THE WALTER GORRA QUARTET
Nominee in The 17th annual Independent Music Awards (The IMAs), the influential awards program for independent artists and releases.
GREG TANNER HARRIS
Multi-Instrumentalist Dr. Greg Tanner Harris leads the “Greg Harris Vibe Quintet,” and is a member of Bluegrass legend Pete Wernick’s Flexigrass, hip-hop/jazz/soul group Future Jazz Project, New World Citizen Band, 9th & Lincoln Orchestra, and SuperCollider. Among his work as a studio musician, he has released 5 albums- Greg Harris Vibe Quintet “Open Space,” “Frames Live,” Prospector “Memory of Pilots” featuring trumpeter Ron Miles, and “World Citizen” with West African master xylophonist Aaron Bebe Sukura. The Greg Harris Vibe Quintet’s new album ‘Glass Gold’ was recently released on Dazzle Records.
Greg has a great interest in the West African Xylophone called the Gyil (pronounced JEE-lee), the national instrument of the Lobi and Dagara people of Ghana, Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. He has performed with Baaba Maal, Aaron Bebe Sukura, SK Kakraba, as the musical director for Prudence Mabhena from Zimbabwe, and also does regular fundraising performances for the Whole Planet Foundation. He also plays an assortment of Frame Drums from around the world, exploring the Bodhran of Ireland and the Doyra of Uzbekistan.
He received a D.M.A, in Jazz Studies and M.M. in Music Performance, Percussion at the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Music Education and Music Performance Bachelor of Arts degree from Fort Lewis College. Greg is a private instructor, high school teacher, and freelance musician in the Denver/Boulder area and has performed nationally and internationally. Greg teaches Ethnomusicology, music theory, at Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts, is a board member of the non-profit Gift of Jazz, and as a Practicing Artist at the Denver School of the Arts.
MANUEL LOPEZ
Born and raised in Colorado, Manuel Lopez grew up with a great passion for music. Having a natural taste for Latin music he began playing congas in his early teen years. Not too long after he picked up a pair of drum sticks and began playing the drums. Manuel then went on to study Music performance at the University of Northern Colorado, then later at the University of Denver. Performing now for over 10 years his career has led him to perform with great musicians in all genres of music such as Paquito D'Rivera, Dave Valentin, Marc Quiñones, Steve Turre, Jane Bunnett, Chuchito Valdez, Babbi Mason, and Rebecca Mauleon. Fluent on all Latin percussion instruments his abilities have opened up opportunities to teach others, which he now does in balance with performing.
GONZALO TEPPA
Gonzalo Teppa began to study music at the Vicente Emilio Sojo Conservatory in his home city Barquisimeto, Venezuela. In June of 1995, Mr. Teppa traveled to Spain to study with the renowned teacher Ludwig Streicher in Santander. In the fall of 1995, he finished the double bass program studies at the Simón Bolivar Conservatory in Caracas with Nestor Blanco. From 1991 to 1995, he was a member of the Symphony Orchestra of Lara in Venezuela, and in September of 1995, he joined the Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela from EL SISTEMA. In 2002, Mr. Teppa enrolled at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and he obtained the Bachellor of Music in Double Bass Performance under the guidance of Paul Erhard. In 2007, Mr. Teppa finished the Master of Music in Jazz Studies and Double Bass Performance with Professor Mark Simon at the University of Colorado at Boulder. In 2012, Teppa returned to the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra in Caracas Venezuela and toured to Colombia and Brazil with conductor Gustavo Dudamel. In the Jazz genre, Teppa has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Slide Hampton, Ron Miles, Art Lande, John Gunther, John Hadfield, John Von Ohlen, and Ira Sullivan among others. Moreover, Teppa has participated in outstanding Jazz Festivals such as the International Jazz Festival of Barquisimeto (2008-2010), the International University Jazz Festival of Manizales Colombia (2010), the Viña del Mar Festival (2010), the Niwot Jazz Festival Colorado (2014), Vail Jazz Festival Colorado (2015), Estes Park Jazz Festival Colorado (2015). Teppa, along with bassist Roberto Koch established a double bass duet, with whom also shared stage with flutist Dave Valentin at the International Jazz Festival of Barquisimeto 2010, among other stages. In April of 2003, he won the “Honor Competition Award” from the University of Colorado. In March of 2004, 2005 and 2006, Mr. Teppa won the “Best Jazz Soloist Awards” from Downbeat Magazine. In April of 2004 and 2005, he won the “Best Jazz Soloist Award” at the Greeley Jazz Festival in Colorado. In 2014, Teppa was nominated with two Latin Grammys: “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album” and “Best Latin Jazz Album”, for his participation on the recordings “Tiempo” by Linda Briceño; and “3rd Element” by Luisito Quintero respectively. A very active composer, Mr. Teppa has released five CD’s: “Designios”, “Travesias”, “Serpentina", “CONtrabajos de Aldemaro” and “Sinergia”, in which Mr. Teppa blended elements of Venezuelan music with different cultural influences of the world. Mr. Teppa has participated with Venezuelan musicians such as Ilan Chester, Aldemaro Romero, Oscar D´ León, Otmaro Ruíz, Gualberto Ibarreto, Luis Quintero, Aquiles Báez, Carlos “nene” Quintero, C4 trío, Silvio Arocha, Javier and Jorge Montilla, Biella Da Costa, Gerry Weil, Adolfo Herrera, Eddy Marcano, Rubén Rebolledo, Víctor Mesta, Marco Granado, Gustavo Carucí, Jorge Glem, Cesar Orozco, Alexis Cárdena, Omar Acosta, Nicolás Real, Jorge Polanco, among others.
Recently, Gonzalo Teppa has been appointed as the new Professor of the Double Bass Studio at the Wyoming University.