Stan Killian, sax
Benito Gonzaalez, piano
Mac Hunter, drums
Corcoran Holt, bass

All tickets $15

Based in New York, tenor saxophonist Stan Killian performs original music drawing inspiration from the minds of Wayne Shorter, Woody Shaw, McCoy Tyner, and Joe Henderson. Reviewers have described his playing as “virtuosic”, “muscular”, and “mellifluous.” Peter Westbrook from Jazz Review writes, “Killian is by no means another Coltrane clone. He has a voice of his own with an almost classical sonority at times.” His new Quartet features the outstanding Venezuelan pianist/composer Benito Gonzalez, whose fierce energy and free harmonic approach ignites the band’s exclusively original repertoire. Always swinging, bassist Bryan Copeland and drummer Darrell Green, who both hail from New York, have a telepathic connection which enables the music to take unexpected twists and turns. The Quartet plans on recording their debut album next spring, but in the meantime, log onto www.stankillian.com for live audio samples of the band’s recent performances in New York City.

Originally from Texas, Stan Killian began his career at age 16, gigging with his father in the San Antonio area. Upon graduating from high school in 1997, he attended Texas State University in San Marcos, where he studied saxophone with John Mills and improvisation with pianist James Polk, former arranger and composer for the Ray Charles Orchestra. Stan began free-lancing in the Austin music scene, performing steadily as a side-musician with various local bands. A short time after he turned twenty-one, he recorded his first CD, “Straight Ahead” which features pianists James Polk and father Joe Killian, as well as Austin trumpet legend Martin Banks. After the release of “Straight Ahead” in 2001, Stan moved to Houston and began performing almost exclusively as a leader. In Houston, he began working with guitarist Clayton Dyess who had extensive experience with Nat Adderly, Dizzy Gillespie, Arnett Cobb, Al Grey and Joe Pass. In 2002, he recorded “Deep Down” which features legendary Houston drummer G.T Hogan, Joe Killian and James Polk on Hammond organ, as well as Dyess. Stan’s playing during this period, especially his consistent emphasis on tone, reflects his early influences, the full-bodied tenor sounds of Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster. Other early influences include Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt and Johnny Griffin, with their endlessly logical bebop lines, soulful blues spirit, and driving swing. In 2003, Stan and vocalist/arranger Margret Grebowicz formed Com Você. This group’s early vision consisted of an unlikely mix of odd meter bossa novas, Brazilian MPB classics and Wayne Shorter tunes. Com Você released their debut album “Candeias” in 2007 on the European jazz label Nocturne and opened for the legendary Ze Renato on his West Coast tour in 2007. In May of 2009, Com Você returned to the studio to record, “A Day Full of Sun”. Produced by Matt Pierson, this album will be released on Sunnyside Records in 2010 and features new arrangements by Gil Goldstein and a world class rhythm section comprised of guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Antonio Sanchez.

Stan has performed and recorded with major jazz artist such as Eric Revis, Chris Maresh, Mike Moreno, Bruce Saunders, Sheryl Bailey, Hans Glawischnig, Eric Harland, Dan Weiss, Thomas Morgan, Luisito Qunitero, Ernie Watts, Tim Collins, Bill Watrous and Clyde Adams. He has performed around the United States at an array of jazz venues: the 55 Bar, Joe’s Pub, The Garage, Puppet’s Jazz, and The Shrine in New York, Café Metropole and The Temple Bar in Los Angeles, Anna’s Jazz Island in Oakland, The Elbo Room in San Francisco, Twins Jazz and Bohemian Caverns in Washington D.C., An Die Musik and The New Haven Lounge in Baltimore, Sam Buca and Cezanne in Houston, The Elephant Room and Cedar Street in Austin, Carmen’s De La Calle and Luna in San Antonio. As a side-musician, he has also performed at various jazz festivals around Europe such as The Montreux Jazz Festival, The Umbria Jazz Festival, The Antibes Jazz Festival and also Texas festivals such as The Fiesta Jazz Festival and Jazz’s Alive! in San Antonio, the Kemah Jazz Festival in Houston, and the Texas Jazz Festival in Corpus Christi.