Richard Drexler is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer/arranger from Bloomington-Normal IL who has lived in central Florida since 1985. He has taught for eighteen years at the University of Central Florida (seven in a full-time role) and ten years at Valencia College as Jazz Studies faculty. UCF awarded him their first master's degree in music composition in 2013. He has played on around 200 recordings, piano in the Woody Herman Orchestra for 32 years, bass in trios of Kenny Drew Jr., Dick Hyman and others, and music as his livelihood his whole adult life. In the past eight years he has appeared on fourteen CDs that made the national jazz radio airplay charts, including five #1s....
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Richard Drexler is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer/arranger from Bloomington-Normal IL who has lived in central Florida since 1985. He has taught for eighteen years at the University of Central Florida (seven in a full-time role) and ten years at Valencia College as Jazz Studies faculty. UCF awarded him their first master's degree in music composition in 2013. He has played on around 200 recordings, piano in the Woody Herman Orchestra for 32 years, bass in trios of Kenny Drew Jr., Dick Hyman and others, and music as his livelihood his whole adult life. In the past eight years he has appeared on fourteen CDs that made the national jazz radio airplay charts, including five #1s.
Richard toured for twelve years with electric bassist Jeff Berlin, and has subbed in eleven Florida orchestras on eight instruments, plus in groups as diverse as Cheap Trick, Little Anthony & the Imperials and Saigon Kick; singers he has worked with include Mose Allison, Karrin Allyson, Tony Bennett, George Benson, Diahann Carroll, Vic Damone, Bob Dorough, Connie Francis, Amy Grant, Kevin Mahogany, Al Jarreau, Frankie Laine, Kevin Mahogany, Idina Menzel, Mark Murphy, Freda Payne, Bernadette Peters and Mel Torme’.
His playing has been favorably reviewed in Down Beat, Jazz Improv, Jazziz, Jazz Times, and in dozens of online publications. Richard is profiled in The New Face of Jazz, a Billboard (Random House) book by Cicily Janus with forewords by jazz legends Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Miller and Sonny Rollins, and has played with 40 of the other 100 featured players. “I have heard the future of Jazz, and it is Richard Drexler.” – Eric Addeo, Joel Chriss and Co., Jazz Times Magazine, 2004.
John Campbell is also from Bloomington, Illinois, attending University High School (Normal) with Richard Drexler, introducing Richard to jazz. After attending ISU in Normal (playing piano and vibes) he lived in Chicago, New York, then L.A. for 15 years. John has worked with numerous jazz artists, including Terry Gibbs and Buddy DeFranco, Stan Getz, Eddie Harris, Milt Jackson, James Moody, Charles McPherson, Clark Terry, Johnny Mandel, and in the late 1980s was pianist for Mel Tormé. John has been a Steinway artist since 1991. John will play a Fender-Rhodes for this concert.
John has recorded as a soloist on Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. 29 (Concord Jazz, 1993) and in various trios in his After Hours and Turning Point albums (Contemporary 1988,90) with bassist Todd Coolman and drummer Gerry Gibbs, and Workin' Out (Criss Cross Jazz, 2001) with bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Billy Drummond. John now resides in his hometown Bloomington.
Sponsored by Lloyd Hedges in memory of Bonnie.
The Central Illinois Jazz Society (CIJS) House Band will play during the first set starting at 6PM under the leadership of Larry Harms. The CIJS House Band features outstanding jazz musicians from the area. They will entertain you with a mixture of jazz styles.
Guest group starts at 7:15 pm.
Beverages are available for purchase at this live jazz program. Food may be brought in but no beverages.
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