Home Jazz Studies in the News 2007-08 OJS Past OJS 2007-08 Calendar Recordings Video Press Coverage Pictures “They were so very, very special. So outstanding. Everyone who was at the 6:00 p.m. performance was, you could tell, so very impressed. People stood up to clap, and cheer, with much enthusiasm. They were terrific. I would say they were the best college performers at the festival.” —Betty Gannon at the 2001 Detroit Jazz Festival		2006-07 Oberlin Jazz Septet The 2006-2007 Oberlin Jazz Septet performed at the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival on September 4, 2006. L to R: Will Cleary (saxophones), Sullivan Fortner (piano), Miller Tinkerhess (trumpet), Russ Manning (bass), Charlie Higgins (guitar), Alex Ritz (drums), Rachel Levin (trombone). William Cleary, saxophone William Cleary is a junior at the Oberlin Conservatory where he studies with Visiting Professor of Jazz Saxophone Gary Bartz. William grew up in Houston, Texas and attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts under the direction of Warren Sneed. It was there that he performed with musicians such as Charles McPherson and Conrad Herwig. William also had the opportunity to open concerts for Jason Moran and Wynton Marsalis. He was the winner of the Bob Ostrum Jazz Scholarship and the Jason Moran Scholarship in 2004. William is currently performing and recording with various musicians from Oberlin and Cleveland. Sullivan Fortner, piano Sullivan Joseph Fortner Jr. is a native of New Orleans who began playing piano at the age of four and was playing for church choirs by the age of nine. Sullivan was recognized by the local Cox Cable channel as one of the recipients of the “Amazing Kids” award at age eleven. He has received scholarships to the Skidmore Jazz Studies Summer Program and the Vail Jazz Institute. Sullivan graduated from the New Orleans Center of Creative Arts as class valedictorian. He has performed throughout the city of New Orleans, the state of Louisiana and abroad and has been recognized as a renowned gospel and jazz musician. Sullivan has been privileged to play at our nation’s capital with outstanding musicians Clyde Kerr Jr., Kent Jordan, Donald Harrison, and Nicholas Payton. He is currently pursuing a degree in jazz piano performance as a student of Dan Wall, Visiting Assistant Professor of Jazz Piano. Charlie Higgins, guitar Charlie Higgins was born in New York City and moved to New Canaan, CT when he was too young to remember. After a very brief stint on piano, he started playing the guitar at age 11 because he wanted to be just like Slash from Guns and Roses. His earliest musical influence was his mom playing Disney songs on the piano, but since then his influences include diverse musicians such as Jim Hall, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Johnny Smith, Bill Frisell, Lee Konitz, Stan Getz, Ahmad Jamal, Wes Montgomery, Thelonious Monk, Grant Green, Chet Baker, The Meters, Mississipi John Hurt, and Bob Dylan. Charlie has performed at a number of great venues such as the Regatta Bar in Boston and The Green Dolphin in Capetown, South Africa. He has shared the stage with many great musicians and ensembles, including The Oberlin Jazz Ensemble, The Funk Band, and his high school rock band The Peels. Charlie is a fourth year Jazz Studies and English double major and currently studies under Associate Professor of Jazz Guitar Bob Ferrazza. Rachel Levin, trombone Rachel Levin grew up in Lincolnshire, IL, near Chicago. While attending Stevenson High School she played trombone in the high school jazz ensemble and played principal trombone in the Midwest Young Artists Youth Orchestra. She also played trombone at the Essentially Ellington Contest at Lincoln Center in New York, and performed with the Panoramic Brass Quintet, which won the Rembrant Chamber Music competition in Chicago and was a semi-finalist at the Fischoff national chamber music competition. Rachel won the Walgreens concerto competition in 2003 and performed the Larsson Trombone Concerto with the Midwest Young Artists orchestra under the direction of Allen Dennis in Pick Staiger hall at Northwestern. In addition to classical and jazz Rachel has played salsa music in Cleveland with Sammy Deleon and Noel Quintana. Before attending Oberlin she studied trombone with Audrey Morrison and Charles Vernon. She is a jazz and classical trombone performance double major at Oberlin, where she studies with Associate Professor of Jazz Trombone Robin Eubanks and Professor of Trombone James DeSano. Rachel enjoys listening to Monk, Mingus, Billie Holiday, Art Blakey, JJ Johnson, Jimmy Bosch and Jack Teagarden. Russell Manning, bass Russell Manning was born on March 5, 1985 in New York City. He began playing the electric bass at age 11. At age 14 a teacher encouraged him to learn the upright bass. He began performing with the high school big band and chamber orchestra. During 2002 at the annual Berklee School of Music's high-school jazz competition, Russell was awarded Most Valuable Musician for large and small ensembles. In 2003 Russell received Most Outstanding Musician's award within the Berkeley Carroll High School. Russell has studied with bassists Adam Bernstein, Leon Lee Dorsey, and is currently studying with Professor of Jazz Studies and Double Bass Peter Dominguez. He has performed in New York City music venues such as Pianos, Don Hills, Night and Day and the Sidewalk Cafe. Russell recently performed at the Detroit Jazz Festival. Alex Ritz, drums Alex Ritz grew up in New Paltz, New York, where he began playing drums at age eight. While still in high school, he had the opportunity to study drums with Joe Carozza, John Riley, Marvin “Bugalu” Smith and Ed Shaughnessy. He also performed regularly with two professional jazz big bands, "Switch In Time" and "Big Bang Jazz Gang". He developed his small group playing by frequenting jam sessions. Alex is currently a junior double-degree student at Oberlin College, majoring in jazz performance and mathematics. His primary studies are with Assistant Professor of Jazz Percussion Billy Hart and Visiting Associate Professor of Percussion Jamey Haddad, and has received small ensemble coaching from the Oberlin jazz faculty. One of his small ensembles at Oberlin, The Sharkbites, recorded an original tune that was featured on the October 2006 Jazziz compilation CD. Before transferring to Oberlin, Alex spent a year at the Hartt School, where he studied drums with Tony Leone, and had the opportunity to perform with Nat Reeves, Steve Davis, and Randy Johnston. Miller Tinkerhess, trumpet Miller Tinkerhess grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he began his musical studies with piano lessons at age seven. He took up guitar at nine, studying with Shari Kane, trumpet at ten, studying with Paul Finkbeiner, and turntables at fourteen, studying with Justin Fitins. He also took lessons with saxophonist Vincent York and played trumpet in the Community High School jazz program under the instruction of Mike Grace. His high school rock band The Ninjas opened for acts such as The Slackers and Andrew W.K. He is currently a jazz trumpet performance major at the Oberlin Conservatory, where he has studied with Visiting Professor of Jazz Trumpet Marcus Belgrave and Associate Professor of Trumpet Roy Poper.