All Boptism Jazz Society Concerts are Cancelled: please pray for Hurricane Helene victims.
Trumpeter Tim Leahey and Saxophonist Matt Olson will appear with the Boptism House Band on October 6, 2024 at 3:00 pm at the W.C. Wilson Hall, Abernethy United Methodist Church, 1418 Patton Avenue, Asheville NC.
Tim Leahey began studying the trumpet at the age of 6 and has been performing professionally since the age of nine. Originally from Altoona, Pennsylvania, he performed with the Altoona Symphony and the Miss Pennsylvania Pageant Orchestra while still in high school.
Tim attended Youngstown State University from 1986-1991 and studied with Esotto Pellegrini, Susan Sexton and Tony Leonardi. In 1991, he was named Intercollegiate Musician of the Year, as well as winning first place in the International Trumpet Guild jazz improvisation competition. Since that time, Tim has performed with such artists as Rosemary Clooney, Dick Oatts, Cecil Payne, James Williams, the Brecker Brothers, The Temptations, Frankie Valli and many others, as well as performing on occasion with such noted big bands as the Tonight Show Orchestra under the direction of Doc Severinson, the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Guy Lombardo Orchestra.
From 1994-2017, Tim was a member/jazz soloist with the premier jazz ensemble of the U.S. Air Force, The Airmen of Note, serving as the group’s administrative leader the last 4 years. Tim was a member of the Shook Russo Quintet from 2008-2018 and has been a clinician/adjudicator/guest conductor at numerous educational events. He has been featured as a soloist on over 2 dozen compact disc recordings as well as performing on the Alfred Publishing jazz improvisation series Approaching the Standards.
Matt Olson, a Conn-Selmer and D’Addario artist, is the Charles Ezra Daniel Professor of Saxophone and Director of Jazz Studies at Furman University. He holds degrees from the University of Illinois and Northwestern University.
He has performed with Randy Brecker, Chris Potter, Kenny Barron, Joe Lovano, Stefon Harris, Doc Severinsen, Manhattan Transfer, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Bernadette Peters, Lou Rawls, the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, among others.
Matt released his third solo recording, Open Spaces, on OA2 Records, in January 2022. His previous solo recordings, 789 Miles (OA2 Records) and Vortex (self-released), along with his two recordings with the Unhinged Sextet (Clarity and Don’t Blink, both on OA2 Records), have received worldwide radio airplay and numerous positive reviews, including being featured on Joey Defrancesco’s Sirius/XM radio program “Organized.”
Matt has been a guest artist at high schools, universities, and jazz festivals around the country and is also active as a clinician and adjudicator, including presenting clinics at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and the Jazz Education Network Conference. His work has been published by Downbeat magazine, The Saxophone Symposium, and Walrus Music.
The Boptism House Band:
Rich Willey (bass trumpet): from Clearwater, FL, Rich is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger. He studied at North Texas State University and University of South Florida, earned a masters degree in jazz performance/trumpet from Manhattan School of Music, and has played and/or toured with many name bands including the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Mel Tormé, and Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Nouveau. Rich taught at UNC-Asheville, Clemson University and Gardner-Webb and has played with Lionel Hampton, Hank Mobley, Chris Potter, Claudio Roditi, and James Spaulding among many others.
Thomson Knoles (piano): Australian-born pianist Thomson Knoles honed his skills at Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy in AZ and later at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, where he was honored with the Jazz Performance Award in 2015. His musical journey has taken him to the Copenhagen Jazz Festival in 2014 and 2015. Now based in Asheville, Thomson is a member of local band “The Fritz” and one third of the “Felix Pastorius Trio,” also playing with many other Asheville groups. Thomson produced music for Nike’s Fathers Day commercial in 2022, and likes to blend traditional jazz elements with modern sounds in his compositions.
Quinn Sternberg (bass): originally from Bloomington, IN, Quinn spent seven years working as a full time bassist in New Orleans before moving to North Carolina. Quinn plays all styles of music on electric and upright bass, and is also a prolific jazz composer. Quinn has shared the stage with such artists as Bobby McFerrin, Randy Brecker, Dave Stryker, and Dave Easley in addition to countless other gifted musicians in the local music scenes that he’s been a part of. Quinn has released fouir albums of original compositions and has a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.
Justin Watt (drums): A native of northeastern Ohio, Justin has lived in the Asheville area since 2008. After receiving his B.M. in Percussion Performance from Kent State University and his M.M. in Percussion Performance from Youngstown State University, Justin spent over two years as the drummer for the Glenn Miller Orchestra, touring the United States, Canada and Japan. Since moving to Asheville, Justin manages a busy schedule of teaching (University of North Carolina-Asheville, Furman University and the Asheville Music School) and performs regularly as a free-lance drummer/percussionist in a variety of styles.