The JZ Big Band

 

Directed by Alec Haavik

Featuring Frank Bray

Guest Conductor: Antonio Ximénez

 

The JZ Big Band is the premier large jazz ensemble in China. Featuring the very best American, European and Chinese musicians in Shanghai, the JZ Big Band performs everything from the works of Duke Ellington and Charlie Mingus to Bouloukos’s own original compositions and world music arrangements. The band has received critical acclaim for its performances with internationally renowned artists like Dee Dee Bridgewater and Laura Fygi.

 

Tenor and soprano saxophonist Alec Haavik, hailing from the New York City area, is now based in Shanghai, China. His urban, yet personable compositions fuse the multi-textured language of jazz with the raw energy of rock. The result is an array of tunes which cause listeners to both scream and reflect, laugh and grow quiet.

 

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Frank Bray first began singing on stage at the age of six. Frank is professionally trained having graduated from the Performing Arts Musical Theatre Conservatory at Mountain View in Dallas Texas. Frank has extensive experience and has worked at some of the most renowned venues in the world as well headlining events for prestigious super brands in both LA and in New York. Now based in Shanghai, Frank is currently focusing on the Asia region, as a singer, actor, producer and director.