Biographies
Two Sides of Sax
Duo: Beumer van Hamm, Sander Beumer studied saxophone at the Utrecht Conservatoire with professor Ed Bogaard an André Hemmers. After graduating he continued his studies in Basel at the Hochschule Fur Musik, with Professor Iwan Roth. Sander plays on a historical American saxophone and mouthpiece, dating from the early twentieth century. Together with Pianist Hans van ham he formed the duo Beumer & van Ham, a duo specialized in the French saxophone repertoire. As co-founder of the Koh-I-Noor quartet (1985) he is still active with this ensemble. The Koh-I-Noor quartet made several cd’s and toured trough many parts of the word and is recognized as one of the leading ensembles in the field of modern saxophone quartet repertoire. As a pedagogue Sander is active as a saxophone teacher and ensemble coach. He also teaches Arts and Music at a high school. Hans van Ham studied piano at the Utrecht Conservatoire, with professor Håkon Austbø and Ria Groot. He also studied with Claude Helffer, Noël Lee, Peter Feuchtwanger, Germaine Mounier en Alan Fraser, in master classes. As a soloist Hans has played with many orchestras. Hans is a highly appreciated accompanist in the Netherlands and plays with many ensembles, soloist and singers and has a great reputation in chamber music. He often participates in projects around composers or projects concerning new music. In 2005 Hans formed a duo with saxophonist Sander Beumer, as Duo Beumer & van Ham
Wildy Zumwalt, Professor of Saxophone at the State University of New York in Fredonia, is an active performer, teacher and scholar of the saxophone with regular engagements in the US and Europe. He has presented recitals and masterclasses at universities and public schools throughout the United States as well as in Holland, Germany and Poland. Zumwalt has been a featured soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Western New York Chamber Orchestra, and the Erie Chamber Orchestra. As a chamber musician, he performs regularly on the Musical Feast Series at the Burchfield Penney Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY. Zumwalt is first-call saxophonist with the Chautauqua Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Erie Philharmonic. He has played also with the Knoxville Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Flagstaff Symphony and Naples (FL) Philharmonic, among others. Additionally he has been featured in numerous radio broadcasts including National Public Radio’s Performance Today. Dr. Zumwalt is a noted scholar on early German repertoire for the saxophone and his research has led to the re-discovery and publication of works by Edmund von Borck, Hans Brehme and Hugo Kaun. Zumwalt is currently writing a biography on the classical saxophone pioneer, Sigurd M. Rascher, whose Archive is held in the Reed Library at the State University of New York in Fredonia.
REVIEWS:
“Zumwalt accentuated the plaintive singing qualities of the saxophone.” Darmstädter Echo
“Wildy Zumwalt gave a stunning performance.” Sonneck Society for American Music
“Wildy Zumwalt’s alto saxophone was like nothing I had ever heard before. At times human voice and instrument were so interchangeable it was hard to distinguish between the two.” Burchfield Penney Art Center Buffalo, NY
Elliot Scozzaro is a saxophonist, composer, arranger, and educator from Buffalo, NY. While in high school, Elliot was a member of the Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra and received an Outstanding Soloist Award at the Charles Mingus High School Competition and Festival in 2010. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Music at Capital University in Columbus, OH, where he studied with Dr. Michael Cox. At Capital, Elliot won the Kenneth R. Keller and Nicholas J. Perrini awards for outstanding performance. In 2012, he was named lead alto saxophone in the Jazz Education Connection of Ohio Intercollegiate Jazz Ensemble directed by former trombonist and arranger with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Vaughn Wiester. Following his time in Columbus, Elliot received a Master of Music in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas (UNT), where he played lead alto saxophone in the seven-time Grammy-nominated One O’ Clock Lab Band. As a member of the One O’ Clock, Elliot headlined the Generations in Jazz Festival in Mount Gambier, Australia, was featured as a soloist on Lab 2016, and performed with Dennis Mackrel, James Morrison, Danilo Perez, and Sean Jones. While at UNT, Elliot also served as a Teaching Fellow of Saxophone, directed lab bands, and was mentored by Brad Leali.
George Caldwell hails from Clarksdale, Mississippi. After graduating from Oberlin Conservatory and a brief stint playing with Clifford Jordan, Caldwell followed Mulgrew Miller into the piano chair of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, for three years. Caldwell’s next job was with David “Panama” Francis at the legendary Rainbow Room in New York City, followed by seven years with the world renowned Count Basie Orchestra. Some of the great jazz artists with whom he shared the bandstand include Quincy Jones, Roy Hargrove, George Benson, Dizzy Gillespie and Cab Calloway.
A sampling of Caldwell’s discography includes five discs with the Basie organization: ‘The Count Basie Orchestra Live at El Morrocco’, ‘Basie’s Bag’, ‘Joe Williams and The Count Basie Orchestra Live at Orchestra Hall’, ‘Jazzin’ with Tito Puente, and ‘The Count Basie Orchestra live at The Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild w/ the New York Voices’ (for which the band won a Grammy).
Caldwell was awarded full scholarships to Memphis State University and Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he received his bachelor of music in piano with a minor in music theory.
His latest release, ‘Accord’, was favorably reviewed in the March 2018 issue of DownBeat magazine and is available on the Amazon website and in select cd stores. He is artistic director of the John Coltrane Celebration, presented annually by the Pappy Martin Legacy Jazz Collective. Mr. Caldwell is currently professor of practice in the music department at SUNY Buffalo.
Stephen Parisi Jr. is a highly accomplished jazz bassist, composer, and arranger hailing from Buffalo, New York. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the prestigious Eastman School of Music receiving the Schirmer Prize of Excellence , and a Masters from the DePaul School of Music. Currently based in Chicago, Stephen is a founding member of the acclaimed group “Trio Profondo”, while also touring with renowned acts such as The Bryan Eng Trio and The Glen Miller Orchestra. Stephen maintains a private teaching studio, and teaches classes around the Chicago and Buffalo areas. His impressive resume includes performances at esteemed venues and festivals nationwide.