David Gilmore – guitar
Tyler Blanton – vibes
Carlo DeRosa – bass
Ben Perowsky – drums
DAVID GILMORE has recorded and performed with many of today’s most influential modern artists. He has worked with Wayne Shorter (appearing on Mr. Shorter’s Grammy Award winning album, High Life (Verve)), Dave Douglas, Muhal Richard Abrams, Sam Rivers, Steve Coleman, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Uri Caine, Randy Brecker, David Sanborn, Ron Blake, Carolyn Leonhart and Christian McBride, among many others.
In addition to his significance presence on the international touring scene, Gilmore has also appeared on over 50 recordings, including two of his own as leader. His first CD, Ritualism (2001) received international critical praise and was nominated for the 2001 Debut CD of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.
Gilmore has even made notable contributions to such pop acts as Me’shell N’Degeocello, Melissa Etheridge, Joan Osbourne, Mavis Staples, Issac Hayes, Boz Scaggs, Tommy Lang of Austria, Rise Robots Rise, and Japan’s Monday Michiru. He has also toured extensively with multi-platinum artist Joss Stone. DownBeat Magazine’s Critic’s Poll voted Gilmore a “Rising Star.”
Gilmore’s playing has been compared to guitarists as diverse as George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Jimi Hendrix and Leo Nocentelli. He is committed to an improvisational approach that reflects a global awareness. One result of this global ethic, the work “African Continuum” – enabled by a CMA New Works Composer Grant– was premiered to the public in Spring 2003.
In addition to recording and touring, Gilmore teaches Guitar Studies at the prestigious Berklee College of Music where he is an Associate Professor. He also conducts master classes around the world, giving him an opportunity to share his talents, concepts and experiences with new generations of young musicians.
More recently David was the recipient of a 2008 Chamber Music America, New Jazz Works Composer’s grant.
Vibraphonist and composer Tyler Blanton is becoming recognized as a rising star in the New York City jazz scene. Over the past five years, his work has received notice by numerous major publications including Downbeat, Jazztimes, Village Voice, and The New York Times. Blanton’s second studio album as a leader, Gotham, is scheduled for release in March, 2014.
A native of California, Blanton took the plunge and permanently relocated to New York City in 2007, settling in Brooklyn. Upon his arrival, he took on a strong presence as a band leader and composer, quickly connecting with many influential players in the scene and performing around town at venues such as Smalls, La Lanterna, and Cornelia St Cafe. The culmination of Blanton’s first two years in New York is reflected in his 2010 debut album, “Botanic,” which featured drummers Richie Barshay and Jared Schonig, bassists Aidan Carroll and Dan Loomis, and saxophonist Joel Frahm. Upon its release, “Botanic,” garnered considerable notice, earning reviews in Downbeat and Jazztimes magazines, as well as being chosen as a top album of the year by both Hot House and Village Voice Critic’s polls that year.
Ben Perowsky’s notable career has placed him among a small vanguard of players able to move between jazz, experimental music and cutting edge pop and rock. He cut his teeth as a youth playing drums for the likes of Rickie Lee Jones, John Cale, Roy Ayers, James Moody, Bob Berg, Mike Stern and Michael Brecker. Broke ground driving back beats for NY bands Elysian Fields and Joan as Policewoman as well as John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards. He Co-founded the electric jazz group Lost Tribe and has continued to record and perform with pop and jazz legends such as John Scofield, Belle and Sebastian, John Zorn, Dave Douglas, Lou Reed, Pat Martino, Tegan and Sara, Uri Caine, Steven Bernstein, Walter Becker, Vernon Reid, Loudon, Martha and Rufus Wainwright. Ben has produced 8 critically acclaimed records to date. He currently plays in a band called RedCred with John Medeski and Chris Speed.
Since moving to New York City in 1993 bassist Carlo De Rosa has had the opportunity to work with many great artists in the Latin and Jazz World. This has led to diverse musical and cultural experiences and has allowed Carlo to work with a wide variety of artists such as Ray Barretto, Ravi Coltrane, William Cepeda, Bruce Barth, Dave Valentin, Ed Thigpen, Nick Brignola, Mickey Roker, Steve Turre, Miguel Zenon, Hilton Ruiz, Ralph Alessi, Candido Camero, Jason Moran, Papo Vasquez and the NYC Ballet.
He collaborates and performs with many other great artists including: Vijay Iyer, Allison Miller, Ingrid Jensen, Sam Newsome, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Mark Shim, Luis Perdomo, Dave Allen, Chembo Corniel, Lucian Ban, Andrea Brachfeld, Amir ElSaffar, Elio Villafranca, and Victor Prieto.
As a US Jazz Ambassador in 1999 Carlo traveled to South Africa, Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Other performances abroad have led him to countries as varied as France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Russia, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Holland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Argentina, Chile, Romania, Slovenia, Denmark, England, Scotland and Ireland.
His New York Club engagements have included the Blue Note, Birdland, Zinc Bar, 55 Bar, Smalls, Visiones, Fat Cat, Knitting Factory, Detour, Smoke, Kavehaz, Sweet Rhythm, Jazz Standard, Nuyorican Poet’s Café, Tonic, Satalla, CBGB’s Lounge, Barbès, Zebulon, Iridium, Jazz at Lincoln Center Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Cornelia Street Café, La Lanterna Caffe – Bar Next Door, Makor, Town Hall, Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Jazz Gallery.
