Results for "Funk"

Jason Kruk

Born: January 19

Jason Kruk is a New York City-based drummer, composer, and educator with over 30 years of experience. Known for his versatility and technical depth, Jason’s career spans a vast musical landscape—from the precision of jazz, fusion, and big band to the groove of funk, Afro-Cuban salsa, and rock.

His academic foundation includes a B.A. in Psychology from Lawrence University and an M.M. in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas. Throughout his development, he has studied under legendary masters such as Ed Soph, David Garibaldi, and Ignacio Berroa.

Jason’s international footprint includes tours across Europe and North America, with performances in France, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and the Caribbean. In New York, he has performed at iconic venues like The 55 Bar, Nublu, The Living Room, The Brooklyn Bowl, and The Bitter End. His collaborative resume is a “who’s who” of modern music, having worked with Grammy-winning members of Snarky Puppy (Mike League, Bob Lanzetti, Mike Maher, Jay Jennings),  Tom Luer (Gordon Goodwin Band), Sean Nowell, Art Hirahara, Isamu McGregor, Dan Arcamone, Mike Nunno, FRO, Linda Oh, Pascal Le Boeuf, Remy Le Boeuf, Josephine Ancelle, the Bryan Hilton Quintet, Mojo Perry, Todd Parsnow, Shelley Carrol, Jeff Eckels, Ken Peplowski, Kim Richmond, Fima Ephron, Kelly Sill, Randy Sabien, Galen Abdul-Zarrahk, Chris Hoffman, Matt Turner, Marlin McKay, Mark Urness, Tom Washatka, Emilie Cardinaux, A.J. Mallory (Rebirth Brass Band), Dave Sullivan, Jon Harmon, Michael Spiro, Gene Bertoncini and many other gifted artists.  

Darrin James

Darrin James is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer and producer known for his distinctive gravelly voice, thoughtful lyrics, soulful guitar playing and funky, eclectic musicianship.  In Ann Arbor, MI he owns a recording studio and independent label, Ravine Records, and his wide-ranging productions include rustic Americana, gritty rock n'roll, greasy funk, jazz fusion, free improvisation, artful electronica, and increasingly more influences from around the globe.

As Darrin James Band, he has released four critically praised albums of his original songs: Thrones of Gold (2006),  The Lovely Ugly Truth(2009) Strange Storm (2016) and See Right Through (2024).  James' songs  have  found their way into TV  and film such as the Emmy nominated  season of Deadliest Catch and the 2019 film, Peel, starring Emile Hirsch.  James provided the soundtrack to the documentary film, Meet Me at the Lindell, The Story of America's First Sports Bar, which premiered at Detroit's Freep Film Festival in 2017 and aired on PBS.    

Disaster Relief

Active since: 2018

Disaster Relief is a joyful jazz-funk ensemble designed to remedy the negative vibes in the world today. Led by Ann Arbor, Michigan based guitarist/composer/producer Darrin James, the ensemble boasts a big horn section and showcases many rising stars of the Michigan and Detroit music scenes.  They have a reputation for exciting live performances that balance tightly composed arrangements with open, free improvisation, always with a deep danceable groove and loads of soul. 

Travis Hall

Born: January 23, 1994

Travis Hall (b. January 23, 1994) is an Atlanta-based vocalist, composer, and Recording Academy Voting Member whose work exists at the intersection of jazz tradition, soul expression, and contemporary Black American Music. He holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Georgia State University, where his graduate studies included advanced jazz theory, harmonic analysis, and improvisation alongside classical and operatic training.

Hall’s compositional voice is grounded in extended harmony, modal interchange, altered dominants, and jazz-informed voice leading — elements that shape both his writing and performance approach. Though widely recognized as a Soul and R&B artist, his music reflects a deep engagement with jazz structure, ensemble interplay, and improvisational phrasing.

Zack Varner

     Multi-instrumentalist and composer Zack Varner remains in constant demand on the stage and in the studio. His quartet has performed at the international Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Santo Domingo Jazz Festivals. In his home city of Austin, Texas, he has performed showcases at the Uplift Jazz Festival and the South by Southwest Music Festival. Varner’s solo album release Blues in the Nude features eleven original compositions and has garnered excellent reviews from several established music critics. The Austin Chronicle’s Jeremy Steinberger writes: “Varner expertly honors tradition with hard bop and swing themes while simultaneously exploring and building on the genre's evolution through tango, bossa nova, and samba-infused textures.

Lazy Californians

Lazy Californians are a jazz and brass band, that mixes San Francisco funk and soul with New Orleans inspired grooves. 

wessmithjazz

Born: 1984

Wes Smith is an in-demand musician who has performed with legendary names like Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Booker T Jones and Poncho Sanchez.  He has recorded commercially for artists like Pharrell Williams, Robin Thicke, Jennifer Lopez and Zendaya.  His woodwinds can be heard frequently in the Film/TV world.

Smith’s musicianship has taken him around the globe - from the Hollywood Bowl, to palaces in Udaipur, to the beautiful Gold Coast of Australia.  One of his noted career highlights was performing at the White House in Booker T Jone’s band with President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama in attendance.  He was also featured in the finale of the Academy Award winning feature film, ‘Whiplash.’

Dom Palombi

Born: February 4, 1994

Dom Palombi, Professional Drummer, Composer/Arranger, Educator, and Streamer, has been thriving on the musical journey for 20+ years. After finishing a Bachelor's Degree of Jazz Performance at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University - New Brunswick, NJ (2012-2016), Dom has been fortunate to perform, educate, and explore a multitude of opportunities as a full-time freelance musician. During his time at Rutgers, Dom studied with legendary jazz drummers Victor Lewis and Robby Ameen. Since graduating, Dom is an active Dance Accompanist for the Mason Gross Dance Department (2017-Current). He’s also accompanied dance classes for Drew University. Dom has also been working with Jazz at Princeton University (2021-Current) filling in/performing with some of their student ensembles as a guest.

David Bode

Some are raised in New Orleans’ musical tradition. Others join it by force of will. David Bode, a New Orleans-born saxophonist and composer, felt the pull of his city’s timeless, creative spirit from childhood. But as the first musician in his family, connecting with it required desire and persistence. A graduate of the renowned Loyola University and University of New Orleans music programs, Bode, who first began performing professionally while in high school, has spent more than two decades performing, writing, and recording in New Orleans and beyond. He is a regular at his city’s famed music clubs, concert halls, and festivals performing with New Orleans High Society, the New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra, and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, among many others, and is the leader of the David Bode Big Band. Good Hang, Bode’s first release as a leader, blends his eclectic musical sensibility into the classic sounds of big band jazz, resulting in an energetic debut.

Erez Aviram

The Erez Aviram Ensemble is a unique group consisting of eight versatile musicians from New York City led by composer and pianist Erez Aviram. The ensemble, combining traditional orchestral instruments with a powerful rhythm and horn sections, creates a bridge between the written and the improvised, skipping flawlessly between genres and modes to produce intellectual and emotive music.

Since its inception, the ensemble has become a rising force in the chamber jazz scene, performing in New York City.
Following the recording and filming of their debut EP, the ensemble delivered a sold-out performance at the 2023 Rochester Jazz Festival, and were picked to perform at Chamber Music America's Showcase in Times Square, NYC on January 2024.