WSU Jazz Invitational
Friday, April 25, 2025
Email William Flynn With QuestionsFriday, April 25, 2025
Email William Flynn With QuestionsPat Bianchi has never been afraid to take the concepts of 鈥淛azz Organ鈥 into new directions. His playing draws from a wide range of musical influences including organists Dr. Lonnie Smith and Joey DeFrancesco (both who mentored Bianchi in his early years) but also encompasses other instrumentalists and approaches that stretch beyond the Hammond B-3 world. The result is a unique and creative voice of the organ that acknowledges the tradition while looking forward at the same moment.
As a leader, Bianchi has toured extensively through the United States and Europe, appeared at numerous jazz festivals and in recent years his trio has opened for Steely Dan for 3 separate east coast tours. In addition to being a prolific bandleader, the Grammy-nominated organist was a longtime member of the trio led by late guitar icon Pat Martino as well as NEA Jazz Master Lou Donaldson's Quartet. Pat has also enjoyed tenured memberships in the bands of some of the most highly revered artists in jazz including; Joe Locke, Chuck Loeb and Ralph Peterson Jr.
Additional performance credits include: Red Holloway, Terrace Martin, Mark Whitfield, Terell Stafford, Dakota Staton, Javon Jackson, Peter Bernstein and Tim Warfield among many others. With 9 CD releases as a leader and appearing on over 40 additional recordings as a guest artist, Bianchi continues to be in high demand. His command of the instrument, harmonic prowess, rhythmic intensity and versatility are rivaled by few.
While maintaining an active performance schedule, Bianchi also teaches jazz organ classes and lessons at Berklee College of Music. He also shares his deep knowledge and love of jazz organ history as host of the weekly Sirius XM show Organized.
Growing up in Akron, Ohio, Dan Wilson spent the majority of his youth within the church community, where his musical path began.
Traces of his major guitar influences 鈥 including Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Joe Pass, and George Benson to name a few 鈥 can be discerned through his playing, but his musical identity has been shaped by everything from gospel and blues to traditional jazz, hip-hop and horn players like Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
After graduating from Hiram College, Wilson made his recording debut with pianist Joe McBride and performed to worldwide acclaim with Joey DeFrancesco and Christian McBride鈥檚 Tip City, eventually recording his debut as a leader To Whom It May Concern.
Wilson has had the honor of sharing the stage with jazz greats including Eric Marienthal, Russell Malone, Les McCann, Ren茅 Marie, Jeff Hamilton, David Sanborn and Dave Stryker. He also teaches jazz guitar and music theory through private lessons.
Wilson鈥檚 career took him on an exploratory journey into foundations laid down by the guitar/organ tradition, eventually leading to an invitation to perform with jazz great Joey DeFrancesco鈥檚 trio quartet, with which Wilson went on to earn a GRAMMY庐 Award nomination with for DeFrancesco鈥檚 Project Freedom album (Mack Avenue Records, 2017).
This collaboration allowed the guitarist to insert his own dialect into the musical prowess and respect that DeFrancesco had earned throughout his journey.
Wilson had been playing with DeFrancesco for a few years when he met bassist, composer, arranger, Christian McBride. From there, Wilson went on to tour with McBride鈥檚 trio Tip City, eventually leading McBride to serve as producer on "Vessels of Wood and Earth" and release the album on his newly formed imprint Brother Mister Productions through Mack Avenue Music Group.
The album was released on April 23, 2021 and is available on all platforms.