April 10-11, 2008

ALLAN VACHE, clarirnet
Orlando, FL

Allan has performed with many of the top jazz performers such as Bobby Hackett, Wild Bill Davison, Vic Dickenson, Pee Wee Erwin, Gene Krupa, Dick Hyman, Clark Terry, Bob Wilber, as well as having been with The Jim Cullum Jazz Band for seventeen years.  He has performed at numerous jazz parties and festivals around the world plus some pop concerts with Bonnie Rait and Leon Redbone and can be heard on the soundtrack of the 1998 film "The Newton Boys".  He has numerous recordings to his credit, several under his own name, including Audiophile, Jazzology, Arbors and Nagel-Heyer.  "Ballads, Burners & Blues" released in 2004 on the Arbors label includes his wife, Vanessa, on clarinet as a special guest.  In March 2006 he recorded a tribute to Benny Goodman for Arbors entitled "With Benny in Mind" to be released early in 2007.  Noted jazz critic, John S. Wilson said in High Fidelity Magazine, "Vache is vintage Goodman. Allan has all the phrasing and power of his model as a young man."

MATT HOFFMANN, vibes
Equinunk, PA

Matt was born in 1987.  He began with drums and piano and added vibes at age thirteen followed soon after by performing locally with small jazz groups and became involved with high school band performances throughout the state.  Matt has been studying with Mark Shane who has mentored him in jazz phrasings, improvisation and repertoire.  Currently he attends SUNY Purchase (New York) majoring in Jazz Studies and performs professionally in the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas.  Matt has appeared at several Benny Goodman tribute concerts as well as appearing with Randy Sandke, Wycliffe Gordon, Vince Giordano, Mark Shane, Joe Ascione, Dan Levinson and others.  He's even had the opportunity to play with the legendary Lionel Hampton.  Matt has recently recorded a CD entitled "Daydream" with Mark Shane that features the music of Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Richard Rodgers and Miles Davis.

Mark began his professional career as a pianist in dance bands in the New York City area. His jazz influences came from recordings of the masters and during an extended tenure as house pianist at Eddie Condon's, he added a distinctive new voice to the Condon tradition of hot ensemble playing. Mark has been featured on radio and television jazz broadcasts and has appeared as a featured soloist at major jazz festivals throughout the world. He toured with the Smithsonian Jazz Repertory Ensemble under the direction of Bob Wilber and was featured in the 50th anniversary Benny Goodman memorial concert in Carnegie Hall. In 1989 he played a Royal Command performance for HRH Princess Anne in London's Festival Hall. Named to the Steinway international roster of piano artists, Mark has been called "one of the great accompanists of his time" (Mississippi Rag).

Howard was born in California and began playing at age ten inspired by recordings of Armstrong, Basie and Goodman as well as those by guitarists Barney Kessel, Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt and George Van Eps.  Soon he was working professionally around Los Angeles playing in groups ranging from traditional to mainstream to modern jazz.  In 1979 he moved east for a summer in Atlantic City with Red Norvo and continued to perform with him frequently for several years.  Owen Cordle of JAZZ TIMES writes, "He may be the best of his generation." And Chip Deffaa of the NEW YORK POST observes that he is "…one of the very finest young guitarists working today."  It seems that the only thing regarding Howard Alden on which the critics have a debate is whether the remarkable jazz guitarist is one of the best or simply the best.  Howard can be heard on the soundtrack to the Woody Allen movie "Sweet and Low Down".  He not only played all the guitar solos but also coached Sean Penn on playing the guitar for his role in the film.

Paul began studying string bass at age 12 and played his first jazz gigs in his hometown of Grand Rapids MI at age 16.  He pursued a classical music education at the University of Michigan.  Today he is one of the busiest jazz bassists in the Detroit Area and has earned the nickname "The House Bass Player for the State of Michigan" as each year he logs so many miles traveling across the state to perform at various music venues.  At his home base, the Firefly Club in Ann Arbor, he leads his 15-piece Paul Keller Orchestra which plays original, obscure and classic big band material from all periods of jazz history.  Under his expert leadership, the PKO has garnered critical and popular acclaim.  Paul is co-leader of the popular Keller/Kocher Quartet that have been together since 1987.  The Paul Keller Ensemble is a three horn sextet that features creative arrangements by Keller and his band mates.  His various groups are well known and highly regarded throughout Michigan and have appeared at many regional music festivals.

Paul has been recognized internationally for his association with pianist/singer Diana Krall and guitarist Russell Malone.  From 1993 to 1997 he toured the world, first with Malone, then with Krall and Malone.  Together they performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Blue Note Jazz Clubs of Japan, the Algonquin Hotel and the JVC, Newport and Playboy Jazz Festivals, among many others.  In 2006 he performed with Diana Krall for former US President Bill Clinton as well as on "The Late Show with David Letterman", "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson", "The Tavis Smiley Show ", and the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno".  He appears on Malone's CD Black Butterfly and Krall's Grammy-nominated recording All For You.

In 1999 Paul formed his own recording label (PKO Records) and has grown to include 36 CDs by Keller and many other outstanding Midwest jazz performers.

Ed received his first pair of drumsticks at the tender age of three from the drummer in his dad's dixieland band.  He played his first professional job when he was twelve and hasn't stopped since.  Some of his private teachers include Butch Miles, J. D. Heard, Dave Samuals, Mousie Alexander, Elliot Zigmund and Horace Arnold.  A graduate of the acclaimed Jazz Studies program at William Paterson College, Ed has performed with Count Basie Orchestra, Chick Corea, Arturo Sandoval, Woody Herman Orchestra, Scott Hamilton, Clark Terry, Dick Hyman, Milt Hinton, Tommy Newsom and Ken Peplowski.  In 1999, Ed was given the opportunity to record his own group for the Nagel-Heyer label of Hamburg, Germany, titled "Tough Assignment", and is a tribute to the great jazz drummer from the 30's and 40's, Dave Tough.  He has appeared on more than 50 recordings with such artists as Bob Wilber, The Canadian Brass, Kenny Davern, Warren Vache Jr., Bucky Pizzarelli and Allan Vache.  Ed travels the world with a calendar full of concerts, festivals, tours and recordings, and is on the teaching staff at several jazz camps around the country.