Sean Sheridan
A diverse musician, Connecticut-based guitarist, and composer Sean Sheridan has performed at New York City's Blue Note, CBGB’s, and the Knitting Factory as well as various clubs, theaters and festivals throughout the US and Europe. Sheridan studied music at The University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, CT. At that time Sheridan had the opportunity to study with a variety of jazz giants including, Jim Hall, Bob Brookmeyer, Michael Moore, Tal Farlow, Eddie Bert, and Sal Salvador. Sheridan’s main focus is jazz, however he has also been involved in many rock and traditional music projects. He has performed throughout the US with Irish rock band the Ruffians, in Europe with acclaimed Irish traditional musicians Pat Conneely and Sean Ryan and with American rock bands Lost Generation, Dead City, and Atlas.
Jerome Morris
New York based drummer Jerome Morris is a master of funky grooves, West African rhythm and hard-driving jazz. His precise articulation and control makes him a driving force in the group. In addition to performing with The Horizon Band, Morris performs with the Koby Hayon Trio. Jerome accompanies West African dance classes at New York University on both drums and percussion. The Derry Journal hails Jerome as “one of the best drummers in the world.”
AJ Bunel
Pianist AJ Bunel attended the University of Connecticut where he studied voice and piano with Dr. Scott Murphree, James Ruff, and Dr. Peter Bagley. Following the completion of his Bachelor of Music degree Bunel went on to the University of Bridgeport where he obtained a Masters of Science in Education. In addition to his university training AJ has also studied piano privately with Chip Reid and Dan Ringuette. AJ has served as the Musical Director for the Thomaston Opera House’s productions of “Smokey Joe’s Café” (2007), “Seussical, The Musical” (2009), and he will be Music Directing “Forever Plaid” this upcoming winter. Bunel is currently the Director of Music at Thomaston High School where he is responsible for all music instruction, both choral and instrumental, for grades 7 – 12.
Influences
I have a lot of in musical influences but some of my most important are Jerry Bergonzi, he is a fantastic teacher I’m still working on things he showed me five years ago, Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Chris Potter, Kenny Garrett, Cannonball, Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Woody shaw, McCoy Tyner, Clifford Brown , Mingus and Monk, there are so many more.
I’m also influenced by a lot of traditional music like Yoruba and Ewe drumming, the North Indian classical music, Cuban and Brazilian music. Lately I’ve been listening to some drum-n-bass things to try to incorporate those kind of grooves into my writing.
Sounds Like
Like everyone else says, I try to sound like myself. The Horizon Band incorporates elements of jazz, funk, groove, R&B and music from West Africa. I think the traditional West African musical elements really helps to define our sound.
Find me on iLike BIO
After earning a PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh, Jason Squinobal moved back to Northwestern Connecticut where he has assembled a group of talented musicians who make up the Horizon Band. The Horizon Band is a high-energy music group that performs jazz infused with funky grooves and traditional West African music and rhythm. Their most recent performance was at the “Africa Meets North America Music Festival” in Los Angeles. The Horizon Band features Jason Squinobal on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, Sean Sheridan on guitar, AJ Bunel on piano and keyboards and Jerome Morris on drums. Through his research as an ethnomusicologist Squinobal has become a specialist in fusing elements of West African music and Jazz. The Horizon Band focuses on performing his original compositions. These compositions feature strong rhythmic grooves with layered ostinotos and polyrhythms. Many of the melodic lines are drawn from West African traditional music, yet they are also reminiscent of the hard driving jazz groups of the 1960s. The Band also performs original versions of well-known jazz standards and popular songs like Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” and Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.”
As professional musician, composer, educator, and scholar Dr. Jason Squinobal wears many hats. He has appeared in a wide range of venues from the Hartford Jazz Festival to the rural villages of Jamaica. Squinobal as also appear at the Africa Meets North America Music Festival in Los Angeles, the Midwest Music Festival in Chicago and the University of Pittsburgh Annual Jazz Seminar. Jason specializes in West African infused jazz and funk, and plays alto saxophone and bass clarinet.
Squinobal has had the opportunity to attend some of the world’s finest performing arts schools including the Greater Hartford Academy of the Performing Arts, Interlochen Arts Academy, and Berklee College of Music. While attending Berklee, Squinobal study jazz improvisation with Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Bill Pierce, Ed Tomasi, Shannon LeCleare, and Dino Govoni. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BM in Music Education. At the same time, he formed the Jason Squinobal Quartet (J.S.Q.) and performed in Boston, New York City and throughout New England. In addition to performing with his own groups Squinobal has also performed with Nathan T. Davis, Curtis Fuller, Antonio Hart, Jerry Bergonzi, Dave Santoro, Sean Jones, Jimmy Owens, Dwayne Dolphin, Roger Humphries, Steven Davis, Winard Harper. Dr. Squinobal is also a member of the Northwest Quartet, lead by Sean Sheridan, and Dave Overthrow’s Fusion Band.
Jason Squinobal earned his PhD in Ethnomusicology in April 2009 from the University of Pittsburgh where he specialized in Jazz studies. His dissertation entitled, “West African Music in the Music of Art Blakey, Yusef Lateef, and Randy Weston” explores the social and cultural influences that encouraged those three musicians to incorporate elements of West African music into their compositions and jazz performance. Squinobal’s research is focused on projects concerning African American music, jazz, and music of the African diaspora. He has presented his research internationally at the Guelph Jazz festival and Symposium at Guelph University, Guelph Canada; the Society for Ethnomusicology Annual Conference at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut; and the New Jazz Histories Symposium, University of Salford, Manchester England. He has been teaching saxophone, clarinet, and flute privately and in public school systems for over ten years.
I'm so proud that you finally put up your myspace page. The world NEEDS to hear your music, which is so darned good! I noticed that Afrobeat is also one of the categories you have listed. I suppose you're now officially one of my field informants :) :) :)
