MIKE VAX

Mike Vax

Mike Vax is a product of the City of Oakland, CA, and the Oakland Public Schools, having graduated from Oakland High School in 1960. He has led a big band off and on since his days at College of the Pacific over 45 years ago. A few of his credits include being first trumpet, soloist and road manager of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, as well as being co-leader while Mr. Kenton was recovering from surgery; leading the Dukes of Dixieland in New Orleans; producing and/or music directing for over 30 jazz festivals; and performing workshops for more than 2000 high schools, colleges and universities all over the world. He is an International Artist for the GETZEN COMPANY.

For more than 40 years, Mike Vax has wowed audiences with his trumpet playing. Performing with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, the U.S. Navy Show Band and such greats as Freddy Hubbard, Art Pepper, and Al Grey

Leader Mike Vax is a product of the City of Oakland and the Oakland Public Schools, having graduated from Oakland High School in 1960. He has led a big band off and on since his days at College of the Pacific over 35 years ago.

A few of his credits include being first trumpet, soloist and road manager of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, as well as being co-leader while Mr. Kenton was recovering from surgery; leading the Dukes of Dixieland in New Orleans; producing and/or music directing for over 25 jazz festivals; and performing workshops for more than 1000 high schools, colleges and universities all over the world. He is currently a National Artist for The Getzen Musical Instrument Company.

MEMO ACEVEDO

Memo Acevedo

Memo Acevedo began to make a mark on rock music in his early teens. Soon after leaving his native Colombia, he began to (re)discover his Latin roots. A self-taught musician, his passion for Latin music compelled him to take it as a serious object of study in his new home, Toronto. Memo and his two bands, Banda Brava and Memo Acevedo & The Jazz Cartel, helped expose Canadian audiences to a wide range of Latin and Afro-Latin music. Memo also played a major role in establishing a Latin jazz, Salsa and Brazilian ensemble in Canada at Humber College in Toronto. And to promote Latin music he set up a radio show as Toronto's CIUT-FM, "The Latin Beat," which aired for ten years. His self-produced CD "Building Bridges" (on Concord/J.A) features mentor Tito Puente and friends Dave Valentin and Gonzalito Rubalcaba and contains mostly new material written and arranged by Memo and his trombonist, T.Promane.

Memo is completely at home on a drum set as well as with percussion, in styles including Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Colombian, and Latin Jazz. His credits as a session player include playing with most of the major Canadian stars and doing TV work and jingles. In 1989 he won the National Ad Music Award for his TV commercial "Unbeatable" for Rubbermaid. In 1991 he received the Juno Award (Canada's equivalent of the Grammy) in the category of "World Beat," plus Jazz Report Magazine Awards for 1994 and 1995 as Canada's "Percussionist of the Year."

In 1996 Memo moved to New York City, where he's been active recording and performing with Hilton Ruiz, Mark Murphy, Peggy Stern, Toshiko Akiyoshi, The Latin Jazz Coalition, the legendary Jazz duo Jackie & Roy, the English Hip Hop band The Propellerheads, and Broadway shows "The Lion King" and "The Civil War."

Memo loves "passing the torch" (as he calls his teaching).Currently he is in charge of the Afro-Cuban and Brazilian Drumming courses at New York's Drummer's Collective and New York University.