Joe Locke

Joe Locke is regarded by many to be the most gifted vibraphonist of his generation. In addition to his strengths as an instrumentalist, the recent recordings and live performances by his current quartet, 4 Walls of Freedom, offer evidence of his ever-growing stature as a band leader, composer and conceptualist. 4 Walls of Freedom began not as a band, but as a suite in six movements for quartet. The title is based on a quotation from Thomas Merton. In his famous autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain , Merton recounts the spiritual journey which led him to become a Trappist monk, calling his new home in the monastery, "the four walls of my new freedom".

"Joe Locke is a wonderful young man who's all about the music, all the time! You can hear it in every note he plays."

-Bobby Hutcherson

In describing its genesis, Locke says, "It was the truth behind this paradox which inspired the suite, a truth which resonates for me on many levels. In musical terms, the four walls of freedom are represented by melody, rhythm, harmony and form. Although we are working with these ingredients in a disciplined way, we are competely free within those structures, and are able to create something beautiful, not in spite of the limitations, but because of them. This unique quartet, which features Joe on vibes, midi vibes and marimba; Tommy Smith on tenor saxophone; Gary Novak on drums; and Ed Howard on acoustic bass, has already garnered high praise for it's work. The group's self-titled CD received a 41/2 star review from Down Beat magazine. The Observer (London) stated, "For unremitting brilliance it would be difficult to match this quartet. Everyone is at the top of his game here." About the group's live performance, Jazzwise Magazine offered,"Four Walls of Freedom promised a mouth watering line-up. But does it fly? Oh yes! This is what we want - utter virtuosity. So very, very brilliant." The group's latest Sirocco release, "Dear Life", is available at Sirocco Music.

"Joe Locke's playing and writing have been an absolute joy to this vibist's ears that have been starving to hear a player who challenges himself on every tune. Joe is constantly pushing the envelope musically. The cat is going into orbit soon .... I love it!"

-Mike Mainieri

The past year has been a busy one for Locke. Besides his work with 4 Walls of Freedom, he premiered new music for big band and voices with Jazz Band Classic in New York City, commissioned by The Commission Project. He was a guest soloist with the Jeff "Tain" Watts expanded ensemble for 3 nights at Lincoln Center's Stanley Kaplan Penthouse, and performed a 3 night engagement in duo with piano master John Hicks, also at the Penthouse. Another highlight for Locke was a week-long engagement at the Village Vanguard in NYC, playing alongside Al Foster and Buster Williams, as a member of the Renee Rosnes Quartet, performing original music by this brilliant pianist/ composer.

New recordings this year find him guesting with Russell Malone, Geoffrey Keezer, Eddie Higgins, Vic Juris, The New York Quartet (featuring Billy Childs, Idris Muhammed and Cameron Brown) and Tim Garland's Storms/Nocturnes chamber trio. While maintaining a busy touring schedule, Locke also found time to work with students. An educational tour of Texas, culminating in a concert with the Texas Lutheran University Big Band, gave him the opportunity to share his knowledge and love of music with younger musicians and band directors alike. A concert in Rochester, NY with the School of the Arts jazz ensemble(throughThe Commission Project) proved to be a memorable and rewarding experience. "I worked with the students for several weeks leading up to the concert, and real friendships were forged in that time. The name of the event was Pass it On! - the implication of the title being that I was passing on my knowledge and experience to a new generation of musicians. But it was such a mutual exchange ..... I learned as much from them as they did from me. The experience put me back in touch with one of the reasons I fell in love with music in the first place, namely, the sense of community that comes from creating something with others.

"In the select group of contemporary vibes players, Locke has claims to head the list."

-Penguin Encyclopedia of Jazz

Born in Palo Alto, California, but raised in Rochester, N.Y., Locke is a self-taught improviser, though he benefited from his early studies in classical percussion and composition at the Eastman School of Music with John Beck, Gordon Stout, Ted Moore and David Mancini. As a jazz musician, Locke was precocious, having played with such luminaries as Dizzy Gillespie, Pepper Adams and Mongo Santamaria before he was even out of high school. Since moving to New York City in 1981, Joe has performed with Grover Washington Jr., Kenny Barron, Dianne Reeves, Eddie Daniels, Jerry Gonzales' Fort Apache Band, Rod Stewart,The Beastie Boys, Eddie Henderson, Hiram Bullock, Bob Berg, Ron Carter, Jimmie Scott, The Mingus Big Band and Randy Brecker, among many others. Joe has toured extensively throughout the world, both as leader and guest soloist. Some highlights include a 16 city tour of Russia, which culminated in a concert with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of world-renowned violist, Yuri Bashmet: a 30 city tour of all major capitals of Europe, performing Charles Mingus' magnum opus, "Epitaph" as a featured soloist under the direction of distinguished conductor, Gunther Schuller; a series of volcanic duet concerts in Italy with pianist Cecil Taylor, where Joe went head-to-head for three nights with the undisputed high priest of the avante-garde.

"Not only has he mastered an instrument that has catapulted only a handful of players to the forefront of modern jazz - but he has done so in a way that transcends mere technique and establishes him as a unique and adventurous musical voice."

-Derk Richardson SanFrancisco Bay Guardian

The critical community continually cites Joe for his artistic work. "There seems little doubt that Locke, with his ability to play cool and funky, heady and relaxed, is set to become the pre-eminent vibraphonist in jazz." (The Times, London) This year Joe was voted the #1 vibist in DownBeat Magazine's Critic's Poll (TDWR) and Brazil's International Jazz Poll. Locke has recorded 20 cds as a band leader, including the critically acclaimed "Moment to Moment", a tribute to the music of Henry Mancini. As a sideman, he appears on more than 50 recordings.

Joe is currently on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. Joe Locke endorses Ross Mallet Instruments and Pro-Mark Mallets exclusively.

Geoffrey Keezer

Geoffrey has been immersed in music his entire life. Born into a musical family, with both parents teaching music, he began studying piano at the age of three. In 1989, at the age of 18, after completing his first year at the Berklee School of Music, Geoffrey left for New York to join Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.

His professional career has spanned many projects and genres. In 1992, for example, Geoffrey performed Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra under the direction of John Mauceri. In addition to his nine releases, and constant touring, Geoffrey has also been commissioned to compose several pieces for public performance, including Palm Reader for the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Listen Look for the Saint Joseph Ballet, and Variables, a set of variations for piano and string quartet written especially for the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego.

Geoffrey continues to work in partnership with world class musicians from all genres. His 1998 release, Turn Up The Quiet, featured Grammy winning vocalist, Diana Krall along with Joshua Redman and Christian McBride. He has also teamed up with world renowned classical artist, Barbara Hendricks for tours in Europe and Japan. His two releases in 2003, Falling Up and Sublime:Honoring the Music of Hank Jones, were both collaborative efforts. Sublime is an ambitious set of duets with Kenny Barron, Chick Corea, Benny Green and Mulgrew Miller. Falling Up features several pieces where Geoffrey worked in tandem with master Hawaiian Slack Key Guitarist, Keola Beamer.

Praise for Geoffrey's artistry comes from all sides. Time magazine wrote that Geoffrey possesses "a refreshingly open-eared sensibility in the modern manner, and he has more than enough virtuosity and sheer musical wit and intelligence to weave all of his apparently disparate strands of influence into an original and compelling whole." His peers speak glowingly about his artistry as well. Hawaiian guitarist, Keola Beamer reflects "I was fortunate in my recent travels, to establish a warm friendship with Jazz pianist, Geoffrey Keezer. Geoffrey has a beautiful, spatial style that I immediately fell in love with the first time we played together in San Francisco." His fans also echo their admiration for his artistry. Surf to any online CD shop and read the glowing reviews of his releases submitted by purchasers worldwide.

The idea behind Geoffrey's newest release, Falling Up, evolved through a cross cultural collaboration with Hawaiian guitarist, Keola Beamer. Beginning in a recording studio in San Francisco, Falling Up brings together many of Geoffrey's favorite musicians and friends in a timeless recording that toasts the very spirit of musical harmony in an acoustic environment.

Geoffrey Keezer continues to be in high demand, as a performer, as a composer, as an arranger, and as an artist. He has worked with virtually all of the living legends of jazz and has appeared on countless recordings both as a leader and as a side man. He works worldwide doing performances, commissioned works, recording projects and cross cultural collaborations.