Pianist CHRIS KELLER is a music graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with extensive professional experience performing jazz and classical styles throughout the Americas. Her concert appearances include Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., U.N.C. at Chapel Hill, N.C. State U., Meredith College and Theater-in-the-Park in Raliegh, Fayettesville State and Clemson U. in S.C., Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, Teatro Teresa Carena (Caracas,) Univ. de Les Andes (Merida,) and the graphic arts museum of City Hall in Maracaibo, Venezuela. She has performed live on Venezuelan Radio Juventud Venevision stations, also with her jazz band on NPR station WBEZ in Chicago. An interest in promoting peace through music led her to Venezuela as a Baha'I pioneer, where in 1989 she presented a Jazz for World Unity concert with local musicians through the Caracas Metro Office of Cultural Promotion. Their quartet also opened the 1991 Jazz Caracas Festival. Miss Keller was awarded a Gant-in-Aid Fellowship from the D.C. Arts Commission, a City Arts Project Grant from the Raliegh Arts Consul, and an Individual Artist Award/Govenor's Citation from the Maryland State Arts Consul. She has performed solo and group jazz at numerous venues in the Carolinas, Chicago and Washington D.C.
A composition major at U.M.B.C., alto saxophonist STEVE SWAN currently teaches saxophone and clarinet at the McDonough School in Owings Mills, MD. He has extensive professional experience performing throughout the areas of Baltimore and Philadelphia in a wide variety of settings. He is a member of "Now's the Time" Big Band and the Eubie Blake Jazz Institute Orchestra. A founding member of the Zobofo Saxophone Quartet, he is also it's chief arranger and writer. His incidental music and songs for Baltimore's Theater Project productions were also presented in Bulgaria. Steve Swan has performed with Aurora and currently plays with Bobby amd the Believers.
Tenor saxophonist THOMAS 'WHIT' WILLIAMS attended Towson State U., Eastman School of Music, and Morgan State U. He taught instrumental music in the Anne Arundel County public schools of Maryland for thirty seven years. WHIT's extensive professional experience includes performing with such renowned entertainers as Diahann Carroll, Gladys Knight, Pearl Bailey, Sara Vaughn, Bob Hope, Nancy Wilson, The Manhattan's, Barry White, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Mel Torme, Joe Williams, Lyonel Hampton and Jimmy Heath. He has played for many touring broadway shows in the D.C./Baltimore theaters and also performed at the Smithsonian Institute and the Spectrum Theater in Philadelphia. WHIT's 19-piece Big Band "Now's the Time" has performed at Baltimore's Blue's Alley, Douglas High School, Kennedy Center, and at U.M.B.C. featuring jazz legend Jimmy Heath. WHIT also toured Europe performing with the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble. Again "Now's the Time" Big Band opened Baltimore's ArtScape Festival in 1994 performing with Aretha Franklin, and also appeared with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in the performance of Duke Ellington's "Night Creature Symphony" at Meyerhoff Hall. This band also performed in the 70th birthday concert for Jimmy Heath, working with renowned artists Slide Hampton and Stanley Cowell. In 1996, WHIT performed with Jimmy Heath at the East Coast Jazz Festival in Rockville, MD.
Inspired at age 20 to become a musician by the great master Ray Brown, bassist DONNIE WEST has performed with such renowned artists as Marcus Roberts, James Williams, Chaka Khan, Webster Young, and Mickey Howard. He currently plays in Washington D.C. with The Lady Byron Trio, and enjoys presenting workshops at public schools in Maryland. Donnie has performed at the Kennedy Center as well as several D.C. area night clubs, hotels and restaurants.
Professor RICKY LOZA teaches percussion at the George Washington Univ. in D.C. A native of El Salvador, he plays drums, timables, tympani, electric drums, and a full gamut of percussion instruments. A professional musician since the age of 12, he toured Central North and South America with the International Polio Orchestra. In 1967, he joined the National Symphony of El Salvador to premiere music composed and conducted by the great Pablo Casals. Soon after, Ricky began touring the Washington D.C. area night clubs, branching out from Latin music to playing jazz almost exclusively. In 1980, he moved to Miami to work with Guy Frasciani, Bob Mover, and Eddie Higgins, and was a special guest of Tito Puente, whom he later brought to G.W.U. to perform concerts in clinics.
Contact: (919) 833-1761
aurorajazz@yahoo.com
A composition major at U.M.B.C., alto saxophonist STEVE SWAN currently teaches saxophone and clarinet at the McDonough School in Owings Mills, MD. He has extensive professional experience performing throughout the areas of Baltimore and Philadelphia in a wide variety of settings. He is a member of "Now's the Time" Big Band and the Eubie Blake Jazz Institute Orchestra. A founding member of the Zobofo Saxophone Quartet, he is also it's chief arranger and writer. His incidental music and songs for Baltimore's Theater Project productions were also presented in Bulgaria. Steve Swan has performed with Aurora and currently plays with Bobby amd the Believers.
Tenor saxophonist THOMAS 'WHIT' WILLIAMS attended Towson State U., Eastman School of Music, and Morgan State U. He taught instrumental music in the Anne Arundel County public schools of Maryland for thirty seven years. WHIT's extensive professional experience includes performing with such renowned entertainers as Diahann Carroll, Gladys Knight, Pearl Bailey, Sara Vaughn, Bob Hope, Nancy Wilson, The Manhattan's, Barry White, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Mel Torme, Joe Williams, Lyonel Hampton and Jimmy Heath. He has played for many touring broadway shows in the D.C./Baltimore theaters and also performed at the Smithsonian Institute and the Spectrum Theater in Philadelphia. WHIT's 19-piece Big Band "Now's the Time" has performed at Baltimore's Blue's Alley, Douglas High School, Kennedy Center, and at U.M.B.C. featuring jazz legend Jimmy Heath. WHIT also toured Europe performing with the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble. Again "Now's the Time" Big Band opened Baltimore's ArtScape Festival in 1994 performing with Aretha Franklin, and also appeared with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in the performance of Duke Ellington's "Night Creature Symphony" at Meyerhoff Hall. This band also performed in the 70th birthday concert for Jimmy Heath, working with renowned artists Slide Hampton and Stanley Cowell. In 1996, WHIT performed with Jimmy Heath at the East Coast Jazz Festival in Rockville, MD.
Inspired at age 20 to become a musician by the great master Ray Brown, bassist DONNIE WEST has performed with such renowned artists as Marcus Roberts, James Williams, Chaka Khan, Webster Young, and Mickey Howard. He currently plays in Washington D.C. with The Lady Byron Trio, and enjoys presenting workshops at public schools in Maryland. Donnie has performed at the Kennedy Center as well as several D.C. area night clubs, hotels and restaurants.
Professor RICKY LOZA teaches percussion at the George Washington Univ. in D.C. A native of El Salvador, he plays drums, timables, tympani, electric drums, and a full gamut of percussion instruments. A professional musician since the age of 12, he toured Central North and South America with the International Polio Orchestra. In 1967, he joined the National Symphony of El Salvador to premiere music composed and conducted by the great Pablo Casals. Soon after, Ricky began touring the Washington D.C. area night clubs, branching out from Latin music to playing jazz almost exclusively. In 1980, he moved to Miami to work with Guy Frasciani, Bob Mover, and Eddie Higgins, and was a special guest of Tito Puente, whom he later brought to G.W.U. to perform concerts in clinics.
Contact: (919) 833-1761
aurorajazz@yahoo.com
Biography: The Chris Keller web site
Photo Credits: The Chris Keller web site