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Organist Nina Ott shows up for her first gig at Long Live Roxbury with her band known as "HUM." With her will be John McKenna on sax, resonant structures and synths, Steve Fell on guitar and Chris Lopes on drums.A Detroit native, Nina Ott grew up in a musical family and began playing piano at age seven. Music was always an important part of life growing up in Detroit. Early on Nina was able to pick things out by ear. She was curious about all aspects of music. This early passion for music has never left her.
Before dedicating herself to jazz, Nina trained classically as a pianist, earning a scholarship and degree in classical piano. However, hearing the music of Wayne Shorter inspired a change in direction. Nina moved to the east coast to be closer to the center of jazz music and began studying intensely. She frequented clubs, hearing masters such as McCoy Tyner, Hank Jones, Mulgrew Miller, Cedar Walton, Jaki Byard and Herbie Hancock. These musicians and many others remain essential influences for her to this day.
Ott eventually moved to Chicago for a few years playing as a house pianist at the Green Mill Midnight session. In Chicago she did steady solo piano work as well as working in clubs with musicians such as George Fludas, Jeff Parker, Robert Barry, John Whitfield, Pat Mallinger, Ari Brown, Red Holt and many more. She also traveled to Singapore leading a quartet there for several months.
Nina became active in the Afro Cuban and salsa communities in San Francisco, Providence as well as in Boston years ago and continues to play in several ensembles.
Currently, Nina is part of several groups as a leader and a collaborator. Astronomico, an experimental, atmospheric funk/jazz group includes guitarist and composer Steve Fell, multi instrumentalist and composer Chris Lopes and drummer Jared Seabrook.
Nina Ott and Zunzún is Nina’s Latin jazz collective. The group, a sextet, plays mostly original music and performs at the Shalin Liu Center in Rockport, MA, The Cape Cod Symphony Series as well as the James Library Series.
Hum is a new quartet which includes John McKenna on sax and modular synthesizers as well as resonant sculptures, Chris Lopes on drums and Nina on either piano or organ. Hum made their live debut at WGBH JazzNow in Boston.
Nina enjoys teaching and has taught at Berklee College of Music, Stanford Jazz Workshop, Cranbrook Academy of Art, SF Jazz Organization.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Long Live Roxbury, 12 George St, Roxbury, MA 02119-2804, United States,Boston, Massachusetts
