JD Walter

JD Walter, voice
Steve Rudolph, piano
Mark Ferber, drums
Joshua Davis, bass


Tickets: $12 / $8 students

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Compared to jazz greats Betty Carter, Nat Cole, Nina Simone, and Milton Nascimento, vocalist and scat sensation J.D. Walter has become a singular phenomenon on the music scene. Respected and lauded by the great musicians of the contemporary circuit, J.D. has shared the stage with many legendary artists including: saxophonist Dave Liebman, singer/songwriter Bob Dorough, drummer Billy Hart, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, saxophonist Bill Evans, bassist John Benitez, singer Mark Murphy, drummer Greg Hutchinson, drummer Ari Hoenig, drummer Bill Goodwin, trumpeter Randy Brecker, saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianist Jim Ridl, trumpeter John Swana, bassist Taurus Mateen, pianist Orrin Evans, trumpeter Randy Brecker, singer Miles Griffith, and Poet Sonia Sanchez.

J.D. is grateful for his childhood introduction to the world of music. A product of his familial church boychoir, J.D. went on to sing with the renowned "American Boychoir". He attended the University of North Texas via a vocal jazz scholarship and became a featured soloist on university recordings. After receiving various awards from the International Association of Jazz Educators, he left the United States to live in Amsterdam, Holland to study with acclaimed recording artist Deborah Brown.

J.D. has currently recorded 4 CD's. "Sirens in the C-House" (Encounter/Dreambox media Records 2000) brought him much critical acclaim. His second cd, the innovative and experimental "Clear Day" (Doubletime Records2001) is a collaboration with master musician Dave Liebman. Two recent releases "Dedicated to You" with the Steve Rudolph trio (PACT records 2004), and "2Bass, a Face and a little skin" (to be released) are starting to garner rave reviews. His first two recordings made it to the "Top 25 Jazz Release" list of internationally syndicated jazz DJ Bob Parlocha. Moreover, both cds helped expand J.D.'s listening audience from the shores of America to Europe, Russia, and the Far East. JD is also a featured member of pianist Orrin Evans’/Luvpk band, on Imani Records (Feb 2004 release).

JD has appeared on many international radio and television broadcast stations including: NBC television; National Finland Radio; and Radio Extreme, Helsinki. He has appeared on live Russian television and radio broadcasts as well as having served as guest host on various American radio stations. J.D. has been a featured artist at countless American jazz festivals and clubs, performed at numerous festivals in Europe and the Middle East, and toured Russia 10 times, performing in over 80 cities.

A vocal coach for many emerging artists, J.D. is in demand as a clinician at schools and universities. He has performed numerous clinics for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, The Music Educators National Conference, and has taught at the prestigious Sibelius/Kuopio Conservatory in Finland, The University of North Texas, The Moscow Music Consort, and the Kazan Music Conservatory in Russia. J.D. was the vocal coach for MCA/Motive recording artists "The Jazzy Fatnastees", jazz singer Roseanna Vitro as well as “American Idol” runner up, Justin Guarinni. He was also formerly on the faculty of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. JD Currently resides in New York City, and can be heard at many major jazz clubs and events.

As a jazz pianist, composer, arranger and educator, Steve Rudolph has had an inspiring career in his 40 years of professional music making. Jazz Improv magazine states, “Rudolph is a savvy, swinging, glimmering heavyweight… ...simply outstanding.” Steve presents concerts and workshops that have inspired audiences worldwide. The winner of the JazzIz Magazine Piano Competition at the Seven Springs Jazz Festival in 2000, he was also recipient of two Jazz Composition Fellowships from the PA Council on the Arts.

With ten acclaimed CDs as a leader, he has served as producer, arranger and performer on many recordings including CDs with Johnny Coles, Bill Goodwin, Ali Ryerson, Matt Wilson and Vinny Valentino. Ongoing projects to be released this year include: a new CD of ballads with German harmonica artist Hendrik Meurkens and string orchestra; a quartet album with German violinist Holger Jetter, Indian tabla master Apurba Mukherjee and vocalist Indrani; a duo recording with ten-string guitarist Ken Gehret; a solo recording of Rudolph compositions; and the jazz vocal debut CD of Jamie Broumas. His vast experience encompasses concert performances with many jazz masters including Louie Bellson, Paquito D’Rivera, Clark Terry, Terry Gibbs, Rufus Reid, Johnny Coles, Matt Wilson, Bill Goodwin, and Ali Ryerson (see attached artist page).

In this past year Steve has toured with Hungarian guitarist Cornelio Tutu, New York trumpeter/vocalist Nate Birkey, flutist Ali Ryerson, a tour with the Three Ragas throughout India and Myanmar, U.S. tour with French vocalist and Mack Avenue Recording Artist Ilona Knopfler, and various tours with his own ensembles all over the Eastern U.S.. When at home in Harrisburg, Pa., he can be found performing regularly at the Hilton Harrisburg on his Yamaha Concert Collection C-7 Grand. Steve is presently in his 17th year at the Hilton.

Steve is a roster member of the Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour (PENNPAT), and funding from that organization is available to presenters to underwrite his performances. Born in Evansville, Indiana, Steve studied trumpet and composition under scholarship at Butler University. He switched his instrumental focus to the piano at age 22 and was hired by Buddy Morrow to perform with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1977. Since moving to Harrisburg PA in 1978, he has been largely responsible for the growth and development of the thriving jazz scene in Central Pennsylvania. His devotion to the art of jazz inspired him to found the Central PA Friends of Jazz, now in its 27th successful season of monthly concerts, youth band, jazz camp, and annual Central PA Jazz Festival. Steve was the recipient of the 2002 Harrisburg Arts Award for dedication to the arts and community service.

Joshua Davis leads the improvisation ensemble Squashua and accompanies the Tim Miller Trio, VOCE, the Vardan Ovsepian Quintet, and others. Recent recorded releases include Tim Miller’s Trio and Vardan Ovsepian’s Akunc, on Fresh Sound Records. Joshua’s feature recording as an arranger, Squashua, showcases Take Toriyama, Tim Miller, and Vardan Ovsepian interpreting Romantic Era symphonies and the music of Sting. Current creative projects meld symphonic technique and literature with improvised form and interpretation.

His early jazz performance career included numerous overseas tours with the Artie Shaw Band and The Ritz. He was active as an orchestral bassist in the 1990s and has been principal bassist with The Granite Symphony and the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Orchestra.

Dr. Davis joined the faculty as the Director of Jazz Studies at Susquehanna University (http://susqu.edu/) in August of 2006. He was a full-time faculty member and the Director of Jazz Studies at Towson University between 2002 and 2006. Before Towson, he was an awarded leader of curriculum development at Berklee College of Music where, as one of the youngest faculty members, he taught for six years. Joshua has also been on the faculty at the University of Maine at Augusta.

He has taught numerous performance skills clinics at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Koyo Conservatory in Kobe, Japan, the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival in Alaska, and various schools of all grades throughout the United States. Elementary and secondary school student and educator presentations available include ensemble coaching, both big bands and small contemporary ensembles, and general music presentations on listening and performance appreciation.

Joshua’s compositions include chamber music, -jazz and contemporary classical, works for big band, and a recent piece for wind symphony with improvisers.

Joshua has a B.A. in Theory/Composition from U.N.H., an M.M. in Orchestral Double Bass from New England Conservatory, and a Composition D.M.A. from the University of Maryland at College Park. He has studied privately with John Hunter, Larry Veal, Neil Sir, Donald Palma, and Dr. Thomas DeLio.

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mark Ferber began his musical studies on the piano at the age of five. He was later introduced to drumming and percussion. Mark studied classical percussion with Mitchell Peters and drums with Billy Higgins and and Joe Labarbera.

He has maintained a very busy playing schedule in Europe and on both the west and east coast. A partial list of his playing credits include Lee Konitz, David Liebman, Don Byron, Norah Jones, Kenny Werner, Steve Swallow, Fred Hersch, Billy Childs, Bud Shank, Anthony Wilson and Larry Goldings.

Mark can be heard on recent recordings with various artists on Soul Note, Fresh Sound/New Talent, Sunnyside, Omnitone and Steeplechase Records. He is a part time faculty member for the City College of New York and the School of Improvisational Music. Currently, Mark resides in Brooklyn, New York.