• Genre :: Jazz
• Listen :: Wade in the Water
• View :: Band Website | Eric Gruber's Blog
• download :: HiRes Image

Devin Phillips & the New Orleans Straight Ahead play modern jazz spiced with the rich musical traditions of New Orleans. Through their repertoire of standards, traditional songs and original works, the band members celebrate the unique musical heritage of their hometown, where jazz is an integral part of daily life. Their debut CD, entitled Wade in the Water, was released in December 2006.

Devin Phillips (saxophone) began playing the saxophone at age eight and went on to graduate with honors from The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He has studied with some of the city’s most renowned instrumentalists, including Clyde Kerr, Donald Byrd, Rufus Reed, Kent Jordan and Reggie Workman, among others. Phillips has performed at numerous jazz festivals in the U.S. and abroad and earned a GRAMMY® nomination for his performance with Los Hombres Calientes on their New Congo Square album. A Hurricane Katrina evacuee, Phillips resides in Portland, Oregon, where he teaches and performs regularly.

Mark DiFlorio (drums) entered the world of music at age nine, originally playing the saxophone and flute. In high school he began playing drums under the mentorship and guidance of master drummers such as Johnny Vidacovich, Ricky Sebastian and Leon Anderson. DiFlorio received the Music Chair Award for excellence from the University of New Orleans, where he also earned a master’s degree in Music for Jazz Performance. DiFlorio has toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe and has performed at festivals in Portland and New Orleans.

Eric Gruber (bass) began studying music at age six in Ashland, Oregon and eventually became the principal bassist for the All-City Orchestra. After stints at both the University of Northern Colorado and Whitworth College, he completed his studies with a B.A. in Music from Portland State University, where he was also an instructor for their Jazz In Schools Program. In 2000, Gruber won the bass solo competition at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. He has toured domestically and internationally with various ensembles, including The Ronnie Mann Big Band, Spokane Jazz, Civic Theatre Orchestra, Portland State University Symphony Orchestra and the Whitworth College Jazz ensemble.

Andrew J. Oliver (piano) began his studies in jazz performance at Loyola University but made a post-Katrina detour to Portland State University to complete his bachelor’s degree. He has studied privately with renowned pianists such as Randy Porter, Darrell Grant and Alan Nisbet plus has performed with Maurice Brown, Dan Schulte, Glen Moore and Dick Titterington. Oliver has also performed at the Portland Jazz Festival and The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and has toured internationally with both the Loyola University Jazz Orchestra and Portland Youth Jazz Orchestra.