Tri-Institutional Noon Recitals
ADAM BIRNBAUM JAZZ QUARTET
Adam Birnbaum - piano
David Wong - bass
Quincy Davis - drums
Dominick Farinacci - trumpet
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THURSDAY, June 25, 2009 at NOON
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Adam Birnbabum
piano
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Adam Birnbaum is emerging as one of the top young voices in jazz piano. Since arriving on the New York scene in 2003, he has become increasingly prominent performing in clubs and festivals around the world, working with artists as diverse as Greg Osby, Al Foster, Eddie Henderson, Carl Allen, and Wynton Marsalis. Adam has performed frequently in New York jazz clubs such as the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note, Birdland, the Jazz Standard and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, as well as in national and international venues such as the Gilmore Festival, The Kennedy Center, The Montreal Jazz Festival, and the Festival Dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy.
Adam’s early education took place in Boston. After studying piano at the New England Conservatory of Music’s Preparatory School he received a B.A. in Computer Science from Boston College. In 2001 Adam became a member of the inaugural class of Jazz Studies at the Juilliard School. After graduating in 2003, Adam won the American Jazz Piano Competition in May 2004 to become the American Pianists Association's Cole Porter fellow in Jazz. Since then Adam has established a busy performing career as a sideman and as a leader.
Adam was the first jazz pianist to present a recital at the prestigious Gilmore Rising Stars Recital Series in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in December 2004. In May 2006, Adam toured the Czech Republic playing solo piano concerts. In October, 2006, he received the first ever "special honor" prize at the Martial Solal Competition in Paris. The Adam Birnbaum Trio has opened for both Brad Mehldau and Herbie Hancock. Adam’s quintet was in residence in July 2006 at the Festival Dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy.
In early 2007 Adam toured West Africa as a part of the Rhythm Road program sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the US State Department. In July, 2007 Adam first began working with renowned saxophonist/composer Greg Osby. Since then Adam has become a regular member of Mr. Osby's ensemble, performing throughout the US and featured on Mr. Osby's latest record 9 Levels on the Inner Circle Music label. In 2008 Adam received a grant from Chamber Music America to commission a suite of music for his trio, to be premiered in late 2009. In March 2009 Adam began touring internationally with the Al Foster Quartet.
"Travels, " Adam’s debut as a leader for Smalls Records was released on October 14th, 2008. “A Comme Amour", Adam’s second trio album for Pony Canyon records in Japan, was released in November, 2006. His first album for that label, "Ballade Pour Adeline" received a Gold Disk award from Swing Journal as one of the top albums of 2006. He has studied with Kenny Barron, Danilo Perez, and Fred Hersch.
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David Wong
bass
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Bassist David Wong was born and raised in New York City. He is a graduate of the LaGuardia High School for Music and Art and the Performing Arts, where he developed his passion for music under the tutelage of tuba master Bob Stewart. In 2004, he graduated from the Juilliard School in classical music. He has studied with Orin O’Brien (New York Philharmonic), Ron Carter, Ben Wolfe, and John Clayton.
He is currently a member of the great Roy Haynes’ quartet, as well as bassist with the “Heath Brothers” quartet, Jimmy Heath’s Big Band, and the Vanguard Big Band. David can also be seen performing with the exciting new singer, Sachal Vasandani. He has played in many of the major performing venues throughout the States, Europe, and Asia with all of those groups.
He has recorded with Benny Green, Dan Nimmer, Jeb Patton, Jimmy Heath, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Brian Lynch, and Sachal Vasandani. He has worked with Lou Donaldson, Hank Jones, Clark Terry, Illinois Jacquet, Kenny Washington, Lewis Nash, Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Brian Lynch, Eric Reed, Walter Blanding, Marcus Printup, Leroy Jenkins, David Hazeltine, Jim Rotondi, Carla Cook, Paula West, and Mark Gould (Metropolitan Opera) to name just a few.
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Quincy Davis
drums
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Quincy Davis was born in 1977 in Grand Rapids, MI, into a musical family. Davis began his formal music study during his 11th grade year at a private arts high school - Interlochen Arts Academy (IAA). There he studied classical percussion as well as trap-set drumming. IAA is where he received his first experience playing jazz in a group setting. IAA proved to be an important contribution to Davis's future successes.
In 1995 Davis graduated from IAA and began college at Western Michigan University. It was here that he studied with drum master, Billy Hart. Along with learning more about the drums, Mr. Hart instilled in Davis a deep knowledge of the music, which has proven to be very beneficial to his career. For all 4 years, he was quite involved in various performing ensembles such as orchestra, band, as well as jazz combos and big band.
Along with emerging as an excellent drummer, he emerged as a great composer. The combos he played with often played his compositions. At various collegiate jazz festivals, musicians such as Roy Haynes, Wallace Roney, Sir Roland Hanna, and Benny Green heard these compositions. Davis graduated in 1999 and substitute taught elementary and middle school music in the Grand Rapids area for one year before moving to New York City.
In the summer of 2000, Davis moved to New York City. Within a week of moving, he landed his first gig at a well known jam session spot, Cleopatra's Needle in Manhattan. He became their house drummer every Friday, which he did for over a year. His name spread quickly in the jazz community and within a couple of months, he had steady work.
Within just his first year, he met and played with many great musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Frank Wess, Russell Malone, Eric Reed, Cyrus Chestnut, Paquito D'Rivera, Lew Tebakin, Marcus Printup, Warren Vache, Ron Blake, Jon Faddis, Stefon Harris, Peter Bernstein, Roy Hargrove, Paula West, Nicholas Payton, New York Voices, Ryan Kisor, Regina Carter and Wessell Anderson.
In December 2000, he received a called to go on the road with trumpet master, Tom Harrell. Davis's first tour with Tom was in March of 2001. The band which includes Xavier Davis (pianist), Jimmy Greene (Tenor Sax), and Ugonna Okegwo (bass) recently recorded a live CD at the Village Vanguard for RCA Victor. Along with Mr. Harrell, Davis has been working with the piano wizard Benny Green. Between the two bands, Davis has played in over 10 different countries and in many well known jazz clubs such as: The Village Vanguard and The Blue Note in New York City; The Jazz Showcase in Chicago; Paris, New Morning Jazz Club; The Jazz Bakery, Yoshi, and Catalina Bar and Grill in California.
Davis's talents have clearly been recognized and admired by many and because of his humble spirit, great attitude, and deep knowledge and passion for the music, he will continue to move forward in the jazz scene. He is unquestionably a young and up-coming jazz talent with a great future ahead of him.
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Dominick Farinacci
trumpet
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“This kid is 360 degrees!!"
Quincy Jones
"[Dominick] has the chops, the imagination and the pesence to be a breakout artist."
Don Heckman
"Dominick's tone shines...he is reminiscent of Clifford Brown and Miles Davis."
Russ Titelman
Jazz trumpeter Dominick Farinacci and his U.S. debut CD, Lovers Tales & Dances (E1 Entertainment), continue to make waves with some of the most influential names in jazz. Released this February, the album is winning over insiders and media alike, prompting Gary Walker of WBGO to dub it “One of the most gorgeous, passionate and haunting recordings to cross my desk in some time,” and Metro Santa Cruz to say “Serious chops for serious jazz fans, this kid is making waves and he’s barely out of the kiddie pool.”
Produced by the legendary Russ Titelman (Eric Clapton, James Taylor, etc), Lovers, Tales & Dances features some of the greatest players in jazz, including Kenny Barron, James Genus, Marc Johnson, Lewis Nash, Jamey Haddad, Joe Lovano, and Joe Locke, with guest vocalist Hilary Kole, and string arrangements by Rich Derosa.
At 15, Dominick was “discovered” by Wynton Marsalis in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, and was subsequently invited to appear as a featured soloist with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra PBS’s “Live from Lincoln Center.” While studying with Warren Vache and Wynton Marsalis at the Juilliard School, Dominick was also featured at Lincoln Center on a tribute concert to Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan, “Night of the Cookers.”
Over the years he has performed and/or recorded with many high-profile jazz artists such as Joe Lovano, Wynton Marsalis, Ira Sullivan, Mulgrew Miller, Carl Allen, Jason Miles, and Joe Labarbera. Awards include two Gold Disc awards (Record of the Month) from Swing Journal Magazine in Japan for his recordings “Say It” and “Besame Mucho” , and the 2003 International New Star Award in Japan, an honor previously awarded to Diana Krall. Dominick’s recordings have placed #1 on the Swing Journal Jazz Charts, and he was the winner of the ITG Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition in 2003.
When asked about the inspiration behind the record Dominick expressed, “This is some of the music that has become closest to my heart over the years: songs written by composers from many parts of the world; including the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, France, and Japan. All of these songs have a beautiful lyrical quality about them, which I feel reflects some of my most important influences: Clifford Brown, Harry James, Freddie Hubbard, Nina Simone, Carmen McRae, Frank Sinatra, and others.”
Chuck Mitchell, VP of Jazz/Adult Music for E1 Music adds, “It has been many years since I’ve heard a jazz musician under 30 as genuinely gifted and mature as Dominick Farinacci. We are thrilled to have assembled a supporting cast of some of the greatest musicians in jazz, guided by a producer who’s truly one of the great talents in modern recorded music.”
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