Kathy Salem, Managing Director
330.328.7337 kathy@nightisalive.com
Straight Swingin'
Night Is Alive manages some of the most intriguing and inventive musicians of our time.
They are internationally known, respected and honored.
Alex Claffy or Dezron Douglas, Bass
Alex Claffy
23-year-old Alex Claffy hails from the greater Philadelphia area. He started his young musical career first with Electric and then Upright Bass. His father being a bandleader, and his mother a singer, he was exposed to music early on. He continues to study under the legendary Mike Boone, and bassists Gregg August, Peter Paulsen, and soon with bassist Dwayne Burno. Claffy has a drive and passion for jazz unseen by many musicians, let alone as young as himself. Now living in Harlem, Alex Claffy is one of the hardest working bass players in New York City to date.
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Dezron Douglas
Known for his musical versatility, bassist Dezron Douglas is one of the most in demand young jazz artists in jazz today. Composer, bandleader, sideman and educator, Dezron has established himself as a musician’s musician, respected not only for his talent but also for his dedication to the authenticity of the music. As a teacher, he encourages his students to embody their harmony and to never stop trying new styles or methods with what music they create. Dezron has taught at both The Artist collective in Hartford and Martocchio Music in Simsbury.
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Eddie Henderson or Jeremy Pelt, Trumpet
Eddie Henderson
Eddie Henderson was one of the few trumpeters who was strongly influenced by Miles Davis' music style while partnering with him in the 1970's. He gained some recognition for his work with the Herbie Hancock Sextet, as well as his many readily available commercial albums. Henderson has also worked with industry greats like John Handy, Tyrone Washington, Joe Henderson, and Billy Harper. In recent years Henderson has played at festivals in France and Austria and he is a faculty member of Juilliard music school, as well as an Associate Professor of Trumpet at the Oberlin Conservatory jazz department in Ohio.
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Jeremy Pelt
Jeremy Pelt has become one of the preeminent young trumpeters within the world of jazz. He has continually built upon relationships within the jazz industry, which have eventually lead to collaborations with some of the genre's greatest masters. Numerous recordings and performances have earned him critical acclaim, both nationally and internationally. He has been featured in the Wall Street Journal by legendary jazz writer and producer, Nat Hentoff, and was voted Rising Star on the trumpet, five years in a row by Downbeat Magazine and the Jazz Journalist Association.
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Stacy Dillard or Ralph Moore, Tenor Sax
Stacy Dillard
To sum it all up, Stacy Dillard is a perfect example of the fusing of tradition and innovation, the combination which keeps everything fresh, exciting, energetic, and more importantly, real. He isn't afraid to break the status quo; in fact, he enjoys it. Stacy has caught the attention of many with his large and rich tone, leading to a number of work opportunities with artists such as Russell Malone, the Mingus Big Band, and John Hicks. The New York Times said it best about Stacy Dillard by describing him as “A young saxophonist of serious promise."
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Ralph Moore
Moore is a fine tenor saxophonist influenced by John Coltrane, but possessing a slightly softer tone. He has toured extensively with J.J. Johnson, and since 1995, has been a member of the Tonight Show Orchestra in Los Angeles.
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Eric Reed or Theo Hill, Piano
Eric Reed
Through more than a quarter-century as a first-caller on the jazz scene, Reed has articulated this inclusive conception as a leader of numerous ensembles, solo performer, composer, producer, educator and sideman with numerous artists.
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Theo Hill
Hailed by the New York Times as "a painterly young pianist with a chamber-like approach to composition and a fine recent album on the SmallsLive label" Theo Hill is emerging as one of the top young voices in jazz piano. ill has toured in over 30 states in the U.S. as well as international appearances in over 15 countries. Theo also conducts master classes, teaches privately and works as a private lesson instructor at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and at the Collective School of Music.
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Willie Jones III, Drums
Ever since 1997, when he moved to New York City from Los Angeles, his hometown, Willie Jones III has been one of the jazz capital’s most prominent drummers. Whether functioning as a savvy bandleader or high-profile sideman, Jones applies to every context an abiding musicality and a tonal personality that, as Wynton Marsalis puts it, is “ever tasteful,” marked by what pianist Eric Reed, his frequent collaborator, calls “a West Coast swagger in his swing, with a looseness that isn’t lackadaisical and an edge that isn’t overwhelming.”
“I still follow Billy Higgins’ model,” Jones says. “I’m always trying to support whoever I’m working with to make the music sound as good as possible. I have a good balance. I’ll continue to evolve as a leader, but I’ll always play as a sideman—I still love learning and playing other people’s music.”
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