Rabbit Hole Sessions with Abe Ovadia

EPISODE 93 - Glenn White

"Critics and listeners alike have praised saxophonist Glenn White for his innovative compositions and commanding presence. NextBop describes his work as 'grand, elegant, even somber in some places... kind of perfect,' while Jazz Weekly highlights his 'sophisticated mix of probing and intriguing original compositions.' With a soulful, warm tone and a flair for blending tradition with modern textures, White's music has been called 'progressive jazz made accessible' (All About Jazz) and 'heavy with emotion, with great power' (Hartford Courant). His artistry, both as a composer and performer, continues to captivate audiences and push the boundaries of contemporary jazz."
 

EPISODE 92 - Geoffrey Keezer

Geoffrey Keezer is a GRAMMY®-winning pianist, composer, arranger and producer based in New York City. A native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, he began playing piano and composing at an early age. After briefly attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Keezer moved to New York in 1989, becoming the last pianist with the legendary Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Keezer has toured and recorded with Ray Brown, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Diana Krall, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Barbara Hendricks, Wayne Shorter, Dianne Reeves, David Sanborn, Chris Botti, Sting, Joe Locke and Christian McBride; produced and arranged three GRAMMY®-nominated recordings with vocalist Denise Donatelli, and released a series of albums drawing influences from Hawaiian, Okinawan and Afro-Peruvian folk traditions. His 2009 album Áurea (ArtistShare) was nominated for a Best Latin Jazz Album GRAMMY® award. Geoffrey’s 2013 solo piano release, Heart of the Piano (Motema Records), seeks to redefine solo jazz piano as a personal and interactive showcase of melody, energy and groove, while his 2018 album On My Way to You (MarKeez Records) is a stunning set of music featuring his working trio with the addition of guest vocalist Gillian Margot. Keezer’s latest album Playdate(MarKeez Records) earned a 2023 GRAMMY® in the Best Instrumental Composition category for his song “Refuge”.
Geoffrey’s compositions have been commissioned by the Mainly Mozart Festival, Art of Elán ensemble, Saint Joseph Ballet, Zeltsman Marimba Festival, Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra and Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. His music can be heard in the films What Happens in Vegas, The Wedding Year, and Inhale, and in numerous TV shows including The Young and the Restless, Parks and Recreation, Casual, House of Lies, Call Me Kat, American Crime Story, Clarice, and The Originals.
Time Magazine wrote, “Geoffrey has more than enough virtuosity and sheer musical wit and intelligence to weave all of his apparently disparate strands of influence into an original and compelling whole”, and pop icon Sting said “In the universe of piano players that I have been exposed to over the years, Geoffrey has proved himself to be not only a superb technician and improviser, but also above and beyond this, a composer and conceptualist who can maintain the overall line and the DNA of the song in everything he plays. A musician’s musician.”
Geoffrey Keezer is a faculty member of The Juilliard School and is a Yamaha artist.

EPISODE 91 - Bob DeVos

Acclaimed guitarist, composer and bandleader Bob DeVos has enjoyed over 50 years as an in-demand player. With long, blues-drenched melodic lines and a horn-like approach, he has a signature style of groove and sophistication. From solo to big band, Bob is a modern player with strong traditional roots, equally at home with straight-ahead jazz, blues, Rhythm & Blues, funk, Latin, and more.  A master with a full, warm sound, in his formative years Bob toured and recorded with the giants of organ jazz–Trudy Pitts, Richard “Groove” Holmes & Sonny Stitt, Jimmy McGriff & Hank Crawford, and Charles “The Mighty Burner” Earland’s greatest band. Bob went on to perform with a Who’s Who in and out of the organ genre: “I feel fortunate to have played with these larger-than-life masters; each had a strong identity. I gained profound insights into the music, how to be a musician, and finding my own voice.”Beginning with Breaking The Ice (produced by Charles Earland) DeVos’ CDs as a leader for HighNote/Savant and other labels have earned rave reviews and many stars in Downbeat and throughout the jazz media, were among the top five on JazzWeek’s National Airplay Chart for many months, and appeared on many yearly top CDs lists. Longtime collaborator Eric Alexander appears on Bob’s Shifting Sands and Playing for Keeps. His most current CDs are the hip Shadow Box featuring Ralph Bowen and the lustrous Six String Solos.DeVos currently leads his own groups and collaborates with vibraphonist Behn Gillece and with pianist Andy LaVerne. Bob was the musical director and guitarist for the famed concert, An Organ Summit Supreme, reuniting with Jimmy McGriff, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Trudy Pitts and tenor legends David “Fathead” Newman and Houston Person.  Bob studied jazz as a teenager with Harry Leahy and the legendary Dennis Sandole. When Sandole sent his students to replace Pat Martino in Trudy Pitts’ Trio, Bob got the gig. Bob deepened his compositional and harmonic approach while playing with the Teo Macero Nonet, Gerry Niewood’s Timepiece with Dave Samuels, and as a composer/player for the forward-thinking Ron McClure Quartet. He studied classical composition with Edgar Grana, and received a 1996 NJ Council of the Arts Grant in composition. “My composing is the structural side of my improvising. I strive to develop a musical idea thematically in both my writing and improvisation.”Bob has a far-reaching discography as a sideman, including over 100 studio recordings. He has a strong following for his innovative work with, among many others, Pepper Adams, Joey DeFrancesco, Billy Drummond, Don Friedman, Billy Hart, Etta Jones, Steve LaSpina, Mike LeDonne, Hendrik Meurkens, Etta Jones, Jack McDuff, Pat Martino, Adam Nussbaum, Irene Reid, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Stanley Turrentine and many more. As a young musician he played with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins & recorded for Frank Sinatra and Gladys Knight.In recent years, Bob has performed at the Kennedy Center, The Kimmel Center, The NJ State Theater, The Blue Note, Iridium, The Jazz Bakery, The Kitano, SMOKE, Chris’ Jazz Cafe, the Smithsonian,  the San Diego Art Museum, Jazz Forum Arts, Birdland, Jazzmobile, Smalls, Mezzrow and numerous festivals in the US and worldwide, including JVC Jazz Festivals and The San Francisco Jazz Festival.An innovative, generous teacher Bob has done extensive work in jazz clinics worldwide, has been on the faculties of William Paterson and Lehigh University, and is a past artist-in-residence at Newark Arts High. He currently teaches privately both on and off line.
 

EPISODE 90 - Nick Hempton

Growing up on the mean streets of Sydney, Hempton and the Jazz School system didn’t see eye to eye, and he learnt to play jazz the old-fashioned way: jam sessions at local clubs and late night practice sessions on Sydney’s famous Harbour Bridge. A year at sea working on the cruise ships raised the funds for a flight, and in January 2004 he touched down in NYC. 
From 2005 to 2016 Nick led The Nick Hempton Band, delivering “highly entertaining, hard-driving and solid swinging modern jazz,” (E–Jazz News) to most of the major New York venues, as well as touring regionally and internationally. With this group, Nick released four highly-praised studio albums: “Nick Hempton Band” (self-released, 2008); “The Business” (Posi-Tone, 2011); “Odd Man Out” (Posi-Tone, 2013); and in 2015, the innovative “Catch and Release,” which was recorded and released track-by-track over the course of a year. This was followed by the pared-back “Trio Stonk” (SmallsLive, 2017), recorded live at NYC’s famed Smalls Jazz Club.
In 2018, after years of flirting with the organ band format, Nick recorded his sixth album, the organ quartet outing, “Night Owl.” Featuring renowned guitar ace Peter Bernstein, Night Owl harkens back to the classic ‘60s organ band sound, “that greasy, funky soul-jazz popularized by the likes of Lou Donaldson, Grant Green and Stanley Turrentine... complete with a Gene Ammons-grade soul tenor sax.” (Something Else Reviews). “Night Owl” was such a gas, Nick took the same band back to the same studio, and the hotly-anticipated follow-up, “Slick,” was released to much acclaim in November 2021.

EPISODE 89 - Amanda Monaco

Amanda Monaco has performed at venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Jazz Standard, and the Blue Note, and with artists such as Milt Hinton and the Mingus Orchestra. She has released eight albums as a leader. Her current jazz projects include her eclectic quartet Deathblow, rambunctious organ quartet Glitter, and all-female sextet Lioness. Her Pirkei Avot Project performs her original music with lyrics from selected verses (from a collection of rabbinical teachings with the same name) compiled in the third century C.E.
Monaco’s guitar playing is “well within the modernist canon, but quite distinctive: her phrasing is often made up of tartly dissonant chords and insistent yet off-kilter repetitions that remind one of Grant Green by way of Andrew Hill... her playing is utterly unique, a breath of fresh air in the cookie-cutter climes of both mainstream and free jazz.” (Clifford Allen, The New York City Jazz Record)
Monaco is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music, where she has taught private instruction, labs, and ensembles since 2011. She also teaches for Berklee Online and recorded a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), available worldwide at www.coursera.com. Monaco's book, Jazz Guitar for the Absolute Beginner was published by Alfred in 2004. In 2022, she joined the guitar faculty at Boston’s New England Conservatory.
Monaco is the Artistic Director of Convergence Arts, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to share the art and fun of improvisation with people of all ages. Convergence has presented festivals in New York City such at the Six String Summit (showcasing guitarists Nels Cline and Julian Lage, among others), the Queens Jazz OverGround’s Spring Jazz Fest, and the Lioness™: Women in Jazz Concert Series.

EPISODE 88 - Chris Crocco

Christopher Crocco attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and graduated Cum Laude in 1997. Since that time he has worked nationally and internationally as a full time performer, composer, and educator. With performances as a sideman and leader at every major jazz club in New York City, Crocco established himself as one the most unique improvisational voices on the scene. He has performed with Kenny Werner, Mike Mainieri, John Lockwood, Dennis Irwin, George Garzone, Greg Tardy, Sam Yahel, Antonio Farao, Frank Tiberi, Bob Gullotti, Francisco Mela, Ben Street, Kenny Brooks, Ross Pederson, Peter Slavov, Pete Zimmer, Jeremy Allen, John Sullivan, Rick Margitza, Essiet Essiet, Eivind Opsvik, Charles Blenzig, Sean Conly, Tony Moreno, and Ian Froman amongst others. Crocco's longtime relationship with master saxophonist and educator George Garzone, has helped him acquire a uniquely individual voice not only as a guitarist but also through his continued mentoring to students at all levels of music development. Crocco is the only musician qualified to fluidically perform, compose, and teach Garzone's original pedagogy called, "The Triadic Chromatic Approach". He has had the privilege of conducting master classes at music institutions and universities across Europe and the United States. In addition to teaching private students in New York City, Crocco is also an adjunct professor within the New School Jazz Department. His current group is called "FLUID". It includes a rotation of some of the finest musicians working and performing in improvisational music today. "FLUID" has released a number of highly acclaimed CDs & DVDs. Exploring every aspect of truth in music and art, "FLUID" performs with a ferocity and freedom... swing and organic color. Every show is energized with the colors of life.

EPISODE 87 - James Gibbs III

James Gibbs III who currently tours with 8 time Grammy nominated singer/song writer Joe Thomas was born in Newark, and raised in Irvington, New Jersey. He began playing the trumpet at the age of 14 and began his jazz training at The New Brunswick Jazz Institute, under instructor and legendary organist Radam Schwartz.
James performed his first professional show on December 12, 1994 for the annual WBGO Jazz membership party and Gala at The Five Spot jazz club in New York City, where he was discovered by the late great jazz singer, arranger, composer, band leader and actress Dr. Betty Carter. She invited James to audition for her annual jazz performance program called “Jazz Ahead”. After he landed the audition, he studied with Betty and performed jazz concerts at. (Brooklyn Academy of Music) and The Kennedy Center with other young amateur/professional musicians from all over the world. That experience inspired James to go forth with his music career as a band leader, composer, producer, arranger and engineer. James performs all over the world as a leader and as a side musician with other bands in many venues and festivals.
James performs many styles of music from: Jazz, Rock, R&B, Gospel, Latin, Reggae, Classical, Brazilian, and many other ethnics styles. James has shared the stage with many greats such as: John Lamb (bassist from Duke Ellington’s Orchestra), Rufus Reid (legendary bassist), Buster Cooper (trombonist from Duke Ellington orchestra) , Mark Whitfield (guitarist), Sean Jones (trumpeter formerly from The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra), John Lee (bassist formerly from Dizzy Gillespie’s All-Star Band), Kenny Drew Jr (pianist), Terrence Blanchard (trumpeter/grammy winning composer in Spike Lee films), Joe Thomas (8 time grammy nominated singer/song writer), Jerry Stiller (Broadway actor, singer and television star), Eric Roberson (grammy nominated singer/song writer), Smokin’ Joe Frazier (former heavy weight champion), Roy Hargrove (trumpeter), Wynton Marsalis (trumpeter/music director of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra), Cecil Brooks III (drummer/club owner “Cecils”), Cyrus Chestnut (pianist), TS Monk (drummer/award winning songwriter/composer/son of iconic pianist Thelonious Monk), Joshua Paul Thompson (guitarist/award winning songwriter, composer and producer), David Pic’ Conley (flutist, saxophonist, award winning song writer and producer, founder of the grammy winning R&B Group “Surface”) and many others.
 

EPISODE 86 - Jonathan Saraga

Jonathan Saraga is a New York City based, internationally acclaimed trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, arranger, educator, band-leader and Doctor of Musical Arts. He holds 3 degrees in jazz studies/trumpet performance, has earned over 30 musical accolades from 30 different organizations, and has garnered 25+ years experience performing, recording, competing and teaching on a global scale. Jonathan appears on 30+ studio albums, in 250+ YouTube videos, and has performed extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, Canada and the U.S., including via multiple national tours. Saraga has worked as a trumpeter and flugelhornist for many highly acclaimed and/or Grammy nominated/winning artists such as Maria Schneider, Darcy James Argue, Orrin Evans, Arturo O'Farrill, Tyshawn Sorey, Jimmy Greene, Steve Coleman, Henry Cole, Remy Le Boeuf, Valery Ponomarev, Steven Feifke, Migiwa Miyajima, Manuel Valera, Samuel Torres, Jihye Lee, Erica Seguine, the Revive Big, the Birdland Big Band, the Mingus Big Band, the Terraza Big Band, and Brass Against. He has performed at premier NYC venues such as Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, the Jazz Standard, Birdland Jazz Club, the Jazz Gallery, the Barclay's Center, Smoke Jazz Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Le Poisson Rouge, the Iridium, Joe's Pub, Fotografiska, Roulette, Smalls Jazz Club as well as Rockefeller Center to name only a few.Jonathan's work has been recognized and/or awarded by notable organizations such as the International Trumpet Guild, the ASCAP Foundation, Broadcast Music Incorporated, Chamber Music America, the Association for Popular Music Education, the International Society for Improvised Music, United States Artists, the Millay Colony, the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers, the Louis Armstrong Foundation, the Banff Center, the International Songwriting Competition, the Jazz Foundation of America, the United States Navy as well as the United States Air Force and has engaged with audiences in over 500 cities, nearly 70 countries and just short of 100 different universities.Critics have remarked that Saraga's original music is "skillfully conceived", "exquisitely realized", "assertive" and "inventive" (Jazz Wise, U.K.) and that it features "an uncommon freshness" (All About Jazz, U.S.). The U.K.'s 'Jazz Journal' has called it "intriguing", and that it "comes out of the speakers with a rare confidence and finish, but without the smuggery and sheen that a lot of contemporary jazz has in place of real content." Jerry Gordon of Evidence Records has deemed it "brilliant", France's 'Jazz Magazine' notes its “astonishing maturity”, and McArthur-fellow, saxophonist and composer, Miguel Zenon has hailed it as "impressive", "very focused" and "well conceived." All About Jazz has also noticed an "uncommon freshness" from Jonathan's music and has even proclaimed it as "a stand-up-and-take-notice offering."
 

EPISODE 85 - Billy Carrión

Billy Carrión is a multidimensional bassist that has gathered musical skills from alternate realities, to become one of the hardest grooving musicians on the scene today. Billy’s mission is simple: evolve every piece of music in any genre to its highest, purest, most beautiful form, while preserving music the masters have left everyone throughout space and time. Billy has had quite the musical journey- a requirement to understanding as many aspects of music as possible.On various instruments pre pandemic, Billy was able to work with some of the most influential musicians and producers in music, including Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Tim Gilles, Henry Cole, Giovanni Hidalgo, Suit Of Lights, Alfredo Rodriguez, Papo Vazquez, Ray Santos, and many more- a 20+ year journey so far. Billy’s influences are quite wide, including jazz, Latin music, rock… but the majority come from the depth of 8 and 16 bit video games. “Music I listened to 30+ years ago that I can still hum today,” is how he explains it. “I love music from the 70’s- especially anything with a clavé, and electronic jazz, which was called fusion back then, anything from the ECM record label, etc.. and you can hear those influences in the game music I was exposed to in my youth in the 80’s and 90’s.Billy is currently performing with the electric jazz group known as U.L.T.R.A. S - Universe Less Traveled Reveals Authentic Self. The band has been lighting up the NY/NJ music scene for the last few years, and has original music slated to be released in May 2024 on all streaming platforms. Billy also has a brand new acoustic jazz quartet featuring Pete Rodriguez on Trumpet, Campbell Charshee on Piano, and Jarrett Walser on drums. For his 40th b-day, Billy recorded 4 of his favorite covers (with Jonathan Peretz on drums) that will be released at the end of 2024. As a leader, Billy has performed at places and events such as the Bergen County Music Festival, Chris’s Jazz Cafe, Trumpets Jazz Club, The Beanrunner Cafe, Crossroads, Somethin’ Jazz Club, The Watt Hotel, and even a 9 year residency at the now closed DLV Lounge, a jazz club that stood strong for 50 years in Montclair NJ. You can also catch Billy as a sideman with various acts around the NY/NJ area. Billy also has a Twitch channel where he streams the old school games that influenced him musically, as well as occasional improvised synth music and live band performances.

EPISODE 84 - Charles Ruggiero

Charles Ruggiero was born to be a drummer. The son of world renowned jazz musician Vinnie Ruggiero, Charles spent his early years surrounded by the "who's who" of jazz. There was always music around, and with musicians like Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Freddie Hubbard, and Jon Hendricks coming to spend time and play, it was only a matter of time before he caught the bug and asked his father to play the "bang-bangs." 
    As a teenager, Charles got serious about drumming, playing anywhere he could. Soon, local high schools and colleges, as well as professional theatre groups, and popular local bands throughout western N.Y. started to hire him. After winning a seat in the New York State All State Jazz Ensemble, music colleges came calling. Manhattan School of Music offered a full scholarship and a chance to study with famed jazz educator Justin DiCioccio, so he jumped at the chance. The jazz scene in New York City in the early 90's was vibrant and he was plying regularly with his own "who's who" of  jazz, including Joshua Redman, Peter Bernstein, Jane Monheit, Ryan Kisor, Joel Frahm, Sam Yahel, Brad Mehldau, Myron Walden, Chris Potter, and Dwayne Burno, to name a few.
 
    In 1994, Charles joined Chuck Mangione's group, touring with the jazz superstar for the next 4 years. The first months of his time with Mangione provided him with the chance of a lifetime - learning the ropes, playing alongside the legendary drummer Steve Gadd. "He taught me so much, and he never uttered one word about music." says Ruggiero.
 
    In late 2000, former MTV/VH1 vee-jay, Abby Gennet, asked Ruggiero to play on a demo of a few of her songs, and the rock-n-roll band SLUNT was born. The band's rise was quick. In only their second year they were on tour with Marilyn Manson. The following years found them on tour with Motorhead, Drowning Pool, and Paul Stanley (KISS) as well as releasing two albums on Repossession Records. After SLUNT Charles found himself on Ozzy Ozbourne's Ozzfest tour, replacing drummer Matt Sorum (Guns and Roses/Velvet Revolver) as a member of Circus Diablo - a band which also featured Billy Duffy (The Cult), Brett Scallions (FUEL), Billy Morrison (Billy Idol), and Ricky Warwick (The Almighty).  
 
  Home again in his adopted Los Angeles, Charles continues to thrive. Touring and recording with stoner rock powerhouse Geezer, and Rocco DeLuca, recording for The Loop Loft, filming MyMusicMasterclass videos, teaching private lessons, gigging locally, and continued recording and releasing of his own records keep him busy. 
     Spring of 2019 saw the release of two new co-lead records for Ruggiero, first "Charles Ruggiero & Hilary Gardner Play The Bird & The Bee" - a jazz-trio-plus-singer take on the iconic LA indie pop duo's music. Second will be "Slide's Blues" - a record with Frank Basile of nine  tunes arranged, and in some cases, also composed by Slide Hampton, where Slide himself guests on two tracks. Both records are on the SmallsLIVE record label. In late 2020, Charles continued collaborating and released a holiday record with Gary Matsumoto and Alex Frank called "Jazz YULE dig!" 
 
 
    2022 began a new chapter in Charles' "solo" career with the release of "Drummer. Composer." (affectionally referred to as Roo•Gee•Air•Oh!)  - an album of completely original material by Ruggiero himself.  It hit #25 on the Jazz charts and continues to receive acclaim and airplay.
    2024 showed no signs of slowing down in the touring or recording departments with Charles recording new records with Arturo Sandoval, Brian Bromberg, and Bob Reynolds, and Tony Guerrero as well as releasing his 8th album as a leader, "But of Course" a swinging affair with a couple of standards, a couple of songs by his contemporaries, and a few more originals by Ruggiero.