(Seaflight Live Video)
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To book Seaflight or purchase a CD, use the Contact button |
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Seaflight is comprised of ... |
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Jason Kessler Jason Kessler, a graduate of Colgate University, studied classical guitar with William Viola of Philadelphia and composition at Syracuse University with Brian Israel. He has performed with members of the Syracuse Symphony and Society for New Music. His jazz group, Seaflight, has opened for Chick Corea and Dizzy Gillespie at major jazz fests. Mr. Kessler's compositions were featured on the nationally aired PBS video, "All American Jazz". He has recorded original compositions with Gene Bertoncini, bassist Glen Moore, and vocalist Kim Nazarian of The New York Voices. His recording with bassist Richard Eckberg, The Double String Duo, has received critical acclaim from Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Mason Williams, Gene Bertoncini, and soprano Phyllis Curtin. Mr. Kessler has revived his Seaflight ensemble, featuring saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, bassist Jeff Guevin, and drummer Karl Sterling. This new configuration features Mr. Kessler's original compositions and promises to take the band to an unprecedented level of performance. |
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Chad Lefkowitz-Brown Since starting saxophone at age ten, Chad has enjoyed much success as an aspiring jazz musician. During his scholastic career, Chad has received a total of 12 DownBeat Student Music awards, a prestigious competition open to students throughout the U.S. and Canada. Chad was one of two tenor saxophonists from North America selected to the 2008 Gibson/Baldwin GRAMMY High School Jazz Ensemble. He was also selected to the 2008 Jazz Band of America, directed by Shelly Berg. In addition to performing in these prestigious groups, he has studied at exclusive summer programs including the Brubeck Summer Jazz Colony and the Vail Summer Jazz Workshop, where he worked with such jazz greats as Lewis Nash, the Clayton Brothers, Terell Stafford, Frank Morgan, and Marvin Stamm. While a junior in high school, Chad was selected by The Commission Project (TCP) to receive annual works written for him to perform throughout his scholastic career. Through these commissions, he has been a featured guest soloist with the Ithaca College and Cornell University Big Bands, performing works composed by Paul Merrill, Gussman Director of Jazz Ensembles at Cornell. Chad has had extensive performing experience, receiving the superior musicianship award at the Berklee High School Jazz Festival and sharing the stage with some of the most influential names in jazz including McCoy Tyner, Phil Woods, Patti Austin, Bobby Watson, Hubert Laws, Taylor Eigsti, Chris Vadala, Terri Lynn Carrington, Antionio Hart, Matt Wilson, Eric Marienthal, Clay Jenkins, and Andy McGhee. Chad was most recently selected to the prestigious Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet, where he will begin his collegiate jazz studies as a Brubeck Fellow. |
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Karl Sterling Born in Ithaca, New York, Karl has spent the majority of his life in the Syracuse, NY area.
It was in 1970 when Karl was 9 years old that he first saw legendary drummer Buddy Rich. At that very point he KNEW the drums were his instrument and started seriously studying and practicing. His first teacher was his father and after 4 years, at the age of 13, he started playing gigs with his dad's band.
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Jeff Guevin Jeff Guevin is a double bass player with over 16 years of experience, specializing in Jazz, but he has played Classical, Folk, Klezmer, Rock, and probably some other stuff as well. He's originally from Hawaii, but lived in California, Oregon, Washington, New York, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, before recently moving east again to Binghamton, NY. Jeff studied music at Whitman College and Cornell University (where he got his degree), and recently studied a bit of classical bass with Diana Gannett (professor at the University of Michigan). He's played with a number of Jazz groups over the years, and recently played and recorded with Joe Reilly, making some jazz-inflected folk music. |
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