About Matt Gordy’s Jazz Tonite Sextet

Matt Gordy’s Jazz Tonite Sextet is an all-star group of jazz professionals from the L.A. area. This tight-knit ensemble has been performing around Southern California for the past 2 years at such venues as Vitello’s, CAP Theater, The Blue Whale, The Concourse Hyatt Hotel at LAX, and an upcoming show at the Grand Annex, San Pedro.

Matt Gordy

Matt Gordy is a drummer/percussionist/arranger/composer who has performed with international orchestras all over the world, including the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and with star attractions such as Joni Mitchell, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Jr., and Aretha Franklin, to name a few. Originally from the Boston area, he now resides in Los Angeles, where he is the drummer for Steve
Huffsteter’s Big Band and a regular fixture at Herb Alpert’s club, Vibrato. He has three recordings as a leader, Two/2/Two on Hook Records, Almost Spring on Brownstone Recordings and Eclipse, on Everafter Productions. Recently, he performed at the 2013 Changsha Music Festival in Changsha, Hunan Province, China.

Steve Huffsteter, trumpet, is a long-time regular in the Southern California music world, has recorded with most of the West Coast bands including Stan Kenton, Gerald Wilson, Toshiko Akioshi, Bob Florence, Clare Fischer, Poncho Sanchez and Dave Pell, in addition to the usual Hollywood studio work.

Robert Lockart, tenor saxophone, soprano and flute As a performer, he has played with the Woody Herman Orchestra, Tom Harrell Big Band, Doc Severinsen Big Band, Joe LaBarbera Quintet, Kurt Elling, and the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat band. In addition to single performances with Dave Liebman, Lee Konitz and as a soloist with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. In Los Angeles Rob is active as a recording musician in the jazz community and TV and film. As a jazz artist he is a featured sideman with Steve Houghton, Chris Walden, Bob Sheppard, Bill Cunliffe, Matt Harris, Jeff Berlin and Mitch Watkins for Enja records. He has also recorded fro Paul Anka,Tamela D’Amico, Michael Bolton, Arturo Sandoval and Renee Olstead and many others. He currently has his own CD “Parallel Lives” on Origin Records.

Ryan Dragonn, trombone Originally from Orange County, California, Dragonn’s first engagement was a Cirque Du Soleil show Called Bananna Schpeel, in Canada. After Cirque Du Soleil, Dragonn spent a short stint in NYC where he freelanced before finally moving back to Los Angeles where he currently lives. In LA, Dragonn has played/recorded with Gordon Goodwins Big Phat Band, John Beasley’s Monk’estra, Herbie Hancock, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, John Tesh, Paul Anka, Johnny Mathis, Kid Songs, The Stradband, Kim Richmonds Concert Jazz Orchestra, John La Barbera’s Big Band, Danny Seraphine’s C.T.A, Lee Ritenhour, The Matt Gordy Sextet, Bill Holman And Mark Masters Ensemble, to name a few.

Bassist Chris Colangelo is one of the genuine masters on his instrument. The first thing you notice about Chris’s playing — his tone, deeply resonant with astonishing articulation across the instrument’s sonic register. Once you adjust to such reverberant force, you recognize that this is a musician with serious chops … that hard to define, never forgotten lyric quality that separates yeoman time-keepers from bassists with seductive narrative power.

Born in Camden, New Jersey, Chris attended Rowan University, majoring in jazz performance. Then a resident of the Philadelphia area, Chris was part of the local jazz scene, with session work throughout the Delaware Valley, including gigs in Atlantic City. After moving to Los Angeles in late ’91, Chris began performing and traveling with heavyweights such as the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Count Basie Orchestra, “The Tonight Show Band”, Yusef Lateef, Bob Brookmeyer, Jimmy Cleveland, Alex Acuna, Roy McCurdy, Doc Severinsen, Ernie Watts, Kei Akagi, Les McCann, Richie Cole, Sal Marquez, Joe La Barbera, Bob Mintzer, Arturo Sandoval and Peter Erskine among many others. He is currently touring with famed vocalists Jack Jones and Mary Wilson.

Llew Matthews Born in New York City, Llew, a very skilled musician, is a major asset no matter what the musical situation and he has appeared in a countless number of settings through the years.

When: Thursday, November 13 2014. 7:30 PM
Where: Inside Pete Carlson’s Golf & Tennis
$25 Admission | Students are FREE
All non-profit proceeds benefit young musicians in the Coachella Valley.