About Sheryl Bailey
Sheryl Bailey is rated among the foremost bop-based guitarists to have emerged from the 90’s. Her attack can be direct and hard swinging, but she also exudes subtlety, elegance of phrase and a pure, warm liquid sound. Bill Milkowski has written about her:
“A modernist burner with and abundance of Pat Martino-style chops, Bailey prefers angular lines, odd harmonies, and the occasional touch of dissonance as she sails up and down the fretboard with fluid abandon,” – Jazz Times Magazine
She has toured and recorded with bass virtuoso Richard Bona, David Krakauer’s Klezmer Madness, Abraham Inc., Krakauer Plays Zorn, pop diva Irene Cara, George Garzone, Jack Wilkins, Shingo Okudaira and Gary Thomas.
She has 8 releases as a leader, including a DVD/CD from Mel Bay Records.
She has been an Associate Professor of Guitar at Berklee College of Music since 2000, The Collective in NYC, and has been a clinician for The National Guitar Workshop, The Stanford Jazz Workshop, The Duquesne Guitar Seminar, UARTS in Philadelphia, Southern Cross University in Australia, GIT, and LAMA. Her Mel Bay publication, “Moveable Shapes” is a top seller in their Jazz Curriculum series. Her latest teaching adventure is part of the Guitar Sherpa program, from TrueFire.com – a virtual jazz academy developed by Ms. Bailey, “The Bebop Dojo.”
Her newest release, “For All Those Living” features her hard-bop quartet on eight new original compositions. It is also a benefit for the Ronald McDonald House of NYC.
About Aaron Walker
The Memphis-reared, Delaware-based Drummer/percussionist/ composer/bandleader Aaron Walker is no stranger to jazz. He’s performed, toured and recorded with an impressive potpourri of jazz artists including James, Williams, Phineas Newborn, Harold Mabern, Gary Bartz, Nicholas Payton, George Coleman, Buster Williams, Steve Turre, Cecil Bridgewater, Junior Cook, Donald Harrison, Larry Willis, Geri Allen, Suzzette Ortiz, Sumi Tonooka, Helen Sung, Grady Tate, Sonny Fortune, Gary Thomas, George Colligan, Ronnie Matthews, Steve Coleman, Slide Hampton, Steve Nelson, Tim Warfield, Donald Brown, Terrell Stafford.
Walker was a member of Abbey Lincoln’s quartet for five years, where he toured the United States and Europe, and recorded on her CD, Who Used to Dance. Walker was also a member of Mulgrew Miller’s trio for a year and a half. He was also a member of vocalist Vanessa Rubin’s quartet, and recorded on her CD, Pastiche, and recorded with pianist Rodney Kendrick on his CD’s The Secrets of Rodney Kendrick and Dance, World, Dance. Walker also worked in BET’s Jazz Central studios and performed with many visiting jazz stars including Grover Washington, Jr., Joe Williams, Sherry Winston, Charles Fambrough, Keter Betts, Stanley Turrentine, and many others. He also performed in the house band for the TV show, You Bet Your Life, hosted by Billy Cosby, with organist Shirley Scott. In addition, Walker also recorded on Shirley Scott’s CD, A Walkin' Thing. He also performed with Brother Ah at one of President Obama's inaugural balls. Walker also played in the Ford's Theater production of Five Guys Named Moe in Washington, D.C. He recorded on Marty Nau's, CD, In and Out and on Jamie Broumas' recording, Blue and Green.
Growing up in Memphis, Walker was exposed to jazz at an early age, and was trained in the classics. He attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he furthered his jazz studies, and worked in the city’s many jazz venues, including Twins Jazz, and One Step Down. While at Howard, Walker toured Beijing, China in 1985. The next year, he toured Africa; specifically, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. That trip marked a turning point, musically, as well as spiritually: He became more interested in African music, and in how he could incorporate it into his own style of drumming. Aaron Walker has released his debut CD as a leader, Aaron Walker & Spiritual Rhythms.
He is also a member of the Philly Groove Collective that toured Croatia.
