1959 - 1968
I was born in Wichita Kansas on August 16th, 1959 and raised in Baltimore, Maryland from the age of two.

My father, composer and multi-instrumentalist Rodd Keith (Eskelin) (originally from Michigan) was assigned by his church to do musical work in Baltimore, Maryland where he met my mother, organist Bobbie Lee (Blankenship). For a time they moved to Kansas where Rodd’s family was then living. Rodd and Bobbie worked in the local music store by day and played concerts at night including a live television program called “Music at Twilight”. I'm told that Rodd would often play records for me as I slept saying that this would have a good effect on a young child, one of his favorites to play being Stan Kenton's "City of Glass".

They soon left Kansas and began traveling across the country with me in search of work eventually landing in Los Angeles around 1961. Fearing that a life in the entertainment business would be too unstable an environment for a child, Bobbie Lee returned to Baltimore with the me in 1961 leaving Rodd in California to pursue his own musical career. Tragically, Rodd Keith would die in 1974 at age 37 before I ever had a chance to meet him.

Bobbie Lee remarried (twice) and continued to play professionally in clubs all over Baltimore with her own groups until 1966 at which time she left the music business for good. She would continue to play the organ nonprofessionally at house parties for many years. I recall these events well and was programmed for a life in music as a result of hearing her play the great American songbook. In fact, my grandmother would remark that while most children of six years of age were singing “Jesus Loves Me” I was often heard humming tunes like “Satin Doll” and “Cherokee”. My grandfather Theodore Blankenship was also an accomplished musician playing guitar professionally in Baltimore clubs during the ‘40s and ‘50s.

I would later tune into my mother's record collection, my favorites being a Dizzy Gillespie Big Band recording and a Sarah Vaughn record but it was the sound of R & B tenor saxophone that was in the air in those years that attracted me the most. Ironically, for a kid at that time, I didn't like rock and roll at all.


1969 - 1972
One evening at home in 1969 my mother asked “if you could play any instrument you wanted what would it be?”. I immediately answered "tenor saxophone". The family rented an old Beuscher Aristocrat tenor saxophone from the music store where my grandfather worked. On the day that I was presented with the instrument I knew that I wanted to be a jazz musician. In addition to buying records by Louis Armstrong and various big bands I took books out of the library such as the children’s primer by Langston Hughes “first book of jazz” and often drew jazz posters in elementary school. While other kids talked about the Beatles, I talked about Stan Getz. Soon my idols became Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Lee Konitz and John Coltrane

1973 - 1975
Having played saxophone in school bands and with my mother I attended the first of many annual summer week-long residencies hosted by the Stan Kenton Orchestra at Towson State University in Baltimore in 1973 (at age 13). At that time the drummer in the Kenton band was Peter Erskine and one of the trumpeters was Tim Hagans both of whom have become well known in the jazz world. It was here that I heard the Towson State University band and met director Hank Levy.

Around 1973 I also began private lessons with local saxophonist Jimmy Oronson. He had stopped teaching years prior but decided to take me under his wing letting me sit in at local nightclubs while still under age. "Mr. Jim" was of the old school and stressed tone above all else. He also felt that improvisation could not be taught and that one had to learn by doing. While I was able to read music well I could have benefited from some formal knowledge of music theory as applied to improvising. As it was, sheer determination was the key in beginning the process of developing a musical language.

1976 - 1980
Around this time I began to secure paying work around town. Saxophonist Rudy Darr (brother of the trumpeter Tony Darr who played in Bobbie Lee’s groups) would take me on his own jobs and split his pay. Darr was also a showman who would sing novelty numbers often rolling around on the ground while playing on his head.

In 1977 I enrolled at Towson State University studying classical saxophone literature with Joseph Briscuso as well as woodwind literature for flute and clarinet with various players from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. My primary focus was jazz, playing in the Towson State Jazz Ensemble led by Hank Levy. This group performed Levy's original compositions exclusively. Levy is known for his use of odd time signatures in big band music having contributed to the libraries of Don Ellis and Stan Kenton. While I chose Towson because of the presence of Levy and his band the university offered no training or courses in jazz or improvisation, leaving me to continue to figure out things on my own through trial and error. One of my fellow students at that time was bassist Drew Gress. Drew and I would go on to play often together in a variety of projects.

It was during this time that I had an opportunity to recommend to my professor a saxophonist to hire for an upcoming workshop at the university. I recommended David Liebman having heard a number of recordings that inspired me due to Liebman’s unique sound.

I continued playing around Baltimore in a variety of musical situations sitting in at local venues and forming groups of my own, quickly becoming known playing with many of Baltimore and Washington DC’s best musicians including pianist Bob Butta, drummer Dennis Chambers, pianist Marc Copland and bassist Terry Plumeri. At clubs such as The Famous Ballroom (The Left Bank Jazz Society), The Closet and The Bandstand I was exposed to jazz greats such as Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, Ted Curson, Gary Bartz, Clifford Jordan, Phil Woods, Woody Shaw, Bob Berg, Tom Harrel, Jack DeJohnette and many more. I once approached saxophonist Phil Woods and asked for a lesson on “how to play in the be-bop style” to which Woods quickly shot back “I don’t teach styles”...an exceedingly short exchange, yet a truism that proved to be in important lesson in itself. I would sometimes get to sit in on other such occasions for example, with Gary Bartz and Woody Shaw; Pepper Adams and Philly Jo Jones as well as legendary Baltimore saxophonist Mickey Fields who was very supportive to the community of younger musicians in town. It was in 1979 that I first met and played with drummer Tom Rainey who was in town with Ted Curson’s group (also including saxophonist Mel Ellison, pianist Armen Donelian and bassist Ratzo Harris). I was very impressed by Mel Ellison’s sound and style and succeeded in persuading him to give me a lesson. Ellison was becoming known in New York as a formidable musician for the short amount of time he resided there but left the scene entirely in the early eighties to return to the west coast and is unfortunately not well known in the music world. Later in 1979 I made my first visit to NYC and hung out for a couple of days with Mel hearing him play a gig with Jackie Byard’s Apollo Stompers (who I would also later play with).

In 1980 I met drummer Harold White. Harold was from Baltimore but had been living in New York for years having also played in pianist Horace Silver’s band. White was back in Baltimore for a short time and formed a group with myself and trumpeter Tom Williams playing Horace Silver’s arrangements.

1981 - 1982
Upon graduation in 1981 (with a Bachelor of Science in Music Performance), I was recommended by local drummer Tony Sweet to go on the road with swing-era trombonist Buddy Morrow who led a big band traveling the US 48 weeks out of the year in a series of one nighters that lasted for a year and and a half from 1981 until 1983, culminating in a tour of South America. Given that we often played for dances I had to learn how to make the most use of the limited solo space available. Even as the music was not what I was aiming for I gained a consistency from playing nightly that was not available in any other way.

On nights off during the band’s travels across the country I would sit in with any band that would have me, most notably at the many clubs on the south side of Chicago at sessions often led by legendary saxophonist Von Freeman. When the band was in New York I would work hard making connections in an effort to find an apartment and move there. Upon recommendation of Harold White I sought out saxophonist George Coleman for lessons which proved to be the essential link I needed to the information I had been seeking about be-bop.


1983 - 1986
In 1983 I left Morrow’s band and moved to NYC. The first few years in New York were spent apprenticing with a wide variety of musicians and types of work. On free nights I spent long hours hanging out at a neighborhood jam session led by drummer Harold White on 23rd street called the Star Cafe. Saxophonist Junior Cook also led sessions there and I used this time to solidify my understanding of bebop even while I was setting my sights on developing my own music.

Baltimore saxophonist Benny Russell provided a recommendation to organist Jack McDuff and I spent a number of months in McDuff’s band playing regularly at Dudes Place in Harlem (now called the St. Nick’s Pub). In the band at that time was guitarist Dave Stryker and legendary drummer Joe Dukes. McDuff was the epitome of old school approach, not afraid to embarrass a young musician by yelling on the bandstand while offering needed support back stage. On occasion the great Dr. Lonnie Smith would fill in for McDuff. Yet another organist of high repute I had the chance to play with at around the same time was Reuben Wilson at a jazz club called Mr. Hick's place in Freeport Long Island.

My roommate at the time was bassist Jeff Andrews (also from Baltimore) and it was through Jeff that I met guitarist Mike Stern. Mike often invited me to sit in regularly at the 55 Bar in Greenwich Village. While McDuff seemed never to repeat the same standards from week to week Mike concentrated on a smaller number of tunes which allowed me to learn more quickly.

Having learned the music largely on the bandstand I managed avoided the cookie-cutter trap of university training and began to be known for having my own sound and approach. Having secured a more solid theoretical foundation I tracked down saxophonist David Liebman for lessons. David was one of the first major musicians to offer support and soon after we would play together on informal jam sessions. In 1985 Dave sent me to sub for him at NY’s Sweet Basil in a group led by trumpeter Terumasa Hino featuring pianist Larry Willis, bassist Ron McLure and drummer Billy Hart.

Later in 1985, in a different musical realm altogether, I was asked by composer Mikel Rouse to record and later become a member of the Mikel Rouse Broken Consort, a quasi rock band/chamber group that explored complex rhythmic structures in a music that has since come to be referred to in new music circles as "totalism". While this group utilized no improvisation whatsoever it was a large catalyst in my development of rhythmic independence.

I formed my first New York band with pianist Marc Copland, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Steve Johns. We played at various Greenwich Village venues thru 1987. Through Drew, I was introduced to drummer Phil Haynes 1986. Phil and I would go on to form a number of important groups that would mark the beginning of my career for real.


1987 - 1990
One afternoon in 1987, on an otherwise routine jam session, I had a sudden epiphany about rhythm and phrasing that would turn out to be very important to me. Later that same evening I sat in with guitarist Leni Stern at the 55 bar in Greenwich village and as luck would have it drummer Paul Motian was on the gig. My newfound approach felt completely natural in this setting and solidified it from that day forward. In time I would combine this looser approach to rhythm and phrasing with investigations timbre manipulation that continue to be a major focus in my playing.

Around this same time I abruptly discontinued all commercial work (when wedding band singer blew a fuse on the gig after one of my solos) and along with Gress and Haynes began concentrating exclusively on our own group music. Through Phil I met trumpeter Paul Smoker. The cooperative group Joint Venture was formed (with Smoker, Gress, Haynes and myself) and debuted in NYC at a John Coltrane tribute concert organized by David Liebman in 1987. We went into the studio immediately afterwards to record. With help from recording engineer David Baker we eventually sold the tape to the German label enja records. After this initial LP “Joint Venture” was released in 1987 the band followed up with "Ways" in 1989 and "Mirrors" in 1991.

The years following my departure from the commercial music scene were tentative work-wise but a grassroots do it yourself work ethic slowly began to bear fruit in the community of musicians and also with record companies and music promoters in Europe. Joint Venture also offered me my first performance in Europe. The band played at the German Vilshofen festival on a bill with groups by David Murray, the Paris Reunion Band (with Woody Shaw) the Tony Williams quintet, the George Adams/Don Pullen quartet and many others.

Later that year Washington DC drummer Tony Martucci hired me to record in a band featuring saxophonist Joe Lovano titled “Earth Tones”. Some years later the ensemble recorded again with trumpeter Tim Hagans (whom I recalled from the Kenton clinics) titled “Collage”.

I was also a member of Phil Haynes' "4 Horns & What?" ensemble which toured Europe (appearing at the Moers Festival among others) and made two recordings for the German Open Minds Label. “Four Horns & What?” and “Four Horn Lore” were released in the late 80s and early nineties.

My involvement with Phil Haynes and a group of like-minded composer/improvisers associated with Phil's rehearsal space in Brooklyn led to a number of musician run festivals produced at the Knitting Factory in an attempt to bring attention to these groups in New York City. Ironically the festivals had less impact on the NY scene than in Europe and would up being an introduction to the European touring circuit for a number of these groups.

I then began the first of many projects as a leader with a trio comprised of Gress and Haynes, releasing "Setting The Standard" (Cadence Jazz) in 1988 and "Forms" (Open Minds) in 1990. This group endeavored to combine it's roots in the tradition of jazz with various concepts of independence and role changing in an attempt to play freely but with strict attention to harmony, time and form. The band appeared in New York City, Washington DC and on the Vancouver Jazz Festival.


1991 - 1993
In 1991, an important and ongoing musical relationship with drummer Joey Baron began. Joey had heard me by chance years before rehearsing with the Mikel Rouse Broken Consort and remembered the encounter when it came time to form Baron Down (along with trombonist Steve Swell). "Baron Down" opened my ears to further possibilities concerning musical roles, independence and context and toured yearly in Europe making three recordings between 1991 and 1995 (Tongue in Groove, Raised Please Dot and Crackshot). In later years trombonist Josh Roseman replaced Steve Swell.

During this time I continued to form projects of my own, generally incorporating new and unusual instrumentation in an attempt to place the saxophone in unique contexts for improvising. Further explorations of form and structure took place with a short lived group featuring Joe Daley on tuba and Arto Tuncboyaciyan on bakdav drums and percussion. This group recorded "Figure of Speech" for Soul Note records in 1993 and debuted at the Knitting Factory (with percussionist Thurman Barker filling in for Arto Tunboyacian).

In 1991 I performed my first solo saxophone concert. In taking a full three months to prepare (during which time I did not play with any other musicians) I fundamentally reworked my entire approach to the saxophone. In 1992 I recorded my solo repertoire on a self produced CD called “premonition - solo tenor saxophone”. I've continued to perform solo concert in the US and abroad.

Around this time bassist Mark Helias began hiring me for various projects. I'm featured on the recording “Loopin’ the Cool” (with Regina Carter on violin, Tom Rainey on bass and Epizo Bangoura on percussion) in 1994, a live recording from European dates with violinist Mark Feldman,and drummers Mike Sarin and Tom Rainey titled “Fictionary” in 1995 and “Come Ahead Back” a trio with Rainey that came to be known as “Open Loose” in 1997. Live dates occasionally included saxophonist Carlos Ward and drummer Pheeroan Ak Laff.

Other highlights:

Through Helias, I met trombonist Ray Anderson with whom I have performed with numerous times over the years in a variety of situations.

In 1993 I was introduced to woodwind specialist and composer Gebhard Ulmann from Berlin. Ullmann hired me to record “Basement Research” in 1993 and “Kreuzberg Park East” in 1997.

1994 - 1995
Having searched out Andrea Parkins (accordion & keyboards) and Jim Black (drums & percussion) in order to satisfy a particular sound I heard in my head I debuted this ensemble on March of 1994 at the Knitting Factory in Manhattan and the band has become my main working group since then. It was with this band that I truly felt able to reconcile all my musical experiences and interests both “high” and “low”. Given the band’s instrumentation, disparate musical personalities and unorthodox approach the issue of whether it was jazz or not soon became irrelevant. Over the years the group has received substantial critical acclaim and is increasingly cited as an influence by younger groups.

Since that time we have released ten recordings primarily for the legendary Swiss label hatHUT (which itself has been in existence for thirty years having released many classics of jazz and new music). Our recorded output consists of "Jazz Trash" (1995), "One Great Day..." (1996), "Kulak 29 & 30" (1997), "Five Other Pieces (+2)" (1998), "Ramifications" (1999), "The Secret Museum" (1999), "12 (+1) Imaginary Views" (2001), "Arcanum Moderne" (2002) and "Ten" (2004) and "Quiet Music" (2006).

The group tours regularly in the US, Canada and Europe having performed hundreds of concerts in all manner of venues from bars to concert halls from major cities to small towns (see a complete listing of the groups concerts here). I have also invited guest musicians to participate in special projects from time to time including Erik Friedlander (cello), Joe Daley (tuba), Marc Ribot (guitar), Melvin Gibbs (electric bass), Jessica Constable (voice) and Philippe Gelda (keyboards and voice). Constable, who resides in France, has become a frequent addition to the group on European tours since 2004. In addition to it's recorded output the band has also produced a video tour diary released on DVD titled "On the Road with Ellery Eskelin w/Andrea Parkins & Jim Black" to celebrate the band’s tenth anniversary further documenting the creative process of a group that shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Through bassist Mark Dresser I was introduced to drummer Gerry Hemingway which initiated a trio performance in NYC. I've since taken part in a number of Gerry's projects over the years.

Other new contacts resulted in tours with Swiss bandleader George Gruntz. A recording by George's big band of the music of Ray Anderson was followed by a number of European tours in which artists such as Elvin Jones and Joe Henderson were guest artists. Somewhere in Europe there is film of me soloing with Elvin Jones at the Berlin Jazz Festival from 1994. (if anyone has that please let me know)

other highlights:

Concerts with Bay Area clarinetist Ben Goldberg and later with percussionist John Hollenbeck.

Joey Barons’ “Baron Down” makes it’s first European tour.

1996
I record a special project dedicated to music by and associated with the great saxophonist and one of my first musical heroes, Gene Ammons, featuring guitarist Marc Ribot and drummer Kenny Wolleson titled “The Sun Died”. This group performed at a few festivals in Europe and some concerts stateside but was primarily a one time statement documenting a particular take on this body of music.

In 1995 or 1996 I discovered that my late father, Rodd Keith (an otherwise little known musician with reputed remarkable natural gifts and somewhat eccentric personality), has become a cult hero to a group of intrepid record collectors exploring the underbelly of American pop culture for his work in the song-poem (send us your lyrics) industry. Ironically, recordings that were never designed to see the light of day were now the object of growing attention and Rodd was being recognized for his talents in a field of music that he never quite took seriously himself. In a situation loaded with ironies I begin a search for the father I never knew through a very odd musical terrain which both inspired me and forced me to reconsider some basic assumptions about art and meaning in the process. I researched my father’s music and produced a compilation of his work for John Zorn’s Tzadik label titled “I Died Today - The Music of Rodd Keith”. Filmmaker Jamie Meltzer discovered the song-poem phenomenon and created a film about the subject called “Off the Charts - The Song Poem Story” airing nationwide on PBS in which I appeared to discuss my father’s work. In later years I would discover a bizarre non-song poem recording made by Rodd on piano, organ and vocals. A deeply personal psychodrama in sound, the circumstances of it’s making remain shrouded in mystery. This tape is also released on Tzadik and is titled “Ecstacy to Frenzy” (sic).

other highlights:

First Eskelin w/Parkins & Black European tour, various US appearances (Chicago and other).

Baron Down tours Europe.

Mark Helias tours Europe.

Other projects that year included work with French horn player and composer Tom Varner, releasing “Martian Heartache”.


1997
I meet guitarist Eugene Chadbourne while in the Bay Area for concerts with Ben Goldberg. Eugene later hires me for concerts in New York leading to a collaboration in which "Eskelin w/Parkins & Black" play backing band to Chadbourne’s Hank Williams repertoire at an old road house in near Columbia South Carolina (called the Grow Cafe). I continue to perform with Chadbourne in subsequent years appearing on the recording “Beauty and the Bloodsucker” and “Jimi” and later record my own version of some of Eugene's pieces on “Ramifications” in 1999.

"Green Bermudas" (Eremite) is released. A duo with Andrea Parkins (on sampler) that utilizes various found sounds and prerecorded materials including recordings by my father Rodd Keith.

other highlights:

Baron Down European tour.

Gebhard Ullmann European tour.

Gerry Hemingway European tour.

Solo concert and guest with pianist Steve Beresford on the first annual Empty Bottle Festival in Chicago.

My Internet Cafe improv series.

First Eskelin w/Parkins & Black US tour.
Second Eskelin w/Parkins & Black European tour.

First musical meeting with legendary Dutch drummer Han Bennink at New York’s Knitting Factory.

I record with “The Grassy Knoll”, a sample based groove project also featuring guitarist Thurston Moore, violinist Carla Kihlstedt and others.

1998
Work with drummer Gerry Hemingway begins in earnest with a European tour including bassist Mark Dresser and trombonist Robin Eubanks. Gerry accomplishes the extraordinary task of booking nearly 40 dates in the US and Canada through this year taking the band to every region of the country. Over the years the band will at various times include trombonist Ray Anderson, trumpeter Herb Robertson, Dutch trombonist Wolter Wierbos, trumpeter Paul Smoker, bassist Mike Formanek bassist Drew Gress, and bassist Mark Helias. We recorded “Johnny’s Corner Song” 1997, “Devil’s Paradise” 1999, “Songs” 2001 and “The Whimbler” 2004.

other highlights:

continuation of the Internet Cafe series will lead to the recording “Ramifications”

Duo concert with bassist William Parker.

Mark Helias “Open Loose” European tour.

Baron Down European tour.

Han Bennink and I record “Dissonant Characters”.

Third Eskelin w/Parkins & Black European tour.
Second Eskelin w/Parkins & Black US tour.


1999
My son Rami Wade Eskelin is born and inspires the music recorded on “Ramifications” featuring myself, Parkins, Black as well as cellist Erik Friedlander and tuba player Joe Daley.

other highlights:

Fourth Eskelin w/Parkins & Black European tour.

Gerry Hemingway US and European dates.

Baron Down European summer festival tour.


2000
“Vanishing Point”, a completely improvised recording is made featuring Mat Maneri on viola, Erik Friedlander on cello, Mark Dresser on bass and Matt Moran on vibraphone.

I record with Lebanese Oud player and composer Rabih Abou-Khalil on an large ensemble including American and European musicians titled “The Cactus of Knowledge”.

other highlights:

Eskelin Bennink European tour.

Eskelin w/Parkins & Black European summer festivals.

Third Eskelin w/Parkins & Black US tour.

Gerry Hemingway summer European festivals.


2001
I'm hired by legendary French drummer Daniel Humair to play in a group featuring Marc Ducret on guitar and Bruno Chevillion on bass. We record “Liberté Surveillée”.

other highlights:

Fifth Eskelin w/Parkins & Black European tour.
Vancouver festival, miscellaneous NY appearances.

Satoko Fujii orchestra recording.


2002
French cellist Vincent Courtois, Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and myself form a new group debuting in Paris at the Banlieues Bleues festival.

other highlights:

Rabih Abou-Khalil UK/Ireland tour

Daniel Humair summer European festival circuit

Sixth Eskelin w/Parkins & Black European tour.
miscellaneous US dates.


2003
I meet Texas trumpeter Dennis Gonzáles on an on line music forum “All About Jazz” and Dennis hires me to perform and record. “New York Midnight Suite” with Mark Helias and drummer Mike Thompson is released.

other highlights:

Seventh Eskelin w/Parkins & Black European tour (which is filmed for DVD release).

Fourth and fifth Eskelin w/Parkins & Black US tours (east and west coasts).

Ellery Eskelin / Han Bennink European tour

Courtois / Courvoisier / Eskelin European dates

Pianist Sylvie Courvoisier I and debut our first duo concert (Köln).

Recording with Italian drummer and composer Alessio Riccio.

Gerry Hemingway west coast dates


2004
Eskelin w/Parkins & Black celebrate ten years as a band with special projects “TEN” (with guests Mark Ribot, bassist Melvin Gibbs and vocalist Jessica Constable) and release a self produced DVD tour diary “On the Road with...” of our 2003 European tour.

other highlights:

Eighth Eskelin w/Parkins & Black European tour (with vocalist Jessica Constable) + other international festivals.
Sixth Eskelin w/Parkins & Black US tour.

I get to perform with the legendary band NRBQ in NYC at a film release event for “Off the Charts - The Song Poem Story”.

I record with Rob Price (Trevor Dunn, bass and Joey Baron drums).

Gerry Hemingway European tour.

Mark Helias French dates w/Open Loose.

European performances with Swiss guitarist Harald Haerter.

Recording session with Montreal based drummer Michel Lambert, in a project including orchestra and improvisers.

Recording with David Liebman (also with bassist Tony Marino and drummer Jim Black) titled “Different But the Same”.

2005
David Liebman European tour.

Gerry Hemingway European tour.

Eskelin / Courvoisier west coast tour and east coast dates.

Harald Haerter European dates.

Eskelin w/Parkins & Black miscellaneous NYC dates.

Vincent Courtois / Sylvie Courvoisier / Ellery Eskelin European tour.


2006
NY area concerts with Sylvie Courvoisier, Rob Price, Satoko Fujii, Ben Goldberg, Gerry Hemingway, David Liebman, Mark Helias, Bruce Eisenbeil, Paul Dunmall, Paul Rogers, and Tony Levin.

Recording session with Rob Price (Trevor Dunn, bass and Jim Black drums).

Ninth Eskelin w/Parkins & Black US appearances and European tour (with vocalist Jessica Constabale).

Chicago appearance with Jeff Parker, Chris Lopes and Chad Taylor.

Release of "Quiet Music", double CD recording on my own "prime source" label.


2007
Han Bennink & Freinds at Tonic, NYC.

Vincent Courtois, Sylvie Courvoisier & Ellery Eskelin European Tour.

David Liebman, Ellery Eskelin, Tony Marino, Jim Black European Tour and recording.

Various appearances on the Copenhagen Jazz Festival.

Guest teacher for week-long teaching seminar at "Jazz and Improvised Music Salzburg - JIMS" in Austria.

New projects as a side-person in development with bassist Lisle Ellis as well as with drummer Bobby Previte.

US performances and recording with Vincent Courtois, Sylvie Courvoisier & Ellery Eskelin.

Performance at the BBC Electric Proms Festival as guest artist with the Basquiat Strings.

Tenth Eskelin w/Parkins & Black European tour.





In addition to my own work, I've also recorded and/or performed with Rabih Abou-Khalil, Gustavo Aguilar, Pheeroan Aklaff, Eddie Allen, Ray Anderson, Barry Altschul, Michael Attias, Dave Ballou, Epizo Bangoura, Harrison Bankhead, Dave Bargeron, Thurman Barker, Tim Barnes, Joey Baron, Han Bennink, Steve Beresford, Tim Berne, Steven Bernstein, Shanir Blumenkranz, Joanne Brackeen, Delmar Brown, Shelley Burgon, Jaki Byard's Apollo Stompers, Donald Byrd, Regina Carter, Eugene Chadbourne, Dennis Chambers, Bruno Chevillon, Gerald Cleaver, Anthony Coleman, Jessica Constable, Marc Copland, Vincent Courtois, Sylvie Courvoisier, Joe Daley, Erik Deutsch, Dave Douglas, Mark Dresser, Kermit Driscoll, Marc Ducret, Paul Dunmall, Trevor Dunn, Bruce Eisenbeil, Lisle Ellis, Robin Eubanks, Mark Feldman, Simon H. Fell, Mike Formanek, Erik Friedlander, Satoko Fujii, Yuko Fujiyama, Melvin Gibbs, Michel Godard, Ben Goldburg, Dennis González, Hill Greene, Drew Gress, Brad Jones, Tim Hagans, Tom Hamilton, Mei Han, Antonio Hart, Billy Hart, Phil Haynes, Harald Haerter, Mark Helias, Gerry Hemingway, John Hollenbeck, the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band (w/Elvin Jones), Terumasa Hino, Ron Horton, Daniel Humair, Catherine Jauniaux, Brad Jones, Misako Kano, Carla Kihlstedt, Frank Lacy, Pete Laroca, Andy Laster, Tony Levin, David Liebman, Joe Locke, Chris Lopes, Joe Lovano, Tony Malaby, Mat Maneri, Denman Maroney, Tony Martucci, Jack McDuff, Ron McClure, Sean Meehan, Phil Minton, Gabriele Mirabassi, Paul Motian, Matt Moran, Buddy Morrow, Tim Mulvenna, Wolfgang Muthspiel, the New York Composers Orchestra, Reggie Nicholson, NRBQ, Aki Onda, Jeff Parker, William Parker, Bobby Previte, Paul Plimley, Rob Price, Jim Pugliese, Tom Rainey, Marc Ribot, Herb Robertson, Paul Rogers, Marcus Rojas, Josh Roseman, Mikel Rouse, Bobby Sanabria, Marvin Sewell, Todd Sickafoose, Brian Smith, Ches Smith, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Paul Smoker, Lisa Soklolov, Tyshawn Sorey, Leni Stern, Mike Stern, Steve Swell, Satoshi Takeishi, Stomu Takeishi, Chad Taylor, David Taylor, Mark Taylor, Michael Thompson, Gebhard Ullmann, Tom Varner, Nasheet Waits, Jack Walrath, Carlos Ward, Bill Ware, Kenny Werner, Fred Wesley, Wolter Wierbos, Larry Willis, Reuben Wilson, Michael Wimberley and Peter Zummo among many others.