Austin Jazz Society continues its collaboration with Collin Shook's Monks Jazz Club. The MidWeek at Monks series will welcome The B Side.
B-Side
Formed by Austin drummer, Kevin Witt, B-Side performs a mix of deep cuts from the hard bop jazz era including, Coltrane, Monk, Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter, and unique arrangements from a wide selection of genres and influences such as Stevie Wonder, Gil Scot Heron, Michael Jackson, Bill Withers, Radiohead and more. This group has been performing together for over fifteen years.
Kevin Witt
A Texas native, Witt attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, moving to NYC in 2001, where he performed and, studied under Peter Retzlaff (Drummers Collective/Manhattan School of Music) and studied privately with Jimmy Cobb and Cindy Blackman before moving to Austin in 2006. Kevin has played with many accomplished jazz musicians in Austin, including Andre Hayward, Bruce Saunders, Eli Haslanger, Pete Rodriquez, Mitch Butler, Eric Hargett, Chris Maresh, Michael Malone, and vocalist Alison Wedding. Witt also performed in Nashville with trumpeter and visual artist, Rod McGaha....
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Austin Jazz Society continues its collaboration with Collin Shook's Monks Jazz Club. The MidWeek at Monks series will welcome The B Side.
B-Side
Formed by Austin drummer, Kevin Witt, B-Side performs a mix of deep cuts from the hard bop jazz era including, Coltrane, Monk, Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter, and unique arrangements from a wide selection of genres and influences such as Stevie Wonder, Gil Scot Heron, Michael Jackson, Bill Withers, Radiohead and more. This group has been performing together for over fifteen years.
Kevin Witt
A Texas native, Witt attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, moving to NYC in 2001, where he performed and, studied under Peter Retzlaff (Drummers Collective/Manhattan School of Music) and studied privately with Jimmy Cobb and Cindy Blackman before moving to Austin in 2006. Kevin has played with many accomplished jazz musicians in Austin, including Andre Hayward, Bruce Saunders, Eli Haslanger, Pete Rodriquez, Mitch Butler, Eric Hargett, Chris Maresh, Michael Malone, and vocalist Alison Wedding. Witt also performed in Nashville with trumpeter and visual artist, Rod McGaha.
Kevin is the founding member of 3jazz, which included acclaimed saxophonist Philippe Vieux, and L.A. bassist Joao Costa Vargas. The group produced two records and hosted a popular spoken word series for several years.
Andre Hayward
Andre Hayward is an extremely gifted trombonist with the sound and clarity reminiscent of the late J.J. Johnson. His gospel-tinged approach is refreshing and will warm the hearts of anyone he comes in contact with.
Hayward added his first engagement with trumpeter Roy Hargrove for a European tour after being heard at a jam session during a festival while playing with the Texas Southern University Jazz Ensemble. After Hargrove, Hayward performed and recorded with singer/bandleader Betty Carter for five years in her acclaimed "Jazz Ahead"program. Other acclaimed performers include Joe Williams, Slide Hampton, John Lewis, Mingus Dynasty Big Band, Gerald Wilson, Kirk Whalum, Jimmy Heath, The Duke Ellington Orchestra and Illinois Jacquet's Big Band. His most recent performance credits are The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, The San Francisco Jazz Collective, and The Clayton - Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
Hayward has served as jazz trombone professor at New School of Jazz & Contemporary Music, New York University, New England Conservatory, Michigan State University, University of Texas - Butler School of Music, , University of North Texas, Huston Tillotson and San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Bruce Saunders
Bruce is a guitarist, composer and educator living in Austin, TX. After receiving his master’s degree in jazz/classical guitar from the University of North Texas in 1986 he moved to New York City where he was a full-time resident until 2006 then split his time between New York, Austin, and Boston until late 2013.
During his tenure in NY he recorded, performed, and toured with some of the world’s best musicians. A partial list would include Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Bill Stewart, Peter Erskine, Kenny Werner, Ben Monder, Donny McCaslin, Joe Lovano, Bill Pierce, Bobby Previte, Mark Murphy, and many others. Since moving to Austin, he has played with most of the world-class jazz musicians in the city and state as well as continuing to perform and record as a leader.
Saunders has performed as a leader and sideman worldwide but most notably at many renowned New York venues including Birdland, The Blue Note, Smalls, Fat Cat, The Jazz Standard, The Knitting Factory, Barbes, Detour, Smoke, and many others. He has conducted clinics and concerts in Colombia, Portugal, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Japan as well as throughout the United States including many clinics at Berklee. He has 7 CDs as a leader and has been a sideman on numerous other recordings. He is the author of six guitar method books published by Mel Bay Publications.
Terry Bowness
Originally from Missouri, Bowness is an Austin resident who graduated from UT Austin with a master’s in electrical engineering. Terry is an integrated circuit designer and a musician who plays piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, and synthesizers. Bowness is the lead organ player for Eli Haslanger’s Church on Monday’s residency and has performed with many key players in the Austin jazz scene, including Tom Brechtlein, Ernie Durawa, Tommy Howard, Eric Hargett, Allison Wedding, and Mitch Watkins. He also performs regularly as a soloist and plays with several small groups, including Michael Hale Organ Trio, Andrew Hayward Quintet, Bruce Saunders Quartet, and the Kevin Witt Collective.
Terry has released three albums with Aardvark Records including Terry Bowness (2003), Stick Figures (2003), and Regeneration (2012) available on Amazon Music. His albums have received national radio airplay and “best of” accolades from the Austin Chronicle.
A fun fact about Bowness is that his work has been heard by billions of people worldwide—he helped design the i-phone loudspeaker amplifier.
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