Chris West

Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Chris’ interest in music started at a very young age. Having inherited his father’s acoustic guitar, and a small Casio keyboard, Chris started experimenting with music as far back as he can remember. “I used to try and figure out as many melodies on the guitar as possible, and then when I discovered chords, it was a whole new ballgame!” Chris would try and get his hands on any musical instrument he could find and figure out how to play it. Chris decided to polish his talents in music on the saxophone after playing trumpet for two years in the school band. “I knew that’s the instrument I wanted to play before I even knew what it was called” After winning many awards in high school such as the John Phillips Sousa award, and after several honor bands (mid state, all state, mid state jazz, Grammy in our Schools, etc.), Chris decided to peruse music as a career. At this time Chris began studying with world renowned saxophonists Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones) and Jeff Kirk (Maynard Ferguson) and in 1998 he earned his Bachelors degree in Commercial Music Composition/Performance at Belmont University in Nashville, where he was a featured artist at the music school’s annual Commercial Music Showcase, featuring the top performers/composers/arrangers of the university. It was at Belmont that he also began studying flute and clarinet. Chris then took 5 years off from school to travel the country and compose for/play with a 7-piece avant guarde funk/jazz band called the Guy Smiley Blues Exchange. With this ensemble, he really polished his writing style and was even nominated for a Nashville Music Award with this group, for a song he wrote. In 2002, Chris decided to go back to school and in 3 years had earned his Masters in Jazz Studies at Middle Tennessee State University as a Graduate Teaching Assistant under the direction of Don Aliquo. Since graduating from MTSU, Chris has been teaching at Western Kentucky University, as well as several high schools in the Nashville area. He has also toured with several major acts such as Deana Carter and Brenda Lee and has had the honor of performing with major jazz/funk artists such as Bob Babbit (Motown), Bela Fleck, Victor Wooten, Benny Golson, Rufus Reed, Kenny Werner, Tim Hagen, Randy Brecker, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Jim McNeely, Chester Thompson, Bill Summers (Herbie Hancock), The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rebirth Brass Band, John Medeski, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyseey, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Eddie Daniels, etc. He has appeared on the soundtrack for the HBO movie “Boycott” playing saxophone and organ, and has composed and arranged for several master sessions in Nashville. Chris is currently playing with the Dynamites, a deep funk band based out of Nashville, which features soul legend Charles Walker from Little Charles and the Sidewinders. The group is currently traveling the world playing for sold out shows, and opening for acts such as Widespread Panic, The Dave Matthews Band, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Galactic, and has performed at several festivals including the Montreal Jazz Fest, Austin City Limits and Bonnaroo. Following up his first solo album entitled Jazzmanic in 2006, Chris has released the first of a three album set entitled The Surprise Trilogy. Most of the nine original tracks are in the style of traditional jazz and pull from Chris’ straight ahead jazz genre influences, as opposed to the modern/funky jazz style of Jazzmanic. Notable guests on Surprise Trilogy 1 include trumpeter Rod McGaha (Surprise 1), saxophonist Don Aliquo (Kenny), saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Mr. Grossman), and New Orleans style group Halfbrass (Where I Got My Groove Back). The album features all original pieces and can be purchased at Chris’ website, www.jazzmanic.com.

Notable artists Chris has worked with: Bob Babbit (Funk brothers) Ed Greene (Motown drummer) Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Victor Wooten Jeff Coffin Benny Golson Rufus Reid Kenny Werner Tim Hagan Randy Brecker Sound Tribe Sector Nine Jim McNeely Peter Keys (P-Funk) Deana Carter Bob Shepard Temptations Four Tops Chester Thompson (Genesis, Weather Report, Frank Zappa) DJ Logic Bill Summers & Los Hombres Calente Fareed Hawke Eric McFaden (P-Funk) Dirty Dozen Brass Band Rebirth Brass Band John Medeski Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey Dr. Lonnie Smith Brenda Lee Eddie Daniels JoJo Hermann (Widespread Panic) Ray Stevens Melinda Doolittle Carrie Underwood

Gear

Soprano - Yamaha 62, Theo Wanne Gaia mpce, Benz reeds Alto - Yamaha Custom Z, Meyer 6 mpce, Benz reeds Tenor - Yamaha Custom Z, Theo Wanne AMMA Mpce, Benz reeds Bari - Yamaha 52, Jody Jazz DV mpce, jazz select reeds Flute - Yamaha 461 Clarinet - Malerne, Portnoy mpce Alto Flute - Gemeinhardt Bass Clarinet - LeBlanc