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PERCUSSION DISCUSSION – the mission
The purpose for performing music with my group, Percussion Discussion has always been solely, to express my personal musical vision, within an ensemble or orchestration of my choosing, along with a repetoire of my choosing. A concert with Percussion Discussion could be any of a number of possibilities ranging from solo percussion, to a big band of traditional size and orchestration. This group performing at the Novi Sad Jazz Festival, will be in a quintet format, with Jure Pukl (saxophones), Ivan Ivanov (saxophones), Saša Mutić (piano), and Wayne Darling (bass). The band originally performed a special interest concert in Divaca, Slovenia in March 2010. Its personnel possess a certain musical telepathy and chemistry that I wanted to explore further. The call to play at the Novi Sad Jazz Festival provides the proper forum to display the exceptional talents of these men. In 2006 I made a personal decision to celebrate the musical legacy of drummer extraordinaire, Elvin Jones in my Percussion Discussion projects through 2011, and the choice of these players allows me to realize that project to its highest levels of musical achievership for Percussion Discussion. |
Howard Thomas Curtis III, drummer/leader
Education: 1975 – BME Shenandoah Conservatory of Music (Cum Laude) Winchester, Va. 1983 – Graduate Percussion Studies with Warren Smith, New York. 1997 – Mallet Percussion Studies with Ian Finkel, New York. 2000 – Graduate Mallet Studies with Rebecca Kite, Washington, DC.
Teaching experience: 1975-1983 Elementary, Middle, and High School (substitute capacity) Newport News, Va. 1990-1996 Percussion Specialist – Newport News Public Schools, Newport News, Va. 1991-2005 Instructor of Percussion – University of Richmond, Richmond, Va. 1992-2005 Professor of Percussion – College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. 1992-2005 Professor of Jazz Percussion – Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va. 2001-2005 Professor of Jazz Percussion – Peabody Institute of Music at John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. 2005 present University Professor and head of Jazz Drum department at Universität fur Musik and Darstellende Kunst Graz, Austria. June 16, 2010 – promoted to (TENURED) Full University Professor at Universität fur Musik and DarstellendeKunst at Graz, Austria.
Performing experience:
Classical music: Has performed with classical ensembles, chamber groups, as soloist and as percussionist with symphonic orchestras (Norfork, Richmond), Williamsburg Chamber Ensemble, the Andrew White Chamber Ensemble. Performed with baritone singer, Robert Merrill (Metropolitan Opera, New York). Curtis was an honor recitalist and concerto finalist-winner to perform the Toshiro Mayuzumi, ”Concertino for Xylophone and Orchestra”, also the Paul Creston ”Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra”. Performed with composer-conductors, Vaclav Nelhybel, Carman Moore and Vincent Persichetti (Philadelphia Conservatory, the Julliard School) and in orchestras conducted by Isaiah Jackson (Berlin, Helsinki, the Royal Ballet) and Thomas Wilkins (Detroit Symphony, Florida Symphony, Omaha Symphony).
Pop music: The Temptations, The Platters, Frankie Avalon, Frankie Laine, Barry White, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Main Ingredient with Cuba Gooding, The Marvalettes, Barbara Mandrel, Cissy Houston, The Impressions, Bob Hope, Mitzi Gaynor, Tom Browne, Solomon Burke, Red Skelton and Melba Moore.
Jazz: Performed and/or recorded with John Abercrombie, David ”Fathead” Newman, Andrew White, Billy Harper, Rosemary Clooney, Eartha Kitt, Lionel Hampton, Billy D (Billy Davis), Gary Thomas, Frank Tusa, Jack Sheldon, Johnny Coles, Carter Jefferson, Herb Jeffries, Jimmy Hamilton, David Liebman (the recording of big band and small band recording ”Joy” received 4.5 stars in DownBeat magazine), Amira Baraka, The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Chris Vadala, Jon Metzger, John Dearth, Jon Faddis, Mark Murphy, Joe Kennedy, Jimmy Heath, Karlheinz Miklin, Clark Terry, Barry Harris, George Coleman, Buck Hill, Marc Johnson, Steve Gut, Ernie Andrews, Carl Grubbs, Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, Igor Butman, James Carter, J.D. Parran, Ellis Marsalis, Mark Turner, Jon Gordon, Marc Copeland, Ingrid Jensen, David Kikowski, Lütz Hafner, Bennie Wallace, Ann Hampton Calloway, Reggie Johnson, Frank Foster, Doug Hammond, Kevin Hayes, Ed Howard, John Fedchock, Jerry Bergonzi, Mike Richmond, Frank Foster, Valery Ponomarev, Drew Gress, Fred Hopkins, Paul Bollenbeck, Joe Locke, James Genus, Lonnie Liston Smith, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Mulgrew Miller, Harry Allen, Kurt Elling, Bob Mintzer, Michael Formanek, Michelle Rosewoman, Greg Osby, Shelia Jordan, Jay Clayton, Herb Geller, Don Menza, Tim Hagans, Tim Ries, Rene Marie (Her short video received Grammy nomination) Miles Griffith, Dena DeRose, Jimmy Bruno, Ken Perplowski, Eddie Gomez, Lonnie Liston Smith, Steve Wilson, Odean Pope, Kenny Rankin, Carl Fontaine, Jeremey Pelt, John Pizzarelli, George Colligan, Mark Feldman, Ed Howard, Erik Friedlander, Johannes Enders, Fritz Pauer, Jean Toussaint, Aaron Goldberg, Anna Lavernac, Debra Brown, Kevin Mahagony, Bill Evans, Conrad Herwig, Tommy Newsome, Bill Cosby, Kirk Lightsey and Rick Margitza.
Broadway shows: Guys and Dolls (Hugh O’Brian, Abe Vigoda, Katherine Crosby), Timbuktu (EarthaKitt), Sugar Babies (Mickey Rooney, Ann Miller) Here It Is Burlesque (Morey Amsterdam) La Cage Aux Folles, 42nd Street.
Jazz Festivals: Hampton (Va) Kool Jazz Festival, Hilton Head (SC) Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, La Villete (Paris), Novi Sad (Serbia), D.C. Free Jazz Festival, Ljubljana Jazz Festival (Slovenia), Konsberg Arts Festival (Norway), and Vienna Jazz Festival (Austria).
Other festival concerts: in England, Poland, Canary Islands, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Russia, Slovakia, Germany, Norway and the Czech Republic. US performances include The Blue Note (NYC), the Jazz Standard (NYC), the Knitting Factory (NYC), the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (NYC), Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, DC), Smithsonian Institute, Blues Alley, the One Step Down (all in Washington DC) Los Angeles-Getty Museum and Joshi’s in San Francisco, California. |
Professor of Double Bass at the University School of Music in Graz, Austria. (B.M.E. and M.M. degrees in performance). Recipient of many awards and scholarships for outstanding musical performance. (i.e. Grammy award for the Woody Herman recording: Giant Steps and Prix des Disques, France, for the Friedrich Gulda recording: ”G’schichtenaus den Wienerwald un Andere”). Many publications and over 70 CD/LP recordings with leading jazz artists! Mr. Darling leads his own jazz group which performs and records regularly. He also continues to perform in several projects and solo performances which includes a blending of different musical styles with a strong emphasis on improvisation. Clinics and workshops for the Jamey Aebersold Camps, Director of the St. Pölten international jazz workshops, Director of the Bass Encounters events in Graz and Vienna, member of the International Society of Bassists jazz competition panel, Wayne is active in promoting Double Bass meetings, workshops, and competitions with the intent of raising performance and educational awareness on the international level.
Performances and recordings: Shirley Bassey, Bob Brookmeyer, Benny Carter, Wayne Darling Band, ArniEgilsson, Bill Elgart, Herb Ellis, Peter Erskine, Art Farmer, Bud Freeman, Stan Getz, Benny Golsen, Dexter Gordon, Jazz Big Band Graz, Joe Henderson, Woody Herman Big Band, Art Hodes, Marc Johnson, Sheila Jordan, Barney Kessel, Erich Kleinschuster, Dave Liebman, Mel Lewis, Henry Mancini, Charlie Mariano, Red Mitchell, Sunny Murray, Ed Neumeister, ORF Big Band, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen Jim Pepper, Barre Phillips, Heinrich Schiff, Bobby Shew, Clark Terry, Kenny Wheeler, Friedrich Gulda and the: Amsterdam Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, New Smphony Orchestra of Tokyo, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Tours: Austria, Canada, England, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, India, Japan, Philippines, Scotland, South America, United States. |
One of the most profilic and creative saxophonists of the younger Slovene jazz generation, Pukl obtained university education abroad. Having completed music high school in Slovenia, he studied classical saxophone at the Vienna Music Academy, and jazz saxophone in Vienna as well as at the Haag Conservatory of Music. Jure then won a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he pursued his studies with masters such as Joe Lovano, George Garzone, Dave Santoro, Greg Hopkins and Ed Tomassi. He completed his masters degree in music at the Graz Academy of Music. Throughout his studies Pukl performed and recorded ex tensively, being engaged in his own projects, as well as working with a number of Slovene and foreign jazzmen, such as Maceo Parker, Esperanza Spalding, Aaron Goldberg, Jeremy Pelt, Jamire Williams, Howard Curtis, Renato Chicco, Boško Petrović, Johnatan Blake, Francisco Mela, Miles Griffith, Aruan Ortiz, Mike Janisch and orchestras like the Big Band RTV Slovenija, European Jazz Orchestra, European Movement Jazz Orchestra, Vienna Saxophone Quartet, Nouvele Cousine, Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra, Studio Dan and many others. His music has won him many awards; among others the 2005 first Jury Prize and Best Composition Audience Award at the Jazzon International Music Workshop and Festival in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. In his auctorial projects, such as the Virus quintet (received rave reviews, among others on the influential Allaboutjazz Web portal) Pukl dedicates himself to modern interpretations of jazz. What he creates is a unique type of modern jazz, avant-garde, free jazz and impressionistic contemporary music performed with a great deal of knowledge and love, giving prominence to the interplay between band members. He already published 5 CD’s under his own name, one came out on Vienna’s national Radio-TV music label ORF and was recorded live at the famous Graz jazz club Stockwerk. The last one is called EARchitecture and was recorded in New York. He is also featured on more than 15 CD projects as a sideman.
Awards: Second award – Slovenian competition for young musicans (Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1998); Finalist – International saxophone competition ”Gustav Bumcke” (in Dortmund, Germany, 2000); Scholarship – BEST (Berklee Entering Student award, Boston, 2001); Second award – JAZZON, Original Slovenian competition JAZZON for jazz composition (Novo Mesto, Slovenia, 2003); FIRST award – JAZZON, (Novo mesto, Slovenia, 2006); Finalist – International Competition for Jazz Soloists (Fribourg, Switzerland 2007, Martial Solal). |
A member of the Macedonian young jazz generation, Ivan Ivanov received his music education in Macedonia, where he studied the classical saxophone, continuing jazz studies at the Music Academy in Graz, Austria. He is currently at his master’s degree at the Music Conservatoire in Paris. During his Graz studies he worked with Renato Chicco, Karl Heinz Miklin, Heinrich von Kalnein, Don Menza, Howard Curtis, Wayne Darling, Jure Pukl, Saša Mutič, Maja Jaku, and within many jazz seminars and workshops he worked with a number of first class musicians from all over the world, such as: Jerry Bergonzi, Bob Mintzer, Dick Oatts, Dave Liebman, Bill Holman, Pete Christlieb, Bob Brookmeyer and many others. He spent four years with the HGM Jazz Orchestra from Zagreb, touring all over Europe and playing with famous jazz musicians such as: Peter Erskine, Yellowjackets, Randy Brecker, Jim McNeely, John Thomas, John Riley, Don Menza and others. He has recorded a debut jazz album this year, featuring his auctorial music performed by the Ivan Ivanov Quartet. |
Biography (...or better... Autobiography)
My Name is Saša Mutić. I was born on 20th December 1976 in Zagreb, Croatia under the sign of Sagittarius. When I was 7 years old I discovered the piano and started to play. My parents sent me to school when I was 8. This was the classical music school, ”Pavao Markovac,” in my hometown Zagreb. My first piano teacher, Maja Bakrač, showed me the first steps in music and taught me how to play the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and all other masters of the piano. She was then and still is today my musical guru. My father, a guitarist, at the same time, showed me how to improvise over a 12 bar-blues ... not really easy... :-). As a child I heard different kinds of music: classical, funk, soul, R&B, hip-hop, gospel, pop. When I was 15, I heard my first Jazz record and I flipped out!! It was the Bill Evans Trio Album ”Portrait in Jazz”. From this moment on, everything started to change. At this point, the important point was ...improvisation... and still is. I then started to discover all other great jazz pianists, who continue to influence me: Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Wynton Kelly, Red Garland, Ahmad Jamal, Bud Powell, Kenny Kirkland, Brad Mehldau, Joey Calderazzo, Robert Glasper...etc. On the classical side: Bach, Chopin, Mozart, Debussy, Rachmaninoff...and many, many others. After matriculation from Technical High School and Classical Music High School, last two years Jazz Department, I decided to go to Graz, Austria and study Jazz Piano. When I passed the exam on the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Graz – Jazz Department, my parents were very proud but not that happy :-). I was extremely happy. I studied in the class of Prof. Harald Neuwirth, but also learned a lot from pianist Fritz Pauer. My favorite teacher was my classical professor Helmut Iberer, who was not only my teacher, but also my very good friend. During the studying years in Graz I played with different musicians in different bands on very different gigs, which was a very important period for me to learn how to play on the stage in all kinds of situations, but also to be prepared to react to all kinds of surprises without hesitation. This is what I still believe now – always be ready to fly away in a moment :-). I have played with my friends and very good musicians: Maja Jaku, Milan Nikolić, Anđelko ”Đele” Stupar, Predrag Perić, Nenad Vasilić, Ante Gelo, Borna Šercar, Tomislav ”Sova” Vasilj, Jure Pukl, Robert Jukić, Igor Lumpert, Dušan Novakov, Dušan Simović, Viktor Palić, Thorsten Zimmerman, Gernot Strebl, Daniel Nösig, Christian Salfellner and many others. I have also played with my teachers: Sigi Feigl, Ewald Oberleitner, Karl-Heinz Miklin, Karl Ratzer, Ed Neumeister, Steve Gut, Erich Bachträgl, Peter Kunsek... I have performed with greats such as: Howard Curtis, Johnathan Blake, Deborah Brown, Don Mensa, Dennis Irvin, Lasse Lindgren, Miles Griffith, Roman Schwaller... I recorded: 2 CD-s with my precious love and great singer Maja Jaku, the last CD feat. Johnathan Blake; Live CD with Deborah Brown Quartet feat. Howard Curtis and Live CD with Bernd Reiter Quartet feat. Roman Schwaller. The last three years I have been working in the theater Next Liberty – Graz, performing musicals for kids. My great inspirations in music are: my son Viktor, wife Maja, my family, friends, chess. I am influenced by musicians who I play with, great piano players, composers and musicians, past and present. I am guided by the spirit of God, the Creator of all that was and ever shall be. ... Peace. |
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