February 17 Benefit for Saxophonist Dayna Stephens at Piedmont Piano
February 1, 2013
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Benefit Concert for Dayna Stephens Featuring Dayna Stephens, Taylor Eigsti and The Brubeck Jazz Institute Quintet Sunday, February 17th 6:30 PM @ The Piedmont Piano Company Address: 1728 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, CA For Tickets Please Visit: www.jazzfoundation.org/daynastephens All Proceeds directly benefit healthcare costs for Dayna's Kidney Transplant! For More Information please visit www.helpdaynastephens.org  January 27, 2013 - Oakland, CA - On
February 17th, renowned pianist Taylor Eigsti and the Brubeck Institute
Jazz Quintet will be hosting a concert at the Piedmont Piano Company in
efforts to raise money towards covering Dayna's immense medical
expenses. Dayna Stephens himself will be playing in Taylor Eigsti's
group, along with bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Eric Harland. The
members of the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet are Tom Kelley on alto and
soprano saxophones, Rane Roatta on tenor saxophone, Paul Bloom on
piano, Adam Goldman on bass, and Malachi Whitson on drums.
Dayna Stephens is a world-class saxophonist, composer, and bandleader based in both New York City and the Bay Area. At 34, Dayna has released many critically acclaimed albums. The latest of which, Today is Tomorrow, is on the Criss Cross label, and features such luminaries as Aaron Parks, Julian Lage, and Michael Rodriguez. However, what makes Dayna so special is not only his music, but also his role as an educator and mentor to aspiring musicians everywhere. He has taught students at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, The New School, The Brubeck Institute Fellowship & Summer Jazz Colony, San Francisco State University, and the Jazz Camp West. Dayna's sincerity and care for his students makes him a truly unique resource to the entire musical community. Sadly, Dayna has a rare kidney disease called Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) which affects 20 out of every million people and is waiting on an urgently needed kidney transplant. He faces costly anti-rejection medications at a monthly rate of over $4,000 a month for an indefinite time period. On February 17th, renowned pianist Taylor Eigsti and the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet will be hosting a concert at the Piedmont Piano Company in efforts to raise money towards covering Dayna's immense medical expenses. Dayna Stephens himself will be playing in Taylor Eigsti's group, along with bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Eric Harland. The members of the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet are Tom Kelley on alto and soprano saxophones, Rane Roatta on tenor saxophone, Paul Bloom on piano, Adam Goldman on bass, and Malachi Whitson on drums. 100% of all proceeds raised will go directly to Dayna through the Jazz Foundation's donation system. Please come out for a very meaningful night of music if you can! Close friends of Dayna have come together to help him in this time of need. Even if you can't attend this particular concert, please have a look through this site - learn more about Dayna, learn about kidney donation and donor screening, tell others by sharing this link on your Facebook, Twitter, or website, and please make a donation in Dayna's name on our donation page. No donation is too small. All donations are needed and appreciated. Please note that there will be no physical tickets. Your name is reserved on the guest list, and will be at the check-in at the Piedmont Piano Company. If you cannot make it to the benefit concert, but still wish to donate to Dayna Stephens, visit our main page for donations at http://jazzfoundation.org/memory_honor About the Musicians...
Dayna Stephens (Website) Internationally renowned saxophonist/composer/educator Dayna Stephens, is a force to watch out for. A fluid, vigorous soloist with a warm, soulful sound, Dayna has also proven himself a master of composition and arrangement, a highly acclaimed band leader and an "in-demand" side-man for some of Jazz' contemporary masters, such as Kenny Barron, Idris Mohammed, Taylor Eigsti. His debut album "The Timeless Now," released on "Contagious Music" in 2007, features jazz legends John Scofield, Taylor Eigsti, Ben Street, Eric Harland and Nick Vayenas. The record was immediately embraced by the jazz community and resulted in heavy radio airplay across the US. It received warm reviews from a number of magazines, including a four-star review in the Nov 2007 issue of "Downbeat," and climbed to #11 on the Billboard jazz charts, #9 on "JazzWeek" and NPR top-10 Jazz Jewels of 2007." Dayna was born in Brooklyn, New York, August 1st, 1978, and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He showed serious talent early on, winning many awards and scholarships to various music programs, while attending the prestigious Berkeley High School. He then proceeded to the Berklee College of Music in Boston on a full scholarship. Following his graduation, Dayna was selected by judges Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard for the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at USC where he studied and played with, among others, Shorter, Hancock, Dave Holland, John Scofield and Mark Turner. In recent years, he has appeared on stage with numerous established musicians and other rising stars, including Terrance Blanchard, Geoffrey Keezer, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Matt Wilson, Oliver Lake, Roy Hargrove, Carlos Santana, Stephon Harris, Stevie Wonder, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Peter Apfelbaum, OZOmatli, Patrice Rushen, Tom Harrell, Reuben Rogers, Gregory Hutchinson, Gretchen Parlato, Josh Roseman, Ray Drummond, Winard Harper, Bobby Short, Bruce Barth, and many others. Dayna has also established himself as a powerful educator, serving as faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop for nine consecutive years. He's been a featured artist at the Sebelius Academy in Helsinki Finland as well as giving master-classes and clinics at various high-schools and colleges across the US which include, LaGaurdia High School, Alameda High School, Cole Middle School, Washington Prep High School, Los Angeles County High School for the arts, Islip High School, The Jazz School in Berkeley California, University of Southern California, San Francisco State University. Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet (Website) The members of the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet (BIJQ) are in the Institute's Fellowship Program. Winners of numerous DownBeat awards, including the 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 awards for best collegiate jazz group in the country, this group has performed on the Monterey Jazz Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Brubeck Festival, Detroit International Jazz Festival, and others, and have done concerts in California, New York, Washington, Florida, Texas, Chicago, Toronto, Minneapolis, Washington DC, and on a State Department tour in Spain. They have also performed in jazz clubs such as Yoshi's in Oakland, Herb Alpert's club Vibrato in Los Angeles, Blues Alley in Washington DC, the Dakota in Minneapolis, and the Jamboree Jazz Club in Barcelona. They have also performed at the annual conference of the International Association for Jazz Education, and at the First Annual Jazz Education Network conference in St. Louis, MO. The BIJQ does clinics and performances in schools throughout the country. The members of the 2012-2013 BIJQ: Rane Roatta, tenor sax, from Miami, FL; Thomas Kelley, alto sax, from Canton, CT; Paul Bloom, piano, from Needham, MA; Adam Goldman, bass, from Pacific Palisades, CA; Malachi Whitson, drums, from Richmond, CA Paul Bloom (Concert Organizer): Paul is a 19 year old pianist, composer, teacher, and Dr. Seuss aficionado currently studying in the Brubeck Fellowship Program at the University of the Pacific. He grew up in the Boston area, where he attended Needham High School and took part in the New England Conservatory prep program. This past year he worked with students at the Youth Making Music Together program in Everett MA, as well as teaching at the Pollard Middle School in Needham, where he instructed a group of students in a jazz combo. Paul has been part of the Berklee Summer Programs, the Litchfield Jazz Camp, the Stanford Jazz Residency, and the Brubeck Summer Colony. He has also had the opportunity to learn from many incredible artists including Tiger Okoshi, Julian Lage, Aristides Rivas, Hal Crook, Ken Schaphorst, Ryan Keberle, Dave Zoffer, Doug Johnson, Steve Sussman, Wes Wirth, Austin McMahon, and Jeff Galindo. Taylor Eigsti (Website) New York-based pianist and composer Taylor Eigsti started playing the piano when he was 4 years old, inspired by his sister Shannon, a jazz and rock pianist. His musical journey since has been filled with many exciting opportunities to grow as a musician, artist, and educator. Becoming a bandleader at age 12, Eigsti was quickly labeled a prodigy, and released 4 early albums as a leader before having the opportunity to sign with Concord Records, where he has released three highly acclaimed albums. Eigsti has been recognized by critics internationally for his unique touch and rhythmic control, and his innovative improvisational storytelling. The past few years have been especially exciting for the 26-year old California native. Eigsti released "Lucky to Be Me" in 2006, which was nominated for two GRAMMY awards for Best Instrumental Compostion and Best Instrumental Jazz Solo. Building on the momentum of the previous record, Eigsti was featured on the cover of both Keyboard Magazine and Jazziz Magazine, and was featured in his own BET Television special. Eigsti then released "Let it Come to You"(Concord) 2008, quickly garnering many four-star reviews from such publications as Downbeat Magazine and All Music Guide, and went to #2 in National Jazz Radio Airplay. This album also featured Eigsti's original visual art within the packaging. Eigsti has also been featured on many radio shows, including appearing on Marian McPartland's award-winning NPR program "PianoJazz" on several occasions. The national spotlight has allowed many more listeners to become accustomed to Eigsti, which has led to the good fortune of performing or recording with such luminaries as Dave Brubeck, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, James Moody, Nicholas Payton, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ernestine Anderson, David Benoit, Gretchen Parlato, Dave Douglas, Esperanza Spalding, Ambrose Akinmusire, Hank Jones, John Clayton, Frederica Von Stade, Christian Scott, Eric Harland, Chris Potter Lee Konitz, Donny McCaslin, and Red Holloway, among many others. He has also performed internationally for 11 years with GRAMMY nominated guitarist Julian Lage, his close musical collaborator. Currently Eigsti and Lage are collaborating on new symphonic compositions for guitar, piano and symphony orchestra to be premiered in January, 2012 in California with the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra. Over the years, Eigsti has had the great opportunity to work with and write music for various orchestras, and has written a growing repertoire of music for symphony orchestra and jazz ensemble. Various soloist features and collaborations include performing "Rhapsody in Blue" with the Reno Symphony and the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra, which has also featured new works with his band in 2008 and 2010. Other collaborations include performing with Sylvia McNair and the Sacramento Philharmonic, under the direction of Michael Morgan, and performing with the Boston Youth Symphony and the Tassajara Symphony, where Taylor was a featured soloist with Frederica von Stade, performing new works by Chris Brubeck. Eigsti has also premiered work for string chamber orchestra and piano trio in 2010 with the San José Chamber Orchestra. He will be collaborating with the Oakland East Bay Symphony in May of 2012, and the San José Chamber Orchestra again in 2013. Eigsti has also incorporated a diverse educational career, leading numerous masterclasses and clinics for 15 years at music workshops and camps, and various colleges such as the University of North Texas, UC Berkeley, Skidmore College, Berklee College of Music, NYU, San Jose St, University of Northern Colorado, and many more. He is on the advisory board of Stanford Jazz Workshop, where he has taught for 12 years, and has been the featured guest artist artist at the prestigious Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific several times, and artist in residence at the Jazzschool Institute in Berkeley, CA. Recently, Taylor has released a brand-new recording for Concord Music Group - his seventh album as a leader - entitled "Daylight at Midnight" which features rising star singer-songwriter Becca Stevens, Harish Raghavan on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. A departure from previous albums, this project integrates the influence of lyrically-driven acoustic rock music through covers of songs by Coldplay, Feist, MuteMath, Nick Drake, Elliot Smith, and many others, in addition to originals. # # # Stephanie Dalton, Urban Music Presents 415.503.8207 stephanie@urbanmusicpresents.com www.urbanmusicpresents.com 
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