Artists
Paul Cherba
Paul Cherba has been playing the trumpet since fifth grade and singing all his life. He remembers playing Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man in sixth grade stage band. His first teacher was Mpls. local trumpet guru Greg Lewis. He was the first true "Cat" to influence Paul. He knew early on that he'd be playing the trumpet for the rest of his life. Shortly after Greg introduced Paul to Miles Davis, he spent all of his money filling out his Miles Davis Collection. He made his way through High School in Mound, MN, playing, singing and dancing in the show choir, bands and jazz bands.
Then it was off to The University of Minnesota at Morris for two years to hone his skills with all sorts of bands. Big bands, combos, dixieland, even playing drums in some. It was here he connected with "Doc" Carlson, an outstanding jazz educator and trumpet player. He learned more about the history of jazz, it's roots.
He became interested in the sounds of Ragtime Piano and New Orleans Dixieland. He was exposed to the great early recordings of Louis "Pops" Armstrong, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Bessie Smith, Billie Holliday and countless others. During his tenure with The UMM Jazz Ensembles he had the privelege of playing in New Orleans several times, in Switzerland for The Montreaux Jazz Festival, and in New York City at the prestigious Carnegie Hall. It's true...Practice, practice, practice and you do get to Carnegie Hall.
He then went on to study Trumpet Performance/Jazz Composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston. There he led an ensemble, NONFUNKTONAL, dedicated to playing Miles Davis' music from 1969(circa Bitches Brew)through the present and originals penned by Cherba In that funky style. He also played in a lot of other bands big, small, swingin' , funky.
After completing Berklee in 1995, Cherba started The Paul Cherba Jazz Quartet. With a desire to sing and play the classic jazz melodies of the roaring 20s through the Millenia. With a strong emphasis on songs of the Tin Pan Alley years, penned by such greats as Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and others. His Bossa-Nova and Latin Jazz interpretations are a clear indication of his affection for these styles of music, and the Clave in general.
The PCJQ began playing around Boston and Cambridge immediately. Becoming regulars at The Good Life, John Harvard's Brewhouse, The Fort Hill Brewhouse, as well as receiving lots of airplay, a monthly live performance on the radio. He eventually kicked off the 1999 Boston Globe Jazz & Blues Festival.
It was then time to bring his vision back to his native land of 10,000 lakes, Minnesota. So he packed up his Pork-Pie Hat, his leadership and knowledge of songs and moved back. He found his first bit of work playing at The Loring Bar and Mpls. Cafe. It wasn't long befor he brought his quartet to Sophia, Yvette's, Lord Fletchers, and Jazzmine's. He plays every Thursday at Cafe Havana in Minneapolis' Wharehouse District. He also plays in local band Soulvation, playing motown based R & B hits.
Eric Graham
Eric Graham is an active jazz bassist and musicologist. Currently residing in the Twin Cities, he has performed on stages from California to New York, and he has appeared locally at the Dakota, Artists' Quarter, Brilliant Corners, The Times, Dixie's, Rossi's Blue Star, Cedar Cultural Center, and other notable venues.
Graham holds a Masters Degree in Music Composition from the Peabody Conservatory of Music of Johns Hopkins University, and studied jazz at the Berklee College of Music and University of North Texas, and Hindustani music at the Ali Akbar College on Music.
Graham is a full-time music professor at Century College where he directs the jazz combo, and teaches courses in world music, popular music, and Western classical music; he is also "sideman-in-residence" with the Winona State University Faculty Jazz Ensemble. He held previous faculty positions at Moorhead State University, Baker University, Washburn University, Kirkwood Community College, University of Iowa, National American University, Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical, and University of Alaska.
Graham is recipient of various citations for his creative and scholarly endeavors, including an ASCAP Raymond Hubble Music Award, two Jerome Foundation Travel & Study Grants, a LRAC—McKnight Foundation Career Development Grant, a Minnesota State Arts Board Arts Leader Award, a National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Scholarship, a Mid-America Arts Alliance Grant, the Virginia Carty deLillo Prize for Music Composition, a Peabody Institute Merit Scholarship, a Presidential Innovation Grant and a National Honor Society Scholarship.
Graham has appeared on the Today Show, C-SPAN, National Public Radio, and CBS Radio, and has been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Christian Science Monitor.
Graham was raised in Barrow, Alaska – an Inupiat Eskimo village 400 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
Nathan Fryett
Originally hailing from Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, Nathan Fryett has been actively performing in the Twin Cities area for the past three years. Besides regularly playing with the Paul Cherba Jazz Quartet, Nathan maintains a steady teaching practice and gigs out with the fusion band The State Champs and the psychedelic rock band 13 Hertz. More information can be found here: www.myspace.com/nathanfryett.
