Faculty

Doug Little –Workshop Director, Saxophone
Doug Little has received recognition for being both an elite jazz musician and an exceptional composer. He has appeared as a leader or sideman on 10 CDs and performed concerts throughout the United States and Europe. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Doug moved to Minneapolis in 1991 where he cofounded the innovative and successful jazz sextet, The Motion Poets. Following three CDs and several national tours with that ensemble, Doug began leading and composing for his own quartet in 2000. Little has served as director of the Twin Cities Jazz Workshop since 1996. Doug Little’s background includes a degree from Macalester college, studies with master saxophonist Joe Lovano, and two months of music research in Cuba including studies at the National School of Arts in Havana. For his work as a musician and composer Doug Little has received support from the American Composers Forum, the Jerome Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, the Minneapolis Arts Commission, the McKnight Foundation, and the Bush Foundation. He was recently selected by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra to participate in their Artist in the School Prgram, Cultural Connect. Working with the Orchestra’s musical education program he will visit over 30 classrooms to give presentations on jazz and the art of improvisation.

Jeff Bailey - bass
Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Jeff Bailey has performed in a wide variety of musical settings and continues to further his reputation as one of the Midwest’s most versatile and in demand musicians. He has performed with world-renowned jazz artists including Marvin Stamm, Jack McDuff, Terrell Stafford, Bill Carrothers, Eric Garvat, Dave Pietro, Hannibal Peterson, Fred Ho, Craig Taborn, and James Carter. Equally adept at electric and acoustic bass, Jeff has worked with funk and pop groups and has shared the stage with such major acts as Primus, Henry Rollins, Firehose, 24-7 Spyz, and De La Soul. Jeff Bailey is a founding member of the jazz/funk unit, Moveable Feast. That ensemble has released two critically acclaimed CDs and is popular with critics and fans alike. He has also produced three nationally distributed CDs for Lifescape records. Regardless of the project or setting, Jeff Bailey always brings impeccable taste and musicianship.

Kevin Washington – drums
Kevin Washington was born in 1975 in Detroit, Michigan to musicians and music scholars Donald and Faye Washington. His musical career began at the age of five with his first performances at the Detroit jazz festival. As a young performer he also played at jazz festivals in Chicago, Alabama, and Connecticut.After first moving to Minneapolis at the age of thirteen, Kevin went on to New York City in 1996 to study jazz at the New School for Social Research. During his stay in New York he taught rhythm section fundamentals at the Harlem School of the Arts. Kevin’s talents as a drummer and composer have made him a favorite among musicians in New York and Minneapolis. Besides the Doug Little Quartet he is currently a member of the jazz/funk ensemble Moveable Feast and a quartet led by bassist Anthony Cox. Kevin has performed with Reggie Workman, Roscoe Mitchell, Rodney Whitaker, Bob Hurst, Antonio Hart, Chico Freeman, James Carter, Fred Wesly, Roy Brooks, Marcus Belgrave, David Murray Big Band, Fred Ho, Craig Taborn, and James Newton.

Viviana Pintado
Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Viviana attended the country's most prestigious music school including the legendary Escuela Nacional de Arte, the Julliard of Cuba. While still in her teens she won several awards as a vocalist. In the early 1990's sheshe left Cuba, first living in Colombia and Mexico before being gaining residency in the United States and resettling in Miami, Florida. Both before and after her arrival to the United States, Viviana toured and recorded extensively as a member of the band of salsa singing star, Albita. As pianist and back-up vocalist Viviana recorded multiple CDs for Albita including three recordings that were later nominated for Latin Grammys. Viviana traveled to perform throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and all of Central and South America. In 2002 she relocated to the Twin Cities and currently performs with top Latin and jazz performers throughout the Upper Midwest.