2012 Tri-C JazzFest Clinicians
Terell Stafford
Terell Stafford has been hailed as “one of the great players of our time, a fabulous trumpet player” by piano legend McCoy Tyner. Known for being a gifted and versatile player with a voice all his own, Stafford combines lyricism and a deep love of melody with a spirited, adventurous edge.
Born in Miami and raised in Chicago and Silver Spring, Maryland, he received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Maryland in 1988 and a Masters of Music from Rutgers University in 1993.
Since the mid-1990’s, Stafford has performed with Benny Golson’s Sextet, McCoy Tyner’s Sextet, the Kenny Barron Sextet, the Frank Wess Quintet, the Jimmy Heath Big Band, the Clayton Brothers Quintet, and the Jon Faddis Orchestra. Currently, he is a member of the GRAMMY award winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra as well as drummer Matt Wilson’s group, “Arts and Crafts,” and drummer Alvin Queen’s group, “Alvin Queen and the Organics.”
Stafford has recorded six albums as a leader, including the critically acclaimed This Side of Strayhorn (MAXJAZZ 2011), and is heard on over 90 albums as a sideman.
He currently holds the positions of Director of Jazz Studies and Chair of Instrumental Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia and is a clinician for the prestigious Vail Foundation in Colorado and Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially
Ellington program. He has also served on the faculty for Jazz at Juilliard in New York. Stafford is on the board of the Jazz Education Network (JEN).
Robert Hurst
Bassist Robert Hurst has toured and recorded with Charles Lloyd, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Harry Connick Jr., Terence Blanchard, Tony Williams, Nicholas Payton, Sting, Pharaoh Sanders, Barbara Streisand, Willie Nelson, Chris Botti and Diana Krall.
He has won six Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, and played in the house band of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from 1992 to 1999. Hurst has also scored original music for films including “The Wood” and “Brown Sugar.”
Hurst loves teaching and recognizes the importance and rewards of giving back to young people. He has conducted master classes at the Juilliard School, the Thelonious Monk Institute, The Brubeck Institute, the Stanford Jazz Workshop & Festival and Michigan State University. He is currently Associate Professor of Jazz at the University of Michigan.. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the John Coltrane Foundation.
His newest releases as a leader include, Bob Ya Head with patches of grooves, electronics and spoken word, and Unrehurst Vol. 2, an unscripted live trio recording.
Matt Wilson
New York based drummer and Grammy nominee Matt Wilson is universally recognized for his musical and melodic drumming style as well as being a gifted composer, bandleader, producer, and teaching artist. Matt’s positive energy, sense of humor and ability to explore a broad range of musical settings keeps him in constant demand. In addition, Wilson’s dedication to jazz has helped establish him as a beloved world ambassador for the music, on and off the bandstand.
Recently, Matt performed at the White House as part of an all-star jazz group for a State Dinner concert hosted by President Obama, along with Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves and Chris Botti. Matt was named artist in residence at the 2011 Litchfield Jazz Festival. In 2010, Wilson conducted over 250 outreach programs promoting jazz including an acclaimed Jazz for Young People at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Wilson leads the Matt Wilson Quartet and Arts & Crafts, and is an integral part of bands led by Joe Lovano, John Scofield, Charlie Haden, Lee Konitz, Bob Stewart, Denny Zeitlin, Ron Miles, Marty Ehrlich, Ted Nash, Jane Ira Bloom and Dena DeRose among others. He has appeared on 250 CDs as a sideman and has released 9 as a leader for Palmetto Records as well as co-leading 5 additional releases.
Matt was featured on the covers of both Downbeat and JazzTimes magazines in November 2009 and for 5 consecutive years voted #1 Rising Star Drummer in the Downbeat Critic’s Poll. The readers of JazzTimes chose him as one of the top 4 drummers in the 2010 Readers Poll. In 2003, he was voted Drummer of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.
Sean Jones
Sean Jones graduated from Youngstown State University and spent the next ten years as lead trumpeter with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in New York. He now splits his time between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, teaching at Duquesne University and serving as artistic director of the Pittsburgh and Cleveland jazz orchestras. He has completed 5 CDs on the Mack Avenue label. He was featured on Nancy Wilson’s Grammy-award winning record Turned to Blue and tours regularly with his quintet.
Jerome Jennings
Drummer Jerome Jennings received his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and his master’s degree from Juilliard. He has toured with Hank Jones and Sonny Rollins and appeared on national television shows such as Conan O’Brien (NBC), Craig Ferguson (CBS), The Today Show (NBC), and the globally televised Hurricane Katrina benefit.
Dominick Farinacci
Dominick Farinacci graduated Juilliard on full scholarship, and received the “International New Star Award,” an honor previously awarded to Diana Krall and Christian McBride. His latest CD, Dawn of Goodbye (Eone Records) is his 9th release as a leader. He opened for Jeff Beck and Jamie Cullum at the 02 in London, and has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis. He is serving as Artistic Director of the Young Visiting Artists program at Tri-C, helping discover new talent and giving kids the training and opportunities he had as a youngster in his hometown.
David Sterner
A graduate of Indiana University’s Jazz Studies program, Dave serves on the faculty of the Tri-C Jazz Studies Program and is Director of the Lakeland Jazz Festival. He performs in a wide variety of styles and released his quintet’s sophomore CD – Sidetracked – in 2011.
Joe Hunter
After serving on the jazz faculty at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, from 1987 – 1996, Joe returned to his hometown of Cleveland and joined the faculty at the Tri-C Jazz Studies Program. He can be seen regularly as part of Bill Rudman’s “The Song is You” series and as a featured performer in area concerts and clubs.