Doug White Quintet

The quintet features Dave Cooper – trumpet and flugelhorn, Pawan Benjamin – sax and flute, Dane Richeson – percussion, Mark Urness – bass and Doug White – piano, organ, synthesizer.

Together they blend free improv, original compositions and modern jazz classics in playful, dynamic conversation. Lively Latin, swing and fusion rhythms meet rich melodic and harmonic textures in jubilant and pensive songs. This performance will feature: new compositions by band members White, Cooper, and Urness; fresh interpretations of modern jazz classics by Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Kenny Garrett; and spontaneously created pieces.

Dave Cooper currently leads the jazz quartets QUAD and Drift. and performs with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Isthmus Brass, The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. He has performed throughout the midwest and in Beijing, Foshan, Macau, New York, Munich, Vienna, Stockholm. Dave is associate professor of trumpet and jazz studies at the UW – Platteville. He has performed in Beijing, Foshan, Macau, New York, Munich, Vienna, Stockholm, International Trumpet Guild Conference, New York Brass Conference, and is a very active soloist/clinician with regional schools, jazz festivals and community ensembles.

As both an accomplished saxophonist and flute player, Pawan Benjamin stands at the intersection of profound musical traditions. Rooted in jazz and improvisation, his pursuit of learning later led him to a deep study of Nepali Folk and Indian Classical Music. His unique perspective into these legacies of music has allowed him to work with a myriad of world-class artists, and perform and teach around the world. Pawan has performed alongside artists such as Roscoe Mitchell, Reggie Workman, Ranjit Barot, Bill T. Jones, Taufiq Qureshi, Rez Abbasi, Marc Cary, and others. Performance credits include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Newport Festival, the Kennedy Center, the Rubin Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, the Mondriaan Jazz Festival, the Bimhuis, the NCPA in Mumbai, Goa International Jazz Festival, and more.

Mark Urness is a versatile bassist, composer, and educator. His diverse performance experience encompasses jazz, orchestral, chamber, solo playing. Recent jazz performances include with Bill Carrothers, Danilo Perez, Peter Erskine, and Joe Locke. He is an associate professor of music at Lawrence University and the principal bassist of the Weidner Center Philharmonic Orchestra. His playing on the unaccompanied jazz album, Foreground, was described by Bass World magazine as “completely in command of the instrument and the tunes, rife with good ideas, melodic instinct, and groove.”

Dane Richeson is recognized as one of the most versatile performers in the percussive arts. Throughout the world he has been featured in such diverse roles as solo marimbist, contemporary chamber music percussionist, world percussion specialist and jazz drummer. Performances have been with such diverse artists as Bobby McFerrin, Gordon Stout, Nancy Zeltsman, Gunther Schuller, Geoffrey Keezer, Joe Lovano, NDR Big Band of Germany, Roscoe Mitchell, Medeski-Martin-Woods, Kenny Wheeler , Danilo Perez, and Lyle Mays.

Doug White performs on piano and other keyboards, composes, arranges and leads jazz bands in the Madison area. His quartet performed at CODA Fest 2022. He has performed with Brian Lynch, Nick Moran and Clyde Stubblefield. Recent recordings are available at: dougwhitejazzpiano.bandcamp.com