Michael Dease

Michael Dease
Michael Dease
Genres	jazz, hardbop, bigband
Instruments	trombone, saxophones, trumpet, flugelhorn, bass and piano
Years active	2002-present

Michael Dease (born August 25, 1982) is an American jazz trombonist, composer and producer. He also plays saxophone, trumpet, flugelhorn, bass and piano.

Biography

Michael Dease was born in Augusta, Georgia and attended John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet High School, where he studied saxophone and voice. At age 17, Michael taught himself to play trombone.^[1]

In 2002, Dease was invited to join the inaugural class of the jazz studies division of The Juilliard School, where he received the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. His teachers include Wycliffe Gordon, Steve Turre, Vincent Gardner, John Drew and Joseph Alessi. While at Juilliard, Dease won many awards, including the Frank Rosolino Award, J.J. Johnson Award, the Sammy Nestico Jazz Composers Award, ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, and the Fish Middleton Jazz Competition.^[2]

He began his career in Illinois Jacquet's Big Band in 2002, and is currently a featured member of the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, Christian McBride Big Band, Roy Hargrove Big Band, Nicholas Payton Big Band, Jimmy Heath Big band and the Charles Tolliver Big Band. Dease also performs with small groups led by Claudio Roditi, Sharel Cassity, and Wycliffe Gordon. In addition to performance, Dease serves and president and producer at his jazz record label, D Clef Records.^[3]

Dease has toured extensively throughout Europe, Latin America and South America. Previous engagements include the Nice Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Tims Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival and the Spoleto Music Festival. He will be a guest artist at the International Trombone Festival June 22–25, 2011 at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dease's latest album GRACE (2010) received excellent reviews from publications such as Jazz Times, All About Jazz and The Guardian (UK).^[4]

Educator

Dease had conducted master classes and workshops at universities and conservatories around the world, including the University of Costa Rica, Osaka University, Michigan State University, Augusta State University, Broward College, Simpson College, Scranton University, and Northeastern University.

In addition to his private teaching studio Dease is an instructor of jazz trombone at Queens College, CUNY, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, and Michigan State University. Dease performs exclusively on Michael Rath trombones.^[5]^[6]