BlueStem Presentation Matthew Muñeses, alto - Arman Sangalang, Tenor - Clark Sommers, bass - Dana Hall, dr/cy Matthew Muñeses has garnered recognition as an up and coming talent by winning or being named as a finalist in multiple educational and open competitions, including the Jazz Society of the Philippines competition and the Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship. In 2015, Matthew participated in an invitation-only workshop with Steve Coleman and the Five Elements at the University of Chicago. Through this workshop, he was afforded the opportunity to study with and perform alongside Steve Coleman and members of his band, including Jonathan Finlayson and Miles Okazaki. Chicago/Monterey-based saxophonist and composer Arman Sangalang has been garnering attention as one of the up-and-coming jazz musicians on the scene. As a bandleader, he currently leads the Arman Sangalang Quartet which feature his compositions that are informed by jazz, folk, and improvised music. His debut record “Quartet” was released on August 4th, 2023 on Calligram Records and garnered acclaim for Best First Release as Leader by RadioRadioX. Clark Sommers | in the 15 years since signing on to Kurt Elling’s working band, Sommers has emerged among Chicago’s indispensable bassists. He has filled his resume, on stage and on disc, in bands that range from the rambunctious 13-piece Chicago Yestet to the intimate settings of piano trios and vocalist-led quartets. His own projects include his open-sky trio Ba(SH) and the quintet Clark Sommers Lens. He’s collaborated with guitarists Jeff Parker and Matt Gold, pianist Darrell Grant, keyboard whiz Gary Versace, and vibraphonist Joe Locke. His albums brim with his smart and tuneful compositions. Dana Hall has been an important musician on the international music scene since 1992. After completing his education in aerospace engineering at Iowa State University, he received his Bachelor of Music degree from William Paterson College in Wayne, New Jersey and, in 1999, his Masters degree in composition and arranging from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. He is presently a distinguished Special Trustees Fellow completing his PhD in ethnomusicology at the University of Chicago. Mr. Hall previously taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before joining DePaul University as Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and Ethnomusicology in 2012. The list of exceptional artists that Mr. Hall has performed, toured, and/or recorded with directly reflects the diverse and varied approaches of his music-making in the fields of jazz and popular music and include Branford Marsalis, Ray Charles, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Horace Silver, Michael Brecker, Nicolas Payton, Kurt Elling, Benny Green, Frank Wess, Ken Peplowski, Wycliffe Gordon, Russell Malone, Frank Foster, George Coleman, Lin Holliday, Betty Carter, Jimmy Heath, Benny Golson, Bobby Hutcherson, Wallace Roney, Diana Krall, Harold Mabern, Renee Rosnes, Clark Terry, the Min...
