Michael Pinkham
Drums
Hear Michael Pinkham's solo on "Bernie's Tune", performed live at MacArthur Place, Sonoma, California, on August 3, 2007
Drums
Hear Michael Pinkham's solo on "Bernie's Tune", performed live at MacArthur Place, Sonoma, California, on August 3, 2007
Trumpeter John Kalleen assembled the John Kalleen Group in 2004, inspired to create an ensemble based on the full-sounding style of the 50s and 60s classic jazz quintets, as exemplified by the great Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter groups, going back as far as the bebop era Clifford Brown bands.
"I took my time finding just the right musicians," Kalleen explains. "What I expected was that we were going to be a bebop/hard bop quintet that essentially cover the classic tunes of that era, with some imaginative new arrangements. But the musicians who joined the band really clicked. Soon the guys started bringing in new compositions to play. With those original tunes in our repertoire, the band has taken on its own unique sound and style. So the band has taken off in ways that I originally hadn't imagined. It's terrific."
Kalleen is no stranger to band leading, having directed the San Francisco-based modern jazz group Tout va Bien for several years. As a leader, he is keen to allow each band member to make robust artistic contributions, with compositions, arrangements or even just with stylistic ideas to help enhance each number during the bands regular rehearsals. Kalleen has contributed many such arrangements himself.
And then, of course, there's his own bright and spirited trumpet playing that so admirably compliments Michael Bello's fiery saxophone work in the JKG's front line. Kalleen offers the spare beauty of Chet Baker and the melodic musings of Miles Davis as his chief musical influences. In addition to his work with Tout va Bien, Kalleen served as trumpeter and leader of the High Society Jazz Band for over a decade. Born into a musical family, John was exposed to everything from Miles to Mozart. Beginning on piano he fell in love with the trumpet at the age of twelve and has been playing it ever since. He has studied with local trumpet masters John Coppola, Bill Ortiz and John Worley.
Kalleen is excited about the potential clearly shown by the JKG. A CD is in the works for 2008, and for now the plan is to expand the ensemble's performance experience and fan base in the San Francisco Bay Area. But for the future, the sky's the limit.
"Eventually we'd love to tour the U.S. and even Europe," Kalleen says. "But for right now, we're playing a lot here at home, and having a lot of fun. There's a lot of vitality, and lot of excitement and a lot of enthusiasm."
"I took my time finding just the right musicians," Kalleen explains. "What I expected was that we were going to be a bebop/hard bop quintet that essentially cover the classic tunes of that era, with some imaginative new arrangements. But the musicians who joined the band really clicked. Soon the guys started bringing in new compositions to play. With those original tunes in our repertoire, the band has taken on its own unique sound and style. So the band has taken off in ways that I originally hadn't imagined. It's terrific."
Kalleen is no stranger to band leading, having directed the San Francisco-based modern jazz group Tout va Bien for several years. As a leader, he is keen to allow each band member to make robust artistic contributions, with compositions, arrangements or even just with stylistic ideas to help enhance each number during the bands regular rehearsals. Kalleen has contributed many such arrangements himself.
And then, of course, there's his own bright and spirited trumpet playing that so admirably compliments Michael Bello's fiery saxophone work in the JKG's front line. Kalleen offers the spare beauty of Chet Baker and the melodic musings of Miles Davis as his chief musical influences. In addition to his work with Tout va Bien, Kalleen served as trumpeter and leader of the High Society Jazz Band for over a decade. Born into a musical family, John was exposed to everything from Miles to Mozart. Beginning on piano he fell in love with the trumpet at the age of twelve and has been playing it ever since. He has studied with local trumpet masters John Coppola, Bill Ortiz and John Worley.
Kalleen is excited about the potential clearly shown by the JKG. A CD is in the works for 2008, and for now the plan is to expand the ensemble's performance experience and fan base in the San Francisco Bay Area. But for the future, the sky's the limit.
"Eventually we'd love to tour the U.S. and even Europe," Kalleen says. "But for right now, we're playing a lot here at home, and having a lot of fun. There's a lot of vitality, and lot of excitement and a lot of enthusiasm."
One half of the John Kalleen Group's shimmering horn section, saxophonist Michael Bello provides the band both searing and soulful reed work and intriguing compositions. In both his playing and his writing, Bello impresses immediately as an artist of unique vision. It's no surprise that he considers his greatest musical influences to be individualists like Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. And Bello finds the make-up and philosophy of the John Kalleen Group to be complimentary to his artistic aspirations.
"The group is truly collaborative," he says, "which is refreshing for me. I'm given a lot of space to write and arrange the way I want to. And because we rehearse regularly, we can work on things that are more involved, instead of just preparing basic arrangements. And it really helps to have such a close connection with the guys in the group. I know them well enough now so that I can write specifically for each one, and on stage I know I can rely on everyone."
Michael is a graduate in Jazz Studies from Sonoma State University. In addition to his work with the John Kalleen Group, Bello performs with Albino, a collective Afro-Beat ensemble. He's also played with groups including Lee Press-on and the Nails, the Mel Graves Quartet and the Johnny Otis Band.
"The group is truly collaborative," he says, "which is refreshing for me. I'm given a lot of space to write and arrange the way I want to. And because we rehearse regularly, we can work on things that are more involved, instead of just preparing basic arrangements. And it really helps to have such a close connection with the guys in the group. I know them well enough now so that I can write specifically for each one, and on stage I know I can rely on everyone."
Michael is a graduate in Jazz Studies from Sonoma State University. In addition to his work with the John Kalleen Group, Bello performs with Albino, a collective Afro-Beat ensemble. He's also played with groups including Lee Press-on and the Nails, the Mel Graves Quartet and the Johnny Otis Band.
Jimi Mitchell is not just a fine pianist, but is one of the group's principal composers. Mitchell observes that getting a serious hearing for his written works is one of his prime sources of satisfaction in being a member of the JKG.
"There's an incredible amount of creative energy invested in making compositions come alive in this band," Mitchell says. "There's much more attention given to compositional detail than any other band I've been in. Michael, John, Michael and Piro all keep coming up with new ideas for making my songs sound better, and the feel with which they play my songs is so often the kind of feel I was looking for when I wrote them. All the energy is a big reason this group is going in exciting directions."
John Kalleen observes of Mitchell, "Jimi is a wonderful piano player, and he's especially impressive from a rhythmic standpoint. Piro and Michael, on bass and drums, really gravitate towards him while we're playing because his rhythm is just so good."
A Napa Valley native, Mitchell has been playing professionally since he was fifteen, when he began performing throughout the California wine country with the Nick Webster Quartet. A graduate of Sonoma State University in Jazz Studies, he has also recorded several successful CDs under his own name. Originally strongly influenced by Chick Corea & Brad Mehldau, Mitchell has also turned an ear toward many of the younger pianists. Brad Meldau, Geoffrey Keezer and Jason Moran are among his current influences.
"There's an incredible amount of creative energy invested in making compositions come alive in this band," Mitchell says. "There's much more attention given to compositional detail than any other band I've been in. Michael, John, Michael and Piro all keep coming up with new ideas for making my songs sound better, and the feel with which they play my songs is so often the kind of feel I was looking for when I wrote them. All the energy is a big reason this group is going in exciting directions."
John Kalleen observes of Mitchell, "Jimi is a wonderful piano player, and he's especially impressive from a rhythmic standpoint. Piro and Michael, on bass and drums, really gravitate towards him while we're playing because his rhythm is just so good."
A Napa Valley native, Mitchell has been playing professionally since he was fifteen, when he began performing throughout the California wine country with the Nick Webster Quartet. A graduate of Sonoma State University in Jazz Studies, he has also recorded several successful CDs under his own name. Originally strongly influenced by Chick Corea & Brad Mehldau, Mitchell has also turned an ear toward many of the younger pianists. Brad Meldau, Geoffrey Keezer and Jason Moran are among his current influences.
Piro Patton is a young veteran who has studied and performed extensively on both coasts. He's earned his reputation as an extremely melodic bass player, with the willingness-and ability-to stretch his role within an ensemble. That creativity helps give the John Kalleen Group its singular sound.
For Patton, it's the quality of the ensemble playing that maximizes in the JKG something special.
"The group is extraordinary because of the group dynamic," he says. "The interplay is really lovely, and the musical conversations that we have. When we're on the bandstand, people are really with each other. That's what I enjoy. I particularly like the original material we do. I play a lot of trio music, so it's also a real pleasure to be in a band with a quality horn section. You can play the bass in a different way."
Patton began his musical life as a vibes player, and his early talent landed him at Berklee School of Music, where he studied with Gary Burton. While finishing his degree at California Institute of the Arts, he became inspired by Charlie Haden, took up the bass, and received a direct tutelage from Haden.
Patton moved to New York in 1995 and plied his trade on the New York City jazz scene for seven years, playing with a wide range of musicians, before moving to San Francisco in 2002. He's performed with ground-breaking artists like Paul McCandless, Art Lande and Andre Bush.
"I love being involved in this band," he says. "The musicians are all pushing hard to make something great, and the ears in this band are really big."
For Patton, it's the quality of the ensemble playing that maximizes in the JKG something special.
"The group is extraordinary because of the group dynamic," he says. "The interplay is really lovely, and the musical conversations that we have. When we're on the bandstand, people are really with each other. That's what I enjoy. I particularly like the original material we do. I play a lot of trio music, so it's also a real pleasure to be in a band with a quality horn section. You can play the bass in a different way."
Patton began his musical life as a vibes player, and his early talent landed him at Berklee School of Music, where he studied with Gary Burton. While finishing his degree at California Institute of the Arts, he became inspired by Charlie Haden, took up the bass, and received a direct tutelage from Haden.
Patton moved to New York in 1995 and plied his trade on the New York City jazz scene for seven years, playing with a wide range of musicians, before moving to San Francisco in 2002. He's performed with ground-breaking artists like Paul McCandless, Art Lande and Andre Bush.
"I love being involved in this band," he says. "The musicians are all pushing hard to make something great, and the ears in this band are really big."
Along with bassist Piro Patton and pianist Jimi Mitchell, drummer Michael Pinkham provides the John Kalleen Group with its seamless yet adventurous rhythmic core. The most recent addition to the band, Pinkham has been an active member of the San Francisco Music scene, performing with the Tony Award winning San Francisco Mime Troupe and SF Weekly’s “Best World Beat Band “ Albino. A versatile musician, Pinkham was drawn towards the rhythms of Africa, Cuba, Brazil and India. He studied tabla at the Ali Akbar College with Tim Witter and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri.
Michael began playing drums at sixteen and started gigging shortly thereafter. He has studied privately with bay area greats including Colin Bailey, Alan Hall, Robert Kaufman and Atma Anur. Throughout his musical journey, Michael has always played and studied jazz. His first jazz influences, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones attest to his affinity to the 50s and 60s quintet sound that is at the root of the JKG’s sound.
“As a drummer,” he says, “jazz is one of the more interesting styles of music to play, because you get to have more interplay with the other musicians. I enjoy playing a back beat, but it’s really satisfying to truly express something on the drums.
Like his band mates, Michael is enjoying the cohesive nature of the John Kalleen Group.
“I really enjoy playing the original material,” he says. “The guys are writing a lot of interesting tunes that combine freedom of expression with tight ensemble playing. We’ve also been incorporating some very interesting new arrangements of standards. I enjoy that a lot.”
Michael began playing drums at sixteen and started gigging shortly thereafter. He has studied privately with bay area greats including Colin Bailey, Alan Hall, Robert Kaufman and Atma Anur. Throughout his musical journey, Michael has always played and studied jazz. His first jazz influences, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones attest to his affinity to the 50s and 60s quintet sound that is at the root of the JKG’s sound.
“As a drummer,” he says, “jazz is one of the more interesting styles of music to play, because you get to have more interplay with the other musicians. I enjoy playing a back beat, but it’s really satisfying to truly express something on the drums.
Like his band mates, Michael is enjoying the cohesive nature of the John Kalleen Group.
“I really enjoy playing the original material,” he says. “The guys are writing a lot of interesting tunes that combine freedom of expression with tight ensemble playing. We’ve also been incorporating some very interesting new arrangements of standards. I enjoy that a lot.”
John Kalleen
Trumpet
Hear John Kalleen's solo on "Arete," by James Mitchell performed at SoHo (Zebulon's) Jazz Lounge, Petaluma, California, on October 6, 2006
Trumpet
Hear John Kalleen's solo on "Arete," by James Mitchell performed at SoHo (Zebulon's) Jazz Lounge, Petaluma, California, on October 6, 2006
Michael Bello
Tenor Saxophone
Hear Michael Bello's solo on Wayne Shorter's "Footprints", performed at the Belvedere Winery in Healdsburg, California on August 19, 2006
Tenor Saxophone
Hear Michael Bello's solo on Wayne Shorter's "Footprints", performed at the Belvedere Winery in Healdsburg, California on August 19, 2006
Jimi Mitchell
Piano
Listen to Jimi Mitchell's solo on his own composition, "Juba," recorded live at the Cliff House in San Francisco, California, on November 17, 2006.
Piano
Listen to Jimi Mitchell's solo on his own composition, "Juba," recorded live at the Cliff House in San Francisco, California, on November 17, 2006.
Piro Patton
Double Bass
Hear Piro Patton's solo on "Arete", by James Mitchell, performed at the Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival, Sonoma, California, on September 22, 2006
Double Bass
Hear Piro Patton's solo on "Arete", by James Mitchell, performed at the Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival, Sonoma, California, on September 22, 2006