Artist description Jazz pianist from Bakersfield California. Dennis is a 5th year music student at California State University Bakersfield where he is majoring in music with an emphasis in composition and performance.

Music Style Jazz/Latin Jazz

Musical Influences Chick Corea, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Brad Mehldau, Jacky Terrason, The Yellow Jackets, Kenny Kirkland, Branford Marsalis, Kenny Garret

Similar Artists Chick Corea, Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Artist History Dennis Hamm studied jazz piano with Doug Davis and Billy Childs. While in high school he was awarded "best soloist" at the Wasco Jazz Festival which also made him the 1994 recipient of the Bill Burton Memorial Scholarship, and is currently the recipient o f the Fred McDonnel scholarship. To complete his high school career, Dennis was selected to play at the state-wide California Distinguished Schools Award Ceremony.Hamm is presently a senior at CSUB where he is studying music. He has performed with guest a rtists Carl Allen, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, Mike Lee, and Terrance Blanchard at CSUB concerts. In 1996 Hamm placed among the top 20 in Jazziz magazine's international "Keyboards on Fire" contest with his composition "April Song." Also in 1996, he won t he top pianist award at the largest west coast collegiate jazz festival and his compositions led his group to being named top combo as well. In 1999 he reclaimed the top pianist and combo awards at the International Assosiation of Jazz Educators west coa st festival, and he also received an "Outstanding Instrumentalist" award at the CSU Fullerton jazz competition.Hamm has been a member of the Latin/Ska band Mento Buru since 1995 and has brought an extraordinary facility in both jazz improvisation and Lati n piano tradition, a result of his dedicated efforts and investigation of the jazz piano master Chick Corea and the Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. He also appears with his own jazz trio Dennis Hamm and the Citrus Allstars featuring Citrus college alumni, MCG Curb Records country band The Smokin' Armadillos, Jazz/Funk/Fusion band Mother Funk Conspiracy, and Salsiology led by War's percussionist, Marcos Reyes.r

Group Members Dennis Hamm0

Instruments piano, keyboards

Location Bakersfield, California - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).