Jay Roberts – Gypsy Summertime

Jay Roberts was born in California and is the son of legendary jazz guitarist and world renowned educator Howard Roberts (founder of the Guitar Institute of Technology). Although stylistically versatile with a Rock, Blues and Jazz background, his heart is found in improvising and teaching. Growing up with a very musical family, Jay found himself playing multiple instruments including Guitar, Drums and Bass, and studying extensively with his father, mentor and best friend H.R.

Jay is the founder of RMI (Roberts Music Institute), an accelerated learning facility located in Seattle/Bellevue Washington. Being a music school with an emphasis on performance and student interaction, Jay is actively involve with students on a day to day basis, teaching classes, ensembles and private lessons.

Studies

Jay studied both guitar and drums as a child and began teaching at age 14. Since then, as an educator, has provided well over 50,000 private and group lessons on guitar, drums, and bass. The core curriculum has always been based on the brilliant, innovative and accelerated learning techniques created by Howard Roberts. Having studied under Howard for many years, Jay still refers to HR’s reference materials for inspiration and direction.

Jay has won several electric guitar competitions, including Seattle’s Best Guitarist in 1992 and 1993, sponsored by Yamaha, as well as the Jimi Hendrix National Electric Guitar Competition, sponsored by Gibson Guitars.

Performing with Joey DeFrancesco, Stanley Jordan, Eric Burden, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell as well as Dan Dean, Robert Damper, Clint Strong, Brendan Scanlan, Rich D’Angel, Don Mock, John Stowell, Ben Lacy and Howard Roberts, (to name a few) Jay has had the opportunity to stretch out and develope his own style.

Jay’s debut solo CD “Son of a Dirty Guitar player” features B-3 virtuoso, Joey Defransesco. This is a tribute to Howard Roberts and “HR is a Dirty Guitar player”

“Pocket Deuce,” a guitar duo with Jay Roberts and Ben Lacy is his latest CD release. This features a blend of Jazz and Pop standards, arranged for two guitars.

Currently residing in the Seattle area, he is involved in several music performance and recording projects, including a Guitar duo with Don Mock. Jay also plays in the Jazz/Fusion quartet, “The BIG NOW, “with Robert Damper on keyboards, Dan Dean on bass and Brendan Scanlan on drums.

Jay endorses Breedlove Guitars, and can be found each year at the NAMM conference performing as a product specialist with several manufactures.

09 Relaxin’ @ Camarillo

Jay Roberts – IMPRESSIONS CLIP

Jay Roberts – Solo Clip

“Jay Roberts may be known primarily as a fusion player, and he can handle that style very well, but he also plays straight ahead jazz with authority and conviction. He can swing, has a great sound and has harmonic and rhythmic depth in his solos. I always enjoy playing with Jay.”

-John Stowell, Guitar Virtuoso

“Jay Roberts is one of the best guitarists on the planet.   How’s that for a statement!   I’ve taken lessons from many guitarists, some of them quite famous, and Jay is one of the most versatile teachers around.”

-Jim Allchin, Guitarist/Singer (former co-president Microsoft Corporation)

“Jay Roberts is one of the Best and most accomplished Jazz and Rock/Fusion guitarists playing today. Not as well-known to the general public as some guitarists who have pop, crossover hit cds, but when it comes to serious playing…He’s absolutely at the top of the professional league and can play anything, any style!  Fascinating to watch and to listen to.  I just wish I could get to see his playing more often!  It doesn’t get better than Jay!”

-Rowland Harris, Contributor for Just Jazz Guitar and other magazines

“Is great guitar playing hereditary? Maybe. In the mid 1970’s I had the great fortune of playing and working with one of my true hero’s of guitar growing up, Howard Roberts. Not many players could equal Howard’s knowledge of the instrument or musical and technical abilities. One player that can, happens to be one of Howard’s sons, Jay Roberts. A few years following HR’s death in 1992, I began playing in a guitar duo with Jay in the Seattle area and he has grown into one of the finest players I have ever heard. Jay has developed a powerful style bringing together traditional jazz concepts, learned from his father, and modern guitar techniques only a few have mastered. His rhythm and chordal know-how is remarkable and his melodic sense and improvising chops are simply stunning. For me though, one of the best things about playing with Jay is his warm and joyous manner and willingness to explore any musical direction…….at any time. I only wish Howard could hear Jay play today. He would be extremely proud and truly amazed.”

-Don Mock, Co founder of Musicians Institute and Guitarist Extraordinaire 

 

Don Mock – Galapagos

Don Mock began playing guitar in the sixties initially drawn to the instrument, as were many of his peers, by the music of the Beatles. His early influences were rock heroes of that era including Alvin Lee, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Mike Bloomfield. Don’s growth as a musician included immersing himself in various music idioms including rock, blues and jazz. He has borrowed from all the best and is now the master of his own style, a style that is literally a “fusion” of his total music experiences. Don is well known among guitarists for his amazing technique and total command of the instrument.

Don has a unique music career, balancing performing and recording along with teaching, writing and video production.

Background

As a performer growing up in the Seattle, Washington, Don played in several of the areas top rock and later, jazz bands. Later in his performing career while in Los Angeles, Don had an exciting fusion band and performed at most of the top jazz venues. The band developed a large following of students and fans alike. Don became well known for his intense style, and his amazing guitar synthesizer playing. He also showcased his acoustic side as a member of an acoustic guitar trio with blues veteran Robben Ford and fingerstyle wizard, Jamie Findlay.  As a recording artist, Don Mock has appeared as a sideman on several albums and has two solo efforts: “Mock One” and “Speed of Light”.

Don’s improvising concepts have been made available for the education of guitarists through a number of instructional books including, “Hot Licks”, “Fusion – Hot Lines”, “Artful Arpeggios”, “Ten”, and his recent Warner Bros. “Guitar Scale Secrets” series. Don also has three instructional videos “The Blues from Rock to Jazz”, “Jazz Guitar Tips” and “Jazz Rhythm Chops”. Don began his teaching career in 1972 at the Cornish School of the Allied Arts and Olympic Jr. College, both in Washington State.

Don continued his interest in furthering the education of musicians when, in 1974, he met guitar legend Howard Roberts and agreed to manage guitar teaching seminars in the Northwest for Howard. In 1977, Don moved to Los Angeles to help start the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT). Don became a primary instructor and curriculum author for the school. That same year Don teamed up with publisher Roger E. Hutchinson (REH) to write and produce guitar method books. Don taught full time at GIT until 1983, then began a part-time arrangement while commuting back and forth from L.A. to Seattle. He also traveled around the U.S. and to Europe giving seminars to promote GIT with Howard Roberts, Robben Ford, Keith Wyatt and Tommy Tedesco.

In 1983, GIT (now with its parent name MI) added video to its curriculum, and Don was brought in to direct most of the 300 (30 to 60 minute) videos.  In 1988, when REH began its very successful instructional video line, Don was hired as the primary director and producer. Don has worked on video projects with a virtual “who’s who” of modern guitar. Don’s talent and expertise as a player and teacher, as well as video producer, have benefited many artists who have been featured in REH’s videos including: Joe Pass, Alan Holdsworth, Robben Ford, Scott Henderson, Herb Ellis, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Pat Martino, Albert Collins, Shawn Lane, Chuck Rainey, Blues Saraseno, Frank Gambale, Carl Verheyen, Kee Marcello, Al DiMeola, Roscoe Beck, Keith Wyatt, John Petrucci, Bret Garsed, Gary Willis, Steve Bailey, Victor Wooten, Joe Diorio, Steve Travato, Clint Strong, Mark Hansen and many more.

Don is also a life-long fan of unlimited hydroplane racing and has produced and written music scores for several boat racing video productions. He currently heads up the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum’s  video productions adding his unique compositions and guitar talents to those programs.

Lucien Track 1

Lucien Track 2

Lucien La Motte is active as a composer, guitarist and educator, having received several awards in composition and commissions for new works. In 2000, Lucien received the Thomas O. Stevens Award in composition for his string orchestra work Surface Tension and in 2001 was awarded the Eva Thompson Prize for excellence in composition. In 2002 Variations On A Dream, an electronic work for CD, was featured in the Bay Area Concert Exchange Program at the University of Berkeley, Stanford, and Mills College in Oakland. He has had pieces played by the New Works and Earplay Ensembles, and in 2007 composed Temporal Flux for Orchestra. Lucien recently composed Three Pieces for Cello and Piano 2007, Character Sketches for Wind Quintet 2006 and Static Fields for Flute and String Trio 2006, working closely with members of the Alexander String Quartet at SFSU in the creation of the works.

Lucien graduated Magna cum Laude with a B.M. in composition from San Jose State University having studied with Allen Strange and Pablo Furman. Lucien completed work on his M.A. degree in composition at San Francisco State University under the guidance of Ron Caltabiano. As an educator, Lucien teaches guitar privately, has taught Counterpoint at SFSU and has lectured at De Anza College. Lucien teaches composition and developed the curriculum for the composition program at the School of the Arts in San Francisco. He also works as a musical assistant and copyist for violinist Midori.

Lucien La Motte has performed with former Dizzy Gillespie guitarist Pascal Bokar as a member of the Pascal Bokar Band at John Lee Hooker’s Boom Boom Room and with bassist Myron Dove of Carlos Santana. He has opened for acts such as the Temptations, O’Jays, The Whispers, Ziggy Marley, Chaka Khan, Don Carlos and Wadi Gad. Lucien works regularly with Danny Hull formerly of the Doobie Brothers in addition to performing annually at the San Jose Jazz Festival. In the summer of 2005, he toured Hawaii as part of the “Power to the Peaceful” tour opening for reggae legend Don Carlos at the Pipeline Café and Waikiki on the Beach.

As a guitarist, Lucien is versed in studio as well as live performance. In 2005 alone he recorded albums for fusion artists 650 Connection, Pentimento Jazz Ensemble, and the World Music ensemble Brother Sun. In 2006 he recorded the guitar work for Ben Vega’s album Bury the Times. In 2007 Lucien recorded When You Go, an album of original pieces and has also recorded an album for solo classical guitar that includes works by Francisco Tarrega and J.S. Bach.

Guitar/Bass

Mike McGee – Footprints

Mike McGee – My Three Girls

Mike McGee – Spain

Michael McGee is a professional musician of 30 plus years. He has studied at the University of North Texas and the University of Washington. Mike has a Masters degree in Music Education from the University of Washington with an emphasis in jazz studies and guitar. Along with directing DayJams music camp for kids, Mike is also an instructor and clinician with the National Guitar Workshop. He has held the position of head of the music department and Associate Professor of Music at Puget Sound Christian College from 1999-2006 and currently teaches at Edmonds Community College. Mike has performed in Japan, Trinidad and Tobago and all over the continental United States and is currently working on his own solo CD project and an instrumental CD with the Northshore Jazz Collective, to be released in a few weeks.

Produces and hosts a guitar talk radio podcast called “Boss Tone Radio.” Find it at iTunes and bossus.com/podcasts. Paul also creates all the content for the bossus.com/tone page. Paul works with Native Instruments on their software, Guitar Rig and is a regular contributor to Guitar World Magazine.

Paul has toured with major bands – and he has worked as a guitar coach in Hollywood teaching guitar to leading actors and actresses including George Clooney, Michael J Fox, Eric Stoltz, Mitch Polleggi (X-files), Maria Conchita Alonso and Charlotte Ross.

Paul also has written and recorded music for TV and film. You can hear his music on the main menu of the first Matrix DVD, and on numerous movie previews as well including recent releases, “The Fantastic Four” and “Talledega Nights.”

Among Paul’s published work are the best-selling guitar instructional book and CD set “Shred Guitar” (Alfred Publishing), “Metal and Rock Improvising” (Video, REH), “Hard Rock Solos” (REH), and “Arpeggios for Lead Guitar” (Video, Hal Leonard).

At Musicians Institute (GIT) in Hollywood from 1985-2000 – Paul was an instructor specializing in rock guitar. In the 1990s, he was director of the Rock Guitar Department at the American Institute of Music in Vienna, Austria – where he also toured supporting his first solo album “The Visitor.”

Paul has three more solo albums all available at iTunes and CD Baby – “Paul Hanson Orchestra,” “Raindancer,” and coming May, 2011 “Mindscanner.”

For current info and music samples visit: paulhanson.net and myspace.com/paulhansongui

Here’s an example of Paul teaching arpeggios

Jay Mabin is a familiar name to Northwest audiences. For over 30 years, he has been a mainstay on the jazz and blues scene, having performed with Bo Diddley, Lee Oskar, Norton Buffalo, and Greta Matassa, among many others.When he was 14 years old, Jay had the opportunity to perform with the legendary blues duo Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee. Terry became Jay’s mentor and taught him the basics of the blues. Jay also studied with jazz greats Toots Thielmans and Howard Levy, whose revolutionary system of harmonics for the harmonica has given Jay the tools to create his own unique style.

Jay regularly appears in jazz and blues clubs, at festivals, and in the studio, recording with some of the Northwest’s finest.

Reviews:

“Mabin’s clear tone captivated the audience.”
Earshot Jazz

“,,,a daring harmonica player.”
Seattle P-I

“…carving some new horizons in the jazz world…”
Victory Music

Guitar

Andy Coe has extensive experience performing in venues all over the country. Not being limited by one style, Coe prefers musical diversity and plays everything from rock, funk, hip hop and blues to jazz, classical and world music. Hailing from Seattle, Coe was first chair in the Roosevelt Jazz Band winning the 1997 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival Guitar Solo Competition. Coe then left to study at the University of North Texas, and has gone on to perform with many great musicians including Rashied Ali, Reggie Workman, Norah Jones and George Porter Jr. to name a few.

Scott Elsberry has been playing guitar for over 40 years. Starting at 7 years old he was quickly performing at his school as well as for family and friends. Scott’s teenage years were spent playing at high school dances which eventually got him a gig with a successful band playing all over the San Francisco Bay Area. In more recent years Scott has played in several bands in Puget Sound area encompassing various styles. Scott specializes in getting students started on their chosen path to musicianship through a specialized curriculum invented by Howard Roberts, called the CHROMA System.

Guitar/Vocal/Drums

Brandon Beligni – Bossa Dorado

Brandon Beligni – Stormy Monday

Brandon Beligni – Study in A

Brandon is proficient in a wide range of musical styles which include, but not limited to, jazz, classical, and metal. Upon discovering a love for teaching and particularly a knack for teaching young children, he began apprenticing under veteran teacher Jay Roberts to perfect his teaching technique. He has learned to implement the same proven methodology that Jay’s iconic father, the legendary guitarist Howard Roberts, created many years ago. Currently, he is working towards a degree in music, singing in an 18 voice jazz choir, and playing guitar in several jazz ensembles. Though he loves performing, his passion for teaching has given him the realization that his life work will continue to be focused in music education.

Brandon was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and grew up in a musical family. In fact, his parents met at Berklee College of Music where they both graduated. His dad, Rick Beligni, is a professional drummer and session player in Vegas as well as an audio/visual technician. His mother, Kelly Eisenhour, is a music educator and a vocal jazz recording artist who has received national recognition. Brandon grew up behind the scenes of the music industry, spending time in recording studios, backstage at Vegas shows, and years of watching and listening to his mother give voice lessons and coaching to would-be entertainers. At age 10 Brandon began taking piano lessons and quickly rose to receiving superior marks in piano competitions. At 12 he picked up a guitar and found the instrument he loved. He studied classical and jazz guitar at the Las Vegas Academy, a charter high school for Fine Arts. Though he considers himself a guitar player first, he has also studied percussion and voice, and has done both professionally. His eclectic musical tastes have led him to many diverse musical experiences. He has enjoyed singing jazz standards and playing jazz guitar in a variety of jazz bands, he has played drums in a professional country band, and has even played guitar and performed vocals in metal bands and recording projects.

Chris Carlson is a passionate musician that is always searching to mature and refine his art. Even as a young boy, Chris remembers being interested in music. He acknowledges that his artistic family had a profound early influence on him. “My Dad would play Steely Dan, Bruce Hornsby, The Doobie Brothers, and James Taylor while he drove me to Kindergarten, and I remember always having a fondness and interest for music.” Chris’s Father is a singer/songwriter that plays acoustic guitar and bass. His Grandfather was a pianist during the swing era and played in many ‘big bands’. Chris also has an older sister who is an accomplished singer. It is no surprise that this young man ended up taking up the family tradition by becoming a drummer.

While still in high school Chris joined his first band, Orange. Unlike most first bands, this group was comprised of professional Seattle musicians. Orange was a unique and blended elements of jazz, funk, rock, and blues with pop hooks and catchy arrangements. The band toured around the country playing in California, Colorado, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Oregon, Montana, and all around the greater Seattle area. Chris left the band when decided to attend Berklee College of Music where he recieved an academic scholarship.

At Berklee Chris was able to hone his sound and musically grow by leaps and bounds. While at school he played and recorded many styles of music with various bands that he was in including The Santa Ana Winds Jazz Quartet, Katelyn Clampett, Merrily James and the Bucket of Soul, The Operators, Ivan Chopik, Jazz Bites Man, The Substitutes, Emily Kimball, and Brave Young Soul. During his sophomore year, Chris was chosen by the Percussion Department Faculty to receive the Evans Drumhead Scholarship. At Berklee he studied under the guidance of master drummers: Dave Dicenso, John Ramsey, Kenwood Dennard, Jamey Haddad and Steve Wilkes. In May of 2009 Chris earned his Bachelors Degree in Professional Music with an emphasis in Performance, Music Business, and Composition.

Chris currently resides in Seattle, WA where he drums professionally and teaches private lessons. He is active with several bands including Mars Hill Church’s The People’s Market and a jazz-fusion band from Seattle, WA. He also has been working in studio on several projects including a new album by singer/songwriter Amber North. Chris strives to play many different genres of music because he knows that being a diverse artist is of the utmost importance. His first priority is to serve the music, playing with honesty, passion, and direction.