<h2>Tom Amend</h2>Tom Amend is a multi instrumentalist, composer, and artist living in Denver, Colorado. Tom performs throughout the Rocky Mountain Region in various settings as both a leader and a sideman. He has performed and or recorded with Colorado based artists: Gabriel Mervine, Eric Benny Bloom (Lettuce), Adam Deitch (Lettuce/Adam Deitch Quartet), Taylor Scott, Dominic Lalli (Big Gigantic), Eddie Roberts (New Mastersounds), The Burroughs, The Honky Tonk Express, Paul Romaine, Ken Walker, Dave Devine, Greg Gisbert, Steve Kovalcheck, among many others. Tom has also shared the stage with, Jeff Hamilton, Chris Potter, Christian McBride, Julia Dollison, Joey DeFrancesco, Louis Hayes, Dave Liebman, Pat Bergeson, Sheila Jordan, and others.Tom’s playing and writing can be heard throughout his discography. His 2019 release, “Frontier Justice” is a swinging album of original music for organ trio that features Steve Kovalcheck and Jeff Hamilton. His 2021 Octet release, “Heliotrope” features a host of Colorado’s finest improvisers playing exciting original music spanning many genres.Amend received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and a Masters of Music in Jazz Composition at the University of Northern Colorado. Through his association with UNC, Tom has performed with nationally recognized UNC Lab I, UNC Vanguard Combo, and Vocal Lab. Tom has taught jazz piano and music technology courses at the University of Northern Colorado, Colorado State University, The University of Wyoming, and CCJA (Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts). He currently teaches out of his studio (Yellow Bench Studios). The Tom Amend Octet sophomore release, “Yellow Bench” is now available!<h2>Vlad Girshevich</h2>Like many other amazing musicians, Vlad Girshevich, showed musical aptitude at an early age. At 4 years old, he started playing piano, and by age 7 he had already taught himself to play pop songs with both hands! His mother recognized his gift and took him to audition at The Uspenski School of Music. He was accepted to this prestigious school which has turned out many famous musicians including Aleksey Sultanov. Fortunately, the school was in his home town of Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Vlad spent 11 blistering years there, studying classical music. When he started experimenting with jazz in the 11th grade, his instructors gave him a hard time for being too creative with “free” interpretation!After Uspenski, Vlad spent 2 years at the Tashkent State Conservatory, and then his family emigrated to the United States in the mid-90’s. His first gigs were in Boulder with the Nina Storey Band. Then he moved to Aspen and had a regular gig at The Little Nell Hotel for 5 years. While in Aspen, Herbie Hancock heard Vlad playing at an event and subsequently invited him to participate in the Thelonious Monk Institute at Jazz Aspen/Snowmass.Vlad has lived in Denver since, where he has been involved in numerous projects, in town with AOA, 5 Points Jazz Festival and out of town with The Santa Fe Jazz Festival, Vail Jazz Festival,Windham Chamber Festival, and Rostov-on- Don Jazz Festival…to name just a few. He has performed with Bob Berg, Stanley Jordan, Ernie Watts, Karen Briggs, and while at the Thelonious Monk Institute, Vlad played with Jerry Gonzales, Arturo Sandoval, and legendary drummer Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez.Vlad’s composition “Tomorrow” has been named a Top 5 finalist in the 2012 Great American Song Contest (instrumental category) and also received Honorable Mention in The International Songwriting Competition (instrumental category). He and his son, Aleks Girshevich, the drummer, recorded this last year in an album of the same name, when Aleks was just 10 years old!! It has been said that The Aleks Girshevich Piano Trio “evokes an atmosphere reminiscent of classical chamber music; there is colorful intimacy, artful phrasing and careful attention to texture and nuance….Vlad’s phenomenal piano artistry is in constant conversation with David Arend’s innovative double bass work, and Aleks ties it together with prodigious skill and a multi-layered rhythmic concept”.Bass Players United called Vlad a “thrilling and adventurous talent”. Vlad is much sought-after as a soloist, as well as for his work with jazz trios and quartets.