Playin' Around With Playbook

Playbook Presents: Unlocking The Rhythm of Learning w Mickey Smith Jr. and Bethany Robinson Playbook offers teachers the tools to inspire lifelong musician. Learn more: https://www.thisisplaybook.com/ Meet our special guests: Those are two words that describe Mickey Smith Jr. A 7-time Teacher of the Year and recipient of the GRAMMY Music Educator Award, Mickey inspires children and adults alike th...

Featuring Jesse Espinosa and Preston Pierce

Preston Pierce is a Band Director at Plano West Senior High School in Plano, Texas. His duties include directing the Wind Symphony, Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Band, Jazz Small Groups, assisting with the Marching Band, and coordinating the jazz program for the Plano West Cluster. He is a past President of the Texas Jazz Educators Association (TJEA). Additionally, he is a Consultant/Clinician for Jazz at...

Summer Camargo, 21, is a trumpet student at The Juilliard School and Jerome Greene Fellowship recipient, is in her fourth year of college majoring in Jazz Studies. Summer, born and raised in Hollywood, Florida, most recently joined Lenny Pickett and The Saturday Night Live House Band on NBC, recorded her debut album (which will be out in spring 2023) under Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Blue Engine, won...

John Liner is a passionate educator, leader and musician that believes ALL children can learn and achieve greatness. Mr. Liner is presently the Fine Arts Department Chair and Director of Bands at Morton Ranch Junior High School in Katy, TX. A high-energy instructor, Mr. Liner has been named the Teacher of the Year in 2021 for Morton Ranch Junior High School and 2022 for MRJH by the Houston Area As...

In episode one of our new season, Playbook founder Sammy Miller chats with Jazz Saxophonist, David Moyer! Dr David Moyer is a professional saxophonist/woodwind doubler, arranger/composer, educator, and producer based in his hometown of Los Angeles, CA. He is currently Director of Jazz Studies, Instrumental Music, and Applied Music, and Assistant Professor of Music at El Camino College in Torrance,...

Playin' Around With Playbook: Benny Benack III

Playin' Around With Playbook: Stephen Cox, Grammy Educator 2023 Stephen T. Cox is the director of bands at the Advanced Learning Academy, Fox Tech, and Cast Tech Schools in San Antonio, TX as of fall 2022. For the previous decade he served as the director of bands at Eastland High School in Eastland, TX A graduate of Howard Payne University, Mr. Cox has been featured in the School Band and Orchest...

A hectic touring schedule; eighteen recordings as a leader, including his newest release, Junkyard Duo; countless sideman recordings including Ray Brown, Bobby Hutcherson, Roger Kellaway; soundtrack performances on three of Clint Eastwood’s distinguished films—most notably Academy Award-winning Million Dollar Baby; producer, arranger, acclaimed educator, in residence at USC’s Studio/Jazz Guitar De...

Jon Lampley has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting multi-instrumentalists in the world. His musical journey began by playing at church on Sunday mornings in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Eventually he went on to hone his skills at The Ohio State University. Lampley is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. While best known for his soulful playing on trumpet and sousaphone, he’s...

Corey Fonville, an influential drummer in today's music scene, has dedicated his life to learning the craft and its history in order to be one of the best drummers of his time. As an artist and music-enthusiast, he studied a variety of genres, mostly through his father’s music collection, which generally consisted of jazz, R&B, alternative, and funk. His skills are rooted in an eclectic backgr...

Jason Polise is multi-instrumentalist specializing in saxophones, woodwinds, and guitars. A Stamford resident now, he grew up in Nevada and moved here after graduating from theEastman School of Music. Jason currently co-owns/operates Stamford Recording where hecreates/produces music for many local/regional artists as well as commercial and film music. He performs regularly in the Connecticut/New Y...

Adam Levy is widely respected as a musician’s musician, with many featured turns to his credit. His understated yet memorable solos on Jones’ album Come Away with Me are shining examples of his handiwork. His bluesy lines on Tracy Chapman’s hit “Give Me One Reason” tell a juicy story, with not a single note wasted. He’s also a nuanced accompanist, as can be heard on Allen Toussaint’s recording of...

Tina Raymond is a drummer based in Los Angeles, CA. A unique voice in the Los Angeles contemporary improvised music scene, Raymond blends traditional jazz vocabulary with African polyrhythm and classical percussion technique. She performs, adjudicates, and presents workshops world wide and has shared the stage with many jazz luminaries including Bobby Bradford, David Binney, Rova Saxophone Quartet...

Key of She Jazz was founded in 2012 by Olivia Hughart and a friend who noticed they were among the only female players in their middle school jazz big band, despite nearly equal numbers of girls and guys in band and orchestra. With the help of their director (Dr. Neff!), they brought together girls in jazz throughout their district, built connections, and inspired the younger girls to keep playing...

Hailed as a “Sax Phenom” by the New York Daily News, Chad LB has toured globally as a bandleader, and with superstars ranging from Chris Botti to Taylor Swift. He has been a featured soloist with premiere ensembles like the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, and he was formerly a prominent member of the multi GRAMMY-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. At only 31-years-old, Chad has now become one of the fir...

Los Angeles-based bassist and vocalist Katie Thiroux has clearly established herself as one of the most exciting and in demand musicians today. Thiroux’s unique gift of simultaneously balancing sultry vocals and virtuosic bass playing leaves audiences worldwide in awe. Her most recent album, “ Off Beat ,” was awarded a “Best Album Of 2018” by Downbeat Magazine as well as "Rising Star" 2018 & 2...

Alex Hahn is a multi-award winning saxophonist and composer based in Los Angeles, California. Still early in his career, Hahn has had the opportunity to perform with many renowned artists such as Herbie Hancock, Esperanza Spalding, Bob Mintzer, Russell Ferrante, Bob Reynolds, and John Daversa. He also recorded on Michael Bublé’s last two albums, “Nobody but Me” and “love.” In addition, Hahn has pe...

Hey everyone! This week on Playin' Around With Playbook, I spoke with Saxophonist, woodwind doubler, educator, and composer, Adison Evans. "Adison Evans combines pure excitement with a soulful saxophone sound and a contagious smile to create one compelling performance after another.. Grammy-nominated saxophonist, Evans transcends genres as she has toured the world and shared the stage with legenda...

Hey everyone! Sammy took over for the week and Trista became the interview guest. Trista Ford is a tenor saxophonist and woodwind doubler from Fairfield County, Connecticut. She is a Sophomore at New York University, Studying Jazz performance in the studio of Timo Vollbrecht. Additionally, she is also pursuing her master's in music education at NYU. Throughout her time at NYU, Trista has performed...

Hey everyone! This week on Playin' around With Playbook, we spoke to Paul Contos. With over thirty years in jazz performance, education, and faculty positions at UC Santa Cruz, CA State University Monterey Bay, and Monterey Peninsula College, Paul’s talents and abilities encompass worldwide performance, recording, production, conducting, and mentorship. Paul served as saxophone clinician with The...

Hey everyone! This past week on Playin’ Around With Playbook, we had the chance to break up the slew of saxophonists and have on drummer and educator Colleen Clark. Drummer, composer, educator and bandleader, Dr. Colleen Clark is the first drummer and woman to earn a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Jazz Performance at the world-renowned University of North Texas, the oldest jazz institution in Am...

Hey everyone! This week on Playin’ Around With Playbook, we had the opportunity to talk to Tanner Guss, drummer, educator, and composer. Tanner graduated from Indian University Jacobs School of Music in 2019, as a recipient of the Kenny Aronoff Scholarship program. He was also awarded the 2017 Hal Leonard Collegiate Scholarship by the Jazz Education Network. Since then, Tanner has founded the upli...

Hey everyone! This week on Playin’ Around With Playbook I was able to speak with the award-winning composer, producer, entrepreneur, educator and trombonist Nick Finzer. Finzer is bringing the joy and power of Jazz to traditional fans and the most modern 21st-century audiences. He’s on a mission to be a passionate voice defining the sound of Jazz in this age. Born into the musical world (his mothe...