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Outside In

Dan Cray

Outside In

Format: CD
Label: Origin Records
UPC: 0805558271427
Catnr: ORIGIN 82714
Release date: 23 September 2016
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1 CD
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Label
Origin Records
UPC
0805558271427
Catalogue number
ORIGIN 82714
Release date
23 September 2016
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
EN
DE

About the album

For his second release on Origin, New York pianist Dan Cray draws on the inspiration he received from a year spent living and working out in the Sierras and hiking in Big Sur. With rising star Dayna Stephens on saxophone, along with drummer Mark Ferber and Cray's longtime bandmate, bassist Clark Sommers,Cray's mix of his own compositions and arrangements of several rarely heard standards offer a meditation on nature and the search for peace wherever you are. "This music engages both mind and spirit, not changing the world so much as brightening the day." - Downbeat Magazine
Mit Dayna Stephens am Saxophon, Drummer Mark Ferber und Dan Crays langjährigem Bandkollegen dem Bassisten Clark Sommers wird eine Mischung aus eigenen Kompositionen und Arrangements mehrerer seltener Standards geboten.

Artist(s)

Dan Cray (piano)

Pianist Dan Cray hails from Chicago, IL and graduated from Northwestern University in 1999 with degrees in European History and Jazz Studies. He was a finalist for both the 2004 APA Cole Porter Fellowship and the 2003 Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition, and has performed around the world in many diverse and creative settings with a variety of vocalists and instrumentalists including Eddie Johnson, Billy Drummond, Bobby Broom, Dayna Stephens, Joe Martin, George Fludas, Peter Epstein, Mark Ferber, and Geof Bradfield.  For 12 years he led the Dan Cray Trio with good friends bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Greg Wyser-Pratte. The Trio's music has been featured twice on the hit television show Gossip Girl, and they were personally selected by...
more
Pianist Dan Cray hails from Chicago, IL and graduated from Northwestern University in 1999 with degrees in European History and Jazz Studies. He was a finalist for both the 2004 APA Cole Porter Fellowship and the 2003 Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition, and has performed around the world in many diverse and creative settings with a variety of vocalists and instrumentalists including Eddie Johnson, Billy Drummond, Bobby Broom, Dayna Stephens, Joe Martin, George Fludas, Peter Epstein, Mark Ferber, and Geof Bradfield. For 12 years he led the Dan Cray Trio with good friends bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Greg Wyser-Pratte. The Trio's music has been featured twice on the hit television show Gossip Girl, and they were personally selected by Michael Keaton to provide music for his directorial debut, The Merry Gentleman. The Trio performed at the Chicago and Idlewild Jazz Festivals and at venues around the country including the 75th anniversary celebration at Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit. Together the group released four albums: Who Cares (2001), No One (Blujazz 2003), Save Us (Blujazz 2005), and the live recording Over Here Over Heard (Crawdad 2008). Their last two studio albums spent over 10 weeks on the National and College Jazz Charts, while Chicago's NPR station WBEZ named each among the year's best in 2003 and 2005, respectively. In the fall of 2009, Dan moved to New York to continue pursuing his career while working on a Master's degree at New York University. During this time, he was appointed adjunct professor at NYU, teaching jazz, classical and pop in private and group settings. After graduating in May of 2011, he recorded his fifth album Meridies, consisting of mostly original works and featuring saxophonist Noah Preminger, drummer Mark Ferber and bassist Clark Sommers. It was released on Origin Records in March 2012, and was awarded four stars and inclusion on the best of 2012 list by Downbeat Magazine. Dan spent the 2013-14 school year in Reno, Nevada working as a lecturer in jazz piano at the University of Nevada. He's currently back performing and teaching out of his studio in Brooklyn with his new recording, Outside In featuring saxophonist Dayna Stephens, released on Origin Records in 2016.

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Clark Sommers (bass)

Straddling a career in both New York City and Chicago, Clark has toured and performed extensively throughout the world sharing bills with artists such as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett and B.B.King . Clark has been a member of the Dan Cray trio for ten years. He has also had the privilege to perform with Cedar Walton, Kurt Elling, Ernie Watts, Bennie Maupin, Von Freeman, Ira Sullivan, Frank Wess, Charles McPherson, Peter Bernstein, Lin Haliday, Dana Hall, Jodie Christian, Maurice Brown, Bobby Broom, Jeff Parker, Ron Perrillo, Geof Bradfield, Michael Weiss, George Fludas, Kevin Mahogany, Eden Atwood, Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls, The Mighty Blue Kings and The Chicago Jazz Orchestra.  Clark completed his undergraduate degree in Jazz Studies...
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Straddling a career in both New York City and Chicago, Clark has toured and performed extensively throughout the world sharing bills with artists such as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett and B.B.King . Clark has been a member of the Dan Cray trio for ten years. He has also had the privilege to perform with Cedar Walton, Kurt Elling, Ernie Watts, Bennie Maupin, Von Freeman, Ira Sullivan, Frank Wess, Charles McPherson, Peter Bernstein, Lin Haliday, Dana Hall, Jodie Christian, Maurice Brown, Bobby Broom, Jeff Parker, Ron Perrillo, Geof Bradfield, Michael Weiss, George Fludas, Kevin Mahogany, Eden Atwood, Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls, The Mighty Blue Kings and The Chicago Jazz Orchestra. Clark completed his undergraduate degree in Jazz Studies and World Music at California Institute of the Arts, where he studied with bass masters Charlie Haden and Darek Oles. While living in Los Angeles, Clark performed with Leo Smith, Vinny Golia, the Charlie Haden(conducted by Charlie) Liberation Orchestra, Joe La Barbara, Los Angeles Jazz Quartet, Kris Tiner and Larry Koonse. In June, 2007 Clark received an honorable mention at the International Society of Bassists Convention. He continues to seek expansion of his craft and is currently pursuing classical studies with David Grossman of the New York Philharmonic. Clark's most recent touring activity includes extensive work with vocalist Kurt Elling which culminated in to a live recording that won a GRAMMY AWARD for best vocal jazz album in 2009. Clark is currently on the faculty at the ArtsWest School for Performing and Visual Arts in addition to the Origin Jazz Institute located in Boise, Idaho. There, he performs regularly with Kobie Watkins, Jeff Baker and Justin Neilsen.

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Dayna Stephens (saxophone)

As a 2003 graduate of the Thelonious Monk Institute, Stephens had the opportunity to work with the likes of Dave Holland, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, who helped strengthen his complex sensibility as a composer and improviser. In recent years Dayna has appeared with the likes of Carlos Santana, Kenny Barron, Terence Blanchard, Gretchen Parlato and many others.
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As a 2003 graduate of the Thelonious Monk Institute, Stephens had the opportunity to work with the likes of Dave Holland, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, who helped strengthen his complex sensibility as a composer and improviser.
In recent years Dayna has appeared with the likes of Carlos Santana, Kenny Barron, Terence Blanchard, Gretchen Parlato and many others.

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Mark Ferber (drums)

Composer(s)

Dan Cray (piano)

Pianist Dan Cray hails from Chicago, IL and graduated from Northwestern University in 1999 with degrees in European History and Jazz Studies. He was a finalist for both the 2004 APA Cole Porter Fellowship and the 2003 Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition, and has performed around the world in many diverse and creative settings with a variety of vocalists and instrumentalists including Eddie Johnson, Billy Drummond, Bobby Broom, Dayna Stephens, Joe Martin, George Fludas, Peter Epstein, Mark Ferber, and Geof Bradfield.  For 12 years he led the Dan Cray Trio with good friends bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Greg Wyser-Pratte. The Trio's music has been featured twice on the hit television show Gossip Girl, and they were personally selected by...
more
Pianist Dan Cray hails from Chicago, IL and graduated from Northwestern University in 1999 with degrees in European History and Jazz Studies. He was a finalist for both the 2004 APA Cole Porter Fellowship and the 2003 Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition, and has performed around the world in many diverse and creative settings with a variety of vocalists and instrumentalists including Eddie Johnson, Billy Drummond, Bobby Broom, Dayna Stephens, Joe Martin, George Fludas, Peter Epstein, Mark Ferber, and Geof Bradfield. For 12 years he led the Dan Cray Trio with good friends bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Greg Wyser-Pratte. The Trio's music has been featured twice on the hit television show Gossip Girl, and they were personally selected by Michael Keaton to provide music for his directorial debut, The Merry Gentleman. The Trio performed at the Chicago and Idlewild Jazz Festivals and at venues around the country including the 75th anniversary celebration at Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit. Together the group released four albums: Who Cares (2001), No One (Blujazz 2003), Save Us (Blujazz 2005), and the live recording Over Here Over Heard (Crawdad 2008). Their last two studio albums spent over 10 weeks on the National and College Jazz Charts, while Chicago's NPR station WBEZ named each among the year's best in 2003 and 2005, respectively. In the fall of 2009, Dan moved to New York to continue pursuing his career while working on a Master's degree at New York University. During this time, he was appointed adjunct professor at NYU, teaching jazz, classical and pop in private and group settings. After graduating in May of 2011, he recorded his fifth album Meridies, consisting of mostly original works and featuring saxophonist Noah Preminger, drummer Mark Ferber and bassist Clark Sommers. It was released on Origin Records in March 2012, and was awarded four stars and inclusion on the best of 2012 list by Downbeat Magazine. Dan spent the 2013-14 school year in Reno, Nevada working as a lecturer in jazz piano at the University of Nevada. He's currently back performing and teaching out of his studio in Brooklyn with his new recording, Outside In featuring saxophonist Dayna Stephens, released on Origin Records in 2016.

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