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On a normal night, Oakland-based Adrian West Band plays mostly original acoustic rock, a couple rock covers and a few Jazz standards. Their sound has been described as landing somewhere between Paul Simon and Talking Heads. But tonight is not a normal night. Tonight the band will stretch itself a bit. Adrian West has always enjoyed having jazz musicians in his band because of the versatility they bring to his music. Many of his musicians over the years have been graduates of the California Jazz Conservatory (CJC) and so Adrian thought it would be fun to put together a concert at CJC made up entirely of CJC alumni. This will be an evening of half jazz standards and half Adrian’s songs & instrumentals re-arranged slightly for a Jazz context.Band Members and Instrumentation:
Adrian West – Vocals, acoustic guitar, elec. violin, live looping
Alisha Williams – Vocals
Jonny Kaminek – Upright bass
Sheldon Alexander – Drums
Michael Echaniz – Piano
Nathan Petersen – Alto sax
Group Bio:
Adrian West is a violinist, guitarist, singer-songwriter & leader of the Adrian West Band. He began learning violin at age four under the Suzuki method and in his teens studied at the McGill Conservatory of Music in Montreal, where he grew up. He went on to learn drums played drums and violin (not at the same time) in rock bands for many years before moving to the Bay Area (for love), where he learned to play guitar and started writing his own music. He has since released three albums of his own acoustic rock songs & instrumentals and his band plays all over The Bay Area. Adrian loves bringing musicians and audiences together to enjoy live music because these can be very symbiotic experiences and we all need more of those. Ever the realist, Adrian takes delight in setting thoughful lyrics to joyful music.
Jonny Kaminek’s life in music began by starting a band with friends in early schooling years: first adopting the electric bass before practicing upright and continuing to seek new possibilities with his instrument. He enjoys playing jazz, funk, the in-betweens, and likes to take on opportunities that challenge his familiar musical zone while adding his zest to whatever group he finds himself in. He’s influenced by the bass playing of Ron Carter, Victor Wooten, and Paul Jackson among many others and the music of George Duke, Ahmad Jamal, and Herbie Hancock. Jonny is a recent graduate of CJC’s Bachelor of Music (Jazz Studies) program.
Alisha Williams started her journey in music when she was a child singing with her family. She participated in countless talent shows including school and church performances. After graduating high school she went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance from Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Later she earned an Associates degree in Jazz Voice from CJC. She is now a full-time musician, singing and playing guitar around The Bay Area.
Nathan Petersen is a saxophonist from Concord, CA who has been performing professionally in The SF Bay Area for almost ten years. After high school he studied music at Diablo Valley College and transferred to CJC where he got to tour in Japan and play at events such as the Monterey Jazz Festival. Nathan graduated from the CJC Bachelor of Music (Jazz Studies) program in 2021 and has since been playing at venues all across The SF Bay Area.
Michael Echaniz has played piano since the age of five, He studied at the California Jazz Conservatory (Bachelor of Music) and CalArts (MFA). He is an avid performer, playing alongside artists such as Jeff Denson, Wu Man, Paul McCandless, and Romain Pilon in venues such as Yoshi’s and the Montreux Jazz Festival. Michael has won numerous awards, including the 2021 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award. Supported by New Music USA and InterMusic SF, Michael has just released his critically-acclaimed debut concept album on Ridgeway Records, Seven Shades of Violet (Rebiralost).
Sheldon Alexander is a drummer, educator, and composer based in The Bay Area. He is the founder of the R&B fusion band Coexist and has a deep passion for various genres including jazz, hip hop, funk, soul, and other Afro-rooted styles. He graduated from CJC’s Bachelor of Music (Jazz Studies) program where he studied under Alan Hall, Dillon Vado, Hamir Atwall, and Gerald Cleaver. Currently, Sheldon is immersed in the creation of a captivating live octet album, set to be released in 2024.
Proof of vaccination is no longer required for Covid-19. Masking is optional and masks are available upon request. The California Jazz Conservatory kindly requests that anyone feeling unwell refrain from attending in-person events of any kind.
This concert is sponsored by JAMBAR
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
California Jazz Conservatory (CJC Rendon Hall), 2050 Addison St, Berkeley, CA 94704-1104, United States,Berkeley, California
Tickets
