This page contains a brief overview on the album BILL ALKIRE: Bill Alkire with Jazzmin II the Sextet. Learn more about the artist and explore the track lists and website. If you find any information that needs to be corrected, please let us know.

 
About the Leader and Musicians

BILL ALKIRE, saxophonist, clarinetist and leader of the Jazzmin organization, began playing clarinet at age10 in the school band in Auburn, California. While progressing through the grades, he performed in concert bands, choirs, orchestras and jazz bands. There he also formed his own "dance band" performing at social functions throughout the area. Moving on to Sac. State and later BYU, Bill acquired his Masters and Doctorate degrees majoring in both music and education. He then served in the military where he played in the U.S. Army Band and then returned to his dual career in public school service and jazz. Bill performed on the West Coast as well as in the Washington, D.C. area and Australia where he shared the stage with son, Jeff. He has two CD's currently available and is in the process of establishing a jazz concert series in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. Bill also teaches private lessons for saxophone and clarinet.

JEFF ALKIRE began playing guitar at the age of 8 moving onto clarinet at age 11 and shortly thereafter found his first true love, the alto sax. Jeff has performed in concert halls and nightclubs throughout the world while touring with the Ray Charles Orchestra and other notable musical groups. From 1999-2002 Jeff taught in Australia at the University of Adelaide in the Jazz Studies Department where he also performed. He holds both Bachelor and Masters of Fine Arts degrees from the California Institute of the Arts. He also teaches, composes, arranges, and is an excellent flutist.

AL BENT is a native of California. He began playing the trombone during his teen years. During that time period, Al performed in numerous concert bands as well as jazz bands. He later began studying and performing on string bass and plays with equal proficiency on both instruments. Al Bent is in great demand and has performed and recorded with such greats as Dizzie Gillespie, Santana and others. Al Bent lives in Dunnigan and performs regularly in the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay areas. Al is also the arranger for Jazzmin and numerous other groups.

BILL DOUGLASS is a world-class bassist and has performed with jazz greats Marion McFarland, Bobby McFarrin, Mose Allisin and many others. His other talents include recording film work, teaching and performing on bamboo flutes. Bill also serves as artistic director of the Sierra Jazz Society. He has performed in numerous major jazz festivals including the "Monterey", "Russian River" and "Montreaux". Bill currently has 16 CD's out.

ALAN U'REN, a native Californian, has been playing drums for 25 years. During this time he has earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Jazz Studies from Sonoma State University under the direction of Composer/Bassist Mel Graves. While at SSU, Alan acquired a love for the complex intricacies of rhythm through his studies with world-renowned rhythm master George Marsh. Alan has performed with such Bay Area favorites as Dave MacNab, Mark Levine, Harvey Wineapple, Anton Shwartz, Taylor Eigsti, Mel Graves, Randy Vincent, Mel Martin, Adam Thiess, and The Contemporary Jazz Orchestra at Pearl's. He has also played with Bobby Watson, Art Hirahara, Jenny Scheinman and Todd Sickafoose, continuing 18 years of professional performance as a drummer.

ART HIRAHARA is a jazz pianist/composer, originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, now living in Brooklyn, New York. He received his Master of Fine Arts Degree in jazz piano performance at California Institute of the Arts in Valencia and a Bachelor of Music degree in Electronic and Computer Music from the Oberlin College Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio. In the fall of 1996 he was selected by the Arts America office of the U.S. Information Agency to serve as a "Jazz Ambassador" on a seven-week tour in Qatar, Yemen, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where he performed, lectured and conducted workshops with local musicians. His CD "Edge of this Earth" was self-released in August of 2000.

NICK U'REN is a drummer with Jazzmin. He was born in San Francisco. Nick began drumming at age 5 and has played continuously ever since. While growing up in the Bay Area, Nick performed with a variety of local and traveling musicians. He attended San Francisco State College and later joined the U.S. Air Force. While executing his duties as a Captain in the Air Force, he managed to perform on the East Coast, in Alaska and in Europe when off duty time would allow. Nick lives in Vacaville and performs often in the Sacramento and Bay areas.

Track List:
1. My Shining Hour
2. Meditation
3. One Day Is A Moment
4. Recorda Me
5. Alone Together
6. Sail Away
7. I Should Care
8. Lament
9. There Will Never Be Another You

Other Genres:

• JAZZ: Bebop
• EASY LISTENING: Background Music