Jim Snidero Quartet

About this event

TICKETS are $20 General/$10 Student. Concert is one set; End time is estimate.

Jim Snidero’s performance at Merrimans’ Playhouse will feature original music from his new release House of Trane , inspired by a visit to John Coltrane’s house on Long Island.

Jim Snidero - alto sax

Stefan Karlsson - piano

Ugonna Okegwo - bass

Jason Tiemann - drums

Grammy award-winning alto saxophonist, composer and author Jim Snidero has been hailed as an “alto sax virtuoso” ( Downbeat ) with “mind-boggling” improvisation skills ( The Guardian ), amassing over 20 million streams on Spotify and Apple. In 2024 he reached the pinnacle of the jazz world, placing top 5 alto saxophone in the preeminent Downbeat Magazine International Critics Poll.

Originally from Maryland, Snidero moved to New York in 1981 and began sideman stints with Brother Jack McDuff, recording two albums with him, followed by work with Frank Sinatra (recording Duets 2 ), the Mingus Big Band, Eddie Palmieri, Frank Wess, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Sting and Brian Lynch, appearing as a featured soloist on Lynch’s Grammy-winning The Omni-American Book Club .

His 27 leader albums include 1989’s Blue Afternoon , later included in The Penguin Jazz Guide: The History of the Music in the 1001 Best Albums ; the 2003 self-composed and arranged orchestral Strings on Milestone Records, hailed as a “masterpiece” by the San Francisco Guardian ; the Korean-inspired Project-K ; and Live at the Deer Head Inn .

Recent years have brought some of the strongest recognition of Snidero’s career. Live at the Deer Head Inn received a five-star 2020 best-of-year “masterpiece” review from DownBeat , while 2024’s chordless trio album For All We Know earned 4½ stars from AllMusic and further acclaim from DownBeat and Stereophile . Snidero’s quartet is a regular on tour circuits throughout Europe and the US.

Snidero has also penned three Jazz Conception books, cementing him as a best-selling jazz author, as well as The Essence of the Blues and The Essence of Bebop (2020), considered masterworks in jazz education. He is on the faculty at New School and was a visiting professor at Indiana University and Princeton University.

PRESS QUOTES

“Alto Saxophone Virtuoso” - Downbeat Magazine

“Snidero had let his influences reveal something special” - The Times

“An alto saxophone sound that is one of the richest and purest on the planet” - Stereophile Magazine

“Mind-boggling, and, at the same time hugely enjoyable (improvisation)” - The Guardian

“Genuinely significant figure in jazz composition” - Penguin Guide to Jazz

A native of Sweden, Stefan Karlsson came to the United States in 1984 to study at the University of North Texas (UNT) due to his association with former UNT professors Rich Matteson, Jack Peterson and Jim Riggs. Stefan spent six years at UNT earning bachelor's and master's degrees. While at UNT he became, for three years, a member of the well known One O'clock Lab Band, and received the "Outstanding Graduate Student in Jazz Studies Award" in 1991. During his last year as a UNT student, Stefan signed a three-year recording contract with Justice Records in Houston, Texas.

After graduation, Stefan lived in Denver, Colorado (1991-1994) and in Las Vegas, Nevada (1994-2002), where he fulfilled his duties as professor of music and coordinator of jazz studies at the University of Nevada. In 2002, Stefan joined the jazz faculty in the division of jazz studies at the University of North Texas, where he taught until 2014. As an active recruiter for the UNT jazz piano area, his former student accomplishments include: first place winners of the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition and the Phillips Jazz Piano Competition in Pensacola; finalists in the All American Jazz Piano Competition and the Barry Harris Jazz Piano Competition; invitations to the Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead program at the Lincoln Center; recipients of the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award (sponsored by ASCAP) and the Yamaha Young Performing Artist award; numerous Down Beat student awards; keyboardist with famed Eminem; and various college teaching positions throughout the USA. He has also been part of the Stanford Jazz Workshop for eight years as a clinician and performer.

Stefan stays very active as guest performer and Artist-in-Residence at concert venues, festivals, clubs, and universities worldwide. His extensive travel schedule has taken him both as a performer and educator throughout Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Scotland, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and the United States. His discography includes 78 recordings, with nine CD projects under his own leadership. He has been a recording artist for Justice Records , Cambria/Troppe Note Records and currently Bebyne http://www.bebyne.com/category/stefan-karlsson/

Since 1996, Stefan has been a member of the Eddie Gomez Trio and Quartet (including Jimmy Cobb, Billy Drummond, Billy Hart, Nasheet Waits, Ed Soph, Jeremy Steig, and Rodrigo Villanueva), frequently touring Asia, Mexico, South America, Europe and the United States. The group has recorded six CD projects. In addition to performing with the Eddie Gomez group, he has also had the opportunity to share the stage and recorded with such jazz greats as: Steve Gadd, Herb Ellis, Jim Ferguson, Lou Fischer, Carl Fontana, Tim Hagans, Steve Houghton, Javon Jackson, Clay Jenkins, Marc Johnson, Larry Koontz, Joe La Barbera, Rich Matteson, Red Mitchell, Dick Oatts, Rich Perry, Chris Potter, Dave Pietro, Rufus Reid, Jim Riggs, Marvin ‘Smitty” Smith, Duduka Da Fonseca, Lynn Seaton, Bob Sheppard, Alex Sipiagin, Ed Soph, Marvin Stamm, Jim White, Mike Pope, Magnus Broo, Tom Warrington, Jiggs Wigham, Li Xiaochuan, Eliot Zigmund, and many others.

A sample of appearances at international venues are: JZ Clubs and Festival (China), Blue Note Jazz Clubs (Fukyoka, Tokyo, and Osaka), Cotton Club (Tokyo, Japan), Mahidol University Jazz Festival (Thailand), New Morning Jazz Club (Paris, France), Fasching Jazz Club (Stockholm, Sweden), Terrassa Jazz Festival (Terrassa, Spain), Vierzen Jazz Festival (Vierzen, Germany), Terzo Festival Internazionale Isola D’Elba (Elba, Italy), Festival des Rencontres (Capbreton, France), Body and Soul Jazz Club (Tokyo, Japan), Star Eyes Jazz Club (Nagoya, Japan), Jazz Club Jambouree (Barcelona, Spain), Muroran Jazz Festival (Muroran, Japan), Edinburg Festival (Edinburg, Scotland), Royal Academy of Music (Stockholm, Sweden), Conservatori Liceu (Barcelona, Spain), Conservatory of Music in Shanghai (China), Contemporary Music Academy (Beijing, China), Contemporary Music Institute (Zhuhai, China), University of Adelaide (Australia), International Association for Jazz Educators conference (IAJE), Jazz Educators Network (JEN), and many others.

In addition, Stefan has performed with the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Richardson symphony orchestras (including as an accompanist for vocalists Patti Austin and Monica Mancini).

Further, as a composer, Stefan is currently a published composer with BUG MUSIC in Hollywood, California http://www.bmgchrysalis.com/ . His original music is copyrighted through ASCAP http://www.ascap.com/ . His music was featured in the 1994 movie releases "Sugar Hill" (featuring Wesley Snipes), "Twenty Bucks" (featuring Christopher Loyd), and the 1997 Independent film “Strays.” During the latter part of the 90’s, Stefan's music was frequently heard on the television series "Melrose Place," "Party of Five," “Wings” and "Homicide." His original compositions are also published in the European Real Book (Sher Music) http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217245.shtml and the Colorado Cook Book .

Ugonna Okegwo is one of the most distinctive and sought-after jazz bassists in the world. Critics across the globe have praised him for his rich tone, supple sense of swing, stylistic range and inventiveness. These qualities have not only earned him a place on the bandstand with jazz legends as diverse as Clark Terry, Benny Golson, Pharoah Sanders and Joseph Jarman – they have established him as one of the leading lights of a younger generation redefining jazz for the new century.

"He is very individualistic, both in his soloing and accompanying. I love the way he plays in the ensemble,” says Tom Harrell, with whom Okegwo has worked for several years. “Ugonna does some really creative things that I haven't heard anyone do with his articulation and timing."

Born March 15, 1962 in London to a German mother and Nigerian father, Okegwo was raised in Germany and grew up listening to African-American music -- James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, and, eventually, the great Charles Mingus.

"What I always heard first in funk and rock 'n roll were the bass lines, the ostinato, and later, in jazz, the walking bass," he recalls. "That's what first got me playing bass.” The fusing of funk and jazz bass conceptions is a foundation of Okegwo’s unique approach, making his sound instantly recognizable.

In 1986, he moved to Berlin to study with the American expatriate bassist Jay Oliver, and with the American pianist Walter Norris. There Okegwo caught the attention of many prominent jazz musicians, most notably the trombonist and Mingus alum, Lou Blackburn, who invited Okegwo to tour Europe with his Afro-Jazz group “Mombasa”. While working with Blackburn, Okegwo met and played with trumpeter Joe Newman, drummer Oliver Jackson, and the bassist Major Holley, who encouraged him to move to New York.

In 1989, Okegwo made the leap to Manhattan and began playing with musicians like saxophone legends Big Nick Nicholas, Junior Cook, and James Spaulding. In 1992, a call from legendary vocalist Jon Hendricks led to steady work as a sideman - on stage and in recording studios. In 1994 Hendricks even took Okegwo to the White House to perform for the President. During this time, Okegwo’s artistry attracted two other gifted young musicians -- pianist Jacky Terrason and drummer Leon Parker. The trio joined forces and at famous clubs like the Village Gate and Bradley’s, developing one of the most creative and explosive group sounds of the nineties.

Recently, Okegwo expanded his horizons and became a bandleader. In 2002 he took his quartet to Europe and documented the group with a recording entitled "UOniverse" [Satchmo Jazz]. The material, which consists of his compositions and brilliantly arranged standards, draws from a wide range of influences, including jazz, African, funk, and classical music.

Jason Tiemann is a New York City based jazz drummer, where he maintains a busy schedule as a freelance performer and educator. Admittedly drawing influence from the great(s) Philly Joe Jones, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones and Billy Higgins, Tiemann is quickly forging his musical voice on the New York scene by fusing his depth of historical foundation with crisp technique and propulsive, intuitive swing.

Tiemann is currently on the jazz faculty of the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the university of Hartford. Additionally, he has been an artist/clinician for the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops since 1998. Before moving to NYC, he was an active component of the Midwest Jazz community where he was in constant demand throughout the region as a performer and educator and was afforded the opportunity to accompany numerous jazz luminaries.

Throughout his career, he has performed and/or recorded with an astonishing array of musicians including, but certainly not limited to, Benny Golson, David Liebman, Harold Mabern, Eric Alexander, Mike LeDonne, Peter Bernstein, Slide Hampton and countless others on the New York scene. Jason is an endorsing artist for Yamaha drums, Remo drumheads, and Innovative Percussion sticks, mallets and brushes.

Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from the Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services Private Trust Foundations, which include grants from the Stanley A. and Flora P. Clark Memorial Community Trust Foundation, the John, Anna, and Martha Jane Fields Memorial Trust Foundation, and the Florence V. Carroll Charitable Trust. Special concert event support provided by the Arts Midwest Grow, Invest, Gather (GIG) Fund grant (2022-2023 season). Activities are made possible in part by the Arts Organization Support (AOS), Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Concerts and events made possible, in part, with support from The Esther and George Jaruga Charitable Foundation (2020-2023 seasons). The Student and Home Grown Series concerts made possible, in part, with support from the ArtsEverywhere Grant from the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, and the Arts Project Support Grant and the Arts Recovery Grant through the Indiana Arts Commission.