The Cecilia Coleman Quintet

Cecilia Coleman - Piano

Artistic, talented, dedicated - these are but three of the many attributes that describe pianist, composer and bandleader Cecilia Coleman. A native of Long Beach, CA and resident of New York, Coleman began to play piano at age 5 and at age 15 began to study jazz piano. She is a potent pianist capable of performances that are both exciting and moving. She has developed into an exceptional composer whose distinctive, varied pieces reflect where jazz has been and where it is going.

Coleman has led her own group since 1990 when she formed a trio with bassist Eric Von Essen and drummer Kendall Kay. In 1993 her quintet was formed. In addition to numerous club appearances such as Jax Bar & Grill (Glendale), the infamous Chadney's (Burbank) and the Jazz Bakery (Culver City), Coleman has performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Telluride Jazz Festival and the New Mexico Jazz Workshop. With the Quintet, Coleman has gone on to substantial acclaim in the Los Angeles Jazz scene and beyond.

She is currently the jazz piano instructor at her Alma-mater CSU Long Beach where she teaches every other week during the school year. On the east coast she is the accompanist for the Modern Dance Center of Westchester in Bronxville. She maintains her regular working quintet on the west coast, which includes such noteworthy musicians as Steve Huffsteter, Jerry Pinter, Christoph Luty and Thomas White.

She has five CD's out as a leader: "The Impostor","Higher Standards", "Home", "Young & Foolish" and "Words of Wisdom". She is also on three recordings of The American Jazz Institute headed by Mark Masters which feature Lee Konitz, Billy Harper, Jack Montrose, Ray Drummond, Tim Hagans and Gary Smulyan plus many more.

In late 2006 she will have two new CD's released: trio and quintet. The quintet will be on Interplay Records and will feature Cecilia with band mates Dave Smith on trumpet; Adam Kolker on tenor saxophone; Tim Givens, bass and Jeff Brillinger on drums.

Steve Huffsteter - Trumpet

Born in Michigan, raised in Arizona from age 10, Steve Huffsteter started playing trumpet at 8 and started playing professionally while still in high school. He attended Arizona State at Tempe and worked in the Phoenix area until he moved to Los Angeles in 1959.

Starting in 1960 with Stan Kenton, Huffsteter has worked with most of the name big bands on the West Coast, including Sy Zentner, Les Brown, Ray Charles, Louie Bellson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Billy Berry, Benny Carter, Bill Watrous, Bill Holman, Shorty Rogers, Clare Fisher, Bob Florence, Gordon Brisker, Matt Cattingub and Tom Talbert. In addition, Steve has worked and recorded with many smaller bands such as Shorty Rogers, Supersax, Willie Bob, Pete Cristlieb, Paulino Da Costa, Moacir Santos, Jim Morris' Brass Plus, Poncho Sanchez, the Dave Pell Octet, and since 1994, the Cecilia Coleman Quintet, with whom he has recorded two CDs.

Steve Huffsteter has backed many singers such as Tony Bennett, Nat "King" Cole, Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald, Jack Jones, Diane Schurr, Natalie Cole, Julie Kelly, Mike Campbell, Debbie Reynolds, Toni Tenille, Vicci Carr, Dean Martin and others.

Steve has recorded more than 80 albums and CDs, including his own "Circles" with Pete Cristlieb, Roger Kellaway, Monte Budwig and Joey Baron.

Thomas White - Drums

Thomas White is a drummer whose abilities and creativity enable him to fit into many different musical situations. Thomas has been performing a variety of styles (including jazz, R&B and pop) since he began playing and he often gets called to do so in the Los Angeles area where he lives.

Thomas is a product of the Berkeley, California public school system that also prepared such artists as Joshua Redman, Benny Green, and Charlie Hunter. After high school Thomas White studied jazz and classical percussion at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts on scholarship. In addition to studying with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Bob Moses he played professionally with jazz composer and theorist George Russell. During his last year in Boston, Thomas was picked through national auditions for the Florida's Disney World Show Orchestra, where he performed with guest artists such as Dave Brubeck and Rosemary Clooney.

Upon leaving Boston, Thomas White returned to California and became immersed in the Los Angeles music scene. Not long after his arrival, he joined Karl Denson Quintet, which recorded and released three albums to high acclaim in both Europe and the States. Thomas was also the drummer for saxophonist Dale Fielder's Quartet, which has recorded a number of albums for the Clarion, Blueport and Cadence labels, including a recently released live album. Fielder's group regularly travels the United States, Europe and Asia, having recently returned from a successful excursion to Seoul, Korea. In addition, they were recently named the Jazz Discovery winners by the BET (Black Entertainment Television) Channel and recorded a 1-hour cable special that is currently airing nationally and internationally.

Some of the other musicians that have enjoyed his drumming talents include: Charlie Hunter, Lew Tabakin, Bennie Wallace, Clark Terry, George Russell, Geoff Keezer and Harold Land Jr.