis Rose and Jerry McGowan among others. Mr. Dysonʼs professional performing credits include gigs with Donald Harrison, Ellis Marsalis, Ernestine Anderson, Dr. John, Branford Marsalis, Stefon Harris, Christian Scott, Dr. Lonnie Smith, as well as with Grammy winners Nicholas Payton, Allen Toussaint, Bryan Lynch, hip hop producer Darius Harrison, Irvin Mayfield, Terrance Blanchard, Harry Connick, Jr. and Esperanza Spalding.
You can hear Joe on AFO recordings such as The Next Generation & The Next Generation Vol. 2
Rex Gregory is a saxophonist and composer currently residing in New Orleans, Louisiana. He graduated from the University of New Orleans with a B.A. in Jazz Performance. He plays all forms of saxophones, clarinets, and flutes with near equal facility, which makes him a very sought after musician for a diverse array of projects. In addition, Rex is known for his composition and arranging abilities which are featured on his independently released studio recording, An End to Oblivion.
Rex has played with the premier music luminaries in New Orleans since his introduction into the city in 2002. He can frequently be heard with Jason Marsalis, the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra led by Irvin Mayfield, Adonis Rose, David Torkanowsky, Steve Masakowski, Wendell Brunious, Simon Lott, James Singleton, and many others.
While Rex Gregory is a staple in the New Orleans jazz community, he does not hesitate to venture out into other musical territories. He is always in the laboratory, concocting very diverse vehicles of expression. His idiosyncratic compositions, keyboard and compositional role in the rock band Bionica, exceptional reading ability, and his wide ranging contributions to a wide variety of projects is a testament to his musical capabilities.
Rex has toured and lived in Europe, performed across much of the continental United States, toured South America as a cultural ambassador, and more. He responds to the call of being a musician with sincerity, responsibility, and great enthusiasm.
You can hear Rex on AFO recordings such as The Next Generation & The Next Generation Vol. 2
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