Ben Markley Quintet feat. Clay Jenkins

About

Clay Jenkins is an accomplished jazz trumpeter who began performing early with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, then worked as a sought-after studio and touring musician in Los Angeles with big bands such as Buddy Rich's and Count Basie's before joining the Eastman faculty in Rochester, New York in 2000. He remains busy as a performer and educator, playing with the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, establishing the Snooky Young Endowed Scholarship at Eastman, and writing a biography of his friend and mentor Snooky Young. Jenkins has appeared on over one hundred recordings, including seven solo albums and many collaborations, and he holds degrees from North Texas State University and the University of Southern California. Ben Markley is an accomplished pianist, band leader and composer/arranger, active throughout the Rocky Mountain front range and has performed with Brian Lynch, Greg Osby, Eddie Henderson, Terell Stafford, George Garzone, Bobby Shew and John Fedchock and many others. Markley is the leader of the Ben Markley Big Band , a daring ensemble known for their creative takes on beloved modern and contemporary jazz classics. Fresh off the heels of Clockwise: The Music of Cedar Walton , Markley tackles his most ambitious project yet: Ari’s Funhouse , a big band album featuring the music of drummer Ari Hoenig, with Hoenig himself in the drum chair. The album received great critical acclaim and was selected as one of the best 4 star rated albums of 2022 by DownBeat magazine. Markley has performed a number of Nocturne artist in residencies, and and one of his trio projects was featured on Nocturne's first ever record release.