Jeff Denson, a native of the Washington, D.C. Area, has been actively performing since 1996 in a myriad of genres ranging from jazz and improvisational music, classical and contemporary orchestral and chamber music, to R&B and pop. He has done extensive freelance work in the Washington D.C. Area, New England, New York, the Southeast and Southern California, as well as performing in Austria, Germany, Holland, and Switzerland. Jeff has performed at the Cologne Jazz Night 2003 Jazz Festival, the International Jazz Festival Viersen 2004 in Germany, the One Europe Music Festival 2004, in Maastrict, Holland, and the Generations 2004 International Jazz Meeting Jazz Festival in Frauenfeld, Switzerland. He has performed and/or recorded with distinguished musicians such as Andre Hayward, Kevin Bales, Gilbert Castellanos, Daniel Jackson, Mark Dresser, Bob Moses, Charlie Byrd, Joe Lovano, Carl Allen, Kenny Werner, Art Lande, and Lee Konitz.
As a composer Jeff has written and arranged for jazz ensembles ranging in size from big band to trio as well as composing for string ensembles and repertoire for solo double bass. Some of his compositions have been broadcasting on WDR (West German Radio) and Deutschland Radio (National German Radio), which is aired in Germany, parts of France, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Recorded examples of his work can be heard on Minsarah's Minsarah, The Bill Peterson Trio's The Bill Peterson Trio, and The Breathing Three's Let's Close Our Eyes. Currently Jeff is in the process of composing his first opera (in which workshop performances will be premiered in San Diego, CA in March 2006).
In 1999, Jeff received a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music, and in 2001 received the Berklee Achievement Scholarship. He received the Berklee Outstanding Performer Award in 2002, and graduated later that year with a B.M. in Performance, Cum Laude. In August 2003, Jeff received a full scholarship and graduate assistantship from Florida State University and graduated in May 2005 with a M.M. in Jazz Studies, Magna Cum Laude. In August 2005, Jeff received a full scholarship and graduate assistantship from The University of California, San Diego to pursue his DMA in Contemporary Music Performance with an emphasis on composition. In addition he has studied with John Lockwood, Butch Warren, Pepe Gonzalez, Whit Browne, Hal Crook, Marcus Roberts, Anthony Davis, and Mark Dresser.
In 2000, together with Israeli drummer, Ziv Ravitz and German pianist, Florian Weber Jeff formed the international trio, Minsarah. Since that time the group has been performing their unique music in clubs and festivals to highly receptive audiences in both the U.S. and parts of Europe. Minsarah is like a family; a true collaboration, where all three members compose and contribute equally. In 2003 they recorded their first self-titled album, Minsarah, on the German record label hubermusic, which has been receiving much critical acclaim from the press in both the US and Europe ever since. Their music is constantly questioning, searching, and exploring. John Taylor (ECM recording artist) describes their music as, "fresh, spontaneous, and challenging". Their music is influenced by the cultural music's of each of its members including: jazz, classical, pop, and avant-garde. Minsarah recorded their second album in March 2006 with ENJA Records, which will be released world-wide in late summer.
In addition to his extensive freelance work throughout the US and Europe, busy touring schedule with Minsarah, and educational endeavors, Jeff has been receiving rave reviews for his work with the Bill Peterson Trio and their work with the internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist, Inga Swearingen. The Bill Peterson Trio, with pianist, Bill Peterson, and drummer Ronen Itzik, was formed in 2003 when the three met at Florida State University. Since that time the group has been receiving rave reviews for their self-titled album, The Bill Peterson Trio as well for two collaborative albums they did with jazz singers, Mariah Picot (Notes on the Bridge) and Inga Swearingen (Inga Swearingen with The Bill Peterson Trio). The trio will be recording their next album in summer 2006.