Renowned Trombonist Provides Memorable Lesson for Student Musicians

Former Baker High School student and renowned trombonist Jay Ashby returned to Central New York along with his wife, Kim Nazarian, founding member of the New York Voices, for performances at Lemoyne College and stopped by to work with our jazz ensembles.  The C-NS Jazz Ensemble and the W3B Vocal Jazz Group were given an opportunity to work with these highly acclaimed musicians and clinicians on Thursday, May 2^nd leading into their Thursday night concert.  
 
Ashby is a five-time Grammy Award-winning producer who has performed, toured and recorded with some of the most renowned jazz artists in the industry for over 25 years. Ashby developed a strong affinity for Brazilian jazz, which led to many years as a soloist with Astrud Gilberto, as well as arrangements, tours and recordings with a number of other Brazilian artists. He conducts master classes, residencies and clinics worldwide, including annual events in Germany, Brazil and Russia. He holds degrees from Ithaca College and Duquesne University, and is currently on faculty at Oberlin Conservatory where he serves as associate professor of jazz arranging.
 
Nazarian is a co-founding member of the New York Voices (NYV) and has been harmonizing the world over for the past 30 years. In 2012 Nazarian was recognized as one of the top 50 most influential Armenian artists and inducted into her high school’s Hall of Fame. Along with the many recordings she has made with NYV, Nazarian is featured on Bobby McFerrin’s “VOCAbuLarieS.” She is the lead vocalist for the Latin-influenced band El Eco. Their latest CD, “Puerto de Buenos Aires” (Zoho Records), earned Album of the Year by JAZZIZ’s Mark Holston. Nazarian is the Skype/Zoom Jazz Teacher for the vocal jazz majors at Ithaca College, an artist-in-residence at Tri-C Community College (Cleveland) and a regular visiting artist at Bowling Green State University, Le Moyne College and Moon Township High School.
 
The W3B Vocal jazz group, under the direction of Caryn Patterson, and the CNS jazz ensemble, under the direction of Danielle Rausa, were given lifelong lessons, providing the finishing touches we needed to put on a UNFORGETTABLE performance Thursday evening.