Tobin's Run on 51: Night Dreamer

Christine Tobin is based between New York City and London. The Irish born vocalist and composer is renowned for her unique rich voice and original compositional style. With eleven acclaimed CDs under her name and four major awards under her belt (British Composer Award, Herald Angel Award at the Edinburgh Festival, Jazz Vocalist of  the Year at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards) Christine is treasured in the UK and beyond as one of the leading lights on the contemporary scene. Her authentic sound was described by The Guardian as “Tobin’s 24 carat voice” while praising her both for the poetry of her compositions and the warmth of her golden voice. Her style, although rooted in jazz, is eclectic and draws on a broad range of influences. The Irish Times called it “music that veers from grungy, post-industrial grooves to wispy romanticism to abstracted contemporary classical.”

She has performed and recorded with a list of diverse creative artists, including musicians Kenny Wheeler, Billy Hart, Mark Turner, James Genus, Gary Versace, Leo Genovese, Joe Locke, Harvie S, Mike Gibbs, Nigel Kennedy, Django Bates, Billy Childs, Julian Joseph, BBC Big Band, Carleen Anderson, Tim Garland, Cleveland Watkiss, Gary Husband, actor Gabriel Byrne, and Pulitzer Prize winning poet Paul Muldoon.

Phil Robson is a multi-award-winning, internationally-acclaimed guitarist, composer and bandleader. Originally from the UK, he relocated to NYC at the end of 2015 and is rapidly becoming one of the major figures on the music scene. He's worked with many of the greats, including David Liebman, Charles Earland, Steve Lacy, Maceo Parker, Barbra Streisand and BBC big band, and has also led his own bands featuring US stars such as Mark Turner, Billy Hart, Donny McCaslin, James Genus, Adam Nussbaum and many more. He and partner Christine Tobin have co-led the seminal UK band Partisans for more than 20 years.

Drummond learned jazz from an early age from his father, who was a drummer and a jazz enthusiast and whose record collection included many recordings of Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Buddy Rich, and Elvin Jones. He played in bands from age eight and studied at Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music.

He moved to New York at the behest of Al Foster in 1986 and shortly thereafter joined the Blue Note band, Out of the Blue, with whom he recorded their last album. He joined the Horace Silver sextet, with whom he toured extensively, before joining Sonny Rollins, with whom he toured for three years. He is a long-time member of Carla Bley's Lost Chords Quartet, Sheila Jordan's Quartet, and the Steve Kuhn Trio. He also leads a New York-based band called Freedom of Ideas. In addition to touring he is Professor of Jazz Drums at the Juilliard School and New York University.

A sideman on over 300 records, Drummond has played and recorded with Nat Adderley, Ralph Moore (1989 and subsequently), Buster Williams (1990–93), Charles Tolliver (1991), Lew Tabackin and Toshiko Akiyoshi, Hank Jones (1991), James Moody (early 1990s), Sonny Rollins, Andy LaVerne (1994), Lee Konitz (1995), Dave Stryker (1996), George Colligan (1997), Ted Rosenthal, Bruce Barth, Andrew Hill (from 1997–2000), Larry Willis (2006 to the present), Toots Thielmans, Freddie Hubbard (mid-1990s), Chris Potter, Eddie Gómez, Stanley Cowell, Javon Jackson, and Sheila Jordan (1990s to present). Influences include Tony Williams, Max Roach, Philly Joe Jones, Al Foster, Jack DeJohnette, and Billy Hart.

Ashley Kahn is an author, educator, music journalist, and concert producer. A professor of music history and criticism at NYU who lectures at other institutions as well, his books include A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane’s Signature Album, and Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece. Kahn’s writing has generated two Grammy nominations, three ASCAP/Deems Taylor Awards, and two Book of the Year distinctions from the Jazz Journalists Association.

Most recently, he has spoken, presented, and conducted interviews at a variety of festivals and conferences including: SXSW, CMJ, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival (Perugia and Orvieto), North Sea Jazz Festival (Rotterdam), the Detroit Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Barcelona Jazz Festival, Berklee School of Music, and other universities, music conferences, and festivals.

Kahn’s byline appears in such publications as Rolling Stone, Mojo, and The Wall Street Journal and his voice is often heard on National Public Radio's “Morning Edition.” During a thirty-year career in the music business, Kahn has helped produce countless concerts, tours and festivals including a ten-year stint as tour manager for a multitude of music groups, including: Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Debbie Harry & the Jazz Passengers and Britney Spears. He continues to work very closely with the Miles Davis family on a variety of projects, including a Miles Davis museum exhibition, tribute concerts, and various panels and speaking engagements.

Recent recipient of the number-two spot for the 2017 DownBeat Critics Poll in the category Rising Star—tenor saxophone, Dayna Stephens has garnered critical acclaim for his playing, compositions, and arrangements. Brad Faberman sites Dayna as the June 2017 JazzTimes Editor’s Pick, writing, “His big, warm lines are full of notes and intent but also gusts of wind, bodies of water.”  

Playing with pureness of intention, the saxophonist/composer admits he’s always searching to find what’s “sing-able.” That search often results in live improvisations and written compositions that challenge traditional concepts of harmony, pushing phrasing and sending beautiful and unintentional melodies in unlikely directions, a style that’s earned him collaborative opportunities with some of the music’s most beloved players including, among others, Brian Blade, Al Foster, Idris Muhammad, Billy Hart, Marcus Gilmore, Bill Stewart, Eric Harland, Lewis Nash, Jeff Ballard, Justin Brown, Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch, Billy Childs, Taylor Eigsti, Kenny Barron, Gerald Clayton, Aaron Parks, Roy Hargrove, Sean Jones, Ambrose Akinmusire, Wayne Shorter, Ben Wendel, Chris Potter, Walter Smith III, Rufus Reid, Joe Sanders, Linda Oh, Larry Grenadier, Harish Raghavan, Gretchen Parlato, Becca Stevens, Sachal Vasandani, John Scofield, Julian Lage, Mike Moreno and Carlos Santana.  

Gratitude represents Dayna’s first self-produced recording on his new label Contagious Music, featuring compositions that share soulful and sophisticated melodies, including music from Aaron Parks, Pat Metheny and Dayna himself. Personnel includes Brad Mehldau, Julian Lage, Larry Grenadier, and Eric Harland. 

Known for his musical versatility, bassist Dezron Douglas is one of the most in-demand young bassists in jazz today. As a composer, educator, and bandleader, 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. Born and raised in Hartford, Douglas studied at the Jackie McLean Institute of African American Music at the Hartt School of Music (University of Hartford). While in college, he co-founded The New Jazz Workshop of Hartford. Dezron is currently a member of Louis Hayes Jazz Communicators, Ravi Coltrane Quartet, Papo Vazquez Mighty Pirates, and he is also a long standing member of The Cyrus Chestnut Trio among many other associations within the music scene. He has recorded four albums as a leader; two on the VENUS music label, one on the SMALLSLIVE label, and one independently.