MAIN CONCERT PROGRAMME - Serbian National Theatre - Wednesday, 16th November 2011.
VLADIMIR KOSTADINOVIĆ NEW YORK QUARTET
 JAKA KOPAČ, alto saxophone
DANNY GRISSETT, piano
VICENTE ARCHER, double bass
VLADIMIR KOSTADINOVIĆ, drums
JAKA KOPAČ
Jaka Kopač began playing alto saxophone when he was 14. Already at the age of 16, he began taking saxophone lessons in Zagreb, Croatia, under Saša Nestorović (e.g. Zagreb Saxophone Quartet). At 18, Jaka began studying playing the saxophone with Karheinz Miklin at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts Graz-Austria. Jaka’s talent was quickly noticed at Graz and, as a result, one of his teachers, trumpet player Stjepko Gut, took him to New York to listen to local jams and to get to know American musicians. This was the starting point for several visits to New York, where Jaka received private lessons e.g. from Bradford Leali, Vincent Herring, Miguel Zenon, Jaleel Shaw and John Percell.
At the age of 22, Jaka attended an international applicant audition in Paris for the Berklee College of Music in which he was granted a  scholarship worth 40 000€ for four years. As the expenses would still have been too high for Jaka to be able to study at Berklee, he had to abandon his dream of studying in the United States. After this, Jaka heard several musicians around Europe recommending the Sibelius Academy in Finland and in particular its high-standing jazz department. Jaka first came to the Sibelius Academy as an exchange student in winter 2006. Then, the following autumn, he began studying at the master’s program at the jazz department. He will take his Master of Music degree in spring 2009.
During his career, Jaka has played at various assemblies and big bands e.g. at the European Youth Jazz Orchestra, the European Movement Jazz Orchestra, the New York University Big Band, the RTV Big Band Slovenia, HMG Big Band (Zagreb-Graz), The Fool Cool Jazz Orchestra (Slovenia), the Graz Big Band, Sibis Big Band (Helsinki), the Igor Lunder Group (Zagreb Saxophone Quartet) and Outi Tarkiainen Nonet. He has worked together in joint projects for example with the following musicians: Jonathan Blake, Jimmy Owens, Dack Hammond, Dusko Gykovic, Bosko Petrovic, George Garzone, Lennie Pickett and Primož Grašič. Jaka has also performed at important European jazz clubs, like at the UMO Jazz club and Storyville (Helsinki), Jazz House (Copenhagen) Porgy & Bess and Birdland (Vienna).  In addition to this, Jaka has given concerts as a member of various assemblies in countries such as China, Portugal, France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Finland, Denmark and Sweden.
www.jakakopac.com
DANNY GRISSETT
Originally from Los Angeles, California, pianist/composer Danny Grissett is a relatively new addition to the New York jazz scene. He started playing the piano at age five, and began studying classically when he turned six. Danny continued his classical training through high school and college, earning his B.A. in Music Education in 1998, while developing a love for jazz along the way. He further explored his love for jazz in graduate school, earning his M.F.A in Jazz Performance from Cal Arts in 2000, and completing studies at the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute in 2001. There he studied with jazz masters such as Barry Harris, Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard, Kenny Barron, Bobby Watson, Jimmy Heath and Carl Allen.
Also during this time he began to establish himself on the LA Jazz scene with the guidance of one of his mentors, drummer Billy Higgins. He began performing more often with distinguished local and touring artists such as Billy Higgins, George Coleman, Jackie McLean, and Ralph Moore. In 2002 he joined drummer Roy McCurdy in the trio of John Heard, (bassist formerly with the trios of Ahmad Jamal and Oscar Peterson.) The invaluable time spent with Heard and McCurdy, playing clubs frequently, talking about music and the scene in NY, proved to be instrumental in cultivating Grissett’s ever increasing thoughts about moving east. In the summer of 2003 Danny moved to New York, and within the first few months of Grissett’s arrival, he became a sideman of choice for artists such as Vincent Herring and Vanessa Rubin. You can hear Danny on Vincent Herring’s Mr. Wizard, and Ends and Means on High Note, and Live at the Bird’s Eye. He has also been a member of Tom Harrell’s quintet for the last 4 years, appearing on the last two releases from the great trumpeter Light On (2007) and Prana Dance (2008). In 2006 Danny made his debut as a leader with his first trio recording Promise on the Criss Cross Jazz label, a debut Allmusic.com called “…exquisite, and easily one of the best debuts of 2006.” His second trio recording Encounters was released the following year and he continued to catch the ears of his peers, music lovers, and critics alike. Grissett has been featured in the bands of Nicholas Payton, Steve Wilson, Buster Williams, Russell Malone, and most recently Jeremy Pelt. He has also been busy as a studio musician, recording with the aforementioned Pelt, as well as Jimmy Green, Lage Lund, and Tom Harrell.
Danny continues to perform internationally at jazz festivals and clubs in Italy, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Colombia, and many cities within the US. He has performed with other notables such as Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, The Mingus Big Band, Marcus Strickland, Steve Nelson, and Louis Hayes. In May 2009 Danny’s greatly anticipated third recording as a leader Form was released.
www.dannygrissett.com
VICENTE ARCHER
Vicente was born in Woodstock, NY, and here he embraced the rich cultural arts of this historical town by listening to local great jazz artists Dave Holland, Jimmy Cobb, Jack DeJohnette, among many others. He began his musical career on guitar at age sixteen primarily self-taught, learning from his parents Wes Montgomery and George Benson records. During those years he began making a name for himself playing in the Hudson Valley region with variety of ensembles from Albany to New York City. Upon graduation from high school, Vicente was accepted to The New England Conservatory (NEC) in Boston, MA, where he majored in Jazz Studies. Some of his instructors included guitarist Gene Bertoncini, saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi, and Latin/Jazz marvel pianist Danilo Perez. After his first year at NEC, Vicente transferred to Boston's Northeastern University where he switched from guitar to acoustic bass.
Within one year of switching to the bass, the powerful alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, a long-time champion and discoverer of young talent, asked Vicente to join his group. Donald thought so highly of Vicente skills that he used him on his Impulse! release, Free to Be. While still in college, Vicente also began performing in the Eric Reed Trio. After earning a business degree in Management Information Systems and Business Management in June 2000, Vicente moved to New York City where he soon began performing and touring with the likes of Kenny Garrett, Terence Blanchard, Tom Harrell, Freddie Hubbard, Marlena Shaw, Deborah Cox, Louis Hayes, Curtis Fuller, Mark Whitfield, Roy Haynes, Geri Allen, Stanley Jordan, Karrin Allyson, Wycliffe Gordon, Stefon Harris, Janis Siegel, Lewis Nash, Carl Allen, and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra w/ Wynton Marsalis, among many others.
Vicente Archer has emerged as one of today's profound new voices on the bass. He presently divides his duties playing with Robert Glasper and Nicholas Payton.
www.vicentearcher.com
VLADIMIR KOSTADINOVIĆ
Vladimir Kostadinovic award winning drummer (Tuscia in Jazz 2008, Jimmy Woode competition), composer & arranger, growing up in native town Kovin. He started his musical education at the age of seven when he began studying classical accordion. He began playing the drums at the age of eleven when he got his first drum set from his brother Srdjan. Drums have always been his real love and he wanted to pursue it, with a passion. Vladimir ranks high among drummers who are versatile and savvy enough to play different style of music, as a sideman and with his own projects. In August 2009 he was invited to perform with a master of organ Tony Monaco. Vladimir also formed his own quartet with Jimmy Greene, Danny Grissett and Matt Brewer, which features his own compositions. In 2009 he went into the studio in New York with his new band and recorded his first CD "COURSE OF EVENTS".
Pleasure of sharing the stage with: Tony Monaco, Chris Potter, Danny Grissett, Jonathan Powell, Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Andy Middleton, Kevin Glasgow, Paul Kirby, Jimmy Greene, Matt Brewer, Rob Bargad, Dusko Goykovich, Renato Chicco, Fritz Pauer, Oliver Kent, Harry Sokal, Herwig Gradischig, Chris Jefferson, Eddi Palermo, Flavio Boltro, Stjepko Gut...
Education: He finished primary and secondary music school in Belgrade and graduated from the jazz department for drums in class of Miroslav Karlovic. After music high school Vladimir enrolled at the University for Music and the Performing Arts, Graz. In 2009 he graduated Master's Degree, with honors in class of Professor Howard Thomas Curtis. "With this great man and teacher, from whom I received valuable instruction, I've significantly upgraded my playing skills and music language."
Awards:  Best Drum Player - Tuscia in jazz 2008 Jimmy Woode competition. Teachers and jury: Kenny Barron, Francisco Mela, Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Shawn Monteiro, Eddi Palermo, Karl Potter, Rick Margitza, Tony Monaco, Ray Mantilla, Flavio Boltro, Giorgio Rosciglione, Gege Munari.
Workshops: He participated in the workshops of Kenny Barron, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Joey Calderrazzo, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Scott Coley, Jerry Bergonzi, Billy Hart, John Hollambeck, Ron McClure, Trilok Gurtu, Horazio Hernandez, Dennis Irvin, Jonathan Blake, Rodney Holmes.
Festivals: Vladimir played at many eminent festivals in the US, Scotland, Germany, Holland, Austria, Italy, Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, etc...
Performance in Theatre productions: Graz National Theatre "Schauspielhaus" and "Volkstheater" in Vienna.
Big Band/groups: Bob Mintzer, Peter Helbozheimer, Steve Gut, Sigi Feigl ...
www.vladimirkostadinovic.net
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