Berklee Guitar Department

Coffee Talk: George Garzone

Saxophonist George Garzone is a member of The Fringe, a jazz trio founded in 1972. The band included bassist John Lockwood and drummer Bob Gullotti until 2020, and Francisco Mela since then on the drums. The Fringe performs regularly in the Boston and New York area and has toured around the world for many years. The group has released three albums so far. A new release celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Fringe, is upcoming in 2024. A veteran jazzman, George Garzone has appeared on over 20 recordings. He began on the tenor when he was six, played in a family band and attended Berklee College of Music in Boston.

In addition, George Garzone has guested in many situations, touring Europe with Jamaaladeen Tacuma and performing with Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano, Jack DeJohnette, Rachel Z, Peter Erskine and John Patitucci among others.

Garzone is well-known as a sought-after jazz educator, currently teaching at the Berklee College of Music. He has also previously taught at New England Conservatory, Longy School of Music, New York University, Manhattan School of Music, Northeastern University and the New School University.
He has pioneered the Triadic Chromatic Approach, an improvisation concept which has his own signature in the jazz improvisation vocabulary.

The first edition of the Triadic Chromatic Approach was released in DVD format. In 2020 George Garzone released the second part of the Triadic Chromatic Approach and other educational books related with his concept and his music.
In his never ending teaching career, great musicians of the actual scene have been students of George Garzone, like Joshua Redman, Teadross Avery, Seamus Blake, Chris Cheek, Luciana Souza, Mark Turner, Donny McCaslin, Doug Yates, Danilo Perez and the Grammy-Winning Drummer Antonio Sanchez, to name a few.

In 1995 he recorded a fine tribute to Stan Getz on NYC called Alone; Four’s and Two’s followed a year later with compatriot Joe Lovano which earned him four stars in Downbeat magazine, and in 1999 Garzone returned with Moodiology. Fringe in New York was released in summer 2000. He is a member of the Grammy-winning Joe Lovano Nonet, and performed and recorded with this group On This Day … Live At The Vanguard in September 2002.

In January 2019 George Garzone with Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua and Darek Oles had a three night concert-recording session which became a Three CD recording called Three Nights in L.A., which became a favorite of many critics like Downbeat Magazine and All about jazz.

Coffee Talk: Steve Bailey

Bass Player Magazine has stated, "Steve Bailey is to the 6 string fretless bass, what Columbus is to America". He has toured and recorded with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Willie Nelson, Joe Walsh, Jethro Tull, Paquito D’rivera, Larry Carlton, and the Rippingtons… and all points in between.

         Steve has performed solo concerts and clinics all over the world. He has written six books and released numerous solo CD’s and instructional DVD’s. He has been voted in the top 5 Bass Players in World and was a regular columnist for Bass Player Magazine.

         His latest album is a collection of duets featuring Willie Nelson, Ian Anderson, Ron Carter, Anthony Jackson, and Susan Hagen, and a recent multi-bass production, Warwick’s Fuss On The Buss 2, a live DVD, featuring Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham, Robert Trujillo, Lee Sklar, as well as many others. 

         For over 30 years he has partnered with fellow bassist Victor Wooten in the cutting-edge group, Bass Extremes, and their newest venture, thebassvault.com, an interactive/educational online experience. Recent tours included Bass Extremes and fellow bass legends Lee Sklar and Jonas Hellborg in the three bass group JoStLe.

Combining 45 years as a working musician and ten years faculty experience at B.I.T. in Hollywood, and another decade at UNC Wilmington and Coastal Carolina University, Steve is a premier “pro/educator”, and is currently the Chair of the Berklee College of Music Bass Department. 

 

Coffee Talk: Mark Redmond

Mark Redmond is the founder of Mandorla Music. Mandorla Music is a nonprofit organization built on the belief that experiencing music together can be grounding and elevating, healing and community-building. Mandorla Music brings together creative musicians & engaged listeners by presenting concerts in various Boston-area listening spaces. They co-launched the David Chesnut Jazz Festival at the Eustis Estate Museum - the 4th annual is coming up on 8/8! In Mark's non-music life, he works as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. 

Coffee Talk: Edmond Gilmore

Bassist Edmond Gilmore joins Dr. Kim Perlak and Professor Sheryl Bailey on this episode!

Coffee Talk: Yoron Israel

Percussion Chair Yoron Israel joins Dr. Kim Perlak and Professor Sheryl Bailey on this episode!

Coffee Talk: Mimi Jones

Berklee Ensemble Dept. faculty Mimi Jones joins Dr. Kim Perlak and Professor Sheryl Bailey on this episode.

Coffee Talk: Consuelo Candelaria-Barry

Consuelo Candelaria-Barry joins Dr. Kim Perlak and Professor Sheryl Bailey on this episode.

Coffee Talk: Bobby Stanton

Berklee Guitar faculty member Bobby Stanton joins Dr. Kim Perlak and Professor Sheryl Bailey on this episode!

Coffee Talk: Millisa Henderson

Berklee Alum Millisa Henderson joins Dr. Kim Perlak and Professor Sheryl Bailey in this episode.

Coffee Talk: Katie Graves and Emma Dean Moseley

Berklee alumni Katie Graves and Emma Dean Moseley join Dr. Kim Perlak and Professor Sheryl Bailey on this episode of Coffee Talk