Don Braden and the “Organix Quartet”
featuring Paul Bollenback, Jeremy Warren, and Jared Gold
Photo by Chris Drukker
We are excited to welcome a Northampton Jazz Workshop fan favorite, tenor saxophonist and flutist Don Braden, leading his own Hammond organ based group, “Organix Quartet," at the 2018 Northampton Jazz Festival.
Jazz musicians’ careers are defined by the company they keep. There are no finer jazz greats than those Don has worked and recorded with - Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, J.J. Johnson, Tom Harrell, Art Farmer, and The Mingus Big Band, to name just a few. With that kind of endorsement and training, one naturally moves on to be a leader.
For over 30 years, Don has toured the world leading his own ensembles, composed music for ensembles ranging from duo to full symphonic orchestra, in many styles, for recordings (including 19 albums as a leader and over 80 as a sideman), film, and the television networks Nickelodeon and CBS.
A world renowned educator, Don has spent over two decades giving master classes at countless schools and universities, and running first-class educational programs such as the Litchfield Jazz Camp, NJPAC's Wells Fargo Jazz For Teens, and most recently, the Harvard University Monday Jazz Band. He is also the director of the Litchfield Jazz Festival.
Don Braden is an imaginative, soulful saxophonist, and his harmonic and rhythmic sophistication give him a unique approach to improvising as well as composing and arranging. Most important of all: he has a beautiful sound and he swings!
Jazz musicians’ careers are defined by the company they keep. There are no finer jazz greats than those Don has worked and recorded with - Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, J.J. Johnson, Tom Harrell, Art Farmer, and The Mingus Big Band, to name just a few. With that kind of endorsement and training, one naturally moves on to be a leader.
For over 30 years, Don has toured the world leading his own ensembles, composed music for ensembles ranging from duo to full symphonic orchestra, in many styles, for recordings (including 19 albums as a leader and over 80 as a sideman), film, and the television networks Nickelodeon and CBS.
A world renowned educator, Don has spent over two decades giving master classes at countless schools and universities, and running first-class educational programs such as the Litchfield Jazz Camp, NJPAC's Wells Fargo Jazz For Teens, and most recently, the Harvard University Monday Jazz Band. He is also the director of the Litchfield Jazz Festival.
Don Braden is an imaginative, soulful saxophonist, and his harmonic and rhythmic sophistication give him a unique approach to improvising as well as composing and arranging. Most important of all: he has a beautiful sound and he swings!
Paul Bollenback - Guitar
Paul Bollenback is a jazz guitarist who has appeared on Entertainment Tonight, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Joan Rivers, and Good Morning America. He has performed with Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, Arturo Sandoval, Joey DeFrancesco, Stanley Turrentine, Scott Ambush, and Della Reese. He is known as a guitarist who uses modern quartal harmony.
Paul lived in India with his family when he was 11. After three years, the family returned to the U.S. and Bollenbeck began listening to rock music. He put down his nylon-string guitar and picked up an electric. He cites his discovery of Miles Davis as a pivotal moment in his life. He attended the University of Miami and in 1997, he began teaching at American University. He currently lives and performs in New York City.
Jeremy Warren - Drums
Jeremy Warren, born and raised in North Little Rock, AR was heavily exposed to music growing up. His mother is an organist/pianist where she played at his grandfather's, and now currently his father's, church in Little Rock & North Little Rock.
Upon graduating from high school in 2003, he received a full jazz scholarship to The University of Memphis. Memphis is where he credits his musical growth as a musician performing with many local/national artists as well as leading his own band which performed every Saturday night on the famous Beale Street for two years. Warren received his Master's Degree in Music from New York University in May 2015. He has performed and/or recorded with artists such as Deanna Martin (Daughter of Dean Martin), Andy Milne, Lenny Pickett, John Scofield, Luis Bonilia, Antonio Hart, and many more.
Warren is on Braden's album, Earth Wind and Wonder.
Jared Gold - Organ
Organist Jared Gold's emergence as one of the New York area's most in-demand musicians comes from years of dedication and respect for his instrument. With such notable influences as Larry Young, Jack McDuff, and Don Patterson to draw upon as a foundation, the emphasis on finding his own voice has now clearly taken precedence and required Gold to construct his own unique philosophy based on extending harmony and solidifying the groove.
Following the successes of his previous seven releases, all on Posi-Tone, Jared has accumulated many accolades, including winning the 2013 Rising Star on Organ critics poll in DownBeat Magazine. Gold's latest release, titled Metropolitan Rhythm (2015, Posi-Tone), features his working trio of veteran guitarist Dave Stryker and up-and-coming drummer Kush Abadey. His first seven releases are Solids & Stripes (2008), Supersonic (2009), Out Of Line (2010), All Wrapped Up (2011), Golden Child (2012), Intuition (2013), and JG 3+3 (2014).
Gold can be seen performing regularly with his own group and appearing steadily alongside in the working groups and recordings of John Abercrombie, Dave Stryker, Oliver Lake, Ralph Bowen and David Gibson. Jared also runs his own company, JG3 Tech, where he builds folding portable midi organs and ultra-lightweight portable midi bass pedals.
Paul Bollenback is a jazz guitarist who has appeared on Entertainment Tonight, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Joan Rivers, and Good Morning America. He has performed with Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, Arturo Sandoval, Joey DeFrancesco, Stanley Turrentine, Scott Ambush, and Della Reese. He is known as a guitarist who uses modern quartal harmony.
Paul lived in India with his family when he was 11. After three years, the family returned to the U.S. and Bollenbeck began listening to rock music. He put down his nylon-string guitar and picked up an electric. He cites his discovery of Miles Davis as a pivotal moment in his life. He attended the University of Miami and in 1997, he began teaching at American University. He currently lives and performs in New York City.
Jeremy Warren - Drums
Jeremy Warren, born and raised in North Little Rock, AR was heavily exposed to music growing up. His mother is an organist/pianist where she played at his grandfather's, and now currently his father's, church in Little Rock & North Little Rock.
Upon graduating from high school in 2003, he received a full jazz scholarship to The University of Memphis. Memphis is where he credits his musical growth as a musician performing with many local/national artists as well as leading his own band which performed every Saturday night on the famous Beale Street for two years. Warren received his Master's Degree in Music from New York University in May 2015. He has performed and/or recorded with artists such as Deanna Martin (Daughter of Dean Martin), Andy Milne, Lenny Pickett, John Scofield, Luis Bonilia, Antonio Hart, and many more.
Warren is on Braden's album, Earth Wind and Wonder.
Jared Gold - Organ
Organist Jared Gold's emergence as one of the New York area's most in-demand musicians comes from years of dedication and respect for his instrument. With such notable influences as Larry Young, Jack McDuff, and Don Patterson to draw upon as a foundation, the emphasis on finding his own voice has now clearly taken precedence and required Gold to construct his own unique philosophy based on extending harmony and solidifying the groove.
Following the successes of his previous seven releases, all on Posi-Tone, Jared has accumulated many accolades, including winning the 2013 Rising Star on Organ critics poll in DownBeat Magazine. Gold's latest release, titled Metropolitan Rhythm (2015, Posi-Tone), features his working trio of veteran guitarist Dave Stryker and up-and-coming drummer Kush Abadey. His first seven releases are Solids & Stripes (2008), Supersonic (2009), Out Of Line (2010), All Wrapped Up (2011), Golden Child (2012), Intuition (2013), and JG 3+3 (2014).
Gold can be seen performing regularly with his own group and appearing steadily alongside in the working groups and recordings of John Abercrombie, Dave Stryker, Oliver Lake, Ralph Bowen and David Gibson. Jared also runs his own company, JG3 Tech, where he builds folding portable midi organs and ultra-lightweight portable midi bass pedals.
