- Genre :: Jazz
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Roseanna Vitro and the JazzIAm Band draw from a conviction and dedication to jazz music in its many incarnations. The JazzIAm band is a high energy group comprised of four musicians who are powerful improvisers, composers, teachers and performers. This ensemble is a modern gumbo whose flavors include swing from Duke Ellington to Bill Evans, blues from the Ray Charles Songbook and the exotic melodies and rhythms that form world music, spanning the globe from Brazil to India. JazzIAm's mantra is, “Music is a universal language and it is spiritually healing. Good music played with passion unifies our world and makes it a better place.” Each member is based in New York City, has toured extensively, playing in major festivals and workshops, spreading the gospel of improvisational music.
Roseanna Vitro (voice), with her rich, dynamic voice, has the ability to move and inspire audiences with a musician's mind and a heart people can hear. Vitro has released 11 critically acclaimed recordings on Concord, Telarc International and Challenge in Europe. A who's who of jazz musicians have supported Vitro on these recordings, such as Elvin Jones, Joe Lovano, George Coleman, Eddie Gomez, Kenny Barron and Fred Hersch. Most recently, Vitro headlined with Kenny Werner for two weeks at New York City's Blue Note Jazz Club and released The Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer for Halfnote Records on March 2008. For the past ten years, Vitro has been the vocal jazz chair at New Jersey City University and at the NJPAC Jazz Program for teens in Newark. She sees jazz education as giving back and perpetuating the art form. Vitro has toured extensively internationally in concerts and presenting workshops in South Africa, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Slovenia and India. In 2004, she toured with the U.S. Department of State to the Balkans, Turkey and Cyprus. Vitro was inducted into The Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame in 1998.
Bob Bowen (bass), a New York City bassist originally from Dayton Ohio, has performed professionally over the last 20 years in a wide range of musical styles including West African high life, salsa, bluegrass, rock, funk, fusion, jazz, big band, avant-garde, and with classical chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras. Bowen has played with many legendary performers including Clark Terry, Lee Konitz, James Moody, Mark Murphy, Joe Deninzon's Stratospheerious and the Tony Trischka band. Bowen co-leads the MOB Trio with noted drummer Matt Wilson and tenorman Ohad Talmor. Omnitone Records released the trio’s first recording, Loose, in 2000. The group's latest Omnitone release, Quite Live from Brooklyn, was released in August 2005. Bowen has been very active in jazz and music education in the New York area. Since 2000, he has been the bass instructor and director of the Jazz Combo Workshop at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. After directing and developing the jazz prep program at the Center for Preparatory Studies in Music Queens College (CPSM) from 1998 to 2005, Bowen joined with several colleagues to start the Manhattan-based Creative Music Workshop. Bowen graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in music composition from the University of Dayton, where he studied in the classical double bass graduate program at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with master bassist Al Laszlo. Bowen completed a master’s degree in jazz performance from the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Harvie Swartz.
Joel Holmes (piano) is a fiery pianist who blends traditional and contemporary jazz, gospel, R&B, soul, hip-hop, neo-soul, funk, classical and pop. Holmes plays every Sunday in church, giving back and returning to his roots. After graduating the Baltimore School for the Arts High School, Holmes attended the acclaimed Peabody Conservatory of Music. He has studied with Bobby McFerrin, Roy Hargrove and Gary Thomas, and has toured several countries with famed jazz vocalist, Nneena Freelon. Holmes currently teaches at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and is head of the jazz department at the Baltimore School of the Arts. Holmes graduated from the Peabody Conservatory of Music with a degree in jazz performance.
Tim Horner (drums) is a master drummer and musician. In his solos, audiences can hear the melodies of songs through the drums. Horner was an integral member of GRAMMY® winner Maria Schneider’s Orchestra for ten years. He began playing drums at the age of ten and cites his parents as primary musical influences. Horner set his personal goal of being a professional jazz drummer when he entered Berklee College of Music in 1974. After spending six years in Boston, Horner relocated to New York City. While in the New York, Horner has earned the distinction of being one of New York City's premiere drummers. Horner has traveled the United States, Europe, the Balkans, Asia, North and South America, while performing, recording and teaching. In 2004, Horner toured with the Roseanna Vitro Quartet with the U.S. State Department. Horner currently teaches jazz ensembles and jazz drumming at New Jersey City University.
