Ben Markley Quintet (ft. Rodney Whitaker)

This special collaboration between pianist Ben Markley and bassist Rodney Whitaker will find a first class quintet (Kyle Swan - drums, Steve Kovalcheck - guitar, Wil Swindler - saxophone) touring through a special set of performances and recordings in Colorado and Wyoming .

Internationally renowned bassist and Origin records recording artist, Rodney Whitaker, currently holds the titles of Professor of Bass and Director of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University where he has built one of the leading jazz degree programs and performing faculty in the world. Whitaker earned a reputation as one of the finest jazz double bass performers, he completed a seven-year tenure as bassit with Wynton Marsalis' Septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. He has toured the world over the last twenty-five years, collaborating and performing with legendary jazz artists such as Jimmy Heath, Eric Reed, Jimmy Cobb, Branford Marsalis and countless others.

Ben Markley is an accomplished pianist, band leader and composer/arranger, active throughout the Rocky Mountain front range and has performed with Brian Lynch, Greg Osby, Eddie Henderson, Terell Stafford, George Garzone, Bobby Shew and John Fedchock and many others. Markley's latest big band recording project Clockwise - The Music of Cedar Walton (OA2 records) earned four-star review by Downbeat Magazine. Markley's last endeavor was a big band project Ari's Funhouse. The record was met with considerable acclaim and was recognized as one of the best 4-star rated albums of 2022 by DownBeat Magazine. Markley has performed a number of Nocturne artist in residencies, and and one of his trio projects was featured on Nocturne's first ever record release.