ESP

E.S.P. is a high energy, contemporary jazz group featuring original music. Their recordings are part jazz, part funk and part world music. Its real jazz, you just won't need your GPS to follow it!. This exciting jazz quartet's 2009 album Time’s Up! (SPIDER RECORDS) was featured in JAZZIZ magazine. In 2010, the record won a Syracuse Area Music Award (Sammy) for best jazz Recording and continues to receive airplay in more than 120 cities worldwide. In 2012, E.S.P. was voted “Best Jazz Group” in the Syracuse New Times annual reader’s poll. ​ Their 2011 release, Reach (SPIDER RECORDS), was produced by the Grammy Award-winning bassist of The Yellowjackets, Jimmy Haslip, and features three tracks with legendary keyboardist Jeff Lorber. This year, E.S.P. released Zero Gravity to critical acclaim winning the band its third consecutive SAMMY award. ​ E.S.P. has opened for many big jazz names including Chris Boti, The Rippingtons and Jeff Kashiwa’s Sax Pack among others. Members have also backed jazz greats including The New York Voices, Joey DeFrancisco and Martha Reeves. ​ JAZZIZ MAGAZINE SAYS: “Clearly inspired by the tradition of true jazz improvisation, yet Time’s Up! glistens with a modern sound.”

Matt Vacanti: bass

Matt plays string bass and Pedulla fretless bass in the group.His string bass playing brings a real straight ahead jazz feel to the group.

Yet growing up in Buffalo New York, his compositional style is influenced by groups that got their start in western New York, like Spyro Gyra, Chuck Mangione, and Bobby Millitello. Matt is an orchestra director at the Fulton N.Y. High School, and earned the title of “Teacher of the Year” for his outstanding work with the kids in Fulton. Send Matt an email for more information about ESP anytime!

John Magnante: guitar

John graduated from Oswego State with a minor in music performance. In Oswego, he studied with guitarist Rick Balestra and was a featured soloist in the school's highly acclaimed “Solid State Jazz Ensemble.” He also studied guitar at the musicians Institute of Technology in Los Angeles.

John is a co-founder of ESP as well as a major contributor of the groups original compositions. In addition to his responsibilities with ESP, John performs with such bands as Atlas and Soft Spoken.

Evan Duchene: Drums Drummer Evan DuChene graduated from Syracuse University's school of music with a dual degree in music education and music performance. After college he toured the U. S. for several years with Inner city Recording Artist Dry Jack, backing up artists such as McCoy Tyner and Freddie Hubbard. Since that time Evan settled in the Central New York area. He has played with many Central New York greats such as Ronnie Leigh, Larry Arlotta, Rick Montalbano and Rick Ballestra to name a few. He also has performed with national artists such as Leslie Gore, Santos and Johnnie, The Four Aces, as well as jazz greats Chuck Lamb, Nick Brignola and Dizzy Gillespie. ​ Most recently Evan toured with Corporate entertainer Philip Myers. While with Myers, he crisscrossed the US playing many of the countries finest Five Diamond resorts. Out of country gigs took him to, Cancun, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and Beijing China.

Tony Greene: Sax Tony grew up in Frederick Maryland, and got his undergraduate degree at James Madison in Virginia. In the 1980s, he moved to Syracuse to attend Syracuse University and immediately became one of the hardest working musicians in the city. The list of regional bands he has toured with is extensive and includes all the bigges bands including Sold Out, Prime Time, the Stan Collela Big Band, Classified Horns, The Ripcords, The Legendary Dukes, Salt City Jazz Collective, and the DeSantis Orchestra to name a few. ​ One of his proudest moments was as a featured soloist in the 2015 and 2016 Vinyl’s Live Performances at the Landmark Theater in Syracuse. When he is in Nashville, he attends national saxophone clinics, where he has jammed with legends like Victor Wooton, the legendary Bob Reynolds from Snarky Puppy and other Nashville studio musicians. Tony is also a respected music educator both home as a band director in the Jamesville/Dewitt school district and around the country as the host of a popular YouTube channel devoted to teaching and demonstrating saxophone technique and tips.

Kirsten Tegtmeyer: vocalist

Kirsten first realized her love of voice while singing in her hometown church in Cazenovia, NY. It wasn't long before she started writing songs and performing them in High School which led to her attending Onondaga Community College for music and studying with central New York legend, Ronnie Leigh. In 2011 she was drawn to Manhattan where she performed regularly with the group KTQ. These days she lives in Syracuse and performs with E.S.P. at clubs and festivals around Central NY. Kirsten has performed with Bob Piorum, Ronnie Leigh, Melissa Gardiner, Rawn Randall, Chris Derosa and Jamie Cullum to name a few. Watch for her new solo record coming out soon!

Awards

2011 SAMMY Award for best jazz CD of the year 2015 SAMMY Award for best jazz CD of the year 2017 SAMMY Award for best jazz CD of the year Voted Best of Syracuse NewTimes Newspaper