Category: Advocates

Joe Pino, performer, composer, and educator, has always pushed for musical excellence. In May 2008, Joe earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from the world-renowned music school, Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
Years later, his talent has taken him far. His extensive performance career led him into performing at some of the best concert halls and clubs around New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington D.C. The hard working Boston native stays busy with gigs and sessions around NYC, particularly in the Jazz scene. Joe’s reputation as a jazz trumpet player has also led him playing with well-known artists such as The Temptations, Morgan Heritage, The Happenings, and legend TV star, Vicky Lewis.
Joe leads his quartet, organ trio, and freelances, which has gave him an extensive performing schedule playing at some of the greatest venues all over the country; Blue Note Jazz Club NYC, Summer Stage Central Park, The Mann Center, Smalls Jazz Club, The Garage, Why Not Jazz Room, Chris’s Jazz Café, Shrine, Silvana, Tea Lounge, Shape Shifter Lab, Piano’s Lounge, Treme Jazz and Blues Club, The Sugar Bar, Trumpets Jazz Club, Twins Jazz Club, Somethin’ Jazz Club, The Fat Cat, House of Blues Foundation Room, Chianti Jazz Lounge, Ryles Jazz Club, The Zeiterion Theatre, and The Wilbur Theatre. Joe has also transcribed many jazz artists solos, one which is featured in a Bugles Media Publications Book called The Improvisation Style of Jim Rotondi By: Eric Siereveld.

In October 2015, Joe will be playing 2nd trumpet in The National Broadway Tour of “Bullets Over Broadway”. The show will run from October 2015 to July 2016 with performances all over the country.
Performed and Studied with These Artists: Jim Rotondi, Brian Lynch, George Garzone, Matt Wilson, Livingston Taylor, Jeremy Pelt, Mark Walker, The John Hoppin’ Jazz Orchestra, The Hot Shim Sham Orchestra, The Harlem Renaissance Orchestra, The Brooklyn Big Band, Oscar Stagnaro, Lin Biviano, Charlie Lewis, Jeff Galindo, Jeff Stout, Victor Mendoza, The Boston Horns, James Montgomery, Big Sam from Big Sam’s Funky Nation. Musical Theatre Productions: Gypsy, South Pacific, Annie, Hot Mikado, Hairspray, A Chorus Line, Once Upon A Mattress, Chicago, Guys and Dolls, Curtains, Music Man, Oliver, Anything Goes, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and The Pajama Game Teaching:
Joe has been on faculty teaching students all ages, private and group lessons for Berklee College of Music’s City Music Outreach Program, Music and Arts, Harborlight Montessori School, The Beverly Public School System, and online Skype lessons.

Endorsements/Family of: Stomvi USA, and Adams Musical Instruments.

Muirhead-Wallace music products advocate Anthony Galinier was born in 1984. Anthony began playing trumpet as a child, initially developing his musical skills at Conservatoires in Lorient, Angers and Aubervilliers-La Courneuve. In 2005 he entered the Lyons Conservatory, and studied in the classes of Thierry Caens and Christian Léger, where he obtained his Higher National Diploma in Music study in 2009. In 2013, he obtained his Master of chamber music.

Anthony works with many symphony orchestras, including the Orchestre National d’Ile de France, Orchestre d’Auvergne, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon, Orchestre Nationale du Capitole de Toulouse and Orchestre Nationale de l’Opéra de Paris.

Anthony is keen to share his musical knowledge with others, and is a professor at the Conservatory of Limonest. In July 2010, he founded the Larmor-Plage Academy of Brass and Percussion. An ardent defender of French Brass Band movement, he plays as a soloist with many bands, including: the Paris Brass Band, Brass Band de la Musique de l’Air de Paris, the Brass Band Lorient, the Brass Band of Lyon, Brass Band Sagona and ExoBrass. He is currently a member of the Paris Brass Band, and Saxhorn Alto Solo at the Brass Band de la Musique de l’Air de Paris.
In May 2014, Anthony released his first CD, “The French Tenor Horn,” and is accompanied by Lucie Chouvel piano, de l’Harmonie de la Musique de l’Air and Paris Brass Band. Anthony is the very first tenor horn soloist in France to record a full cd album.

Russell Gray has been working as a free lance conductor since 1998. He is currently holding posts of Adjunct Professor at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (Australia), Principal Conductor of the Cambrian Philharmonic Orchestra (Wales), Musical Director of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland, and President of the National Association of Brass band Conductors.

Russell was born in Scotland in 1968, and in his early years learned to play the cornet. By the time he was twelve years old he had already won the junior solo Championships of both Scotland and Great Britain. Whilst at university, Russell was a member of the world famous Black Dyke Mills Brass Band. Yamaha became aware of Russell’s talents and soon a relationship was established with him as an internationally endorsed soloist. This appointment has helped Russell become one of the most sought after Brass soloists and clinicians in the world today. In 1998 Russell started his conducting career by moving to Norway, accepting the position of resident conductor with the Stavanger Brass Band. During this time Russell helped them further their reputation as one of the finest brass ensembles in the world by recording several CDs, and fusing links with other musical groups and composers, including the popular Scandinavian folk group Vamp, Stig Roar Wigestrand (Jazz Violin), and Torstein Aagaard Nilsen. He also enhanced their name internationally touring Scotland, England, and Latvia.

Since moving back to England in 2001, Russell has won many competitions, including the Norwegian, Danish, Japanese, Scottish, English, and British National Brass Band Championships. In 2013 he won third prize at the Black Sea International Conducting Competition held in Romania. Russell has enjoyed working with many varied ensembles. These include the National youth band of Switzerland, the Queensland Youth Band, the Australian Army Band Brisbane, Her Majesty’s band of the Coldstream Guards, the Prince of Denmark’s Brass Ensemble, Slesvigske Musikkorps, The Danish Royal Guards band, Wrexham Symphony Orchestra, the Queensland Pops Orchestra, and the Mueller International Chamber Orchestra. In 2007 Russell attended the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, to study for his Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting. During this time he worked with the Royal Scottish Academy Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, graduating with Distinction in 2008.
Russell has studied conducting with Bramwell Tovey, Stephane Deneve, David Danzmayr, Martyn Brabbins, and Alasdair Mitchell.

Amik Guerra Lig-Long was born on May 11, 1973 in Havana, Cuba, where he also grew up and finished successfully his studies in the ”Escuela Nacional de Instructores de Arte”.
Amik Guerra has made his reputation with a combination of skill in trumpet, percussion an arrangement.

After leaving Cuba in 1994 he worked and traveled from Italy, Torino.
In 2005 he left Italy and moved to Switzerland, Zurich and now he is living in the Principality of Liechtenstein and still traveling all the world.
He is among the most prominent jazz trumpeters of the modern era in Europe, and a very well-known instrumentalist in latin music and playing with bands/musicians like Horacia ‘El Negro’ Hernandez ITALUBA, and Rodrigo y Gabriela C.U.B.A to name just a few.

Collaborations:

Billy Coban
Horacio Hernandez „El Negro“ and Italuba
Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñero
Celia Cruz
Oreste Cachao Lopez and the Mambo Masters
Jimmy Bosch
Afro Cuban All Stars
Buena Vista Social Club
Tony Martinez and The Cuban Power Latin Jazz (together with Gonzalo Rubalcaba)
The New York Salsa All Starsr (together with Josè Alberto el Canario,
Jimmy Bosch, Giovanni Hidalgo, Dave Valentin and Alfredo de la Fè)
Mercado Negro & Tito Nieves
Albita Rodriguez
Bodan Art Orchestra
Cheo Feliciano
Lariba
Picason
Croma Latina
Big Band Liechtenstein
Tito Nieves
Rey Ruiz
Rodrigo y Gabriela & C.U.B.A
Orquesta Gali
Nubya
Live from Buena Vista-The Havana Lounge
Lolita
and many more…
Amik Guerra is an exclusive Adams Artist, Muirhead-Wallace Mutes, Protec Cases and SD Systems Microphones

Bruce’s interest in jazz started as a seven year old in Glasgow when he heard a record of Django Reindhart. So impressed was Bruce, that he wanted to be able to play like Django. Fortunately his father Bob (himself a professional guitarist) spotted the obvious flaw in this plan. Bruce was a terrible guitarist, so he bought him a trumpet instead. So the world was saved from yet another guy who thought he could play guitar but couldn’t. It’s a pity his father hadn’t been more ambitious. He should have been the Charles Bronson to bad Guitarists and wiped them all out.

Bruce was eleven when he started on trumpet, and did his first gig after five months. Within another few months, he was gigging regularly around Glasgow. When he was fourteen, as a prodigy of Nat Gonella’s, he won on Hughie Green’s Opportunity Knocks. The following year he went on the road doing a double act with his father Bob – Expo ’67 in Montreal was followed by a C.S.E. tour for the troops in Aden with Tony Hancock. Over the next few years further C.S.E. shows were followed by trips to New York on the QE2 and cruising with P&O. Sadly the Act finished in 1973 with Bob’s premature death.

Bruce settled back in Glasgow and got involved in the local jazz scene, forming a quintet with Scottish alto saxophonist Bill Fanning, and going on to form an eighteen piece big band with Bill.
Bruce eventually started playing with the George McGowan Big Band with whom he won Best Trumpet and Outstanding Musician in the 1982 Holsten Jazz Journal Big Band Competition. Followed two years later by the best soloist prize in the BBC Big Band Competition.
Bruce’s regular appearances at the Edinburgh and Glasgow jazz festivals enabled him to share the stage with people like Dick Hyman, Bob Wilbur, Benny Carter, Buddy Tate, Al Cohn, Al Grey, Ray Bryant, Milt Hinton, Gus Johnson, Danny Moss, Jack Parnell, Roy Williams, Bill Allred, George Chisholm, Dave McKenna and Jake Hanna. Other festivals include Sacramento, Cork, Breda, Eindhoven, Brecon, Swanage, Decatur, Berne, Licata, Silda, British Columbia, Birmingham, Olymp Jazz Festival Stuttgart, Chateauneuf de Faou and Hanover.

Appearances

Bruce is a frequent guest soloist on the European jazz scene, playing regularly in Paris, Belgium, Germany, Holland, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Sicily. Often with Belgian pianist and saxophonist, Pascal Michaux.
Other top European players Bruce has played with include George Arvanitas, Phillipe Duchemin, Charly Antolini, Pete York, Charly Hollering, Thilo Wagner and Lindy Huppertsberg.

Trumpeter Jim Rotondi has been a major figure in the world of jazz for over 20 years, both in New York and on the international scene. His sound, soul, and sense of swing have been in demand as leader, and sideman all over the world.

A Montana native raised in a musical family, Jim started with the piano at eight years old and switched to trumpet at age twelve. Two years later Jim heard a recording of Clifford Brown and he was on his way. A product of the prestigious music program at the University of North Texas, Jim won first place in the International Trumpet Guild’s Jazz Trumpet Competition in 1984.
Since relocating to New York, Jim has toured and recorded with a host of jazz luminaries, including the big bands of Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton, Grammy-winner Toshiko Akiyoshi, Bob Mintzer, and the small groups of Charles Earland, Lou Donaldson, Curtis Fuller and Joe Chambers. Jim currently leads two of his own groups, a quintet featuring vibraphonist Joe Locke in the front line, as well as an electric group, Full House, which also features pianist David Hazeltine. He is also a founding member of the collective sextet One For All, which features a front line of saxophonist Eric Alexander and trombonist Steve Davis, as well as the aforementioned Hazeltine, drummer Joe Farnsworth and bassist John Webber in the rhythm section. This all-star group is featured in the June 2009 issue of
Jazztimes magazine.

Exploits:

Jim’s extensive recording experience most recently includes the release of his third date as a leader for the Posi-Tone label, titled “1000 Rainbows”, featuring Joe Locke, following a host of successful releases on various labels. Having
appeared on some 70 CD’s as a sideman, he can also be heard on several of Charles Earland’s Highnote Records releases, alongside saxophonist Eric Alexander, with whom Jim made his recording debut on Eric’s Delmark release
“Straight Up.” Other recordings include saxophonist George Coleman’s Octet, featuring Harold Mabern, as well as drummer Ray Appleton’s Sextet, which features Slide Hampton, Charles McPherson, and John Hicks. The abovementioned One For All, whose Sharp Nine Records releases ”Too Soon To Tell” and “Optimism” received critical acclaim from Cadence and The Detroit Free Press, also has 12 CD’s to their credit.
Jim currently splits his time between Graz, Austria, where he is a professor at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts, and the New York City area, where he has been actively professionally for 25 years. He has given clinics at Emory University in Atlanta, the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop and served on the faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop in Palo Alto, California, Seminari Jazz Internazionali in Orsara, Italy, as well as having been Jazz Trumpet Professor at Rutgers University, and an affiliate faculty member at the State University of New York in Purchase.

Mike Kaupa has performed throughout North America, Europe, and Japan. From 2001 through 2005 he was a member of the faculty at the annual Seminario de Jazz, in Barcelona, Spain and has been associated with the “Taller de Musics” school since 1983. On Saturday December 2nd, 2007, Mike performed at the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona. He was an interim instructor of jazz trumpet at the Eastman School of Music for the 1999/2000 school year and the spring semester, 2010. Recent performances with his quartet include the Rochester International Jazz Festival and the Lewiston Jazz Festival.

In February, 2008, Mike was the soloist in New York City in a new composition, “Cycles Suite” by Chris Jentsch. The concert and recording was partially funded by the New York State Council on the Arts. Other recent recordings include a duo CD, This is Spring,” with Toronto pianist Gordon Webster, and as a featured soloist on the new Dave Rivello CD “Facing the Mirror.” This past winter he was a soloist with the Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble.

Appearances

Among others, he has performed with Ben Monder, Mark Murphy, Gary Bartz, Luciana Souza, Jorge Rossy , Joe Locke, Mel Torme, and Ray Charles.
Mike and his wife, artist Diana Loberant-Kaupa, live in Rochester, NY.

Joris Minten Studied at the Jazz department of Maastricht and Amsterdam with Rob Bruynen and Jan Oosthof.

Joris has toured with numerous national and international showcases like: Belle Perez, El Tattoo del Tigre, Greatest Hits Tour Q Music met o.a. Level 42, ABC, Spandau Ballet, Kool & the Gang, The Three Degrees, Elvis the Concert, Berget Lewis, Waylon, Ben Saunders, etc.
He has also participated in numerous radio and tv shows, album and dvd recordings.

The musical origins of Tredegar Town Band can be traced back to 1849 when a local brass band from the Welsh Valley town was reported to have led a procession to celebrate the opening of a new mill for the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company. However, a formal organisation was not constituted until 1876. Threatened with extinction, local citizens met to pledge financial support – a decision that has subsequently seen Tredegar Town Band proudly represent their community throughout the brass banding world for 136 years.

History shows that early contesting victories were sporadic, with recently unearthed archives revealing that the band competed both locally and nationally at lower section level with occasional successes up to the start of the Second World War. Many of these came under the baton of Eli Shaw, the first of many remarkable conductors to have directed the band to victory in the past century or more. Tredegar enjoyed increasing contesting success after the Second World War, under the direction of first, Cornelius Buckley, followed later by John Childs. This resulted in the Second Section Champion Band of Great Britain title in 1973, the band’s first Champion Band of Wales title in 1974 and victory at the Grand Shield in 1976. Firmly established in the top echelon of brass banding ever since, Tredegar Town Band has been Champion Band of Wales a further eight times. Welsh Regional Champion on eleven occasions, as well as securing multiple Pontins, Welsh National Eisteddfod, Welsh Open, Yeovil, BBC Radio Wales and Wychavon titles. In addition, the band was twice runners-up at the National Championships of Great Britain, in 1993, and 2003, as well as the British Open in 1996, and claimed podium finishes at the European Brass Band Championships in 1991 and 2011.

Current status:

The latest contesting renaissance came with the appointment of Ian Porthouse as Musical Director in 2008, immediately regaining the Welsh Area title and subsequently achieving increasingly impressive domestic and national contesting results. 2010 was truly historic, with the band claiming no less than seven major domestic and national titles, culminating with the unique double feat of winning the Grand Shield and the British Open Championship in the same year. Tredegar continues to enjoy top level competitive success, winning the 2011 and 2012 All England Masters International title, as well as being placed third at the European Championships in Montreux, which saw the band rise to number two in the brass band world rankings.

Joshua Wagner is in high demand as a trumpet player, clinician, soloist, and teacher. From the beginning he has been setting himself apart from his peers with his huge sound, soaring high register, and musicality.
He is currently 1st trumpet on the national tour of Bullets Over Broadway: The Musical. Past show experience includes 1st trumpet on West Side Story, Gypsy, The Music Man, Pal Joey, Sweeney Todd, Once Upon A Mattress, Seussical The Musical, Damn Yankees, Blood Brothers, and How To Succeed In Business.
In addition to his vast freelance work, Mr. Wagner’s past and present musical affiliations have included the Bay Area Big Band, Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Traverse Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet, Judy Harrison & Swing Shift, Round Oak Cornet Band, Southwestern Michigan College Brass Band, Café Cubano, Twin Cities Jazz Orchestra, La Porte County Symphony Orchestra, Al Cobine Big Band, Keith Karns Big Band, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, David N. Baker Jazz Ensemble, Latin American Popular Music Ensemble, Brent Wallarab Jazz Ensemble, CMU Jazz Lab 1, CMU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and the Lake Effect Jazz Big Band. He has performed with Phil Smith, Everette Green, Delores King Williams, Brandon Ridenour, Rich Ridenour, Vincent DiMartino, Joey Tartell, Pat Harbison, Wayne Bergeron, Bobby Shew, Tom Walsh, Terri Lyne Carrington, Bill Carothers, Phil Woods, Cyrus Chestnut, Robbie Smith, Danny Barber, Kevin Good, William Camp, and David Bilger.

Mr. Wagner is equally at home as a teacher serving on the Jazz Faculty of Blue Lake International Fine Arts Camp, music faculty for Northwestern Michigan College & Southwestern Michigan College, and working as an adjudicator & clinician for the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association.
Mr. Wagner’s teachers include Dennis Horton, Jay Crouch, Danny Barber, Mike Williams, Robbie Smith, Wayne Bergeron, Kevin Good, Pat Harbison, David Baker, David Bilger, Phil Smith, and Joey Tartell. He is a Torpedo Bags Professor Artist and is very excited to be an endorsing artist for the Wallace Brass collection.
Mr. Wagner holds degrees in Music Education from Central Michigan University and a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies & Trumpet from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where he was the recipient of the Jamey & Sara Aebersold Jazz Studies Fellowship.

More information about Mr. Wagner can be found on his website.