Berklee Today

Alumnotes

1950s  -  1960s  -  1970s  -  1980s  -  1990s  -  2000s

1950

On July 10, C. Paul Luongo appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central.

1960

Dick Stout of Rowlett, TX, is still creating music for his own enjoyment and working at Borders Books & Music in Dallas.

1967

Bob Shallue of Fairfield, CT, plays organ with a dance group from Stamford, CT, and at a church in Bridgeport. He has also written bumper music for the Late Night with Conan O'Brien show.

1974

Guitarist Ken Hatfield of Astoria, NY, received the ASCAP Foundation Vanguard Award on June 21. He also performed at the event held at the ASCAP Gallery in New York. Visit www.kenhatfield.com.

1975

Bobby Deitch of Upper Nyack, NY, is drummer and musical director of the Ray Charles tribute group, Whitley and the Hard Times Band. Deitch is also the cofounder TransMedia, the company that developed the acclaimed Internet application Glide Effortless. Visit www.glidedigital.com.

Jack Evans of Katonah, NY, released the CD Angels, Blues, and the Crying Moon with his band Reverend Zen, featuring Gil Parris '87 and James Brzozowski '78. Email revjackzen@optonline.net.

1976

Frank Warren of Boston, MA, together with Ken Ueno '94, founded the Berklee Alumni Composers Consortium to provide networking, performance, and workshop opportunities across the United States. Membership is free and open to alumni composition and film scoring majors, or alumni composers of chamber music. Send an e-mail to berkleealumnicomposers@juno.com.

1977

Jazz guitarist Gerry Beaudoin completed a tour of the West Coast and Canada with New Guitar Summit featuring fellow guitarists Duke Robillard and Jay Geils. The new CD, Jay Geils-Gerry Beaudoin and the Kings of Strings, features Berklee student Aaron Weinstein on violin and mandolin.

Dominic LaCasse of Charleston, SC, is director of fine arts at Porter-Gaud School in Charleston and has published Cucina Dom's, Don't Even Think About Measuring!, a cookbook/CD package under his identity Dominic the Singing Chef.

Michael Skinner of Chicago, IL, is president of Dansr, Inc., the American importer of Vandoren musical products.

Vibist Steve Hobbs of Raleigh, NC, has been touring the United States and Italy, and was recently added to The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz and the BMG All Music Guide to Jazz. His CD Spring Cycle was nominated for Jazz Record of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.

1979

Saxophonist James Gentry of Highland, CA, has released the CD Mystic Cowboy, a Latin-jazz CD, with the James Gentry Quintet. Visit www.jgquintet.com.

Jonathan Lax of Summit, NJ, directed the Horace Mann School Jazz Ensemble in a recent performance for Mayor Joseph V. Doria at City Hall in Bayonne, NJ.

 
  Pascoal Meirelles '79
Drummer Pascoal Meirelles of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, recently celebrated 40 years as a professional musician by releasing the CD Quarenta with his trio. He was also featured on the DVD Triunvirato. Visit www.pascoalmeirelles.mus.br.

1980

Songwriter Wilson Bent of Austin, TX, produced a CD, Core Sample, featuring folk, rock, and country tunes he's written during the past 15 years.

Luke Brouillette of Natchitoches, LA, teaches jazz guitar at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He also works in marketing for a local telephone company.

Bassist Tom Covello of Lexington, KY, has shared the stage with James Williams, Don Braden, Albert King, and Hal Galper and recorded with folk singer Odetta and banjoist Bela Fleck.

Singer/songwriter Aimee Mann has completed a Christmas album titled One More Drifter in the Snow that features Christmas classics as well as new material penned by Mann. Visit www.aimeemann.com.

Bill Spoke of Hollywood, CA, has worked as a live performance and session drummer in Los Angeles since moving to the area in 1980. Visit www.mccmusic.com/billspoke.htm.

Bassist Eliot Wadopian of Asheville, NC, a member of the Paul Winter Consort since 1992, won his second Grammy Award with the group in February.

David Young of Decatur, GA, recently completed his degree in special education and works as a counselor in th Gwinnett County public school sysytem. His band, the Amazing Mongooses, released a CD single. Visit www.myspace.com/amazingmongooses.

1981

Trumpeter Anders Bergcrantz of Malmö, Sweden, has just launched a new website to chronicle his activities as a musician. Visit www.andersbergcrantz.com.

Trumpeter Dennis Keating of Pahrump, NV, completed a CD titled I Love This Valley. He recently performed at clubs in Chicago and works as a freelance trumpeter and DJ in Las Vegas.

Ethnomusicologist Craig Morrison of Montreal, Canada, penned his second book, American Popular Music: Rock and Roll. Additionally, his group the Momentz released the CD Live at the Oscar. Visit www.craigmorrison.com.

Stanley Munslow of Coventry, RI, has launched a website with inspiration, tips, and other content for musicians. Visit the site at www.themusicspa.us.

 
Karen DeBiasse '82  
1982

Singer and guitarist Karen DeBiasse of Somerville, MA, and her rock band Girl on Top released a new CD titled Cherry Blossoms Sakura. Visit www.girlontop.com.

1983

Pianist Oscar Acevedo of Bogota, Colombia, is a music columnist for Colombia's El Tiempo newspaper. He also premiered a musical for children called Plonk, la Vida Suena.

Scott Hoffman of Wesley Chapel, FL, has been serving as the drum tech for Steve Gadd on the Paul Simon and James Taylor tours. He also played drums for Jerry Douglas, who was the opening act for Simon.

Pete Perri of Ledyard, CT, is the house pianist at Adagio Piano & Jazz Cafe in New London, CT.

1984

Drummer Russ Gold of San Francisco, CA, played in the onstage band in a production of the show Rent during August. He recently toured Ghana with the band Native Vibe and plays locally with former Huey Lewis & the News saxophonist Johnny Colla.

Guitarist Pete Huttlinger of Nashville, TN, recently recorded six voice and guitar duets in London's Abbey Road Studios with vocalist LeAnn Rimes. Visit www.petehuttlinger.com.

Composer and drummer Guillermo Nojechowicz and his group El Eco, a Brazilian-Argentinian jazz ensemble, performed for a recent production of NPR's JazzSet.

Singer/pianist Barry Rocklin of Boston, MA, will perform on the Royal Caribbean cruise liner Jewel of the Seas throughout October, and in Amsterdam during the month of November. Visit www.barryfromboston.com.

 
  Damon Carter '87
1985

Arnon Palty of Haifa, Israel, won first prize for excellence in composition for chamber ensemble in an international composition competition sponsored by Israel's Ministry of Education and the city of Tel Aviv.

1986

Pianist Christian Jacob has released the CD Contradictions: A Look at the Music of Michel Petrucciani, with bassist Trey Henry and drummer Ray Blinker. Visit www.wilderjazz.com.

1987

Singer/songwriter Damon Carter of Framingham, MA, has released the CD This Party. He has penned songs for the Backstreet Boys, Queen Latifah, Lisa Lisa, and Cher. Visit www.damoncartermusic.com.

 
Bob Malone '87  
Pianist Bob Malone of Los Angeles, CA, has released a blues CD titled Born Too Late, which has received airplay on NPR and triple-A radio stations. Malone has opened for Boz Scaggs, Al Green, the Neville Brothers, and others. Visit www.bobmalone.com.

1989

Daniel Fisher of Plymouth, MA, serves as the director of product optimization for Sweetwater Sound and plays with Pink Voyd, a New England-based Pink Floyd tribute band.

Kevin "Tut" Kennedy-Spaien of Methuen, MA, has released the CD The Beach: A Journey in the Mind's Eye, with his wife, Eve. Visit www.disc-of-light.com.

Saxophonist Dennis Mitcheltree of Brooklyn, NY, released the CD and DVD Tenor of the Times. He is backed by Jesse Crawford (bass) and Bill McClellan (drums). Visit www.dennismitcheltree.com.

 
  Harald Hanisch '90
1990

Trumpeter/vocalist Kelley Bolduc of Dorchester, MA, released the CD Reggae Around the World with her band Hot Like Fire. Visit www.hotlikefire.net.

Producer/songwriter Harald Hanisch of Vienna, Austria, was nominated for the 2005 Echo award as best producer in Germany. A single he cowrote and coproduced for Christina Stürmer was certified gold in Germany. Hanisch teaches at Vienna's University of Music.

Trumpeter Diego Urcola of New York City has released his third CD, Viva, featuring Antonio Sanchez '97, Pernell Saturnino '95, Avishai Cohen, Jimmy Heath, Paquito D'Rivera, Dave Samuels, Conrad Herwig, and others. Visit www.diegourcola.com.

Guitarist Sam Hooper and his group returned to America for gigs in the Boston area after playing a five-month stint at the House of Blues in Shanghai. Visit www.samhooper.com.

 
Diego Urcola '90  
Bassist Paul Rogalski of Longmont, CO, has released the CD Think, Feel, Love, Listen with his band Mojomama. Visit www.mojomama.net.

Guitarist Tom Stewart of St. Petersburg, FL, released his debut CD, First Time Over, with bassist Mark Neuenschwander and drummer Sava Boyadjiev on drums. Visit www.stewartjazz.com.

Scott Trach of Brunswick, ME, is the director of music education for the Westbrook School Department. Alumni Tony Boffa and Phil Rich serve with Trach as the instrumental staff. Previously, Trach directed K-12 music education for the Portland Public Schools.

1991

Pianist Ken Berman of New York City has released a new CD titled In Mind. The disc features faculty members John Lockwood (bass) and Bob Gullotti and Yoron Israel (drums). Visit www.kenbermanmusic.com.

Bassist/composer Daniel Pearson of North Hollywood, CA, has done television promos with Clay Aiken for the singer's CD A Thousand Different Ways. His music was also placed in the feature film Because of Winn-Dixie. Visit www.danielpearson.org.

Bassist Jesse Williams of Arlington, MA, plays in a jazz quartet with guitarist Duke Robillard and endorses Thomastic Strings.

1992

Bassist Ivan Bodley of Brooklyn, NY, released the CD iBod, featuring guitarists Gil Parris '87 and Ronny Drayton and keyboardist Ben Stivers playing Bodley's jazz and funk originals as well as traditional Native American and Jewish songs. Visit www.funkyboy.net.

Guitarist David Wright of Fremont, CA, released his debut CD, Dajinosaurus, featuring his rock-fusion originals. Bassist Noboru Kinukawa played bass on the disc. Visit www.dinosaurusrecords.com.

1993

Bassist Salvatore Gnolfo of Montclair, NJ, plays with the bands Atomic Brother and Scratcher based in New York City. Gnolfo played bass on and engineered and coproduced recordings by each band.Visit www.atomicbrother.com.

1994

Guitarist "Metal" Mike Chlasciak of North Arlington, NJ, recently completed a European tour opening with Sebastian Bach for Guns 'n' Roses. He released the EP You Have the Right to Remain Violent with his band Pain Museum. Visit www.metalmike.net.

Tim Luntzel of Brooklyn, NY, played bass on and produced his band's first CD, Who Burnt the Bacon? The band, The Brooklyn Boogaloo Blowout, features Chris Cheek '91, Steve Walsh '93, Andrew Sherman '89, and Tony Mason. Visit www.luntzel.com.

Eddie Phoon of Fort Lauderdale, FL, became a U.S. citizen on June 2006. He is the event director of USA Songwriting Competition, and a judge and consultant for labels and industry conventions.

1995

Eve Buigues of Los Angeles, CA, together with Andrea Bensmiller '90 and Marika Tjelios '93, presented a multimedia show in Hollywood featuring music from the album The Prejudice of a Certain Personality Type by their band Jariya.

Jen Chapin of Brooklyn, NY, released the CD Ready with her husband and bassist Stephan Crump, drummer Dan Rieser '90, pianist Pete Rende '95, and guitarist Jamie Fox. Chapin and Crump recently had a son named Maceo. Visit www.jenchapin.com.

Alfred Hochstrasser of Bergen, NJ, won the 2006 AICP award for musical arrangement for his work on the ad spot "Tanqueray Lapland Tony."

Saxophonist Brian Kane of Cambridge, MA, was featured on a CD masterclass entitled Sight Reading in a Swing Style published in the July-August edition of Saxophone Journal. Backing Kane were faculty members Paul Schmeling (piano) and Whit Brown (bass).

Brian Lydell of East Brunswick, NJ, received his third Emmy Award nomination for musical direction on the daytime series As the World Turns.

Guitarist Alex Machacek of Los Angeles, CA, released a new album titled [SIC] featuring drummer Terry Bozzio. Visit www.alexmachacek.com.

 
  Anouschka Pearlman '95
Singer/guitarist/songwriter Anouschka Pearlman of Stockholm, Sweden, has released her third album My Kind of Heartbreak. The disc features Pearlman performing 13 of her original songs. Visit anouschka.net.

Saxophonist Mike Theiss of Seattle, WA, composed, produced, engineered, and played all of the instruments on his debut CD, Doityourselfincrimination. He performs in the Puget Sound region with Altered States of Funk. Visit www.miketheiss.com.

 
Peter Aguilar '96  
1996

Guitarist Peter Aguilar of North Hills, CA, has released the CD I'm on My Way with his band. The disc features eight of Aguilar's original pop-rock songs. Visit www.peteraguilar.com.

Guitarist Prashat Aswani has released the CD Revelation featuring nine rock instrumentals. Greg Howe engineered and produced the CD and joins Aswani on guitar on two cuts.

Julian Graciano of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is compiling a three-volume compendium of tango selections.

Mark Jackson of Los Angeles, CA, and his production company cut tracks for Sony BMG artists Jewelry with drummer Vinnie Colaiuta '75. Jackson cowrote three songs for the group. Visit www.markjacksonproductions.com.

Geoff Zanelli of Santa Monica, CA, wrote additional music for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, and is currently scoring the films Disturbia and Delgo. His score for Into the West won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding composition for a miniseries, movie, or special.

1997

Sarah (Re) Keating of Corolla, NC, opened the store Beach Bag Books & Music with her husband, Ken, in North Carolina's Outer Banks area.

 
  Amy Ward '97
Vocalist and songwriter Amy Ward of Franklin Park, NJ, has released her debut CD titled Twenty-Nine, featuring 10 original rock and r&b songs. She performs in the New York City area. Visit www.amyward.com.

1998

Keyboardist/producer Joseph Blaustein of West Hollywood, CA, composed and arranged music and conducted the orchestra for the American debut concert of the Bulgarian singer Krassimir at the Kodak Theatre. Blaustein also plays with the band Rowdy.

Drummer Adam Deitch is touring with Wyclef Jean as an opening act for Shakira. Deitch played and cowrote material with John Scofield for his Uberjam and Up All Night CDs and has played with Meshell Ndegeocello, Justin Timberlake, Lauryn Hill, and others.

Guitarist Sean Meredith-Jones of Toronto, Canada, released the CD Turn Up the Good with drummer Ben Riley, bassist Michael Pellarin, and keyboardist Robi Botos. Visit www.seanmeredithjones.com.

 
From the left: Cinthia Borgani '92, Lupa Santiago '98, Carlos Ezequiel '99, Maria Farinha '99, and Daniel Maudonnet '98. All are staff and faculty members at the Souza Lima Conservatory in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  
Guitarist and composer Lupa Santiago of São Paulo, Brazil, and his quartet that includes drummer Carlos Ezequiel '99 released the CD Telescópio. Santiago serves as the coordinator and vice director of Souza Lima Conservatory in São Paulo, and Ezequiel is a faculty member. Visit www.souzalima.com.br/english/index.htm.

1999

Guitarist Joe De Sa of Sherman Oaks, CA, penned two instructional books, 100 Ultimate Jazz Riffs for Guitar and Ultimate Latin Riffs for Guitar. Visit www.adgproductions.com.

George Kallis of London, England, created the score for the movie Highlander: The Source with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. The film will be released by the end of 2006. Visit www.george-kallis.com.

Carey Yaruss of Glastonbury, CT, is singing backup and is a featured soloist with Michael Amante. Visit www.careyyaruss.com.

2000

Drummer Mario Calandrelli of Venosa, Italy, played on the single "One More Blues" by fast-rising Italian artist Valentina Mey. Visit www.mariocalandrelli.com.

Bassist Paco Charlin of Pontevedra, Spain, released Paco Charlin: Jazz Frequency Group with Jaleel Shaw '00 (saxophone) and Donald Edwards '00 (drums). Visit www.freecodejazzrecords.com.

Singer/songwriter Kyler England of Toluca Lake, CA, completed her EP The Green Room Sessions with engineer/producer Richard Furch '00. Visit www.kylerengland.com.

Bassist Christoph Victor Kaiser of Heppenheim, Germany, and his trio the Jazz Pistols have released a live CD on their own Cherrytown Records label. Visit www.jazzpistols.de.

 
  Devin Lebsack '00
Drummer Devin Lebsack of Los Angeles, CA, completed a three-month tour with the band (hed) p.e. after the release of its CD Back 2 Base X. Visit www.devinlebsack.com.

Trumpeter Rashawn Ross of Brooklyn, NY, has been touring with the Dave Matthews Band since 2005. He previously played with Soulive.

Composer Jason Solowsky of Sherman Oaks, CA, has scored the feature films The Deepening, Driller, and The Silencer, among others. Visit www.jasonsolowsky.com.

 
Marina Elali '01  
2001

Vocalist Marina Elali of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has had her music placed in shows on Brazil's TV Globo and in the film If I Was You, and she also appeared in a soap opera. Elali recently released her self-titled debut album. Visit www.marinaelali.com.

Engineer Joachin Fernandez of Miami, FL, is working for Telemundo Internacional RTI as a music editor and remixer. The studio creates soundtracks for international soap operas.

Drummer Michael Van Dyne of Cohoes, NY, completed a 34-date U.S. tour with his band Arsis.

2002

Fabio Fonda of Genova, Italy, has released the CD Schema featuring his aural soundscapes created with synthesizers. Visit www.fabiofonda.com.

Saxophonist Jon De Lucia of Quincy, MA, released the CD Face No Face. He is backed by Nir Felder '05, Leo Genovese '04, Garth Stevenson '02, Ziv Ravitz '01, and Sumie Kaneko '02. Visit www.jondelucia.com.

Bassist Marco Panascia of Brooklyn, NY, is heard on the CD Eldar: Live at the Blue Note on the Sony Classical label. Joining Panascia and pianist Eldar are Todd Strait (drums) and guest trumpeters Roy Hargrove '89 and Chris Botti. Visit www.marcopanascia.com.

 
  Nia Allen '03
2003

Vocalist Nia Allen of Nashville, TN, has released her debut CD A New Thing. Allen won the soloist competition of the I Hear Music in the Air gospel conference and worked with Christian artist Nicole C. Mullen. Visit www.niaallenmusic.com.

Leah Driscoll of Windham, ME, recently sang the National Anthem before a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Visit www.leahdriscoll.com.

Tim Grace of Brooklyn, NY, and his band Valeze released a five-song EP that was produced by Nic Hard. The band has performed on the East and West coasts and in Canada. Visit www.valeze.net.

Guitarist Fernando Hernandez performed with Chinese superstar Frances Yip at the Palomar Starlight Theater in California on June 3. Visit www.myspace.com/ferniehernandez.

 
Justis Kao '03  
Justis Kao of Newbury Park, CA, was nominated in the Best Male Singer/Songwriter category for the 2006 Los Angeles Music Awards.

Drummer Donovan Pyle of New York City has recorded tracks for a number of jingles, and was assistant engineer to Kevin Evans for Freddie Jackson's CD Personal Reflections. He plays with the band 45 High.

The song "Acrobat," penned by Jamie Rattner of New York City, was a finalist in the lyrics category of the Unisong contest. This is Rattner's fifth acknowledgment in a songwriting competition.

Drummer Mauro Satalino of Buenos Aires, Argentina, made a recording with pianist Alexandra Samsonova '02. They performed throughout Portugal and Spain this past summer.

Ivan Valles of Miami, FL, was the mix engineer for recordings by Mexican artists Armando Manzanero and Danilo Parra and producer for Brazilian artist Marta Rhaulin. Visit www.ivmmusic.com.

2004

Candace Burnham of Sylmar, CA, is serving as an academic adviser for the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California.

 
  Bassist Annie Clements '04 is pictured onstage with Jennifer Nettles of the platinum-selling country band Sugarland.
Annie Clements of Metairie, LA, plays with the platinum country group Sugarland as the bassist and background vocalist. She is featured in Sugarland's music videos and on their upcoming album. Visit www.annieclements.com.

Bassist Jon Ososki of Brookline, MA, and keyboardist Tae Gyun Kim '04 have released the CD Reform with their group Joint Clarity. Visit www.jointclarity.com.

Percussionist Marco Pacassoni of Fano, Italy, and his band New Vibes Trio have been touring in Germany, Spain, and Italy. The group appears on the Splash label. Visit www.marcopacassoni.com.

Eric Rollins of Plano, TX, began studying at Southwestern School of Law in Los Angeles this fall.

Drummer Yotam Rosenbaum of Culver City, CA, released the CD Balance, featuring eight of his compositions with backing from violinist Mads Tolling '04, pianist Vadim Neselovskyi '04, bassist Mike Oien '04, and faculty vibist Dave Samuels. Visit www.yotamrosenbaum.com.

Guitarist Francisco Javier Vargas of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and his Christian band Eko made their debut at a contemporary Christian music festival last July in Santo Domingo.

Violinist Lydia Veilleux of Farmington, ME, is touring with the Master Performances Company's musical The 3 Redneck Tenors. She and her brother Sam established a full-tuition, room and board scholarship for a student from Farmington to attend the Berklee String Fling 2006.

2005

Songwriter Judith de los Santos of Los Angeles, CA, released her debut album All of the Above. It was recorded by faculty member Rich Mendelson and features Jack Deboe ('06) on drums, Andres Ascanio '06 (bass), Matt Gelfer '05 (violin), and Alexander Knutsen '04, Greg Galindo '04, and Jose Portilla '05 (guitar).

Drummer Paolo Lattanzi of Macerata, Italy, released the CD Night Dancers with Aurelien Budynek '05 (guitar), Marco Panascia '02 (bass), and students Nikolay Moiseenko (saxophone) and Pau Terol (piano) playing 10 of Lattanzi's originals. Visit www.paololattanzi.com.

Georgi Sareski of Skopje, Macedonia, released his second album of original music titled SoHoHo with his group the Georgi Sareski 6, featuring Francesco Bearzatti. Visit www.georgisareski.com.

Guitarist Chris Schreiner of Norwalk, CT, was reviewed on the Guitar Nine Records website undiscovered page. He has released two CDs, and will play with John Zorn on October 28 at the Black Rock Avant-Garde Jazz Festival. Visit www.whostheguy.com.

 
Arielle Silver '05  
Singer/songwriter Arielle Silver of South Boston, MA, threw a September release party at the Lizard Lounge for her new CD somethingprettysomethingtrue on the Passion Records label. Visit www.ariellesilver.com.

Composer Stefano Switala of New York City wrote the score for the Italian feature film Ma L'Amore Si! It will premiere in October at the Rome International Film Festival. Switala has been actively composing for a range of different projects.

Multi-instrumentalist Kenneth Wenner of Nashville, TN, and his group the Wompus Cats released the CD Never Get Hooked. Visit www.myspace.com/thewompuscats.

2006

Guitarist Bryan Baker of New York City released his first CD, titled Aphotic. Recorded at New York's Avatar Studios by MP&E Chair Rob Jaczko, the disc includes Aaron Henry '05 (saxophone), Bryan Ladd, '05 (bass), and Nick Falk '07 (drums), and Associate Professor David Tronzo (guitar).

 
  Steven Cielinski '06 (right) celebrated his birthday this past summer with a little help from former Beatle Ringo Starr.
Steven Cielinski of Niles, IL, was the assistant tour manager for Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band tour. The lineup included Billy Squier, Sheila E., Rod Argent, Edgar Winter, Richard Marx, and Hamish Stuart.