THE SANGHA QUARTET
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Seamus Blake - Tenor Saxophone
Kevin Hays - Piano & Keyboards
Doug Weiss - Bass
Bill Stewart - Drums

KEVIN HAYS - Piano/Keyboards

37 year old Pianist/Composer Kevin Hays has had a stellar 20 year career as a performing, touring, and recording artist. He has a dozen recordings under his own name and has been featured on dozens more with a variety of internationally recognized artists. Included in his discography are 3 critically acclaimed recordings for the Blue Note Label.  His 'Seventh Sense' was praised by The New York Times and recognized as one of the 'Top 40 Jazz Releases of the Year' by Musician Magazine.

Kevin has performed and recorded with some of the most prominent and influential musicians in Jazz. These include Sonny Rollins, John Scofield, Benny Golson, Roy Haynes, Chris Potter, Al Foster, Joe Henderson, Buster Williams, Art Farmer and Joshua Redman.

Today, he continues to perform worldwide in Solo concerts, with his Trio which includes bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Bill Stewart, and with The Sangha Quartet which features Seamus Blake, Doug Weiss, and Bill Stewart. He also conducts Master Classes in the U.S. and abroad.

 Kevin's recent recording activity includes  a new Solo Piano CD for the German label, ACT entitled 'Open Range';  the launching of PinonDisk Records, his own label on which he has released his latest Trio CD 'What Survives'; and a new trio project scheduled for release November of 2006  with the groundbreaking web-based company, ArtistShare.com.

SEAMUS BLAKE - Tenor Saxophone

New York based tenor saxophonist/composer Seamus Blake is gaining increasing recognition as one of the finest and most creative young players emerging in jazz. His inclusion in the 1997 Downbeat Critics Poll as an artist deserving of wider recognition attests to this fact. 

Pat Metheny has described him as "the best tenor player I’ve heard in a couple of years" (JazzTimes April 1997). John Scofield, who hired him for his ‘Quiet Band’, calls him ‘extraordinary, a total saxophonist".

Born in England but raised in Vancouver, Canada, Blake was first asked to record at the age of 21 with drummer VICTOR LEWIS while Blake was still a student at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College. Following his graduation, Blake moved to New York, where he rapidly established himself on the New York scene. At 30, Blake now has 4 releases on Criss Cross Records, including the 1995 premiere release of the"BLOOMDADDIES"--– a "funky, alternative grunge jazz" band featuring 2 electrified tenors, electric bass, vocals and 2 drums (Downbeat July1996). His latest for them entitled "Echonomics" features Dave Kikoski and Victor lewis.

A CD of originals entitled "Stranger Things Have Happened" has also just been released on the Fresh Sound label with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jorge Rossy and Larry Grenadier. Blake is long standing member of the Mingus Big Band and is featured on their last three recordings for Dreyfuss. He continues to play and record with the Victor Lewis Quintet  (Enja, Red), as well as with BILL STEWART and KEVIN HAYS. He has also recorded with FRANCO AMBROSETTI (Enja), MARK TURNER and BILLY DRUMMOND on Criss Cross.

He recently placed 1st in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition in Feburary 2002.

DOUG WEISS - Bass

Bassist Doug Weiss was born in Chicago in 1965. Coming from a musical family, his interest in music began at an early age. He began studying piano at the age of 5, and switched to the double bass at 10 years old. While growing up, he performed with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra as well as playing Jazz gigs with guitarist Fareed Haque.

In 1983 he entered the Jazz Studies Program at William Patterson College, where he studied with Todd Coolman. He was awarded the Milt Hinton Scholarship in 1985 which enabled him to study privately with bassist Rufus Reid.

Doug has performed, toured, and recorded with the likes of Toshiko Akiyoshi, Mose Allison, Marc Copland, Kenny Drew Jr, Al Foster, Billy Hart, Fred Hersch, Clifford Jordan, Lee Konitz and Joe Williams.

BILL STEWART - Drums

Drummer/Composer Bill Stewart has been based in New York City and active on the music scene since 1987. His 1995 Blue Note Records release ‘Snide Remarks’ was named by the New York Times as one of the top ten CD’s of the year. He is also a two-time winner of the Downbeat  Critics Poll  in the Drummers-Deserving Wider Recognition Category.

Bill has performed with John Scofield, Joe Henderson, Maceo Parker, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, Lee Konitz, Chick Corea, James Brown, Michael Brecker, James Moody among many others.

All Rights Reserved Kevin Hays 2006