GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (June 7, 2006) ―
Published on
The Aquinas College Jazz Camp begins on Sunday, June 18 and goes through Friday, June
23. The faculty includes the following outstanding musicians: Paul Brewer, Ph.D.,
camp director, instructor in trombone and voice; Tim Froncek, drum set and percussion;
Mike Hyde, electric and acoustic guitar; Bob Nixon, saxophones and big band; Steve
Talaga, piano, keyboards and composition; Matt Brewer, electric and acoustic bass;
and Jason Palmer, trumpets. Most of the musicians have years of experience performing
as well as teaching and are recognized jazz masters.
The faculty concert will be on Thursday, June 22 at 7:30 and the student showcase concert is on Friday, June 23 at 2 p.m. The concerts are in the Aquinas Art and Music Center.
Two faculty members are young, up and coming musicians in the jazz world. Matt Brewer, started playing professionally at the age of 12 Albuquerque, New Mexico and soon won awards from the top university jazz festivals. Twice he won the Outstanding Jazz Performer award which had never been given to a middle school student before. He went on to the Interlochen Center for the Arts. During his junior and senior years, he was selected to participate in the Grammy Band and appeared on the 2000 Grammy Awards telecast. Also during his senior year, he was asked to participate in the Vail Jazz All-Stars program under the direction of bassist John Clayton. He was in the inaugural class of The Juilliard Jazz Program and studied with bassists Rodney Whitaker and Ben Wolfe. Brewer has worked with artists such as Greg Osby, Greg Tardy, Chis Cheek, Mark Turner and many others. He has touring and teaching experience in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Middle East and Japan. Brewer is featured on Greg Osby’s current Blue Note release “Channel Three.”
Jason Palmer, the newest member of the Blue Note recording group, The Greg Osby Five, has performed with the group at major jazz festivals in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Malta, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland. He was the finalist in the 2003 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Solo Trumpet Competition. Palmer was a resident at the 2000 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at Aspen Snowmass in Aspen, Colorado, the 2003 Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program as well as the 2003 Steans Institute for Young Artists at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. While attending these programs, he studied and performed with jazz legends Herbie Hancock, Joshua Redman Brian Blade and Christian McBride to name a few.
Palmer serves on the trumpet faculty at the Mile High Jazz Camp in Boulder, Colorado, the faculty of the Aquinas College Jazz Camp and the trumpet faculty in the extension division at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. In Boston, he has played with Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Lewis Nash amongst other. The Newport Jazz Festival, Tanglewood Jazz Festival, the Marblehead Jazz Festival and the Highland Jazz Festival are a few of the venues where he has performed in and around the Boston area.
The faculty concert will be on Thursday, June 22 at 7:30 and the student showcase concert is on Friday, June 23 at 2 p.m. The concerts are in the Aquinas Art and Music Center.
Two faculty members are young, up and coming musicians in the jazz world. Matt Brewer, started playing professionally at the age of 12 Albuquerque, New Mexico and soon won awards from the top university jazz festivals. Twice he won the Outstanding Jazz Performer award which had never been given to a middle school student before. He went on to the Interlochen Center for the Arts. During his junior and senior years, he was selected to participate in the Grammy Band and appeared on the 2000 Grammy Awards telecast. Also during his senior year, he was asked to participate in the Vail Jazz All-Stars program under the direction of bassist John Clayton. He was in the inaugural class of The Juilliard Jazz Program and studied with bassists Rodney Whitaker and Ben Wolfe. Brewer has worked with artists such as Greg Osby, Greg Tardy, Chis Cheek, Mark Turner and many others. He has touring and teaching experience in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Middle East and Japan. Brewer is featured on Greg Osby’s current Blue Note release “Channel Three.”
Jason Palmer, the newest member of the Blue Note recording group, The Greg Osby Five, has performed with the group at major jazz festivals in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Malta, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland. He was the finalist in the 2003 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Solo Trumpet Competition. Palmer was a resident at the 2000 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at Aspen Snowmass in Aspen, Colorado, the 2003 Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program as well as the 2003 Steans Institute for Young Artists at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. While attending these programs, he studied and performed with jazz legends Herbie Hancock, Joshua Redman Brian Blade and Christian McBride to name a few.
Palmer serves on the trumpet faculty at the Mile High Jazz Camp in Boulder, Colorado, the faculty of the Aquinas College Jazz Camp and the trumpet faculty in the extension division at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. In Boston, he has played with Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Lewis Nash amongst other. The Newport Jazz Festival, Tanglewood Jazz Festival, the Marblehead Jazz Festival and the Highland Jazz Festival are a few of the venues where he has performed in and around the Boston area.