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Ryan Keberle

Hailed in the Downbeat International Critics Poll as #1 Rising Star trombonist, a player “of vision and composure” according to The New York Times, Ryan Keberle has developed a one-of-a-kind voice both on his instrument and as a bandleader, earning distinction among jazz’s most adventurous new voices.

Keberle’s outlets include the celebrated piano-less group Catharsis; the Big Band Living Legacy Project, carrying on the rich musical language of big band jazz (’30s through ’70s), featuring top veteran players in the idiom; and Reverso — Suite Ravel, a chamber-jazz collaboration with French pianist Frank Woeste featuring cellist Vincent Courtois and drummer Jeff Ballard.

Keberle's music integrates his wide-ranging experiences into a highly personal vernacular — immersed in jazz tradition, drawing on world music, pop and other influences, seeking fresh and original pathways. His earliest work as a leader, on Double Quartet and Heavy Dreaming, featured an ensemble thick with brass textures and a malleable little-big-band aesthetic. Catharsis, with its invigorating trombone-trumpet frontline, agile rhythm section and the voice and guitar of Camila Meza, debuted in 2012 with Music is Emotion, followed by Into the Zone in 2014 and Azul Infinito in 2016 (the latter two released on Dave Douglas’s Greenleaf label). Billboard picked Azul Infinito as one of “five jazz albums you need to hear.”

In 2017 Catharis turned its attention to political turmoil in the U.S. with the protest album Find the Common, Shine a Light, praised by The Nation as “unpretentiously intelligent and profoundly moving.” Find the Common also saw Keberle emerging as a solid performing keyboardist (his first instrument).

Catharsis has toured internationally for years, engaging audiences at the Toronto, Ottawa, Rochester and Bergamo International Jazz Festivals, and at premier jazz clubs including Pizza Express (London), Le Duc des Lombards (Paris), Stadtgarten (Cologne), Jazz Standard and Jazz at Lincoln Center (New York) and bluewhale (Los Angeles). The band was also featured in NPR’s prestigious Tiny Desk Concert series and on the French TV channel Mezzo.

Keberle has also worked in endlessly varied settings with musicians ranging from superstars to up-and-coming innovators, in jazz, indie rock, R&B and classical music. As a featured soloist with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, he collaborated with David Bowie on his 2015 single “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime).” He has performed extensively with the acclaimed songwriter Sufjan Stevens and with Darcy James Argue’s groundbreaking big band Secret Society. He has also played in the big bands of Pedro Giraudo and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón, with Brazilian superstar Ivan Lins, and with the Saturday Night Live house band. He has accompanied soul hit-makers Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake as well as jazz legends Rufus Reid and Wynton Marsalis.

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Album Review

John La Barbera Big Band: Grooveyard

Read "Grooveyard" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Composer/arranger John La Barbera has been at the top of his game for more than half a century, and Grooveyard is simply another example of his undiminished artistry. Besides arranging everything--superbly, as always--La Barbera wrote six of the session's ten charming songs, escorting other treasures by Carl Perkins, Dave Brubeck, Curtis Fuller and Elvin Jones. As he writes his handsome and colorful big-band charts, La Barbera is always careful to observe Rule No. 1: they have to ...

Album Review

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society: Dynamic Maximum Tension

Read "Dynamic Maximum Tension" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Precursore nel 2009 (con l'innovativo Infernal Machines) del nuovo rinascimento orchestrale nel jazz, Darcy James Argue approda all'etichetta Nonesuch e pubblica il nuovo album in studio: un doppio CD realizzato con i consueti partner della Secret Society più l'aggiunta della cantante Cecile McLorin Salvant e della violinista Sara Caswell. A differenza degli ultimi due dischi, Dynamic Maximum Tension non è un'opera multimediale ma conserva la spinta visionaria animata dalla costante riflessione socio-politica. Spinta che si traduce in ...

6
Album Review

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society: Dynamic Maximum Tension

Read "Dynamic Maximum Tension" reviewed by Katchie Cartwright


Darcy James Argue's superb double-album Nonesuch debut offers compositions written throughout his career. He turns to twentieth-century thinkers for “ideas that can help us in the present, that we can reexamine and reconfigure for our own purposes." These include futurist designer Buckminster Fuller, cryptanalyst-computer scientist Alan Turing, composer-arranger Bob Brookmeyer, actress-screenwriter Mae West, trumpeter-mentor Laurie Frink, and musician-beyond-category Duke Ellington, among others. Like West, Argue seems to control his own path. He may not yet be the tycoon she was, ...

5
Album Review

The John La Barbera Big Band: Grooveyard

Read "Grooveyard" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


The geometry, if you will, of a terrific big band recording is such that the three major elements--the players, the arrangements, and the performance--balance in every regard. Grooveyard from the John La Barbera Big Band is such an offering. The album features ten masterfully selected, arranged, and performed selections, each containing outstanding section, solo, and ensemble playing. Wes Montgomery's “Grooveyard" launches a hip, swinging first course in which tenor man Pat La Barbera and guitarist Brandon Coleman ...

1
Album Review

Michael Davis - Hip-Bone Big Band: Open City

Read "Open City" reviewed by Jerome Wilson


Michael Davis is an accomplished trombonist who has had a long career of live and studio work accompanying a varied roster of big-name jazz and rock talents such as The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bob Mintzer, Buddy Rich, Paul Simon, and Sarah Vaughan. He is also an established solo artist and composer who leads an imposing large ensemble, the Hip-Bone Big Band. The big band's second album is an exuberant affair which reflects the joy of getting back ...

28
Album Review

Joe McCarthy's New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band: The Pan American Nutcracker Suite

Read "The Pan American Nutcracker Suite" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Yes, Peter Tchaikovsky's timeless Nutcracker Suite is basically holiday music; and, yes, the 2022 holiday season is squarely in everyone's rear-view mirror. Even so, there is always room for a fresh approach to the annual festive staple, which is what drummer Joe McCarthy's New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band brings to The Pan American Nutcracker Suite. The Nutcracker has been rhythmically amended before, but never quite like this, as McCarthy and the band use the strong ...

9
Album Review

Joe McCarthy's Afro Bop Alliance Big Band: The Pan American Nutcracker Suite

Read "The Pan American Nutcracker Suite" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


"The Nutcracker" is a holiday staple and, as many musical and dance companies around the United States and Europe will tell you, thank Heaven for it. The musicians and performers may eventually lose their sanity from repeat performances, but the ballet is a money-maker as sure as holiday sales generate commercial profits for retailers. Besides, someone is inevitably hearing it for the first time, and children—even some adults—seem to enjoy it. This year, the season starts early with ...

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1

Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: Maceo Parker, Barb Jungr & John McDaniel, Ryan Keberle, and more

Jazz this week: Maceo Parker, Barb Jungr & John McDaniel, Ryan Keberle, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features one of the godfathers of funk saxophone, cabaret interpretations of the music of the Beatles, the return of a popular free concert series, and more. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, January 24 Saxophonist Maceo Parker opens a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Parker made his reputation in the 1970s and '80s as a member of James Brown's band, the JBs. He ...

1

Performance / Tour

Ryan Keberle & Catharsis To Tour The Pacific Northwest April 7th-13th

Ryan Keberle & Catharsis To Tour The Pacific Northwest April 7th-13th

Source: Ryan Keberle

Beginning this Tuesday, the critically acclaimed jazz outfit, Ryan Keberle & Catharsis, will hit the road traversing the Pacific Northwest and Northern California bringing their music, what the LA Times recently described as “a potent blend of cinematic sweep and lush, ear-grabbing melodies" to both rural and urban centers. Ryan Keberle & Catharsis is: Ryan Keberle - Trombone, Melodica Mike Rodriguez - Trumpet Jorge Roeder - Bass Eric Doob - Drums Camila ...

1

Recording

Trombonist Ryan Keberle & Catharsis To Release Second Record, Into The Zone

Trombonist Ryan Keberle & Catharsis To Release Second Record, Into The Zone

Source: Fully Altered Media

Exploring Meditative Concept Of Mindfulness As Applied To Improvised Music, On Dave Douglas’ Greenleaf Music, Out Sept. 30, 2014 Into the Zone Features Original Catharsis Lineup: Ryan KEBERLE (trombone/melodica), MIKE RODRIGUEZ (trumpet), JORGE ROEDER (bass), ERIC DOOB (drums), Plus Newest Addition to Catharsis, CAMILA MEZA (vocals); And An Encore Guest Spot from SCOTT ROBINSON (sax) Most jazz musicians avoid repetition dogmatically. But when Ryan Keberle realized he’d been playing the same eight-note phrase in all his recent warm-ups, the trombonist ...

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Performance / Tour

News and Tour Dates on Trombonist/Composer Ryan Keberle

News and Tour Dates on Trombonist/Composer Ryan Keberle

Source: Two for the Show Media

In-demand and multi-faceted jazz trombonist and composer, Ryan Keberle, will unveil his newest project, Ryan Keberle and Catharsis, in a series of performances around the tri-state area this February. Ryan Keberle and Catharsis, a “piano-less" quartet highlighting Keberle's tuneful compositions and emotive arrangements in a bluesy, groove based, latin-jazz influenced atmosphere features three of the jazz world's most notable up-and-coming voices, Mike Rodriguez on trumpet, Jorge Roeder on bass, and Eric Doob on drums. Fresh off one of his busiest ...

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Performance / Tour

Ryan Keberle Double Quartet @ the Rubin Art Museum August 27th

Ryan Keberle Double Quartet @ the Rubin Art Museum August 27th

Source: Ryan Keberle

The Ryan Keberle Double Quartet will be performing at the Rubin Art Museum on August 27th at 7pm as part of their Harlem in the Himalayas series, presented in conjunction with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Mr. Keberle will be performing music from his critically acclaimed, recently released CD, Heavy Dreaming. Here's what the critics have to say: “Keberle's broad compositional ideals, along with his superb ability to balance the big and the small within his band, helps place ...

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Event

Ryan Keberle Double Quartet Live at CIM

Ryan Keberle Double Quartet Live at CIM

Source: Two for the Show Media

The Ryan Keberle Double Quartet is back at it next Friday, November 16th, at the Center for Improvisational Music (CIM). We'll be playing music from my debut CD which continues to receive rave reviews (an article on trombonist/recording artists just came out in the October Issue of JazzIz magazine which has some very nice things to say about my record, as well as other new releases). Details are below. The Ryan Keberle Double Quartet @ The Center For Improvisational Music ...

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Interview

Trombonist Ryan Keberle Interviewed at AAJ

Trombonist Ryan Keberle Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz

Trombonist Ryan Keberle's debut CD, Double Quartet (Alternative Side, 2007), displays a facile and expressive instrumentalist with a sound and technique that is smoothly intoned and gregarious with an emphasis on creating strong melodic lines. He is also a musical thinker with a rapidly maturing compositional and arranging style.

He currently performs with his own group, but stays busy in New York as a member of Maria Schneider's Orchestra and performing with the likes of Slide Hampton, Joe Lovano and ...

"the best new jazz album of 2010" (Fred Kaplan, Stereophile)

"a sumptuous and spirited disc" (Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen)

"wonderful balance of listenability and complexity" (Damian Erskine, Bass Musician Magazine)

"Heavy Dreaming is easily on target for one of my 2010 favorites" (Bobby Vega, Jazz Times)

"Keberle's broad compositional ideals, along with his superb ability to balance the big and the small within his band, helps place Heavy Dreaming in a class of its own" (Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz)

"[Keberle] is clearly in the vanguard of a handful of stalwarts re-introducing the trombone to now unaccustomed ears" (Bob Gish, Jazz Inside)

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Primary Instrument

Trombone

Location

New York City

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Jazz Professor at Hunter College, in demand trombone, big band, improvisational clinician.

Clinic/Workshop Information

Trombone studies, Jazz History, Jazz Improvisation, Jazz Styles, Ensemble rehearsal

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Keep Swingin'

Outside in Music
2024

buy

Open City

Self Produced
2023

buy

Grooveyard

Origin Records
2023

buy

Dynamic Maximum...

Nonesuch Records
2023

buy

Sonhos Da Esquina

Self Produced
2022

buy

Episodes Of Grace

Posi-Tone Records
2022

buy

Grooveyard

From: Grooveyard
By Ryan Keberle

Canopy of Trees

From: Red List
By Ryan Keberle

Blue in the 2nd Degree

From: A Rose In The Canyon
By Ryan Keberle

Wedding Music

From: Double Quartet
By Ryan Keberle

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