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Howard Britz

New York City bassist, pianist and composer Howard Britz was born in London, England in 1961. A band leader in his own right, he has performed and recorded with a diverse collection of influential musicians including; Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross, Danilo Perez, Paquito de Rivera, Sam Rivers, Julius Hemphill, Kenny Werner, Uri Caine, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Kenny Wheeler, New York’s Central Baptist Gospel Choir and most recently Edsel Gomez to name a few. The breadths of his musical influences are apparent in his playing and compositions and are reflected by the artists he has worked alongside and his recordings.

Growing up in England, Howard immersed himself in the London Jazz scene; he formed creative associations with British pianists, Jonathan Gee and Jason Rebello, saxophonist/composer Tim Garland, amongst others. Although he was in demand as a band leader and sideman Britz also played in the onstage band for the hugely successful show ‘Blues in the Night’ which ran for over a year in London’s West End.

Arriving in America in 1991 on a scholarship from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Howard quickly established himself as a working musician. One of his first gigs was with Billy Pierce, the ex-Art Blakey tenor man. Transferring to The New England Conservatory of Music, Britz earned a Graduate Diploma whilst keeping up a busy performing schedule.

In 1995 he overshot New York and moved to Philadelphia, PA for, as he puts it, “romantic reasons,” and found a lively and vibrant jazz scene of which he quickly became a part, “I learned so much playing with the wonderful Philly musicians of the older and younger generations such as Mickey Rocker, Sid Simmons, Uri Caine and John Swana, and the many soulful Jazz/Blues vocalists, it was a great scene”.

Howard moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1998 where he now lives with wife, Martha, and large brown dog, Sammy . He has worked steadily since then playing many NYC venues and touring in the US and abroad. “This has been a good move for me, although it's tough to be here as a Jazz musician, to be around the some of the best and most creative players in the world is a privilege and a challenge that helps you sort out who you are and what it is that you want to say"

In 2005 Howard recieved his BFA Summa Cum Laude in Music and Eduction. In addition to performing, he teaches classes, workshops and private students.

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6
Album Review

Scott Reeves: The Alchemist

Read "The Alchemist" reviewed by Edward Blanco


Trombonist, composer and band leader Scott Reeves once performed a live concert at the City College of New York with his then quintet, which has now been documented as his newest offering entitled The Alchemist. However, new is not the operative word here, as this musical event took place on May 5th, 2005. While concentrating on compositions and recordings for his jazz orchestra over the last ten years, the pandemic provided Reeves with the opportunity to review the music he ...

15
Album Review

Scott Reeves Quintet: The Alchemist

Read "The Alchemist" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Devastating as it has been, the global Covid-19 pandemic has produced a few upsides as well, one of which is the rediscovery by versatile Scott Reeves of a concert that his quintet performed sixteen years ago, in May 2005, at the City College of New York. With time on his hands as a result of the scarcity of gigs during the pandemic, Reeves visited his archives and found the recording, which he never intended to release owing to audio issues. ...

219
Album Review

Howard Britz: Made In Brooklyn

Read "Made In Brooklyn" reviewed by Nic Jones


Since when has getting four or five musicians together in one place qualified as a “project"? Although that question is a rhetorical one, it does have some bearing upon the music here. In his liner notes Howard Britz refers to the fact that the kind of sessions which make up this disc usually pass unrecorded, and the very informality that is a hallmark of all of them might just have no little bearing upon the success of the music. This ...

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112

Performance / Tour

Bassist Howard Britz January 10th 8PM @ Vernissage + January 11 Acton Jazz Cafe

Bassist Howard Britz January 10th 8PM @ Vernissage + January 11 Acton Jazz Cafe

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

January 10, 2008, 8pm Vernissage 1627 BEACON STREET BROOKLINE, MA 02445 (617) 566-3340 Ticket price $15 Upcoming Appearances January 26, 2008, 8pm-12 Cleopatra's Needle Jazz Club 2485 BROADWAY/ 92 ST New York, NY (212) 769-6969 Ticket price $10 January 11, 2008 Acton Jazz Cafe 452 Great Road (Rte. 2A/119) Acton, MA 01720 978-263-6161 Ticket price $15 New CD ...

95

Performance / Tour

Howard Britz at Smalls December 21st 7:30PM

Howard Britz at Smalls December 21st 7:30PM

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services


Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Alchemist

Origin Records
2021

buy

Here I Stand

Point of Departure, WMPG-FM
2008

buy

Here I Stand

Self Produced
2007

buy

Made In Brooklyn

TeeZee Records
2005

buy

The Alchemist

From: The Alchemist
By Howard Britz

New Bamboo

From: The Alchemist
By Howard Britz

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