Biography

Pianist Gerard Hagen along with bassist Domenic Genova, and drummer Jerry Kalaf, have been playing since 1997 as The Gerard Hagen Trio. Critics and jazz fans alike credit him and his trio for their elegant lyricism, their polished sound, and their ability to connect with each other and with the audience. They are a trio of, says LA Jazz Scene magazine, "consummate musicians," who have just released their second CD in their four years of performing and recording together. The Gerard Hagen Trio's first CD, FAR HORIZONS, came out in 1997 and critics heralded it as "an exciting debut for a gifted pianist and his accomplished young trio" (Ken Borgers of KLON in Long Beach).

With their follow up CD, STAY TUNED (Sea Breeze 2001), Gerard Hagen and his Trio reveal the benefits of working and playing together as a unit. LA Jazz Scene says that this trio keeps "pulling an endless supply of different textures out of their bag, fascinating the crowd, weaving intensities together, never the same way."

Gerard was born in Bismarck, North Dakota and began studying the piano at age 8. He put his first band together in seventh grade, and was getting paid and praised for the early gigs he played in high school. It was in high school that a music teacher introduced Gerard to jazz, one of those important moments in a life that can change everything: "I remember the first time I really listened to jazz. I was taken by the rhythm, swing, how the pulse skipped along. It was the opposite of the heavy back beat of rock which I grew up with." This young musician then set out to educate himself even furtherin jazz and classical music. But even while he earned undergraduate and graduate music degrees at the University of Mary and at Northern Michigan University, Gerard traveled to gigs throughout the upper mid-West and Canada, gaining experience playing and recording jazz, rock, classical, and commercial music.

As soloist and as band leader, since relocating to the Los Angeles area in 1983, Gerard has worked in many jazz clubs and concert venues. He has appeared with saxophone legend Gary Foster. And many critically acclaimed performances include concerts with the Jazz Tap Ensemble, at the Dana Point Jazz Festival, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art jazz series, and at the California Music Teachers' Convention. Gerard has also performed throughout the United States and Canada. He has been a guest artist/clinician for many jazz festivals, including an appearance along with trombonist Bill Watrous at the University of Mary Jazz Festival. Gerard has presented clinics on jazz piano techniques at many colleges as well as for the California Music Teachers' Association. He has introduced jazz music for local students in a program sponsored by the Orange County Philharmonic Association and the Musician's Union. Says Gerard of his life commitment to making music: "Being a creative musician is an on-going process. Each day brings new challenges, and, if I am lucky, some knowledge or insight into the art of playing music."

"I have always been interested in developing a trio over a long period of time, affording us an opportunity to create music from a deeper level of communication and comfort which can only come from many hours spent performing together." Their first recording, FAR HORIZONS (Resurgent Music 121), included saxophonist GARY FOSTER as a guest artist, and received high acclaim from critics and jazz fans alike. The recording received considerable national radio air play, rising to a spot on the Gavin Jazz Charts. STAY TUNED (Sea Breeze Jazz SB 3049), the follow up recording, features the trio with several of Gerard's favorite musicians: saxophonist CHUCK MANNING, guitarist LARRY KOONSE, and bassist HENRY "The Skipper" FRANKLIN.

Jerry Kalaf

Drummer Jerry Kalaf's Jazz credits include performances and tours with Eddie Harris, Gary Burton, Gary Foster, Frank Strazzeri, Bill Mays, Bill Perkins, Jimmy Cleveland, and Major Holley. Jerry has toured Europe, Asia, South America and the United States as musical director of the Jazz Tap Ensemble and has accompanied Gregory Hines at the Apollo Theater and in concert at Carnegie Hall. It was as a member of Jazz Tap, that Jerry's orchestration of Bach's Italian Concerto was premiered in Lyons France by the National Orchestra of France.

A recipient of a "Meet The Composer/California" grant funded by the National Endowment For The Arts and the California Arts Council, Jerry's recording of original music for piano trio is entitled "Trio Music" and is available on Sea Breeze Jazz.

Domenic Genova

Domenic Genova, bass, is one of the top session players in Los Angeles, recording with such performers as Billy Joel, Beck, Alanis Morrisette, Tori Amos, Seals & Crofts, Heart, and Kim Carnes. He has toured extensively with Melissa Manchester, Seal & Crofts, Tony Orlando, Jeff Richmond Group, Thom Rotella and Olivia Newton-John, Jazz Tap Ensemble, and Gerard Hagen Trio. Film and televison credits include Fatal Instinct, Godfather III, Grease, The Lion King, Mortal Kombat, Negotiator, City of Angels, Hope Floats, Happy Days, China Beach, Dallas, Cheers, Naked Truth, Family Guy, Three Sisters, That's Life and many more.

He is a member of the Santa Monica Symphony as well as the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

Leslie Lewis enjoys a varied career as a vocalist, pianist, actor, and dancer. Currently she is performing in many clubs, fine hotels, and concert venues in the Los Angeles area including the Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Sheraton Universal, French 75, Bistango, and Steamers Jazz Cafe.

She was featured along with Jack Sheldon on the Tom Kubis Big Band recording "At Last". and has performed through out the country including tours as a featured vocalist with the Clevand Jazz Orchestra, and with members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra on an Ellington Tribute concert. She has appeared as a solo pianist in many hotels across the country including the Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Westin Bonaventure and many more.

Her acting credits include roles on episodic television and television movies as well as feature films, music videos, and commercials, including "Dallas", "The Young Landlords", "Girls", and "Stitches". She Has performed as a dancer and vocalist in many productions at Disneyland, Disneyworld, Opryland U.S.A., and Knotts Berry Farm.

Born into a musical family, Larry has been playing the guitar since he was seven years old. At the age of fifteen he recorded an album with his father, guitarist Dave Koonse, entitled "Dave and Larry Koonse; father and son jazz guitars." In 1984, Larry was the first recipient of a BM in Jazz Studies at the University of Southern California. The founder of the Player's School, the renown bassist Jeff Berlin, contacted Larry in 1995 to write a guitar curriculum which is currently used for their program.

Since his graduation, Larry has toured extensively as a member of the John Dankworth quartet, backing up Cleo Laine. He has also toured with Mel Torme, Terry Gibbs, Bob Brookmeyer, Billy Childs, Warne Marsh and was a featured performer with the Percy Faith Orchestra on a tour of Japan. At the invitation of Nelson Mandela and UNICEF, Larry traveled to South Africa to perform for the first annual SAMIX festival with the Steve Houghton quintet. He also performed with Gary Willis in Sao Paulo for a government sponsored concert at SESC Ipiranga. In his travels, he has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Academy of Music, the Sydney Opera House, and has been a featured soloist with the L.A. Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and many other orchestras throughout the world. Larry has recorded with Cleo Laine, Al Hirt, Jimmy Rowles, Lee Konitz, Alan Broadbent, Ray Brown, Bob Brookmeyer, Bill Perkins, Mel Torme, Toots Thielemanns, Warne Marsh, Bob Sheppard and many other jazz artists. He is currently co-leading the L.A. Jazz Quartet which released their fourth CD, "Conversation Piece" (NAXOS Records) in September, 2000. The quartet's first three CD's "Astarte" (GOWI), "Look To The East" (NAXOS), and "Family Song" (NTR), have received critical acclaim for their originality and musical depth. Larry's debut solo recording, "Americana" is now available through Jazz Compass (www.jazzcompass.com), an online record label that Larry co-founded with Joe La Barbera, Tom Warrington, and Clay Jenkins. Larry has been a faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts since 1990.

Larry lives in Los Angeles with his wife Bobbi, a third-degree black belt in Karate and their two daughters, Rachel and Sarah.

Chuck Manning

Tenor Saxophonist, Chuck Manning has performed in the Los Angeles area for twenty years. He has worked with Carl Burnett, Bobby Bradford, and has recorded many albums as both a leader and sideman. He is a member of the Los Angeles Jazz Quartet and leads his own groups as well. He has completed several tours of Europe.

Gary Foster is a graduate of Kansas University. He lives in Los Angeles where he is a freelance musician performing on clarinet, saxophone and flute. He has performed and recorded with jazz groups led by Claire Fischer, Warne Marsh, Cal Tjader, Shelly Manne, Moacir Santos, and Poncho Sanchez. Gary may be heard on Toni Tennille's MORE THAN YOU KNOW and ALL OF THE; the BROADWAY, BACK TO BROADWAY, IN CONCERT, HIGHER GROUND and TIMELESS recordings of BarbraStreisand; Mel Torme's REUNION, LIVE IN TOKYO; Natalie Cole's UNFORGETTABLE, TAKE A LOOK, and STARDUST and on Frank Sinatra's DUET recordings as well as on a number of Rosemary Clooney's recent recordings on the Concord Jazz label. Other recent recordings are with Michael Feinstein, Liza Minnelli, Diane Schuur, Joao Gilberto, Michel LeGrand, Manhattan Transfer and Diana Krall.

Solo jazz recordings include: KANSAS CITY CONNECTIONS, SUBCONSCIOUSLY and GRAND CRUCLASSE (Revelation Records); IMAGINATION and BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP (RCA Japan); WARNE MARSH MEETS GARY FOSTER(Toshiba-EMI) and STARBRIGHT and WHOSE WOODS ARE THESE? with Claire Fischer on Discovery.

Most recent solo recordings are MAKE YOUR OWN FUN and LIVE AT MAYBECK HALL- DUO WITH ALAN BROADBENT on Concord Jazz; the JAZZ AT THE MOVIES BAND recordings on Discovery, JAZZ AFTER MIDNIGHT with Tom Ranier on JVC and, with Lee Konitz, BODY AND SOUL, a tribute to Warne Marsh on Insights- Japan.

From it's inception in 1973 until 1982, Gary was a member of the award-winning Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band. Gary Foster has received the Most Valuable Player Award for woodwind doubling from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Gary Foster is a Yamaha Performing Artist.

Henry Franklin

In 1940 when Los Angeles native Henry Franklin was born, the big band era was in full swing. His musical development was encouraged by his father, renowned trumpeter and band leader Sammy Franklin. Henry's chosen instrument was the bass which he studied at Manuel Arts High School. Upon graduation he continued his music studies with Al McKibbon and George Morrow and later played with Roy Ayres, Hampton Hawes and Harold Land. Henry Franklin has toured and recorded with numerous jazz artists including Willie Bobo, Archie Shepp, Hugh Masekela, Freddie Hubbard, O.C. Smith, Count Basie, Stevie Wonder and Al Jarreau. Additionally he has appeared on two gold records, Promise of a Future with Hugh Masekela and Secret Life of Talking Plants with Stevie Wonder. Henry's recordings as a leader include The Skipper (Black Jazz) Skipper at Home (Black Jazz) Blue Lights (Ovation) Tribal Dance (Catalyst) We Came to Play (Shalabongo) Bassic Instincts ( Resurgent Music) The Hunter (Resurgent Music) Bass Encounters (Resurgent Music) Three Worlds (Beeswax).