Jazz Program

Grant Larson

JAS & JMP Faculty, JAZZ Program Director

An active recitalist and proponent of new music, saxophonist Grant Larson has premiered works for saxophone by Paul, Hanson, Philip Wharton, Chiayu Hsu, Steven Makala, and John Drumheller at regional and national conventions. He is the soprano saxophonist with the Colorado-based Chautauqua Saxophone Quartet and has performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra, and the Fargo/Moorhead Symphony Orchestra. Grant currently serves as the Saxophone Practicing Artist at Denver School of the Arts, is the wind ensemble conductor for the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestras, and serves on the faculty at Rocky Ridge Music Center.

Equally comfortable in both classical and jazz settings, Grant has performed on stage with notable artists such as Maria Schneider, Kurt Elling, Mulgrew Miller, Art Lande, Brad Goode, Johannes Weidenmueller, Peter Erskin, Ray Charles, Ignacio Berroa, and “Slammin” Sammy K. He recently produced a collaborative album (Ascent) of original jazz compositions with fellow musicians Greg Tanner Harris, Matt Fuller, Braun Khan, and Dave Hammond. He also has released two jazz albums of original compositions under the Dazzle Recordings label (Denver, CO). Grant holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Saxophone Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder; a Master of Music from the University of Colorado; and a Bachelor of Music from Concordia College. Previously, he served on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Concordia College, and the Boulder Arts Academy.

Matt Fuller

JAZZ Faculty

Guitarist Matt Fuller is an active performer and educator, he teaches jazz guitar at Denver Metro State University. Matt recently relocated back to his home state of Colorado after living in NYC as a freelancing musician and teacher from 2012-2015. His debut album as a leader Waiting for Violet was released in May 2014 and features celebrated trumpeter Ron Miles. Some notable musicians he has performed with include Idina Menzel, Marvin Hamlisch and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Amir ElSaffar, Cuong Vu, Bill Ware, Scott Amendola and New West Guitar Group. Originally from Colorado, Matt holds a Master’s Degree in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado. Prior to teaching at Denver MSU he taught jazz guitar at University of Northern Colorado from 2005-2011. Matt studied jazz guitar and music theory for eleven years with his mentor Dale Bruning (Bill Frisell’s original teacher). After running his own private lessons studios in Denver and Brooklyn, Matt draws on twenty years teaching experience when working with children and adults. He finds great joy in helping each student develop their skills and find their own direction in music.

Greg Harris

JAZZ Faculty

Multi-Instrumentalist Greg Tanner Harris leads the “Greg Harris Vibe Quintet,” and is a member of Bluegrass legend Pete Wernick’s Flexigrass, hip-hop/jazz/soul group Future Jazz Project, New World Citizen Band, 9th & Lincoln Orchestra, and SuperCollider. Among his work as a studio musician, he has released 5 albums- Greg Harris Vibe Quintet “Glass Gold,” “Open Space,” “Frames Live,” Prospector “Memory of Pilots” featuring trumpeter Ron Miles, and “World Citizen” with West African master xylophonist Aaron Bebe Sukura. The Greg Harris Vibe Quintet’s new album ‘Glass Gold’ was recently released on Dazzle Records.

Greg has a great interest in the West African Xylophone called the Gyil (pronounced JEE-lee), the national instrument of the Lobi and Dagara people of Ghana, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. He has performed with Baaba Maal, Aaron Bebe Sukura, SK Kakraba, as the musical director for Prudence Mabhena from Zimbabwe, and also does regular fundraising performances for the Whole Planet Foundation. He also plays an assortment of Frame Drums from around the world, exploring the Bodhran of Ireland and the Doyra of Uzbekistan.

He received an D.M.A. in Jazz Studies and an M.M. in Music Performance, Percussion at the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Music Education and Music Performance Bachelor of Arts degree from Fort Lewis College. Greg is a private instructor, high school teacher, and freelance musician in the Denver/Boulder area and has performed nationally and internationally. Greg teaches Ethnomusicology, music theory, at Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts, is a board member of the non-profit Gift of Jazz, and as a Practicing Artist at the Denver School of the Arts.

Dave Hammond

JAZZ Faculty

Dave Hammond performed professionally in Boston, South America and Denver before becoming one of the founding music instructors at the Denver School of the Arts (DSA). Under the direction of Mr. Hammond DSA bands have performed at 13 of the last 16 Colorado Music Educators Association conferences, performed 14 times at the CBA State Concert Band Finals, won many awards and accolades including Downbeat Magazine Student Awards: Best Chamber Group, Best Classical Symphonic Band, Best Big Band and Best Studio Orchestra. The Denver School of the Arts Jazz Workshop Orchestra is one of the top high school big bands nationwide selected to compete at the Swing Central Jazz Festival in Savannah, GA (2015, 2014 and 2013), Wynton Marsalis’ Essentially Ellington High School Competition and Festival in New York (2004, 1998). Hammond received his Master of Music degree from the University of Denver and his Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music.

Braun Khan

JAZZ Faculty

Braun Khan is from Mount Pleasant Michigan and began playing the acoustic guitar and the electric bass in high school. He quickly developed a love for music and began performing extensively in church groups and local bands. His experiences ranged from pop/rock to gospel to funk. A few years after taking up the electric bass his interests expanded to jazz and the upright bass, and he began studying classical and jazz bass performance at Central Michigan University.

After completing a Master of Music degree in double bass performance at Central Michigan University, Braun was hired by the university to teach classes in jazz theory and to oversee their community outreach program. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Arts in Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Colorado and is an active part of the Northern Colorado music scene, gigging frequently in jazz and funk/rock groups as well as with classical ensembles.

Braun has performed with Jeff Hamilton, Chris Potter, John Fedchock, Bill Watrous, Tamir Hendelman, Matt Wilson, Deborah Brown, Gary Smulyan, Bobby Sinabria, Ruben Alvarez, Toby Beau, Jake Shimabukuro, Groove For Thought, Clint de Ganon, Bob Christianson, Clifford Carter, Ron Stout, Dan Miller, Brad Goode, Pete Olstad, Greg Gisbert, Eric Gunnison, Adam Larson, Jim White, Steve Kovalcheck, Dana Landry, Peter Sommer, Wil Swindler, Josh Quinlan, Jeff Jenkins, Ben Markley, Mark Sloniker, Chris Smith, Mike Marlier, Ed Breazeale, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and more.