Timothy M. Ries (born 15 August 1959) is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate/conservatory level. Ries is in his year as a professor of jazz studies at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
. His universe of work as composer, arranger, and instrumentalist ranges from rock to jazz to classical to experimental to ethno to fusions of respective genres thereof. His notable works with wide popularity include ''The Rolling Stones Project,'' a culmination of jazz arrangements of music by the
Stones
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks form the Earth's o ...
produced on two albums, the first in 2005 and the second in 2008.
Time Ries
'' by David Jeffries, ''Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
''
Career
From 1982 to 1984, Ries taught jazz improvisation at the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
. In the 1990s, he made it his day job. Ries has held teaching posts at the
University of Bridgeport
The University of Bridgeport (UB) is a private university in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. In 2021, the university was purchased by Goodwin University; it retain its own n ...
(1994),
Mannes School of Music
Mannes School of Music is a music conservatory in The New School, a private research university in New York City. In the fall of 2015, Mannes moved from its previous location on Manhattan's Upper West Side to join the rest of the New School cam ...
(1994–1996),
The New School
The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...
(1995–1998),
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...
(1995–2000),
New Jersey City University
New Jersey City University (NJCU) is a public university in Jersey City, New Jersey. Originally chartered in 1927, and known as Jersey City State College for 40 years of its history, New Jersey City University consists of the School of Business, ...
(2003), and
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
(2003–2005). Most recently, he was Professor of Jazz Studies at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
(2007–10).
Biography: Tim Ries
'', University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
Ries has recorded five albums as leader. As collaborator and sideman, he has recorded with pianist
Franck Amsallem
Franck Amsallem is a French-American jazz pianist, arranger, composer, singer and educator. He was born in 1961 in Oran, French Algeria, but grew up in Nice, France.
Early years
Amsallem was born in Oran (Algeria) to Elie Amsallem (1922-2019) a ...
,
Phil Woods
Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer.
Biography
Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began ...
,
Tom Harrell
Tom Harrell (born June 16, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, and arranger. Voted Trumpeter of the Year of 2018 by ''Jazz Journalists Association'', Harrell has won awards and grants throughout his career, including mul ...
,
Al Foster
Aloysius Tyrone Foster (born January 18, 1943) is an American jazz drummer. Foster's professional career began in the mid-60s, when he played and recorded with hard bop and swing musicians including Blue Mitchell and Illinois Jacquet. Foster pl ...
,
John Patitucci
John Patitucci (born December 22, 1959) is an American jazz bassist and composer.
Biography
John James Patitucci was born in Brooklyn, New York. When he was 12, he bought his first bass and decided on his career. He listened to bass parts in R ...
,
Dave Liebman
David Liebman (born September 4, 1946) is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach.
In June 2010, he received a N ...
,
Danilo Perez
Danilo is a given name found in Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Serbian.
Notable people with the name Danilo include:
Athletes Footballers
* Danilo (footballer, born 1979), Brazilian footballer Danilo de Andrade
* Danilo (footballer, born 19 ...
,
Maynard Ferguson
Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...
,
Red Garland
William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jazz ...
,
Badal Roy
Badal Roy ( bn, বাদল রায়; born Amarendra Roy Chowdhury; 16 October 1939 – 18 January 2022) was an Indian tabla player, percussionist, and recording artist known for his work in jazz, world music, and experimental music.
B ...
,
Maria Schneider (musician)
Maria Lynn Schneider (born November 27, 1960) is an American composer and jazz orchestra leader who has won multiple Grammy Awards.
Biography
Born in Windom, Minnesota, Schneider studied music theory and composition at the University of Minne ...
, and
Donald Byrd
Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop m ...
.
[Biography: Tim Ries](_blank)
''All About Jazz
''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...
''
As a soprano saxophonist, Ries was one of the founding members of the PRISM Quartet, a saxophone chamber group that endures today. Besides himself, the founding members were Michael Whitcombe (alto), Matthew Levy (tenor), Timothy Miller (bari). In 2000, the quartet recorded ''Real Standard Time'' on
Naxos Records
Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...
.
As a sideman on saxophone, keyboards, and organ, Ries toured with the
Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
during 2003–2004. Ries arranged compositions by
Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
and
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
, which were recorded on off-days during the Stones'
A Bigger Bang World Tour
A Bigger Bang was a worldwide concert tour by the Rolling Stones which took place between August 2005 and August 2007, in support of their album '' A Bigger Bang''. At the time, it was the highest grossing tour of all time, earning $558,255,52 ...
.
Tim Ries: Not Only Rock ‘N’ Roll
', by ( de), ', January/February 2009
Subsequently, Ries has toured with The Rolling Stones in 2005, 2006, 2007 and again in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Ries has composed over one hundred works. As saxophonist with the PRISM Quartet, Ries has performed
William Bolcom's ''Concerto Grosso,'' for saxophone quartet and orchestra, with 13 orchestras, including the
Detroit Symphony
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Jader Bignamini is the current music ...
, the
Dallas Symphony
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Dallas, Texas. Its principal performing venue is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas.
History
The orchestra traces its origins to a ...
, and
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
. As a saxophonist soloist, he performed the American premiere of
Takashi Yoshimatsu's ''Cyber Bird Concerto'' with the
Brooklyn Philharmonic
There have been several organisations referred to as the Brooklyn Philharmonic. The most recent one was the now-defunct Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, an American orchestra based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, in existence fr ...
at
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
.
Selected discography
* ''Regards,''
Freelance
''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
(1993);
: Recorded January 1993, live at BMG Studio A, New York City
: Tim Ries (tenor & soprano sax),
Franck Amsallem
Franck Amsallem is a French-American jazz pianist, arranger, composer, singer and educator. He was born in 1961 in Oran, French Algeria, but grew up in Nice, France.
Early years
Amsallem was born in Oran (Algeria) to Elie Amsallem (1922-2019) a ...
(piano),
Scott Colley (bass),
Bill Stewart (drums)
* ''Is That So?''
Sunnyside (1996);
: Recorded July 18 & 19, 1990, at Clinton Recording Studios, New York City
: Tim Ries (tenor & soprano sax, flute), Franck Amsallem (piano),
Leon Parker
Leon Parker (born August 21, 1965 in White Plains, New York) is a jazz percussionist and composer.All Music/ref> He is known for occasionally using a minimalist drum set with fewer components than usual, "sometimes consisting only of a snare dr ...
(drums, percussion)
* ''Imaginary Time,'' Moo (1994);
: Recorded May 5 & 6, 1994, at Sound on Sound Studios, New York City
: Tim Ries,
Randy Brecker
Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock, and R&B.
Early life
Brecker was born on Nov ...
(trumpet), Scott Wendholt (
de) (trumpet), Charles Gordon (trombone),
Ben Monder
Ben Monder (born May 24, 1962) is an American modern jazz guitarist.
Biography
Monder started playing guitar when he was eleven, after two years on violin. From 1979–84, he attended the Westchester Conservatory of Music, the University of Miam ...
(guitar), Franck Amsallem (piano),
cott_Colley_(bass),_ cott_Colley_(bass),_Joey_Baron_(drums),_Billy_Hart">Joey_Baron.html"_;"title="cott_Colley_(bass),_Joey_Baron">cott_Colley_(bass),_Joey_Baron_(drums),_Billy_Hart_(drums)
*_''Universal_Spirits''_Criss_Cross_Jazz.html" ;"title="Joey_Baron_(drums),_Billy_Hart.html" ;"title="Joey_Baron.html" ;"title="cott Colley (bass), Joey Baron">cott Colley (bass), Joey Baron (drums), Billy Hart">Joey_Baron.html" ;"title="cott Colley (bass), Joey Baron">cott Colley (bass), Joey Baron (drums), Billy Hart (drums)
* ''Universal Spirits'' Criss Cross Jazz">Criss Cross (1998);
: Recorded October 12, 1997, at RPM Studio, New York City
: Tim Ries, Scott Wendholt (
de) (trumpet), Ben Monder (guitar), Scott Colley ( bass), Billy Drummond (drums)
* PRISM Quartet, ''Real Standard Time,'' Innova Recordings, Innova (2000)
: Recorded 2000; all but "Your Gentle Heart" recorded at Current Sounds, New York City; "Your Gentle Heart recorded at
Settlement Music School
Settlement Music School is a community music school with branches in and around Philadelphia. Founded in 1908 by two young women, Jeannette Selig Frank and Blanche Wolf Kohn, it is the largest community school of the arts in the United States. It ...
, Philadelphia
: Tim Ries (soprano sax), Michael Whitcombe (alto sax), Matthew Levy (tenor sax), Taimur Sullivan (bari sax),
John Riley (drums)
* ''Alternate Side'' Criss Cros (2001);
: Recorded June 3, 2000, Systems Two Recording Studios, Brooklyn
: Tim Ries (tenor & soprano saxophone),
Greg Gisbert
Gregory Lyle Gisbert (born February 2, 1966 in Mobile, Alabama) is an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist.Gary W. Kennedy, ''"Greg Gisbert''. '' Grove Jazz'' online
Early years and school
Gisbert played drums with his father as a chil ...
(trumpet & flugelhorn),
Michael Davis (trombone), Ben Monder (guitar), Stacey Shames (Harp),
Larry Goldings
Lawrence Sam “Larry” Goldings (born August 28, 1968) is an American jazz keyboardist and composer. His music has explored elements of funk, blues, and fusion. Goldings has a comedic alter ego known as Hans Groiner.
Life and career
Gold ...
(piano & organ),
John Patitucci
John Patitucci (born December 22, 1959) is an American jazz bassist and composer.
Biography
John James Patitucci was born in Brooklyn, New York. When he was 12, he bought his first bass and decided on his career. He listened to bass parts in R ...
(bass), Billy Drummond (bass)
* ''The Rolling Stones Project''
Concord
Concord may refer to:
Meaning "agreement"
* Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony)
* Harmony, in music
* Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...
(2005);
* ''Stones World: The Rolling Stones Project II'', Sunnyside (2008);
: Tim Ries (alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones, piano),
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021.
Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an i ...
(drums),
Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
(guitar),
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
(harmonica),
Ronnie Wood
Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group.
Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a nu ...
(guitar, lap steel),
Adam Rogers (guitar) and Tidawt (fusion ensemble)
Album Review
'' by Paul J. Youngman, ', June 22, 2008
With
Jack DeJohnette
Jack DeJohnette (born August 9, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer.
Known for his extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians including Charles Lloyd, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, John Abercrombie, ...
*''
Sound Travels'' (Golden Beam/eOne, 2012)
With the
Joe Roccisano
Joseph Lucian Roccisano (October 15, 1939 in Springfield, Massachusetts – November 9, 1997) was an American jazz saxophonist and arranger.
Career
Roccisano received his bachelor's degree in music education from SUNY-Potsdam in 1963. In 1964 he ...
Orchestra
*''
Leave Your Mind Behind
''Leave Your Mind Behind'' is an album by the Joe Roccisano Orchestra which was released on Orrin Keepnews' Landmark label in 1995.Tecumseh, Michigan
Tecumseh is a city in Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan, near the River Raisin. Tecumseh is about southwest of Detroit, south of Ann Arbor, and north of Toledo, Ohio. The main street of downtown is Chicago Boulevard, also designat ...
, about 70 miles from
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
. His father Jack Ries ''(né'' Jack Leonard Ries; 1924–1990) was a professional trumpet player; his mother, Edith Viola (née O'Neil; 1925–2006), played piano; and his three sisters sang and also played the piano.
Charlie Watts and Tim Ries on Piano Jazz
'' ''National Public Radio
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
,'' August 31, 2007 Ries is a 1977 graduate of
Tecumseh High School in
Tecumseh, Michigan
Tecumseh is a city in Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan, near the River Raisin. Tecumseh is about southwest of Detroit, south of Ann Arbor, and north of Toledo, Ohio. The main street of downtown is Chicago Boulevard, also designat ...
. His high school band director was Jimmie L. Rice (born 1946).
In 1981, Ries earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies at the
University of North Texas College of Music
The University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school among the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. It developed the first jazz studies ...
in
Denton. While at North Texas, he was a member of the 1980–1981
One O'Clock Lab Band
One O'Clock Lab Band is an ensemble of the Jazz Studies division at the University of North Texas College of Music in Denton, Texas. Since the 1970s, the band's albums have received seven Grammy Award nominations, including two for ''Lab 2009''. ...
during Leon Breeden's last year as director and also a member of the 1981–1982
One O'Clock during Neil Slater's first year as director. During his two-year tenure in the
One O'Clock he performed on the ''Lab 81'' and ''Lab 82,'' both studio recordings, and ''European Tour '82,'' a live at the
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...
, July 20, 1982. In 1984, Ries earned his master's degree in saxophone from the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
.
His influential saxophone teachers have included James B. Forger (born 1951), Michigan All State Band, Ann Arbor (1971–1972),
Larry Teal
Larry Teal (26 March 1905 - 11 July 1984) is considered by many to be the father of American orchestral saxophone.
Career
Laurence Lyon Teal earned a bachelor's degree in pre-dentistry from the University of Michigan. Although he came to the Uni ...
,
Interlochen Arts Academy
Interlochen Center for the Arts is a non-profit corporation which operates arts education institutions and performance venues in northwest Michigan. It is situated on a campus in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly southwest of Traverse City.
In ...
(1971–1972),
Lynn Klock Lynn Klock (born August 12, 1950)[Saxophone history timeline 1814–1995](_blank)
is an ...
,
Interlochen Arts Academy
Interlochen Center for the Arts is a non-profit corporation which operates arts education institutions and performance venues in northwest Michigan. It is situated on a campus in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly southwest of Traverse City.
In ...
(1976–1977),
Jim Riggs,
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School," ...
(1979–1982),
Donald Sinta
Donald J. Sinta (born June 16, 1937 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American classical saxophonist, educator, and administrator. Mr. Sinta earned a Master of Music degree in saxophone performance from the University of Michigan in 1962.
In 1969, he ...
,
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
(1982–1984),
Dave Liebman
David Liebman (born September 4, 1946) is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach.
In June 2010, he received a N ...
, New York (1986–1988), and
Michael Brecker
Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of M ...
at
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
Hastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County located in the southwestern part of the town of Greenburgh in the state of New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of midtown Manha ...
(1996–1999).
His key composition teachers have included
William Bolcom
William Elden Bolcom (born May 26, 1938) is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, a Grammy Award, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. He ...
,
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
(1982–1984),
Bob Brookmeyer
Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of Ge ...
, BMI Composers Workshop (1988–1990), and
Manny Albam
Manny Albam (June 24, 1922 – October 2, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, record producer, and educator.
Early life
A native of the Dominican Republic, Albam grew up in New York City. He was attracted to jazz at an ea ...
, BMI Composers Workshop (1988–1990)
Biography: Tim Ries
'' ''Tim Ries Official Website''
External links
*
Charlie Watts and Tim Ries on Piano Jazz: National Public Radio (NPR)Tim Ries Stones World Live at The Jazz Standard, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (video)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ries, Tim
1960 births
American classical saxophonists
American male saxophonists
American jazz saxophonists
American music arrangers
Jazz arrangers
American jazz bandleaders
American jazz educators
Living people
University of Toronto faculty
University of North Texas College of Music alumni
University of Michigan faculty
21st-century American saxophonists
21st-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
Criss Cross Jazz artists
Sunnyside Records artists
Concord Records artists