Jazz bassist Tommy Cecil has been active in the Washington, DC jazz scene since 1976 when he moved from his hometown Baltimore, MD. He has established himself as one of the most in-demand players in the area.

Always faithful to the melody, Tommy knows how to make any style of music swing!

Tommy has had long associations with many of DC’s favorite jazz sons, including John Eaton, Buck Hill, Charlie Byrd, Dick Morgan, Shirley Horn, Brooks Tegler, and the Redd Brothers. As a freelancer, Tommy has worked with Mose Allison, Tommy Flanagan, Joe Henderson, and many other star artists. Concert appearances have taken Tommy throughout the U.S. and overseas.

Tommy is featured on dozens of recordings as a sideman. As a leader, he released two albums: “Side by Side: Sondheim Duos” with pianist Bill Mays; and “Samba for Felix” featuring Tommy Flanagan, Billy Hart, Gary Bartz, Paul Bollenback, and Cyro Baptista. He released two albums with pianist Louis Scherr, including “The Song Is You” and “Warm Valley featuring Joe Henderson.”

Side by SideTommy’s new CD release: Side By Side (Sondheim Duos) is a variety of Sondheim gems from different shows, revealing their buoyant and pensive moods in a highly conversational jazz duo.

Visit TommyCecil.com

More on Side by Side:
With “Side By Side Sondheim Duos”, bassist Tommy Cecil and pianist Bill Mays continue a great tradition of piano/bass duos which starts with Duke Ellington and Jimmy Blanton, and continues with the likes of Oscar Peterson and NHOP, Tommy Flanagan and George Mraz, and Bill Evans and Eddie Gomez. The freedom and intimacy it affords is exemplified on every track of the CD, from the exuberent “Comedy Tonight” to the wistful “Not While I’m Around”-whether trading melodies, or phrases, or nudging the dynamics during a solo. What adds to the interest with this recording is the repertoire. Stephen Sondheim’s wonderful tunes are rarely, if ever heard in an instrumental jazz setting, because they are so deeply integrated into the shows from which they come. These performances present them in a different light, revealing nuances which might not otherwise be heard.

 

Bassist Victor Dvoskin was born in Ukraine town of Dnepropetrovsk on June 21 1948.  In his childhood he played knob accordion, guitar and later upright bass. At 18 he was heard at the jam session by his countryman percussionist Yuori Genbachov.  Soon he was offered to go on the road with the group of musicians who where dedicated to jazz music.

In 1969 Victor settled in Moscow, where later he got bachelor degree in Gnesin college of Music in classical bass ( class of virtuoso bassist Alexandr Michno). In the early seventies he gained popularity playing for nine years with the group ‘Allegro’.  Soviet jazz critics considered him the number-one bass player of the eighties. He eventually formed his own group The Viktor Dvoskin Quartet, which appeared at the 1990 Grenoble Jazz Festival. The group’s first performance was issued on compact disc by the French jazz label Thelonious and it helped Victor to earn three stars in the Penguin Guide to Jazz. In 1991 Victor was in Washington, DC as a part of the Russian/American Jazz Quartet, Jazznost. Other members included Sergei Gurbeloshvili (tenor-sax), Louis Scherr (piano) and Toni Martucci (drums).  The group’s first compact disc, “Joint Venture” was released on Timeless Records.  In 1993 these musicians—joined by Gary Burton (vibes), Ryan Kisor (Trumpet), Don Alias (percussion), Igor Butman (sn), Paul Bollenback (Guitar) and Ken Willaman (cello)— came together to record again as ‘Partners in Time’.  The result was the chart-climbing compact disc release “Equinost”.  From 1993 Victor lives in US. In 1997 he was offered teaching position in Virginia Commonwealth University ( jazz bass) and Towson University ( Maryland) classical bass.  Multiple times Victor went to Russia on tours with American colleagues introducing Russia for the first time to many of them, including the greats like guitarist Paul Bollenback and singer Rene Marie.

Victor has an extensive discography.

The last recording he participated in was “Here” with the  Bob Hallahan Trio.

Visit https://dcjazz.com/victordvoskin/