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Mike Gurrola
Mike's interest in jazz developed because of his desire to attend the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) where the school day was split equally between academics and the pursuit of the student's art. He auditioned successfully on upright bass and began a fruitful period of rapid development in jazz knowledge and skill, while winning group and individual awards at competitions at the Berklee College of Music and Monterey Jazz Festival annual school competitions, including a scholarship to Berklee's presitigious five-week jazz workshop led by critically acclaimed drummer Terri-Lynne Carrington and a seat two times as bassist in the Monterey Jazz Festival's Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, playing at the North Sea and Monterey Jazz Festivals and at the Kennedy Center.
Mike supplemented the opportunitites and training he received at LACHSA with private lessons from local jazz bassists and classical lessons at the Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles. In his senior year he was the recipient of LACHSA's first Ray Brown Scholarship, which was presented to him by Ray Brown's widow Cecilia. The scholarship was for lessons with John Clayton, famous jazz bassist and former protege of Ray Brown. Mike continued taking lessons from and established a lasting relationship with John Clayton for the following few years.
Mike's professional performing career also began in his High School years when he started going to and playing at jam sessions in Los Angeles clubs at night. Eventually, he began gigging as a side man and leader making a name for himself on the Los Angeles jazz scene. By the end of High School he had become so busy as a professional jazz bassist that he opted not to accept scholarships to attend prestigious music conservatories. His professional resume includes playing with and/or recording with Eric Reed, Mary Stallings, Jeff Hamilton, Houston Person, Benny Green, Larry Goldings, Willie Jones III, Harry Allen, Jane Monheit, Kenny Burrell and many more.
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Doug MacDonald: Sextet Session
by Jack Bowers
Guitarist Doug MacDonald records albums like someone who is either making up for lost time or does not have much time to spare. According to his discography, Sextet Session is at least the thirty-second album MacDonald has led or co-led, almost half of which have been released in the past couple of years or so. To keep things fresh, MacDonald has performed with almost every size group from big band to duo, but not often with as sharp and experienced ...
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read moreTerry Gibbs Legacy Band: The Terry Gibbs Songbook
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At age 92 years old, vibraphonist Terry Gibbs was still a musical force when he recorded 92 Years Young Jammin' at the Gibbs House (Whaling City Sound, 2017). His son, drummer Gerry Gibbs, paid homage to him with Songs from My Father (Whaling City Sound, 2021) with the Thrasher Dream Trio band. As for this recording for his father, Gerry Gibbs says, Recording this record with my Pops will always be so memorable because it will be his last work." ...
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