Spine Showcases: Erin Keller and Matt Otto

Spine Showcases is coming at ya with free jazz in the month of May! With programming curated by Kelley Gant, patrons can expect some of the freshest experiences that the Kansas City jazz scene has to offer. In the midst of being a sideman, DeAndre Manning has been formulating his own musical direction. ‘Sonic Phonics’ is the first wave of his conception of music. ‘Sonic Phonics’ is the attempted communication through sound of the known and unknown feelings, thoughts; experienced through life, individually and from a collective common denominator…Spirit Music!

Also featured this evening will be Matt Otto, who will provide his original score accompanied with guitar, bass, drums and the sax.

The Spine Showcases are FREE and open to the public. Every show takes place at Capsule (located 1664 Broadway Blvd, KCMO). Spine Showcases occur on the third Thursday of every month. Doors open at 7:30 PM and the performance begins at 8:00 PM.

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ARTIST BIOS
Matt Otto is currently the Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at Kansas University (KU) teaching Jazz Theory and Performance, Jazz Combo 1 and private lessons. Matt is also an Adjunct Professor at the Rutgers New Brunswick teaching online courses in jazz improvisation, theory and performance.

Matt Otto studied music performance and composition at Indiana University, Berklee School of Music, New School Jazz (BFA) and California Institute of the Arts (MFA). Having lived in Japan for 5 years, New York City for 7 years and Los Angels for 6 years, he has performed with a variety of artists including Anthony Wilson, Larry Koonse, Rashid Bakr, Ben Monder, Wadada Leo Smith, Willie Jones III, Alan Ferber, Mark Ferber, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Gregory Hutchinson, Jonathan Kreisberg, Charlie Haden , Joe La Barbera, Leroy Vinegar, Jimmy Smith, Paul Jackson, Ari Honig, Ben Street, Mike Moreno, Sara Gazarek, Josh Nelson, Danny Weiss, William Parker, Matt Wilson, Steve Cardenas, Bobby Watson, Bob Weir, Deborah Brown, Larry Goldings, Jerry Bergonzi, Eric Harland, Sheryl Bailey, Darek Oles, Erik McPherson, John Stowell, Ralph Peterson, Alan Pasqua, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Reggie Workman and many others.

While in Los Angeles, Matt co-founded of the Los Angeles Jazz Collective (lajazzcollective.org). The mission of the collective (LAJC) is to help create opportunities for creative jazz composers and performers to showcase original artistic work and to set up an ongoing Jazz outreach program for young jazz musicians in and around Los Angeles.

Matt currently performs his original compositions with his Kansas City based septet with members Gerald Dunn on alto saxophone, Jeff Harshbarger on acoustic and electric bass, Shay Estes (vocals), TJ Martley on Piano/Keys, Mike Warren and/or Brian Steever on drums and Hermon Mehari on trumpet, as well as traveling several times per year to NYC and LA to perform and record with various jazz artists.

Matt has recorded and performed with the Grammy nominated Anthony Wilson Nonet (The Power of Nine, Groove Note 1035, 2006), and performers frequently in Los Angeles with the Grammy Nominated Alan Ferber Big Band as well as having recorded on over 50 CD’s as both a leader and a side man.

Jazz singer Erin Keller has a truly unique sound. Having performed in the Grammy Award–winning Kansas City Chorale, the Kansas City Civic Opera, New Ear, OwenCox Dance Group, the rock band Blackout Gorgeous, a folk/free improvisational ensemble, a West African High Life Ensemble, and a Balkan brass band called Gora Gora Orkestar, all the while exploring the jazz idiom through standards and free improvisation with top musicians in the Kansas City and Denver areas, her voice is born out of an uncommon musical perspective. With a huge vocal range – in terms of not only pitch but also in execution of style and expression – Erin’s jazz singing is at times more instrumental than vocal, and often more driven by the importance of the text and melodic line.

No matter what Erin Keller is performing, creating a truly transformative aesthetic experience is paramount. In jazz, this demands a deep connection to the jazz language, which Erin has developed over decades, having been a devoted listener/imitator since the age of 7 when she was introduced to all of the great jazz musicians by her bass-playing sister, Cara Keller. She has gradually turned her focus more and more toward jazz over the recent years, culminating in the release of her first project as bandleader, Distracted. Jazz to her now is an endlessly fascinating path of creative and intellectual pursuit, and she’s just getting started.

Kelley Gant oversees programming for Spine Showcases in 2019. She is a KC-based vocalist who is passionate about her musical community. Her creative work includes deep knowledge of vocal tunes within the American Songbook, as well as various looping machines and effect pedals. A talented improvisor, Kelley is adept at using her vocals, whistling, and arsenal of effect pedals to create beautiful music on the fly while working within a traditional jazz ensemble or her small electro/acoustic band.

In addition to performing and writing music, Kelley has worked as an event band producer and producer of one-time performances, working with hundreds of Kansas City’s musicians. Her organizational skills combined with her dedication to imaginative original work give her a unique perspective, which she is using to elevate and promote overlooked talents in Kansas City.