New Album: January 17th, 2020: Doug Stone - MOTION
“Doug Stone’s “Motion” is both a figurative and literal testament to the artists’ drive to continually move forward into the future. ”
“The effervescent and melodic music propels the listener forward with each musician’s modern unique voice, while masterfully playing homage to the tradition of be-bop. ”
For Immediate Release
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. - Respected saxophonist and educator, Doug Stone, showcases his brilliant technique and harmonic ingenuity in his latest release Motion (OiM2010).
Doug Stone’s career thus far has involved work as a touring musician, primarily with jazz trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson and his band, the Big Bop Nouveau, as well as with the “world-jazz” group Panoramic. He is a distinguished graduate of the Northern Illinois University and the Eastman School of Music, where he holds a double master's degree in jazz performance and music education. He currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at Louisiana State University. As former editor at DownBeat Jim Szantor describes, “Stone is a saxophonist who has learned how to harness his prodigious technique and harmonic acumen to produce solos that are at once creative, sinuous, impassioned and memorable. His technique is prodigious but never gratuitously employed, and his use of high harmonics judicious and electric.”
Born out of the time Doug Stone spent in Rochester, NY the album features all players with ties to the Eastman School of Music. Fellow Eastman graduate, bassist Danny Ziemann; respected guitarist and Eastman Faculty member Bob Sneider; and accomplished drummer and Eastman Community School Faculty member, Mike Mellito. The album’s effortless and highly attuned and responsive improvisation is the byproduct of their long shared history of playing together both locally while in Rochester and across the county.
Motion is both a figurative and literal testament to the artists drive to continually move forward into the future. The effervescent and melodic music propels the listener forward with each musician’s modern unique voice, while masterfully playing homage to the tradition of be-bop. The album’s compositions reach deep into the straight ahead repertoire bringing you tunes known by many, but not often fully explored.
Motion features legendary guitarist, Wes Montgomery’s "Full House" a tune Doug began investigating after collaborating with fellow bandmate Bob Sneider. The song has gone on to become one of the group’s favorites, and what Doug fondly refers to as the group’s “anthem.” Another tune from Motion, Grant Green’s "Jean De Fleur," has bridged the gap between Doug's time in Rochester and his recent move to Baton Rouge and Louisiana State University. When Stanton Moore, a legend in the New Orleans Funk scene, visited LSU he requested "Jean De Fleur" as a standard part of the student’s learning repertoire. Doug enjoyed sharing his version with Stanton and students. Motion beautifully illustrates the musicians’ modern sensibilities while firmly rooted in the jazz tradition.
Motion releases on Outside in Music on January 17, 2020.
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Doug Stone Full Bio:
Doug Stone’s career has involved work as a touring musician, primarily with jazz trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson and his band, the Big Bop Nouveau, as well as with the “world-jazz” group Panoramic, and with a number of ensembles from Chicago, Illinois. His time on the road has taken him to virtually every corner of the United States as well as Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and Canada. As a member of groups at Northern Illinois University, Stone had the opportunity to perform with Frank Foster, Benny Golson, Frank Wess, Jimmy Heath, Rufus Reid, Larry Ridley, and Carl Allen. As a member of the Birch Creek Academy Band he has performed with jazz luminaries Dennis Mackrel, Harold Jones, Derrick Gardner, Tanya Darby, Reggie Thomas, and Clay Jenkins. He spent six years working full-time as a freelance saxophonist and woodwind player, teacher, composer, and arranger in the rich musical environment of Chicago.
Mr. Stone can be heard on recordings from the Sam Craine Quartet, the Dave Hoffman Sextet, the NIU Jazz Ensemble and Jazztet, the Jazz Arranging Syndicate, Birch Creek Academy Big Band, the Ed Breazeale Group, the Ji Young Lee Quartet, the Stuart Mindeman Group, the Ian Torres Big Band, the John Burnett Orchestra, Panoramic, Quintopus, the Rick Holland Little Big Band, the Rich Thompson Quartet and Trio, the Westview Project, the John Nyerges Quintet, the Bob DiBaudo ensemble, the Eric Schmitz Sextet, and the Tom Marko ensemble. Stone has four recordings to his credit as a co-bandleader: Doug Stone/Josiah Williams “The Early Riser”, Stone/Ziemba Duo “In the Zone”, Nick Fryer/Doug Stone “Quartet”, and The Stone/Bratt Big Band “SBBB”.
Stone is also a published arranger and composer (Kendor Music). His compositions and arrangements have been performed by professional, university, and high school level jazz ensembles throughout the United States.
In 2009 Mr. Stone moved to Rochester, New York to pursue a double master’s degree in jazz performance and music education at the Eastman School of Music. He has performed in Rochester with the Dave Rivello Ensemble, the Westview Project, the Gap Mangione Big Band, Quintopus, the John Nyerges Duo and Quartet, Jeff Campbell, Rich Thompson, and other talented local jazz artists. While in western New York, Stone has worked with several noteworthy musicians including George Caldwell, Bobby Militello, Harold Danko, Gene Bertoncini, Bill Dobbins, Mark Ferber, Ike Sturm, Charles Pillow, Allen Vizzutti, and the Mambo Kings.
Since 2009 Mr. Stone has taught private lessons, ensembles, and classes at the Eastman Community Music School (ECMS). He has also served as chair of the ECMS jazz department and has directed the prestigious Eastman Youth JazzOrchestra. In 2012 Mr. Stone accepted a position as the director of jazz ensembles at the Rochester School of the Arts (SOTA) in Rochester, New York. He taught several ensembles, classes, and lessons at SOTA.
In the summers Mr. Stone teaches at the Eastman Summer Jazz Studies Program, the Tri-Tone Jazz Camp, has previously served as co-director of the Eastman at Keuka College Jazz Camp, and served as assistant to the director at the Birch Creek Jazz Camp.
Mr. Stone has held teaching positions at The State University of New York at Brockport, the Northern Illinois University Community School of the Arts in DeKalb, IL, and he worked as private saxophone, jazz, and small group instructor at St. Charles North High School in St. Charles, IL. Mr. Stone is currently the Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at Louisiana State University.
