Kathy Salem, Managing Director
330.328.7337 kathy@nightisalive.com
The Music of Billy Higgins
Night Is Alive manages some of the most intriguing and inventive musicians of our time.
They are internationally known, respected and honored.
David "Happy" Williams, Bass
There is nothing conventional about brilliance, and as a bassist, that is what David Williams exemplifies. His sound is deep, his section playing seems effortless, his solos are rhythmic and his intonation is flawless. He has made numerous TV appearances: the Today Show, Johnny Carson and Dick Cavett among them. His travels have taken him across most of the world; from Trinidad to London to New York to Washington, DC to Los Angeles. His discography includes approximately two hundred albums. Williams has established a firm reputation in this industry by writing and performing a rhythmic ‘jam’ called The Prize, which took him to fourth place in a field of some sixty-odd composers. He is inarguably one of the finest and most sought‑after bassists in jazz today.
Watch:
Jeremy Pelt, Trumpet
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 such as Ravi Coltrane, Frank Foster, and Jimmy Heath. 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.
Watch:
Ralph Moore, Tenor Sax
Ralph Moore has lived in the U.S. since 1970. He is a fine tenor saxophonist influenced by John Coltrane, but possessing a slightly softer tone. He moved to New York in 1981 and has recorded several fine albums for Landmark, Criss Cross, Savoy, and Mons (with the L.A. Jazz Summit). He has toured extensively with J.J. Johnson, and since 1995, has been a member of the Tonight Show Orchestra in Los Angeles.
Watch:
Jeremy Manasia, Piano
Jeremy has developed a personal sound and style that has become recognizable and esteemed; as a sideman or in a group. He has appeared with many great artists, including Jimmy Cobb, Donald Harrison, and Aaron Neville. As well, Manasia performs regularly at New York City's top jazz clubs, including the Village Vanguard, Dizzy's, Smalls, Smoke, the Iridium and the Blue Note. To date, he has released 5 records as a leader; all of which were met with rave reviews. Manasia has also been a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Competition, the Great American Jazz Piano Competition, and the American Pianists Association Jazz Piano Competition.
Watch:
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.”
Watch: