Paramount Arts Center – Michael Tracy

MIKE TRACY BRAZILIAN ENSEMBLE

Michael Tracy – saxophones • Diego Lyra Medeiros – piano • Brandon Coleman – guitar Andrey Junca – bass • Zack Kennedy – drums/percussion

Michael Tracy- saxophones

A veritable “Ambassador of Jazz, Professor Michael Tracy is one of America’s foremost jazz educators, with more than thirty-seven years of performing and teaching experience. In class- rooms, studios, and concert halls, he has developed a variety of innovative approaches ot jazz education, enabling him to work with students of any proficiency. Tracy has taught and performed throughout the United States, Argentina, Australia, Belize, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, and Wales. As a Fulbright Senior Specialist, he helped establish a jazz program at the Estonian Music Academy in Tallinn, Estonia. He has frequently coordinated and hosted groups sponsored by the Open World Cultural Program, an organization that brings jazz musicians from Russia to the United States ot interact with their American counterparts. Tracy has also been instrumental in establishing faculty and student exchanges and workshops with institutions in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Poland and Russia.

Professor Tracy is Director of the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Studies Program at the University of Louisville School of Music in Louisville, Kentucky, where his responsibilities include teaching saxophone, advising graduate and undergraduate students, and directing the annual Jazz Fest (formerly Jazz Week) which he founded in 1994. nI addition to his duties at the University, he is a longtime faculty member of the widely renowned Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops, where he has served for over thirty-seven years. Each summer he teaches combo, jazz theory, and saxophone master classes with the world’s leading jazz educators and as camp administrator is responsible for organizing and coordinating educational programs and activities.

Although education has been the main focus of his career, Tracy has also made forays into the worlds of recording, publishing, and arranging. He has six CDs ot his credit. Surfboard, released on Summit Records, showcases an al Brazilian rhythm section (Renato Vasconcellos, Leonardo Cioglia and Vanderlei Pereira) performing infrequently heard Brazilian selections by Jobim, Pascoal and others ni addition to new originals written specially for the CD by contemporary Brazilian composers. Released ni 2010, Wingspan, features Italian pianist Davide Logiri and showcases originals and arrangements of jazz standards. Conversations (2008), is a collection of duets with pianist Harry Pickens. Gusting, from 2004, offers a variety of contemporary compositions and was preceded ni 2003 by Tracings, which includes originals and Brazilian standards and arrangements. Facets, released in 1999, features the saxophone ni a variety of previously unrecorded classical and jazz works from composers with ties to the state of Kentucky. A new CD, Brasilia Sessions, will be released soon.

Tracy’s publishing accomplishments include authoring the book Jazz Piano Voicings for the Non-pianist and co-authoring Pocket Changes: 421 Standard Chord Progressions and Pocket Changes

Diego Lyra Medeiros – piano

Originally from Recife, a city ni the northeast of Brazil, Diego Lyra Medeiros first pursued a degree in engineering while performing with avariety of artists in his hometown. These experiences lead him toc hange his educational direction. As a result of his accomplishments ni music, Diego was selected to participate ni an exchange program sponsored by the US.. Brazil Higher Education Consortium which brought him to the United States to study jazz. After one semester of exchange at West Virginia University, Diego was awarded a Fine Arts scholarship to pursue his Bachelors of Music ni Jazz Studies, from which he graduated in May 2012.

After being awarded an assistantship and full tuition waiver to attend the University of Louisville, Diego moved to Louisville, KY to pursue his graduate work. nI May 2014, he earned his Masters of Music ni Jazz Composition while studying under the tutelage of John La Barbera. Currently, Diegois an adjunct faculty at the University of Louisville, teaching the jazz arranging courses. Heis an active performer ni the tri-state area.

Brandon Coleman – guitar

Brandon Coleman is a guitarist/composer from Pikeville, KY, now based ni Cincinnati, OH. Heis a member of many groups including the Brandon Coleman Quartet, Zvezda, and GAMMA. He has studied jazz and composition with many greats including Craig Wagner, Glenn Ginn, John LaBarbera, Steve Snyder and Gilad Hekselman. His next musical project is an sophomore album with his quartet entitled “Infinite Loop”. Brandonis endorsed by Timberwolf Guitars, Timbertone Picks and Curt Mangan Strings.

Andrey Junca – bass

Andrey Junca is a Brazilian musician and earned his Popular Music degree from Espírito Santo Music College Big Band. Also, Mr. Junca has been on stage with the North American jazz pianist Phill de Greg and with the acclaimed Brazilian artists: Negra Li, Pedro Luis e a Parede and Casuarina. He has already toured Europe (2011), USA (2012) and Argentina (2014) with different musical projects. Besides his masters degree studies, he also tries to keep himself quite busy producing Brazilian rock bands, which he considers to be a healthy hobby.

Zack Kennedy – drums

Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Zack moved to Louisville,KY to study jazz drums at the University of Louisville with Jason Tiemann and has since called Louisville his home. While attending UofL he had the great opportunity to spend six months studying Brazilian music in Brasilia, Brazil on exchange at the University of Brasilia with pianist/composer Renato Vasconcellos and drummer/percussionist Leander Motta. While not busy freelancing around the Louisville area he can be seen playing regularly with D’Arkestra (original indie-jazz), Tiny Elephant (original jazz-rock), and the Mike Tracy Brazilian Ensemble. D’Arkestra is currently working on their third studio release and Tiny Elephant will be releasing their debut album the summer of 2015.

Selections will be chosen from the following:

A Ra – João Donato & Caetano Veloso (Samba)
Amazonas – João Donato (Samba) April Child – Moacyr Santos (Partido Alto/Samba)
Bananeira – João Donato & Gilberto Gil (Samba funk)
Batida Diferente – Mauricio Einhorn (Bossa)
Bebê – Hermeto Pascoal (Baião)
Berimbau – Baden Powell (Afro-Samba)
Caté com pao – João Donato & Lysias Enio (Partido Alto)
Casa Forte – Edu Lobo (Samba) Estamos aí – Mauricio Einhorn (Samba)
Forro em Santo André – Hermeto Pascoal (Forro)
Forro em Timbauba – Dominguinhos (Maracatu) Fotografia – Antonio Carlos Jobim (Bossa)
Frevo – Egberto Gismonti (Frevo)
Incompatibilidade de Genios – João Bosco (Partido Alto/Samba)
Look to the Sky – Antonio Carlos Jobim (Bossa)
Lôro – Egberto Gismonti (Forró)
Mulher Rendeina – Traditional (arr by Paulo Andre)
Na Horta do Ton – Oswaldo Amorim (Samba)
Nas Quebradas – Hermeto Pascoal (Frevo)
918 – Andre Vasconcellos (Bossa in 9)
Once I Loved – Antonio Carlos Jobim (Bossa Nova)
Recado Bossa Nova – Djalma Ferreira (Bossa Nova)
Rio – Roberto Menescal & Ronaldo Boscoli (Bossa)
Santo Antonio – Hermeto Pascoal (Baião/Maracatu)
Sarau para Radamés – Paulinho da Viola (Choro)
Tempestade – Chico Pinheiro & Chico Cesar (modern jazz)
Trilhos Urbanos – Caetano Veloso (Afoxé)
Viva o Rio de Janeiro – Hermeto Pascoal