”Beautiful playing and compositions” is the way bassist Henry Grimes describes Four Across; a jazz quartet made up of trumpet player Josh Deutsch, pianist Carmen Staaf, drummer Brian Adler and bassist Matt Aronoff. This group of long time friends draws inspiration from middle eastern tea, dogs, bicycle percussion, tannins of broccoli and Danish cinema while maintaining strong musical connections to artists ranging from Danilo Perez and Thelonious Monk to Hanne Hukkelberg and Egberto Gismonti. In the spring of 2008 they released, “Four Across” their self titled freshman album (8bells/Circavision Productions) which has received constant praise. Members of Four Across have performed at festivals and jazz venues all across Europe, North and South America and Asia. They are about to embark on their fourth tour kicking off with the Earshot Jazz Festival in Seattle, WA.
Member Bios:
JOSH DEUTSCH - Josh Deutsch is a trumpeter, composer and educator residing in Queens, New York. A native of Seattle, Josh has performed across the United States, as well as in Europe, Japan and Canada. A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music (BM) and the University of Oregon (MM), Josh has studied with Danilo Pérez, Bob Brookmeyer, John McNeil, Brian McWhorter and Lee Hyla, among others. A composer in multiple genres, Josh has received commissions from the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Music Northwest and From the Top. Josh received the University of Oregon’s Excellence in Teaching Award for his work with large and small ensembles and private students, and has given clinics and masterclasses throughout the state of Oregon. Josh was named the Outstanding College Trumpeter in both 2008 and 2009 at the Reno International Jazz Festival, and won Downbeat Magazine’s 2008 Student Music Award for College Jazz Soloist.
CARMEN STAAF - A native of Seattle, WA, jazz pianist and accordionist Carmen Staaf has performed internationally at the Festa do Jazz do Teatro Sao Luiz in Lisbon, Portugal, the Panama Jazz Festival, the KlezMORE Festival in Vienna, and at the Concurso de Jovenes Jazzistas (Young Jazz Musicians Contest) in Havana, Cuba. As a winner of the 2004 IAJE Sisters in Jazz Competition, she performed at the 2005 IAJE Conference in Long Beach, California and the Kennedy Center Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival. Carmen has worked with Bob Brookmeyer, George Garzone and Stefon Harris, and has shared the stage with other musical greats including Dave Liebman, Rufus Reid and Ernestine Anderson. She leads her own group, which recently recorded, and co-leads the Staaf Quartet, which recorded its eponymous debut in 2004. She recently also recorded with trumpeter Peter Kenagy, and currently performs with the Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra, Michael Winograd, and Susan Watts and the Fabulous Shpielkehs. Carmen is a faculty member at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
MATT ARONOFF - Originally from New Jersey, has established himself as a versatile and in demand bass player on the New York scene. After completing a bachelors degree in classical bass at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Matt went on to earn a Masters at the Manhattan School of Music. In addition to numerous jazz projects, Matt has worked on Broadway and toured internationally with singer Luciana Souza.
BRIAN ADLER- Drummer Brian Adler is well versed in many forms of improvised music including jazz, avant-garde, folk, and Indian music. He is known for his uniquely delicate, earthy sound and sparseness on the drums and his creative compositional style of framing ancient texts. Brian has had the privilege to perform with: Ran Blake, Dave “Fuze” Fiuczynski, Erik Lawrence, Kate McGarry, Stomu Takeishi, and Ray Vega. In 2004, Adler founded Circavision Productions, a record label, production company and music initiative centered on the use of organic improvisation, sacred texts, mixed media, digital relations and worldwide partnerships that are able to stimulate, challenge and enrich the minds of listeners. Brian holds a Bachelor's Degree from the New England Conservatory of Music.
