Music Style Jazz, with and without vocals

Musical Influences Chet Baker, Miles Davis (pre-electric), etc.

Artist History Nate Birkey is an artist who, while paying respect to Jazz tradition and its musical roots, is restlessly pursuing the evolution of his own musical personality. As composer, trumpeter and vocalist, he imbues warmth and broiling energy into his music, as heard in the July, 2001 releases, The Mennonite and Ballads. Birkey's subtle vocal and trumpet approach has often been compared to that of Chet Baker and Miles Davis respectively. A sound poised and assured, powerfully stark and spare, it creates an atmosphere at once solitary and electric. The success of 1998's Indelibly You pushed Birkey and his quintet to the forefront of the Southern California scene, bopping their way from Santa Barbara's State Street to L.A.'s famous Catalina Grill. Hailing from various musical backgrounds that inevitably conjure meticulous melodies all their own, Jim Connoly again tackles stand up bass with poignant stability as drummer Cougar Estrada effectively propels the ensemble. Tenor saxophonist Justin Claveria and pianist Jamieson Trotter round out a cohesive ensemble capable of exceptional energy and drive. Though a resident of california for the past fifteen years, Birkey was born in Indiana and grew up in Colorado where he began studying piano at age seven and fell in love with his father's trumpet in the fifth grade. He later attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, followed by two years at Seattle Pacific University, and then finished his studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Group Members Justin Claveria, sax; Jim Connolly, bass; Cougar Estrada, drums; Jamieson Trotter, piano

Albums The Mennonite, Ballads, Indelibly You

Press Reviews "Birkey's trumpet chops are strong, his playing is lyrical and passionate... his singing voice is soft and sensitive, making the ballad format the most appropriate for his style. Birkey seems to me to be an enigma. As was once queried of Chet Baker, is he a trumpet player who sings, or a singer who plays trumpet? Birkey is adept at both." -Frank Rubolino, Cadence Magazine "His biggest, boldest, most original statement as a musician yet." -Steve Libowitz, Santa Barbara News-Press "Nate's latest offering is his most inspired to date, fusing a myriad of styles into a single expression of jazz excellence... With Indelibly You Nate has arrived as a world-class jazz musician, able to change any room into an atmospheric dreamscape or hard-bop cutting session." -Mark Fahey, Santa Barbara Independent "Certainly one of the hottest new groups on the scene is the Nate Birkey Quintet...Birkey's work on the trumpet has been honed to perfection, reflecting the influence of Miles Davis." -Bob Agnew, L.A. Jazz Scene "Birkey's compositions are magnetically appealing. The melodies are lazy and often painful, though refreshingly alive." -Eugene Pidgeon, Santa Barbara Independent "Birkey hypnotized the crowd with his unique, melancholic style." -Robert Cass, L.A. Jazz Scene

Location Santa Barbara, CA - USA

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