FreePlay
Using nothing but their voices and innovative live-looping techniques, genre-bending FreePlay takes you from the concert halls of Europe, to the jazz clubs of Manhattan, to the temples of India, and back to their native Toronto, Canada… all without leaving your seat. From Bach to Bird to the Beatles to Bollywood, Dylan and Suba effortlessly cross musical boundaries, continually combining and recombining sounds to create a concert of endless variety, with the intimate delivery of two people. Imagine Simon and Garfunkel crossed with a Bach 2-part invention… or an acrobatic jazz melody combined with ancient Indian beats… or an 8-part vocal arrangement created by two singers… and you’ll get a glimpse of what FreePlay has to offer.
Dylan and Suba first met in Toronto in 1993, singing in a jazz choir at York University called “Wibijazz’n’”: soon after, they started directing the choir together. At their year-end concert, Dylan and Suba performed an a cappella “director’s duet”, and FreePlay was born. What started as a typical voice-and-piano jazz duo began to evolve: more instruments were added, and more musical styles explored, to create a duo unique in its musical depth and variety. In 2007, FreePlay created the uniquely innovative, all-a cappella live looping performance style that has earned them international recognition.
FreePlay’s diverse concert program has taken them across Canada and around the world, with performances at major music festivals spanning six continents. They have three albums: FreePlay (2009), Go Back Forward (2018), and Talk To Me (2022).
Partners offstage as well as onstage, Dylan and Suba delight in exploring music together, bringing this joy to audiences worldwide.
‘Beyond Incredible!’ (Mark Kibble, Take 6)
‘Brilliant!’ (Janis Siegel, The Manhattan Transfer)
‘Mesmerizing’ (Lauren Kinhan, New York Voices)
Last Call
Established in 2013, Last Call has become a venerable presence in the vocal jazz scene, making waves with their distinctive sound and unwavering commitment to musical excellence. Based in the scenic Pacific Northwest, Last Call has dedicated the past nine years to creating enchanting harmonies that resonate with audiences across the region.
Led by director Brennan Baglio, Last Call has evolved into an eight-voiced vocal jazz powerhouse complete with a versatile rhythm section. One of Last Call’s defining features is its ardent focus on blended styles and Northwest vocal jazz. This commitment to varied styles of vocal jazz fostered a strong connection with audiences who appreciate the authentic and diversely inspired musical experience Last Call provides.
Beyond the stage, Last Call places a significant emphasis on education and outreach. Many of the group’s members are music educators, and this unique blend of personnel reflects Last Call’s dedication to nurturing the next generation of musical talent. Through workshops, masterclasses, and collaborations with schools and community organizations, Last Call strives to inspire a love for vocal jazz and lifelong musical growth.
Last Call’s commitment to supporting music educators extends beyond outreach efforts. The group actively advocates for the invaluable contributions of music teachers and seeks to create a network of support within the community. Recognizing the crucial role teachers play in shaping the future of music, Last Call is committed to providing resources, encouragement, and a platform for collaboration.
As Last Call marks its tenth year in the spotlight, the group continues to captivate audiences, inspire aspiring musicians, and contribute to the vibrant cultural landscape of the Pacific Northwest. With their harmonious blend of passion, talent, and community spirit, Last Call remains a testament to the enduring power of vocal jazz.
Greta Matassa
“Matassa’s performance was a marvel of virtuosity.” —Los Angeles Times
In the Pacific Northwest, where she built her career, Greta Matassa wins wide acclaim; 8 times, the readers of Earshot, the Seattle jazz magazine, have voted her the best jazz vocalist in the Northwest including another award 2021.
She was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame in 2014. Jim Wilke, the Seattle jazz maven and host of the syndicated “Jazz After Hours” radio program, praises her versatility. “She has a fearlessness in approaching material,” Wilke says, “that makes her like an instrumentalist in a jam session.”
Bassist and producer John Clayton says “One of the best jazz singers we have to boast about these days.”
Her 40 year career has been a whirlwind of exciting opportunities and experiences. Over the last 20 years she has become established as one of the greatest jazz singers of her time. Working with top jazz musicians in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. In 2016 She was featured with bassist John Clayton’s group in a centennial tribute to Ella Fitzgerald.
She has recorded 11 CD’s. Her latest release “Portrait” on Origin Records is receiving rave reviews.
Her decision to start teaching was probably her greatest contribution to the future of the genre she loves so much. For the last 20 years Greta has become one of the most unique and respected educators in the field today. Offering individual lessons and mentorships as well as establishing loyal student bases from Seattle to Japan, From Alaska to Kauai, from Chicago to New York.
Greta travels extensively teaching and performing
The Band
Chris Brown
Christopher Brown is an acclaimed musician, composer, bandleader, and educator who seeks to be a voice within the advocacy of Jazz music and American culture. And through the expansive range of groups that he has assembled and/or performed with—which range from duos to Jazz big bands to military marching bands and orchestras—his musical and personal experiences have led him towards an interest in synthesizing the principles of Jazz music with the day-to-day practicalities of life. However, given that businesses shape the global market economy that everyone lives and participates in, is why he has found it useful to integrate business philosophies with that of music to help develop himself and his band. Which as he likes to say, “we’re all in the same business…the people-trusting-people business. No people, no business.”
Born and raised in Portland, OR Christopher’s life in music was cultivated at an early age between his father, Mel Brown, and the healthy culture of Jazz that surrounded him in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. And as such, he’d go on to garner numerous local, state, and national awards, one of which was having been a part of a trio that won the top high school small group award by Down Beat Magazine in 1995. And other memorable events included things such as sitting in with people such as Wynton Marsalis on their performances, and being cast as an extra in the 1993 movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” starring Richard Dreyfuss.
Christopher holds two degrees in Jazz studies from Rutgers University, followed by a four-year appointment as a professor of Jazz theory and history from his alma mater. He has also had the pleasure of teaching as an artist in-residence within Wells Fargo’s “NJPAC Jazz For Teens” program (NJ), Mt. Hood Jazz Camp (OR), Mel Brown Jazz Camp (OR), Litchfield Jazz Camp (CT), Rutgers Summer Jazz Institute (NJ), Montclair Jazz Camp (NJ), and the International Summer Music Camp (Brno, Czech Republic). Christopher currently teaches as the Jazz Drums instructor at Portland State University (OR), in addition to a course that he co-created for PSU’s MBA program entitled “Business Innovation Through Jazz Improvisation.” And lastly, he directs the Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s (OR) Jazz program.
George Colligan
George Colligan is not only one of the great jazz pianists of his generation, but he has earned an international reputation as a multi-instrumentalist (drums, trumpet, organ, keyboards), composer, accompanist, teacher, and bandleader, as well as popular blogger(jazztruth.blogspot.com). Winner of the 2015 DownBeat magazine Critics Poll (Keyboard), he has had a long association with living jazz legend Jack DeJohnette; recent touring took Colligan around the U.S. with “An Evening with Jack DeJohnette and Savion Glover.” He has also recently toured the U.S. and Canada as a leader with his trio featuring legends Buster Williams and Lenny White. With over 130 albums to date as an accompanist, Colligan has worked with a long list of jazz greats, including John Scofield, Buster Williams, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Ravi Coltrane, Chris Botti, and many others. His latest album, “The Phyllis Wheatley Project” (PJCE Records 2023) is his 37th as a bandleader. Colligan, a New York resident for 15 years, now resides in Portland, Oregon where he is a Full Professor at Portland State University. He has recently won two Region Arts and Culture Council grants, A South Arts Jazz Road grant, and a PSU Faculty Development grant. Colligan recently won the PSU College of The Arts Dean’s Council Award for Research, Scholarship and Creativity (2020), and also won the Researcher of the Year Award from the PSU College Of The Arts(2021).
George Colligan has toured, recorded, and/or performed as a sideman with Lonnie Plaxico, Gary Bartz, Benny Golson, Gary Thomas, Miguel Zenon, Tom Harrell, Steve Coleman, Eddie Henderson, Ralph Peterson, Vanessa Rubin, Steve Wilson, Dave Weckl, Richard Bona, Jane Monheit, Ravi Coltrane, Lenny White, Michael Brecker, Mike Clark, Nicholas Payton, Sheila Jordan, Janis Siegel, Christian McBride, Billy Hart, Charles Fambrough, Mingus Big Band, Al Foster, Mark Turner, Don Braden, Lew Soloff, Gunther Schuller, Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey, Carl Allen, Rodney Whitaker, Lee Konitz, Jamie Baum, Michal Urbaniak, Ron McClure, DJ Logic, Randy Brecker, Carlos Santana, and Stefon Harris, among others.
Michael Glynn
Born in Seattle, Michael Glynn began playing bass at the age of 11. Beginning his jazz studies with former Count Basie and Louis Armstrong bassist Buddy Catlett, Michael starting working professionally while still a student at Garfield High School, where he played for four years in that school’s renowned jazz band. After two years in engineering school at Columbia University in New York City, Michael returned to Seattle where he graduated summa cum laude in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Washington, where he studied under Doug Miller and Barry Lieberman.
Moving to Albuquerque in 2006, he quickly established himself as an integral part of the New Mexico music scene, performing and recording extensively, and also making time to earn his Master of Music degree from the University of New Mexico, studying with Mark Tatum. In 2012 Michael moved to the Palo Alto for a year where he worked with musicians all around the Bay Area and was on the faculty of the Stanford Jazz Workshop.
In addition to performing with countless local musicians throughout the Pacific Northwest, California, and New Mexico, Glynn has performed with jazz legends including Bud Shank, Jon Hendricks, Bobby Shew, Mark Levine, Dave Grusin, Geoffrey Keezer, Seamus Blake, Eric Alexander, David Hazeltine, Benny Green, Gary Smulyan, Don Lanphere, Conte Candoli, Bob Florence, Doug Lawrence, William Parker, Kevin Hays, Kim Richmond, Aaron Parks, Madeline Eastman, Dena DeRose, and the Cab Calloway Orchestra. Michael has performed around the United States and in Canada, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Oman, and Trinidad and Tobago. On top of his jazz work, Michael performs in a variety of other genres, including classical work with the New Mexico Philharmonic, the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Opera Southwest, and Canticum Novum Santa Fe, calypso with steel drum legend Ray Holman, and a mix of Arabic and Western music with Iraqi-American oud virtuoso Rahim Al Haj.
Michael currently resides in Seattle, Washington.
