“A great teacher is one who realizes
that he himself is also a student and whose
goal is not dictate the answers, but to stimulate his students
creativity
enough so that they go out and find the answers themselves.”
- Herbie Hancock
For nearly three decades, Eric Zadan has been well known to the
region as a pianist and jazz educator. Although known primarily
as a jazz pianist who has led several groups and performed with
some of the industry’s top names, Eric’s performance
credits also include many national tours of Broadway Shows, extensive
recording work, orchestral work, and performances in a wide variety
of other commercial music idioms.
Eric began musical study in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1963 at
the age of four. After relocating to Dayton, Ohio, he became a
piano student of Audley Wasson, a preeminent pianist and teacher.
Audley Wasson
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After performing twice as a concerto soloist with the Columbus
Symphony Orchestra while in high school, Eric entered the College-Conservatory
of Music at the University of Cincinnati in 1977 on a classical
piano scholarship. His studies there were guided by Richard Morris
(piano), Frank Brown (jazz studies) and Frank Vincent (jazz piano).
Richard Morris |
Frank Brown
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Frank Vincent
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While still a junior at CCM, Eric developed and presented a 5-week,
summer jazz program for Dayton area high school students in 1979
and repeated the program in 1980. From 1977 until 1982, Eric led
a jazz big band, Dynasty, which recorded a record in 1979 and
performed weekly at Gilly’s in 1980 and 1981. Eric also
began a second big band, Dynasty Jr., as an educational vehicle
for high school and college students.
After becoming a full-time musician in 1980, Eric continued to
expand the scope and depth of his musical and professional skills.
In the early years, notable engagements included the Colony Club
(house pianist) and Suttmiller’s (music director) in Dayton
and the Innisbrook Resort (music director) in Tarpon Springs,
Florida. In the ensuing years, many of Eric’s private students
began to play professionally.
From 1985 until 1989, Eric owned and operated 5th Avenue, one of
the largest and most ambitious night clubs in Dayton’s history.
Located in the Oregon District, this 385-seat restaurant and showroom
featured performances by many national artists.
Partial
List of Artists who appeared at 5th Avenue
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B.B. King
Blood, Sweat and Tears
Doc Severinson
Buddy Rich
Woody Herman
Lionel Hampton
Joe Williams
Carmen McRae
Betty Carter
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra |
Steps Ahead
Lyle Mays
The 5th Dimension
The Association
The O'Jays
The Manhattans
Emo Phillips
Pete Barbutti
Harry Blackstone Jr. |
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5th Avenue
(from the stage) |
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5th Avenue
(facing the stage) |
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Since 1989, Eric Zadan has focused almost exclusively on jazz
education. While primarily known for working with advanced jazz
students, Eric has also enjoyed working with jazz students representing
a wide variety of skill levels. Through the development and continued
growth of the Jazz Arts Studio, Eric has been able to enjoy his
lifelong love of jazz education on a daily basis, while still
occasionally performing and recording. Along the way, he has provided
many gigs to his professional level students by booking jazz duos
at the Racquet Club (2 years), jazz trios at Therapy Café
(2½ years) and hundreds of other engagements at regional
venues for jazz trios and quartets.
Hear and view performances by Eric
Zadan.
Partial List of Concert Performances
Mel Torme – Dayton Philharmonic SuperPops (Dayton Convention
Center)
Henry Mancini – Dayton Philharmonic SuperPops (Dayton Convention
Center)
Mark O’Connor – Dayton Philharmonic SummerPops (Fraze
Pavilion)
Marvin Hamlisch – Dayton Philharmonic SummerPops (Fraze
Pavilion)
Monica Mancini – Springfield Symphony (Kuss Auditorium)
Moody Blues – (Ervin J. Nutter Center)
Tommy Tune – (Kuss Auditorium & Dayton Convention Center)
Roy Clark – Dayton Philharmonic SuperPops (Dayton Convention
Center)
Petula Clark – Dayton Philharmonic SuperPops (Schuster Performing Arts Center)
Steve Lippia – Dayton Philharmonic SuperPops (Schuster Performing Arts Center)
Maude Maggart – Dayton Philharmonic SuperPops (Schuster Performing Arts Center)
Several Bogie Busters Galas – Dayton Philharmonic (Dayton
Convention Center & Victoria Theatre)
Prelude to a Kiss – Improvised Underscoring for a Human
Race Theater Production (Loft Theater)
Duke Ellington’s Harlem Nutcracker Suite – Dayton
Philharmonic (Dayton Convention Center)
Partial List of Performances as a Leader
Eric Zadan Quartet featuring Lee Dynes – several appearances
(Gilly’s)
Zadan, Saxa, Freelove & Wolf – (Pacchia – Saturday
Nights, October 9, 1999 thru July 29, 2000)
Eric Zadan Duo, Trio or Quartet – Countless events, public
& private, from 1980 to the present
Partial List of Broadway Shows Performances
Evita – National Tour (Victoria Theater)
The Producers – National Tour starring Nathan Lane (Schuster Performing Arts
Center)
A Chorus Line – National Tour (Victoria Theater & Ervin
J. Nutter Center)
Will Roger’s Follies starring Mac Davis – National
Tour (Memorial Hall)
Crazy for You – National Tour (Victoria Theater)
Fiddler on the Roof – National Tour starring Topol (Victoria
Theater)
Peter Pan – National Tour starring Cathy Rigby Cathy Rigby
(Kuss Auditorium, Springfield)
South Pacific – Kenley Production starring Robert Goulet
(Memorial Hall)
West Side Story – Human Race Theater Production (Victoria
Theater)
Partial List of Presented
Clinics/Performances
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Wright State University
Sinclair Community College
University of Dayton
Northmont High School
Lebanon High School
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Carroll High School
Chaminade-Julienne High School
Beavercreek High School
Meadowdale High School
Middletown High School |
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Matt Buehrle is an enormously creative and talented musician who is as passionately drawn to rock and classical music as he is to jazz. An accomplished pianist who produces a beautiful rich tone, Matt is also a fine vocalist. Active in rock bands from an early age, including his own, he has written dozens of great songs.
In 2006 he fronted the studio’s 9-piece contemporary project band, Spectrum, for three shows at the 250 seat Gilly’s in downtown. In late 2007, he premiered the Matt Buehrle Band, also at Gilly’s. From Beethoven to Oscar Peterson to the Dave Matthews Band, Matt has studied and drawn inspiration from music which spans three centuries.
Matt has also performed in the pit orchestras for the national tour productions of Monty Python's Spamalot (2008), The Color Purple (2009) and Legally Blonde (2009), all at the Schuster Performing Arts Center. He has performed for countless public and private events and since December of 2008, Matt has performed every Friday and Saturday with bassist Griffin Hussong at the Coldwater Café in Tipp City.
A longtime protégé of Eric Zadan, Matt administers testing for the ear training program as well as the hundreds of listening examples included in the studio’s curriculum. He also assists with online tutorials chats and teaches classes and combos as needed. |
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Jim Rupp
Jim Rupp spent many years
on the road playing in the great big bands of Woody Herman,
Maynard Ferguson, and Glenn Miller. Jim also spent eight
years with three-time Grammy Award-winning jazz singer Diane
Schuur, touring worldwide. He continues to do freelance
touring and recording with Diane Schuur, the Woody Herman
Orchestra and plays at festivals worldwide. Over the years
he has performed with other well-known artists and groups
such as Ray Charles, Joe Lavano, Buddy DeFranco, Tony Bennett,
the Smithsonian Masterworks Jazz Orchestra, the Columbus
Symphony Orchestra, Hank Marr, Clark Terry, Joe Williams,
Rosemary Clooney, and Natalie Cole. He appears on three
Woody Herman CDs: "The Fiftieth Anniversary Tour"
(nominated for a Grammy), "Legacy" and "Live
in London".
He currently instructs jazz
drumming at the Ohio State University. He has also given
workshops at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention
and the International Association of Jazz Educators Conference.
He is a clinician for Noble and Cooley drums, Zildjian cymbals,
Pro Mark drumsticks, and Remo drumheads.
Pete Mills
A native of Toronto Canada,
critics have called saxophonist Pete Mills playing "virtuosic"
and "gorgeous" (David Franklin, JazzTimes) and
The Columbus Dispatch writes of Mills' compositions as being
"impressive with solos that are ear opening...with
a tone that is big and rich". Mills has received Jazz
Performance Grants from the Canada Council and was a recipient
of the North Carolina Arts Council Jazz Composer’s
Fellowship.
Based in Columbus OH, he
performs throughout the US and Canada. Recent engagements
have included The Firefly Club Ann Arbor, Michigan; The
Blue Wisp Cincinnati, OH; The Cleveland Bop Stop; The Rex
in Toronto and Kenyon College. Pete's performances at jazz
festivals include those at The Columbus Jazz Festival The
Newark ( Ohio) Jazz and Ribfest and at the Toronto Downtown
Jazz Festival. Pete is a member of The Columbus Jazz Orchestra,
under the direction of trumpeter, Byron Stripling.
Pete's discography includes
the Fall ‘07 release "Fresh Spin" (Chicken
Coup/Summit Records), 2004’s release on Summit, "Art
and Architecture", which received 4 stars from All
Music Guide, was on the Jazzweek Top 50 radio chart for
6 weeks and received airplay on the MTV networks. The recording
features drummer Matt Wilson, bassist Dennis Irwin, Pete
McCann on acoustic and electric guitar and Bobby Floyd on
piano.
His first solo release was
the critically acclaimed, "Momentum" (COJAZZ Records
’98). As a sideman he appears on CDs by guitarist
Stan Smith (Pathways), saxophonist Chad Eby (Tryptich),
the eclectic ensemble Madrugada (Madrugada), the Cleveland
Jazz Orchestra Traditions, the 2006 Columbus Jazz Orchestra
CD, The Colors of Jazz and The Paul Ferguson Jazz Orchestra
CD Live at The Bop Stop.
Active as a clinician, Mills presents
workshops on improvisation, ensemble skills and practice
techniques at colleges and high schools including The Cincinnati
Conservatory of Music, the Brandon (Manitoba, Canada) Jazz
Festival, The Ohio Music Educator’s Association Conference,
The Columbus Youth Jazz Ensemble, The Ohio State University,
Ashland University and Ohio Wesleyan University.
Pete holds degrees from The Eastman School
of Music and the University of North Texas. His teachers
have included Pat LaBarbera, Ray Ricker, Jim Riggs, and
Walt Weiskopf. He currently teaches jazz studies at Denison
University, having formerly taught at The Ohio State University,
Kenyon College and East Carolina University.
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