Norman David is a saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, author, and music educator. Born in Montreal, he moved to the United States in the mid 1970s, residing in Boston, central Maine, and, since 1989, in the Philadelphia area.
David’s music experiences are extensive and multi-faceted. Over the years, he has composed for, directed, and played in ensembles of all types, ranging from jazz orchestra to small combos. He currently directs, performs and records with, and composes the music for his eleven-member ensemble, The Eleventet, comprised of top jazz players in the northeast U.S., some internationally renowned. David has also appeared with, and his jazz compositions have been performed by, among others, George Garzone, Dick Oatts, Tim Hagans, John Fedchock, John Swana, Terell Stafford, Scott Robinson, Jon Gordon, Gary Smulyan, Greg Hopkins, Tony Marino, John Hebert, Tim Horner, and various all-star jazz ensembles. Among his various honors, David has been awarded grants in recognition of his jazz compositions from the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Composers Forum.
David’s art music compositions have been premiered by, among others, Alea III, The Network For New Music, Les Thimmig, Arne Running, Charles Abramovic, and Jonathan Blumenfeld. His compositions have been cited for excellence by the Artists’s Foundation of Massachusetts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Vanguard Artists Associates.
He is currently Adjunct Associate Professor and a member of the Composition Department at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and Artist-in-Residence at Temple University, where he teaches all the arranging courses and directs ensembles. He has previously been a faculty member at Berklee College of Music, Colby College, Franklin & Marshall College, and Ursinus College.
Lars Halle is a drummer, composer, arranger, and educator. Lars was born in Trondheim, Norway, and spent his childhood in Sandviken, Sweden, where he undertook his first music studies at the age of ten. He moved to the United States in 1989 and subsequently Halle graduated with a B.M. in Jazz Drums Performance from the University of the Arts in 1996.
He currently lectures in arranging and jazz history at UArts.
Halle has been writing music for big bands since his pre-teens and several of his works, published by Kendor Music, have been bestsellers, being performed all over the world. His work has been performed by a number of prominent jazz musicians, including Jon Faddis, Rob McConnell, Dave Samuels, Bobby Shew, Kurt Elling, and Ray Anderson.
Since the spring of 2000 Halle has headed the Lars Halle Jazz Orchestra in Philadelphia, an exciting ensemble that currently performs regularly at Chris’ Jazz Café. Since 2002, the LHJO has collaborated variously with John Swana, Tim Warfield, and John Fedchock. LHJO’s first CD, Speaking of Apropos (2004), features original compositions by Halle and has been applauded by critics and jazz-lovers alike.
