Since coming to NYC from the Bay Area, Dred Scott has gained a reputation on both coasts as an innovative and eclectic pianist and multi-instrumentalist.
In the 90’s Dred co-founded the ground-breaking hip-hop jazz group Alphabet Soup with Kenny Brooks and Jay Lane, turning the San Fran jazz scene on its head with their full-throttle performances.
Upon moving to NYC, the Dred Scott Trio wowed crowds at his almost decade-long, late-night residency at Rockwood Music Hall,
where his original compositions earned a reputation for cheeky playfulness, using “an irreverent veneer to disguise old-fashioned jazz scholarship.” (EMUSIC)
His new release, "The Pacific Jazz Group", on Ropeadope Records hit the streets in June of 2023.
His next album, "Cali Mambo", inspired by the George Shearting/Cal Tjader collaborations of the 1950's will be out May 2024 also on Ropeadope.
Dred has recorded 13 albums as a leader and has performed on over 50 others,
notably with Anthony Braxton, Cecil McBee, Andrew Cyrille, Joe Morello, Charlie Hunter, Bob Mintzer, Dave Samuels, Don Byron, Paul McCandless, and Marshal Crenshaw.
Dred has played at jazz festivals - Newport, Monterrey, Detroit, Fillmore, Saratoga - and clubs across the country and around the world -
BlueNote, Birdland, Smalls, Snug Harbor, The Green Mill, Duc Des Lombards, Yoshi's, BlueNote Tokyo.
One of the most in demand bassists in the Bay Area, John
Wiitala
has played with Jessica Williams, James Moody, Benny Golson, Pete
Jolly, Joe Henderson, Akira Tana, Vince Lateano, Scott Hamilton, Bruce
Forman, Rebecca Parris, Wesla Whitfield, Madeline Eastman, and Jackie
Ryan, among many others.
John was heard previously at Chez Hanny with Faith Winthrop, Michele
Rosewoman, Patrick Wolff, Mark Levine, Peck Allmond, Scott
Barnhill, Harvey Wainapel, Erik Jekabson, Tim Armacost/David
Berkman, John Klopotowski, and Janis Mann.
Drummer Smith Dobson has been performing in the
Bay Area for more than 25 years, at venues such as the San Jose and
San Francisco Jazz Festivals, Yerba Buena Theater, The Kuumbwa Jazz
Center, Yoshi's, Kimball's, Pearl's, Bacar, Bruno's, The Make-Out Room,
Great American Music Hall, Bottom Of The Hill, Amnesia, The
Jazz School, The Stanford Jazz Workshop, and The Intersection of the
Arts.
Dobson has had the honor of working with great jazz artists,
locally and internationally, such as Bobby Hutcherson, Red Rodney, John
Handy, Sheila Jordan, Red Holloway, Pete and Conte Condoli, Phillip
Harper, Hal Stein, Noel Jewekes, Ben Goldberg, Graham Connah, Darren
Johnston, Charlie Shoemake, Will Bernard, Kenny Brooks, William
Winant, the San Francisco
Contemporary Music Players, and Anthony Davis.
He also performs on vibraphone and saxophone.
He appeared here previously with the Evan Francis / Darren Johnston, Matt Renzi, Keith Saunders, and Aaron Bennett.