Jazz for the Soul/Russell Schmidt Quartet

The Russell Schmidt Quartet returns to Spirit of Hope to perform a wide-ranging program featuring jazz classics, songbook standards, and original compositions. Featuring Brice Winston-saxophone, Russell Schmidt-piano, Vincent Thiefain-bass, and Ryan Anthony-drums. 

Russell Schmidt As a performer, composer, conductor, and educator, Russell Schmidt has been collaborating with world-class musicians while also shaping future artists for more than three decades. A deeply creative pianist, he has shared the stage with such celebrated performers as Carl Allen, Roxy Coss, Eddie Daniels, Nick Finzer, John Hollenbeck, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. He has been featured as a guest soloist with Caleb Chapman’s Crescent Super Band in a performance at Carnegie Hall, as well as with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble at an alumni tribute concert to famed jazz pedagogue Rayburn Wright. Russell has also headlined jazz events with his own groups at such venues as the MIM Music Theater, Kilbourn Hall, and The Nash. Additionally, he has served as keyboard soloist with more than 30 professional orchestras, including performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall.

Brice Winston Brice's 16 year residency in New Orleans and his association with Blanchard  has afforded him

the opportunity to record and/or perform with some of the greatest musicians in jazz, including Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Ellis Marsalis, Lionel Loueke, Robert Glasper, Aaron Parks, Marcus Miller, Dizzie Gillespie, Branford Marsalis, Nneena Freelon, Dianne Reeves, Brian Blade, Patty Austin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Mark Whitfield, Mark Turner, and Eric Harland, among others. Brice appears as a composer and a performer on numerous Blanchard film scores and CD releases, including his latest effort, Magnetic.

​Brice is also one of the co-owners of the Tucson Jazz Institute (TJI) Community Music School in Tucson, AZ. TJI focuses primarily on teaching jazz to middle and high school students in and around southern Arizona. TJI's ensembles have earned national and international recognition, with its Ellington Band winning the Essentially Ellington competition in New York at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and earning the top high school jazz band title from Downbeat Magazine.

Vincent Thiefain is a graduate of ASU’s jazz program.. He is a freelance bass player that is based out of Tempe and has played with some of the best local and national musicians and educators, including world class Jazz drummer Lewis Nash. While studying at ASU Vincent also had the opportunity to play with artists such as: Benny Golson, Lewis Nash, Cyrille Aimee.

Ryan Anthony - Ryan Anthony is a jazz percussionist with an active career as a live performer, recording artist, composer, arranger, and educator in the greater Phoenix area. A versatile musician conversant in a wide range of styles, Ryan has worked with Bob Mintzer, Andrew Rathbun, George Colligan, Rick DellaRatta, Ron McCurdy, Michael Kocour, and many others. He is also a performer and composer in the Phoenix-based bands Running From Bears, Open Hand, and Union32. Ryan has an abiding interest in many forms of popular music and enjoys working with students who are new to improvisation.

ALL JFTS CONCERTS ARE FREE and open to the public and all donations received will benefit local and international humanitarian causes.

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