The Purchase Jazz Orchestra at The Falcon

The Purchase Jazz Orchestra is a 17-piece big band that performs jazz from every era. From staples like Ellington and Basie, to more modern works by today’s leading composers and arrangers like McNeely, Clayton, Abene, and Schneider, the PJO swings and is always a pleasure to listen to. Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist Todd Coolman, Director of the Purchase Jazz Studies Program, conducts the group.

Grammy award-winning bassist Todd Coolman is among the more in-demand musicians on the New York music scene today. Since moving to New York in 1978, he has performed and/or recorded with a virtual “who’s who” of jazz artists including Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Tommy Flanagan, Ahmad Jamal, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, and numerous others. Today, Todd is actively performing with an impressive array of artists including James Moody, Renee Rosnes, and The Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra. Todd has recorded three CDs as a leader, most recently, Perfect Strangers (2009), an ArtistShare fan-funded project....

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The Purchase Jazz Orchestra is a 17-piece big band that performs jazz from every era. From staples like Ellington and Basie, to more modern works by today’s leading composers and arrangers like McNeely, Clayton, Abene, and Schneider, the PJO swings and is always a pleasure to listen to. Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist Todd Coolman, Director of the Purchase Jazz Studies Program, conducts the group.

Grammy award-winning bassist Todd Coolman is among the more in-demand musicians on the New York music scene today. Since moving to New York in 1978, he has performed and/or recorded with a virtual “who’s who” of jazz artists including Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Tommy Flanagan, Ahmad Jamal, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, and numerous others. Today, Todd is actively performing with an impressive array of artists including James Moody, Renee Rosnes, and The Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra. Todd has recorded three CDs as a leader, most recently, Perfect Strangers (2009), an ArtistShare fan-funded project.

In addition to his busy performing schedule, Todd Coolman is a jazz educator. He is a Professor of Music and Director of the Jazz Studies Program in the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College (SUNY). He was selected for the 2001-2003 Doris and Karl Kempner Distinguished Professorship at Purchase and has received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. The author of two books, The Bass Tradition and The Bottom Line, Todd is also in demand as a clinician and lecturer at universities throughout the world, and is frequently sought after as a writing and research consultant for jazz history and CD liner-note projects. Todd received his Ph.D. in music from New York University.

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