Lee Tomboulian:
piano
Mark Urness:
acoustic doublebass and electric bass
Dane Richeson:
drums and percussion
The members of the Lawrence Jazz Trio improvise and interact upon an eclectic repertoire of jazz, classical, folk, and ethnic music. Each artist brings a broadly based conservatory education, an extensive jazz background, and unique world music experiences to this creative music collective.
Pianist Lee Tomboulian has performed on piano, accordion, and keyboards with noted jazz artists Airto, Nat Adderley, Doc Cheatham, Larry Coryell, Jack DeJohnette, Herb Ellis, Eddie Harris, Marc Johnson, Sheila Jordan, Dick Oatts, Bucky Pizzarelli, Pharoah Sanders, and Steve Swallow. He was a member of the renowned University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band and is a founding member of the Brazilian and Uruguayan ensemble Circo. He earned his B.A. in composition with a minor in Theater Arts from the University of Arkansas, his M.M. in Jazz Studies (piano performance) at the University of North Texas, and studied privately with ECM giant Art Lande and Giorgio Della Terza at the Naropa Institute. He also studied African-American gospel music at St. Andrew Church of God in Christ in Texas. Lee previously served on the jazz faculties at Texas Wesleyan University, Cedar Valley Community College, the University of Dallas, and North Central Texas College.
Bassist Mark Urness is a versatile performer, composer, and educator whose diverse experiences encompass orchestral, chamber, jazz, salsa, and solo playing. He has served as Principal Bassist for the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre and the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra. From 1999-2001, he freelanced in New York City where he played with Adam Nussbaum, Lew Soloff, Eric Rasmussen, and Curtis Fowlkes. He was awarded First Prize in the International Society of Bassists Jazz Competition, and performed with Bill Mays and Tim Froncek at the 2001 ISB Convention. Prior to his Lawrence faculty appointment, Mark taught at the University of Iowa, Coe College, and the University of Northern Iowa. He received degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the University of Northern Iowa.
Dane Richeson is recognized as one of the most versatile virtuosi in percussion. Throughout the world he has been featured in such diverse roles as solo marimbist, percussionist for contemporary chamber music, world percussion specialist and jazz drummer. Performances have been with such diverse artists as, Bobby McFerrin, Gunther Schuller, Joe Lovano, NDR Big Band, Lionel Hampton, Dianne Reeves, Roscoe Mitchell, Claudio Roditi, Medeski-Martin-Woods, Eddie Daniels, Marc Johnson, Jackie Allen, Kenny Wheeler and Uri Caine. He regularly performs with the chamber ensembles CUBE ( Chicago) and The Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society ( Madison, WI). He has performed at festivals such as Ravinia, North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, and Beijing Music Festival. Mr. Richeson has performed on more than one hundred recordings including works on Blue Note Records, Origin Records, Klavier, Accurate, Mark, Naxos, A-Records, CRI, Albany, Innova, A-440, and the major motion picture, Sphere.