Brian Torff
Brian Quade Torff (born March 16, 1954 in Chicago , Illinois ) is an American modern jazz bassist who also regularly composes for orchestras such as the Boston Pops , the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Live and act
Torff studied double bass at both the Manhattan School of Music and the Berklee College of Music . In 1974 he accompanied Cleo Laine and then from 1975 Erroll Garner . He also recorded a duo album with Mary Lou Williams (Live at the Cookery). With Stéphane Grappelli from 1976 he went on several worldwide tours. In the late 1970s he worked in a trio with Marian McPartland and Jake Hanna . Between 1979 and 1982 he formed a duo with George Shearing . He also worked with Hank Jones , Clark Terry , James Moody , Jimmy Cobb and Red Rodney . Since 1995 he has headed the Union group , to which Paul Wertico and Laurence Hobgood belonged, and also traveled with Dave Samuels , John Etheridge and Larry Coryell . He can also be heard on recordings by musicians as diverse as Sonny Stitt , Dave Amram , Roy Kral , Oliver Nelson , Carrie Smith , Tony Bennett , Henry Mancini , Milt Hinton and Toots Thielemans .
As a professor at Fairfield University, Torff is responsible for its jazz program and directs the Django Reinhardt New York Festival . He was also a member of the Advisory Board of the National Endowment for the Arts and has also emerged as a jazz writer.
Discographic notes
- George Shearing Blues Alley & Jazz (1979)
- George Shearing On a Clear Day (1980)
- Manhattan Hoe Down (1984)
- Working on a Bassline (1997, with Joe Beck and Grisha Alexiev)
- State of the Union (1998)
- Life in East Bumblepuck (2006)
Lexigraphic entries
- Leonard Feather , Ira Gitler : The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press, New York 1999, ISBN 0-19-532000-X .
- Martin Kunzler : Jazz Lexicon. Volume 2: M – Z (= rororo-Sachbuch. Vol. 16513). 2nd Edition. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-499-16513-9 .
Web links
- Web presence
- Entry on the university's website
- Brian Torff at Allmusic (English)
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Torff, Brian |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Torff, Brian Quade (full name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz musician |
DATE OF BIRTH | March 16, 1954 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Chicago , Illinois |