Chuck Mangione, Trumpet, 1940, Rochester, NY
As a teenager he played informally in the Rochester area with musicians such as; Dizzy Gillespie, Kai Winding, Jimmy Cobb, and Ron Carter, and in 1963 he earned a degree in music from the Eastman School of Music. By 1965 he moved to New York where he and his brother, Gap, led a hard-bop group, The Jazz Brothers. He later gained notice as a trumpeter while playing in the bands of Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, and Art Blakey. At that time he played in the style of Miles Davis and Clifford Brown. He recorded an album entitled "Feels So Good" that sold more than two million copies and established him as a major name in jazz. He also composed the music for the film "Children Of Sanchez" that was a great success. In 1972 Chuck toured extensively in many parts of the world and appeared in numerous festivals in this country and in Europe. Mangione's greatest contribution has been to make jazz popular to a large non-jazz audience. Eventually he gave up the trumpet to play the flugelhorn exclusively. He has been active as a teacher, serving on the faculty of the Eastman School and the Hochstein School of Music in Rochester.
Adam Nussbaum, Drums, 1955, New York, NY
Before starting his professional career in 1975, Adam studied the drums with Charlie Persip. He worked in clubs in the New York area and then in Washington, D.C. with Dave Liebman. Between 1978 and 1981 he performed and recorded with John Scofield in Europe and the States. In the early '80s Nussbaum and Scofield also worked with Dave Liebman, touring and recording. During this same period, Adam managed to do a considerable amount of work with Gil Evans. In the '80s he recorded with Bill Evans, Bobby Watson, and Art Farmer. Today Adam is very active performing and recording with various modern groups.
Billy Strayhorn, Composer, 1915, Dayton, OH
As a youth, Billy received extensive training in music while growing up in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Hillsborough, NC. In 1938 he submitted a composition to Duke Ellington, "Something To Live For". Ellington recorded the chart with Strayhorn at the piano. This was followed by several more compositions and a more than thirty year association between Billy and Duke. The two men were so well musically attuned to each other that over the years many of their compositions could not be seperated. Duke took credit for some tunes that were actually written by Billy. Strayhorn collaborated with Duke on more than 200 songs in the band's repertory, including such standards as "Take the A Train", "Satin Doll", "Lush Life", "Passion Flower", "Chelsea Bridge", "Lotus Blossom", and "Blood Count". Billy was a technically fluent pianist, and made numerous recordings with groups made up of Ellington sidemen. Billy Strayhorn died in 1967.
Billy Hart, Drums, 1940, Washington, D.C.
Billy was self-taught as a drummer, and as a teenager he played with numerous local bands. His first professional job was with the singer Shirley Horn, with whom he remained for around three years. Later he worked with Wes Montgomery, Marion McPartland, Jimmy Smith, and Eddie Harris. In 1970 Billy joined Herbie Hancock, which was also a three year gig. He later worked with McCoy Tyner for a year and with Stan Getz from 1974 to 1980. During the '70s and '80s Billy worked with many top jazz performers including Miles Davis, Jimmy Rowles, Clark Terry, Lee Konitz, Chico Freeman, and James Newton. He and two other drummers, Freddie Waits and Horace Arnold, formed the group Colloquiurm III, a group that led percussion workshops at the New York Drummers' Collective.
Danny Alvin, Drums, 1902, New York, NY
