Jason Anick (born October 3, 1985,

Framingham Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County and the MetroWest subregion of the Greater Bost ...

, Massachusetts) is an American

jazz violin Jazz violin is the use of the violin or electric violin to improvise solo lines. Early jazz violinists included: Eddie South, who played violin with Jimmy Wade's Dixielanders in Chicago; Stuff Smith; and Claude "Fiddler" Williams. Joe Venuti w ...

ist,

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

player and composer. He currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts, and teaches at the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cou ...

Early life

Anick started classical violin lessons at age six but it was the summers spent learning fiddle tunes from his father that trained his ear and liberated him early on from the printed page. He was eleven when he met

Stephane Grappelli Stephane may refer to: * Stéphane, a French given name * Stephane (Ancient Greece), a vestment in ancient Greece * Stephane (Paphlagonia) Stephane ( grc, Στεφάνη) was a small port town on the coast of ancient Paphlagonia, according to Arria ...

and twelve when he fiddled for President and Mrs. Clinton when they showed up at a fiddle showcase on Martha's Vineyard. In junior high school, he took a detour and started a rock band on guitar, but videos of European

Gypsy jazz Gypsy jazz (also known as gypsy swing, jazz manouche or hot club-style jazz) is a style of small-group jazz originating from the Romani guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt (1910–53), in conjunction with the French swing violinist Stéphane G ...

players piqued a renewed fascination with the violin – and a passion for jazz. He entered the unique "acoustics and music" program at the

University of Hartford The University of Hartford (UHart) is a private university in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its main campus extends into neighboring Hartford and Bloomfield. The university attracts students from 48 states and 43 countries. The university and it ...

, combining an engineering degree with music performance studies at the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, part of the

Hartt School The Hartt School is the comprehensive performing arts conservatory of the University of Hartford located in West Hartford, Connecticut, United States, that offers degree programs in music, dance, and theatre. Founded in 1920 by Julius Hartt and ...

. There he worked with the likes of trombonist

Steve Davis Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a commentator, musician, DJ, and author. He is best known for dominating professional snooker during the 1980s, when he reached eight World S ...

and bassist

Nat Reeves Nat Reeves (born 1955 in Lynchburg, Virginia) is an American jazz bassist. He resides in Hartford, Connecticut, and teaches at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. He also performs internationally with a number of jazz artists. As a ...

to hone his straight-ahead and

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrum ...

chops. He was still attending college when guitarist

John Jorgenson John Richard Jorgenson (born July 6, 1956) is an American musician. Although best known for his guitar work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band and The Hellecasters, he is also proficient on the mandolin, mandocello, Dobro, pedal steel g ...

invited him to join his Quintet, having seen a YouTube video of Anick playing at the

Montreal Jazz Festival The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ( en, Montreal International Jazz Festival) is an annual jazz festival held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Jazz Fest holds the 2004 Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz fes ...

with the Robin Nolan Trio. Anick managed to complete school while touring with Jorgenson, beginning a professional relationship that has lasted for six years. The apprenticeship allowed him to hone his improvisational skills and stage presence while earning him a reputation as one of the top

/ world music violinists on the scene today. He has recorded one CD with the

John Jorgenson Quintet The John Jorgenson Quintet is an American gypsy jazz band led by guitarist John Jorgenson, a pioneer of the American gypsy jazz movement. The band was formed in 2004 for the release of ''Franco-American Swing''. Members include jazz violinist Ja ...

, One Stolen Night.

Career

In 2011, Anick released his first solo CD, Sleepless. A modern take on the

genre, it mixed new arrangements of classic

Hot Club Gypsy jazz (also known as gypsy swing, jazz manouche or hot club-style jazz) is a style of small-group jazz originating from the Romani guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt (1910–53), in conjunction with the French swing violinist Stéphane G ...

tunes with a half dozen original compositions which reflected Jason's penchant for creating musical "short stories". Jason's melodic approach to improvising and his facility for blending traditional and modern jazz sensibilities caught the ear of

's string department, who hired him as one of the youngest members of the Boston faculty. He currently teaches

and

, history of jazz violin, and "Django ensemble" while maintaining a busy schedule performing as guest artist and band leader in a range of projects. These include the modern jazz ensemble "Jason Anick Quartet", "Rhythm Future Quartet", a progressive Gypsy jazz ensemble featuring guitarists Olli Soikkeli and Vinny Raniolo (of

Frank Vignola Frank Vignola (born December 30, 1965) is an American jazz guitarist. He has played in the genres of swing, fusion, gypsy jazz, classical, and pop. Career Vignola grew up on Long Island, New York. His father played accordion and banjo and his b ...

Trio), and the "New Hot Club of America" an homage to the original

Hot Club of France The Hot Club de France is a French organization of jazz fans dedicated to the promotion of "traditional" jazz, swing, and blues. It was founded in 1931 in Paris, France, by five students of the Lycée Carnot. In 1928, Jacques Bureaux, Hugues Panas ...

with guitarist Gonzalo Bergara and fellow violinists Ben Powell and Leah Zeger. He also continues to tour with the

. In 2014, Anick released his second CD as band leader, Tipping PointJason Anick: Improv with Strings. Downbeat Magazine, March 2014
/ref> Backed up by piano, sax, bass and drums, this presents Anick in a modern jazz context as violin/mandolin player, composer and arranger.

Discography

*2011 ''Sleepless'' (Jason Anick) *2012 ''One Stolen Night'' (John Jorgenson Quintet) *2013 ''The New Hot Club of America'' (with Gonzalo Bergara) *2014 ''Tipping Point'' (Jason Anick)

References

External links

Official websiteJohn Jorgenson QuintetThe New Hot Club of America
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anick, Jason 1985 births Living people

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

Berklee College of Music faculty 21st-century American violinists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians