MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY'S SCHOOL OF MUSIC PROUDLY PRESENTS

RYAN MATZINGER WITH SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS FACULTY RECITAL

THU · NOVEMBER 1, 2018

Doors: 6:00 pm / Show: 7:30 pm

RYAN MATZINGER

Appearing and performing as "Ryan Montana," a singer-songwriter, jazz saxophonist, recording artist, internationally touring musician, teacher, producer and studio engineer, Ryan was born and raised in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Bozeman and has been living and recording in Southern California for the last 11 years. Through journeys with industry stars, and studies with music legends, Ryan has developed as a contemporary indie artist belonging to the growing community of studied, genre melding, multi-faceted performers that are taking music back to its collective roots while exploring and researching the art form of Jazz and its connection to the cultural history and sociological condition of America. As one of the last remaining members of the iconic rock group Ike Turner and The Kings of Rhythm, he was on the Grammy Award winning 2007 ablum, Risin' With the Blues.

He moved to San Diego in 2000 to serve as the Artist Community Director for MP3.com after studying Jazz Performance and African History at The Hartt School under Jackie McLean, Nat Reeves(bass) and Steve Davis(trombone); and then studied Music Performance and Cultural Anthropology at Duke University under saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins and Paul Jeffrey. Ryan has since been an active teacher, studio musician and live performer world-wide as the alto saxophonist and horn section leader for the late Ike Turner, and remains and active member of the historically iconic band "The Kings of Rhythm," credited with recording and producing the very first Rock and Roll song every "Rocket 88," in 1951.

While at Duke, he lead and arranged music for the Concert Jazz Ensemble, and has also appeared and taught at numerous international festivals and workshops including The Stanford Jazz Workshop, The North Carolina International Jazz Festival, Jazz Montana and Hatch Festivals, Aspen Jazz /Snowmass Festival sponsored by the Thelonious Monk Institute, Acqui Terme Jazz Festival, Vienne Jazz Festival, Kansas City Barbeque and Blues Festival, Bordeux 24 Hours of Music Festival, Alicante Jazz Festival, Rauma Blues Festival, Santa Blues Festival, Gexto Jazz Festival, the Conservatory of Monaco, Trasimeno Blues Festival, The Legendary Blues Cruise and many more. He has appeared on multiple recording projects as a sideman, co-writer and producer/engineer, and has recorded several albums as a leader on SOTA Records. "A Dance Called Life," was produced by the famed Big Mountain founder, Quino McWhinney; and was mastered by the legendary Bernie Grundman. Ryan Montana and The Ten O'clock Scholars release "Electric Picture Show," garnered national attention and charted on several mid-major independent radio stations internationally.

He was awarded with "Jazz Artist of the Year" honors in the 2004 Los Angeles Music Awards. His latest studio time and production work has been with the acclaimed singer-songwriter Earl Thomas which recorded and broadcast a live show from London on BBC radio, and with a new artist collective called "JAAMA," which features Senegalese artists and the likes of Tanmoy Bose'Pandit Ravi Shankar's Tabla player; and Paul Smith who toured and recorded with Natalie Cole and Bill Withers. Ryan is currently pursuing and continuing his performing, teaching and recording career while researching and studying jazz saxophone and African-American history and developing a series of saxophone method books at Montana State University as the newly tenured Jazz Professor.

STEFAN KARLSSON

A native of Sweden, Stefan came to the United States in 1984 to study at the University of North Texas (UNT) due to his association with former UNT professors Rich Matteson, Jack Peterson and Jim Riggs. Stefan spent six years at UNT earning bachelor's and master's degrees. While at UNT he became, for three years, a member of the well known One O'clock Lab Band, and received the "Outstanding Graduate Student in Jazz Studies Award" in 1991. During his last year as a UNT student, Stefan signed a three-year recording contract with Justice Records in Houston, Texas.

After graduation, Stefan lived in Denver, Colorado (1991-1994) and in Las Vegas, Nevada (1994-2002), where he fulfilled his duties as professor of music and coordinator of jazz studies at the University of Nevada. In 2002, Stefan joined the jazz faculty in the division of jazz studies at the University of North Texas, where he taught until 2014. While at UNT, Stefan had a great deal of success with his combo class by implementing a guest artist residency program and recording experience for the students, which resulted in four combo CD releases. He also established two student exchange programs between UNT's college of music and the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Conservatori Liceu in Barcelona, Spain. As an active recruiter for the UNT jazz piano area, his former student accomplishments include: first place winners of the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition and the Phillips Jazz Piano Competition in Pensacola; finalists in the All American Jazz Piano Competition and the Barry Harris Jazz Piano Competition; invitations to the Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead program at the Lincoln Center; recipients of the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award (sponsored by ASCAP) and the Yamaha Young Performing Artist award; numerous Down Beat student awards; keyboardist with famed Eminem; and various college teaching positions throughout the USA. He has also been part of the Stanford Jazz Workshop for eight years as a clinician and performer.

Beginning fall 2015, Stefan will be joining the jazz studies faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington as a visiting professor http://music.uta.edu/areasofstudy/index.php?t=p&performanceid=2. In addition to his teaching duties, Stefan stays very active as guest performer and Artist-in-Residence at concert venues, festivals, clubs, and universities worldwide. His extensive travel schedule has taken him both as a performer and educator throughout Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Scotland, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and the United States. His discography includes 72 recordings, with nine CD projects under his own leadership. He has been a recording artist for Justice Records, Cambria/Troppe Note Records and currently Bebyne http://www.bebyne.com/category/stefan-karlsson/

Since 1996, Stefan has been a member of the Eddie Gomez Trio and Quartet (including Jimmy Cobb, Billy Drummond, Billy Hart, Nasheet Waits, Ed Soph, Jeremy Steig, and Rodrigo Villanueva), frequently touring Asia, Mexico, South America, Europe and the United States. The group has recorded six CD projects. In addition to performing with the Eddie Gomez group, he has also had the opportunity to share the stage and recorded with such jazz greats as: Steve Gadd, Herb Ellis, Jim Ferguson, Lou Fischer, Carl Fontana, Tim Hagans, Steve Houghton, Javon Jackson, Clay Jenkins, Marc Johnson, Larry Koontz, Joe La Barbera, Rich Matteson, Red Mitchell, Dick Oatts, Rich Perry, Chris Potter, Dave Pietro, Rufus Reid, Jim Riggs, Marvin ‘Smitty” Smith, Duduka Da Fonseca, Lynn Seaton, Bob Sheppard, Alex Sipiagin, Ed Soph, Marvin Stamm, Jim White, Mike Pope, Magnus Broo, Tom Warrington, Jiggs Wigham, Li Xiaochuan, Eliot Zigmund, and many others.

A sample of appearances at international venues are: JZ Clubs and Festival (China), Blue Note Jazz Clubs (Fukyoka, Tokyo, and Osaka), Cotton Club (Tokyo, Japan), Mahidol University Jazz Festival (Thailand), New Morning Jazz Club (Paris, France), Fasching Jazz Club (Stockholm, Sweden), Terrassa Jazz Festival (Terrassa, Spain), Vierzen Jazz Festival (Vierzen, Germany), Terzo Festival Internazionale Isola D’Elba (Elba, Italy), Festival des Rencontres (Capbreton, France), Body and Soul Jazz Club (Tokyo, Japan), Star Eyes Jazz Club (Nagoya, Japan), Jazz Club Jambouree (Barcelona, Spain), Muroran Jazz Festival (Muroran, Japan), Edinburg Festival (Edinburg, Scotland), Royal Academy of Music (Stockholm, Sweden), Conservatori Liceu (Barcelona, Spain), Conservatory of Music in Shanghai (China), Contemporary Music Academy (Beijing, China), Contemporary Music Institute (Zhuhai, China), University of Adelaide (Australia), International Association for Jazz Educators conference (IAJE), Jazz Educators Network (JEN), and many others.

In addition, Stefan has performed with the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Richardson symphony orchestras (including as an accompanist for vocalists Patti Austin and Monica Mancini).

Further, as a composer, Stefan is currently a published composer with BUG MUSIC in Hollywood, California http://www.bmgchrysalis.com/. His original music is copyrighted through ASCAP http://www.ascap.com/. His music was featured in the 1994 movie releases "Sugar Hill" (featuring Wesley Snipes), "Twenty Bucks" (featuring Christopher Loyd), and the 1997 Independent film “Strays.” During the latter part of the 90’s, Stefan's music was frequently heard on the television series "Melrose Place," "Party of Five," “Wings” and "Homicide." His original compositions are also published in the European Real Book (Sher Music) http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217245.shtml and the Colorado Cook Book.

ZACH HARMON

Zach Harmon was born into a musical family in Wisconsin. He began studying piano at the age of three and continued for thirteen years. He started playing the drum set at age fifteen and quickly gravitated towards improvised music. In 2003, Zach became a member of the Clifford Brown/Stan Getz All-Stars with whom he toured Japan and performed at the 2003 Monterey Jazz Festival. Also in 2003, he enrolled in the Thornton School of Music at USC where he studied with the great Terri Lyne Carrington for two years.

After his sophomore year, he transferred to the Masters program at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz where he studied with Ron Carter, Jimmy Heath, Wynton Marsalis, Charlie Haden, Wallace Roney, Benny Golson, Robert Hurst, Lewis Nash, and many others. In 2005, as a member of the Monk Institute, he toured with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, performing in a cultural outreach program throughout Vietnam. In 2007, he toured again with Mr. Shorter and Mr. Hancock, this time throughout India.

Zach has been studying tabla with Abhiman Kaushal and recorded tabla on Terence Blanchard’s A Tale of God’s Willfor Blue Note Records (the album, which reflects on the events of Hurricane Katrina, won a Grammy for best large ensemble). Over the years, as a versatile drummer and percussionist, Zach has performed with artists such as Ambrose Akinmusire, Charles Altura, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Billy Childs, Yoonseung Cho, Romain Collin, Chris Dingman, John Doe, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Angel Luís Figueroa, Lázaro Galarraga, Sara Gazarek, Larry Goldings, Tim Green, Tigran Hamasyan, John Harmon, Noah Harmon, Geoffrey Keezer, Kris Kristofferson, Abe Laboriel, Sr., Greg Leisz, Nick Mancini, Artyom Manukyan, Josh Nelson, Gabe Noel, Vardan Ovsepian, John Pizzarelli, Austin Peralta, John C. Reilly, Nell Robinson, Otmaro Ruiz, Joe Sanders, Gina Saputo, Anoushka Shankar, Walter Smith III, Terrell Stafford, Dayna Stephens, Strangeloop, Bobby Wilmore, Anthony Wilson and many others.

Notable venues at which Zach has performed include: Birdland, NYC; Blue Note, Nagoya & NYC; Freight & Salvage, Berkeley; Jazz Alley, Seattle; Jazz at the Bistro, St. Louis; Jazz Gallery, NYC; John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.; Joe's Pub at The Public, NYC; The Lighthouse Cafe, Hermosa Beach; Rainbow Bar and Grill, Los Angeles; Ravi Shankar Institute, New Delhi; REDCAT, Los Angeles; Regattabar, Cambridge; Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi; Sunset-Sunside, Paris; World Stage, Los Angeles; Yoshi's, Oakland & San Francisco

Zach continues to perform, record, compose and teach around the world.

BOB BOWMAN

Bob Bowman, a native Kansan, learned to play the piano and clarinet before beginning to play bass at age 12. He won a scholarship to the Stan Kenton Jazz Clinic as a high school freshman, followed by study at North Texas State University.

In 1976, he joined the famous Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, touring and recording several albums, including the Grammy award-winning “Live in Munich.” Bob continued his performing and recording career by joining the Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabakin Big Band in Los Angeles in 1979. He recorded numerous albums as a member of this band, many of which were nominated for Grammy Awards. Bob also had long musical relationships with pianists, composers and arrangers Dan Haerle and Frank Mantooth.

Bob has toured and recorded with many artists including the legendary Carmen McRae, Pat Coil, Freddie Hubbard, Bud Shank, Karrin Allyson, Steve Houghton, Steve Allee, Bill Mays, Clay Jenkins, Danny Embrey, Todd Strait, Bob Sheppard, Matt Otto, Rod Fleeman, John Stowell, Jerry Hahn, Bobby Watson and others. Also he has had a very important musical relationship with Kansas City musicians like Tommy Ruskin, Paul Smith, Mike Ning, Claude “Fiddler” Williams, Jay McShann, Stan Kessler, and many more. Bob moved to Kansas City in 1988 where he has been a major part of the vibrant jazz scene there. He was a faculty member of the University of Missouri as well as Ottawa University and leads legendary Kansas City group INTERSTRING and various version of Bowdog.

Bob now lives in Montana where he first visited when he was 5 years old, enjoying playing music and the beautiful country year around. He travels back to the Midwest every 2 – 3 months to perform and record. “Very deep jazz history and great musicians in Kansas City that keep me coming back.” Bob says.