Triangulation

Mitch Seidman was initially inspired by a Kenny Burrell record to pursue jazz guitar, and afterwards by the late Attila Zoller, through study and a close friendship that began in 1974. A professional musician and music educator for well over forty years, he has performed at festivals, nightclubs, adjudicated, and presented clinics throughout the U.S., as well in France, Germany, and Costa Rica, where he was also an artist-in-residence. Seidman has recorded with Harold Vick, Harvie S, Ted Brown, Alan Dawson, Joe Hunt, Tony Zano, Ed Harlow, and Charlie Kohlhase, and has performed with John Pisano, Teddy Kotick, George Garzone, Herb Pomeroy, Hal Crook, Joe Beck, Michael Formanek, Holly Hofmann, Don Friedman, Vera Auer, Tyrone Brown, Eddie Jones, Steve LaSpina, Ray Drummond, Ron McClure, George Duke, Billy Harper, Elliott Zigmund, as well as with "Triangulation" (a trio with Claire Arenius and Jamie MacDonald). He has led recordings on Jardis (Germany), Cadence, Kyran Music, and Brownstone Records. Seidman is a Professor at Berklee College of Music, was a contributing editor to 20th Century Guitar Magazine, and co-authored the book entitled Playing the Changes:Guitar on Berklee Press/Hal Leonard.

Drummer/composer/educator Claire Arenius has performed jazz and improvisational music for more than thirty years. Her formative years were spent studying music at the University of Massachusetts, where Archie Shepp and Max Roach were on faculty. Later, as the recipient of a National Endowment Music Grant, Claire relocated to New York City to study with master drummer Charli Persip. This led to Claire's joining legendary trombonist/arranger Melba Liston's ensemble and to performances at Carnegie Hall, the Seaport Jazz Fest, Jazzmobile, & many other concerts. Claire has also toured Europe with Hungarian-born guitar Master Attila Zoller, founder of the Vermont Jazz Center. She has performed and/or recorded with many jazz greats including: Tal Farlow, Slide Hampton, Richard Davis, Archie Shepp, Marion Brown, Karrin Allyson, Charles Neville, George Mraz, Ray Copeland, Mose Allison, Barney Kessel, Yusef Lateef, Rufus Reid, Lew Soloff, Sheila Jordan and more. Claire's compositional works have been featured at the Many Colors of a Woman Jazz Festival, The Iron Horse, Amherst College Composer's Colloquium, The Discover Jazz Festival, University of Wisconsin, Ryles, and the International Millenium Festival in Medillen, Colombia. She has released a debut CD of her original compositions, "When Worlds Touch You" featuring pianist, Eugene Uman & bassist, Thomson Kneeland. Some of her collaborative projects can be heard on Playscape recordings label. Her recent performance work includes dates with her own trio, bassist Vishnu Wood's Safari East, pianist Joel Martin's Jazzical trio, and others. Claire presently is the creator/producer of the Jazz On The Mothership Series in Northampton, Ma. where she features national and international jazz artists with her trio every week. Claire presently serves as Adjunct Music Jazz Performance Faculty at Amherst College and on music performance faculty at Smith College, and as a clinician/educator for the Holyoke community College Jazz Festivals, and year round Faculty/ensemble director for the Vermont Jazz Center.

Jamie MacDonald, an upright and electric bassist, is known in the New England-area as a professional, musical, and eclectic bassist. Additionally, his students consider him to be a hardworking, challenging, and eye-opening teacher. Though Macdonald's degree was conferred over ten years ago, his studies have continued. Jamie Macdonald refers to himself as a "student of music." In other words, he feels music offers an endless number of lessons, and an endless number of opportunities for growth. He began his career at Keene State College where he earned two degrees – a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Theory and Music History and a Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance. He has studied privately with Mike Formanek, Cameron Brown, Don Baldini, and attended master classes with Santi Debriano and Marcus McClaurine. Macdonald performs in a number of genres. As a classical musician he is currently principal bassist in the Keene Chamber Orchestra, Windham Orchestra, Raylynmor Opera Company, Hugh Keelan Ensemble, as well as work with Pioneer Valley Symphony, Monadnock Music and Monadnock Chorus. As part of his 10 plus year tenure with the Vermont Jazz Center, Macdonald worked as a bassist for the Vermont Jazz Center Big Band and he served as a summer faculty member at the Vermont Jazz Center Summer Camp in Brattleboro, Vermont. Here, he taught theory courses, accompanied Sheila Jordan's vocal class, and played bass for jam sessions. He performed in concert with other faculty members including Gene Rush, Pete Yellin, Satoshi Takeishi, Helmut Kagerer, Jay Clayton, Claire Arenius, James Williams, and Sheila Jordan. Macdonald has also performed with Bobby Bradford, Rod Levitt Orchestra, Peter Eldridge, Carlos Averhoff, Catherine Legard, Emilie Conway, and Harvey Diamond. He is currently performing as part of the Jazz Demolition Project with David Goodrich on guitar and Doug Raneri on dums. He also regularly performs with a Charles Mingus Tribute group, Draa Hobbs, Mitch Seidman, and The Diamond Cosmos. Macdonald collaborated with Kate Parsons to found The Open Music Collective (a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching and learning a variety of musical styles). He has led a number of jazz student ensembles for a range of students and instruments. He currently works at Brattleboro Union High School as the Jazz Workshop Director in addition to directing jazz ensembles and vocal repertoire courses at OMC.