Since moving to New York in 1985, David Berkman has been an important part of the jazz community. He is an award-winning composer/bandleader (2000 Doris Duke/Chamber Music America New Works Creation and Presentation Grant), a recording artist whose 4 Palmetto recordings have appeared on numerous best records of the year critic's lists (the New York Times, the Village Voice, Downbeat, JazzIz, Jazz Times and others) and an award-winning jazz clinician who has performed and taught at numerous jazz camps, universities and conservatories around the United States, South America and Europe.
He has played in countless bands including those of Cecil McBee, Tom Harrell and the Vanguard Orchestra and has performed with and/or recorded and/or arranged for numerous jazz luminaries, including: Sonny Stitt,, Brian Blade, Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas, Ray Drummond, Billy Hart, Dick Oatts, Tony Malaby, Chris Potter, Scott Wendholt, Lenny White, Scott Colley, Craig Handy, Steven Bernstein, Bill Stewart, Dave Stryker, Fathead Newman, Hank Crawford, and Jane Monheit. Now appearing more and more often as a bandleader, David Berkman has performed solo and with his quartet, quintet and sextet at festivals and clubs in the United States, Europe and Japan, most recently at the North Sea Festival, the Edinburgh festival, the Belfast festival and the Cork Festival. Recent tours include: clubs and concert performances in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Sao Paulo, Japan and around the United States.
Recent projects include piano/trumpet duo performances with Dave Douglas (2005 International Trumpet Guild Convention in Bangkok) and Tom Harrell (around Italy).
Jimmy Greene is one of my favorite sax players in the world. His sense of swing is so deep, and he hears and responds to everything. I first met Jimmy when he was a student of Jackie Maclean’s at the Hartt Music school in Hartford, Ct. and had re-connected with Jimmy on some gigs with the great free improvising bassist and composer, Mario Pavone. These gigs showed me that he could be both groovy and extremely open and spontaneous, playing any style of music with a lot of sincerity and commitment.
Ed Howard is someone that I had played with a lot years before when I first moved to New York and we had recently started working together again. He brings a mountain of experience working with jazz legends like Shirley Horn and Roy Haynes. He is one of the finest bassists in the world of jazz, swinging and powerful.
Ted Poor is the youngest member of the band, but is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after young drummers in New York. He seems to “get” everything, and he brings sensitivity and poetry to every musical situation he is in.