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A native of the Chicago area, Lorin Cohen's professional experiences span North America, Europe and Asia. Lorin was a student of the pioneering bass guitarist Anthony Jackson at The Manhattan School of Music from 1990-1991. He received his B.A. in Philosophy from Northwestern University in 1995. He later studied acoustic bass with Larry Gray, Joe Guastefeste (principal bassist with the Chicago Symphony) and, in two life-changing lessons, with the legendary Ray Brown. In August and September of 2004, Lorin toured Southeast Asia extensively with The Chicago Jazz Quartet as a "Jazz Ambassador" for the U.S. Department of State. In Vietnam he performed in Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Hanoi, and in Haiphong in a premiere performance by an American musical group. In Thailand he performed in Bangkok for the Ambassador at his private residence and in Chiang Mai, where he was featured on Television of Thailand, which was broadcast to over ten million people. In Jakarta, Indonesia, he performed as part of the Gedung Kesenian International Arts Festival, and was featured on "Blues Night" for Republic of Indonesia Television. In the Philippines, Lorin performed in Manila at the American Embassy, and on the island of Cebu.??As one of the few American musicians to perform in Pakistan in recent years, Lorin played in Lahore and at the American Embassy in Islamabad, where he collaborated with local masters of Pakistani music. This tour also brought him to Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he played with wooden flute master Samakal Maniruzzaman. In March of 2005, pianist Monty Alexander asked Lorin to perform with him in Zurich, Switzerland at the famed Widder Hotel. Recent performance highlights include The International Association of Jazz Educators Conference, the Bosendorfer Piano Studio and Fat Cat Jazz Club, all in New York City. In June of 2006 Lorin performed opposite Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson at the Medicine Hat Jazz Festival in Alberta, Canada with the Ryan Cohan Quartet. In July, at the Skidmore Jazz Workshop in Saratoga Springs, New York, Lorin played in the premiere performance of Cohan's jazz suite "One Sky." Lorin is a recipient of the 2006 Community Arts Assistance Program Grant from the City of Chicago and the Illinois Arts Council. He is currently based in Chicago.
Ryan Cohan, Pianist Currently based in Chicago, IL, Ryan maintains a busy schedule as an in demand sideman and composer and has worked with master jazz artists such as: Freddie Hubbard, Regina Carter, Joe La Barbera, Pat La Barbera, Curtis Fuller, Jon Faddis, Kurt Elling, Nick Brignola, Michal Urbaniak, and Kent Jordan among others. Ryan's diverse resume also includes a substantial list of commercial studio performing credits for such clients as: Sears, Nissan, Toyota, Budweiser, and Oprah Winfrey, a guest artist appearance in 1999 with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, and the 2001 music director position with the Chicago Human Rhythm Project. As an educator, Ryan has been on the faculty of the New York Summer School Of The Arts program (1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2004) and an accompanist and instructor at the Bloom School Of Jazz (1997-2000). Ryan has also worked independently as a clinician as well as representing the Urban Gateways and MusicAlive! programs playing for and working with students both locally and nationally (1991-present). In 2000, The Illinois Arts Council awarded Ryan an artist's fellowship grant for his work as a composer. Ryan Cohan's recording career began in 1997 with the independent release of Real World. Co-produced with Cliff Colnot, it featured many outstanding Chicago jazz instrumentalists as well as members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performing a repertoire of all Cohan originals. Ryan cultivated and sharpened his voice over the next few years, and followed Real World with Here and Now late in 2001. For this second offering of brand new compositions, Ryan complemented his world class midwest cast with the brilliant woodwind talents of Los Angeles', Bob Sheppard. Here and Now was distributed internationally on the U.K. based Sirocco Jazz record label and was Ryan's premier release under his own name to the global jazz community. A rarity for a debut release, it was met with critical acclaim and unanimous praise from reviewers in Europe as well as the United States. Ryan's relationship with recording artist Ramsey Lewis began in late 1997 when he penned four compositions, including the title track, for Ramsey's 1998 album on GRP records, Dance Of The Soul. Their collaborations continued with Ryan performing on tour with Ramsey in 1999, and with Ryan's work as the primary arranger on Ramsey's CD, Appassionata, released by Narada Jazz in 1999. Ryan's work distinguished itself favorably in critics' reviews and marked a new direction in Ramsey's work. Billboard Magazine honored Appassionata with its 2000 Billboard Award for "Best Jazz Album." Ryan then contributed his writing skills to Ramsey's 2002 release on Narada Jazz, Meant To Be, featuring Nancy Wilson. Most recently, Ryan composed the theme song to the PBS TV program, The Legends Of Jazz, produced by Ramsey Lewis and Bill Curtis, and was commissioned to author arrangements for an upcoming solo piano recording by Lewis.
After attending Bloom School of Jazz in 1988, Hinda spent several years honing her vocal skills at "open mike" nights in Chicago jazz clubs. In 1993, she enrolled in the "Jazz in July" program at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and was selected as the featured vocalist for the Amherst Jazz Festival that year. Hinda has performed at such venues as the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Cabaret Convention at Town Hall in New York City, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in San Francisco, Van Dyke's Cafe in Miami Beach, and has been seen on the Black Entertainment Television Network. Hinda currently appears in clubs throughout Chicagoland, and can be heard on jazz radio stations across the country. Hinda's repertoire of over 200 standards emphasizes songs by Ellington, Strayhorn, Jobim, Gershwin and Cole Porter. Hinda's CDs, You Are There, and Moon and Sand, which she arranged and produced herself, are available at music stores throughout the Chicago area. |
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