Trio East was formed in 2001 by members of the Eastman School of Music faculty. They have been active both as a group as well as as the core of many other projects such as the Eastman Jazz Quartet, led by Harold Danko, and others including Bill Dobbins and Richard Perry. Clay JENKINS arrived in Los Angeles in 1978 and became a member of The Stan Kenton Orchestra (Buddy Rich Big Band) and The Count Basie Orchestra. Clay has continued to record and perform with the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra since he joined the Eastman faculty in 2000. Clay has recorded with Milt Jack, Diana Krall and Billy Harper, as well as Rufus Reid, Ray Brown (with whom he is a charter member), Rich Perry, Ernestine Anderson, Kurt Elling, Dr. John and Eric Reed. Jeff CAMPBELL has performed at festivals across Europe, the former Soviet Union and the Baltic Republics with Gene Bertoncini and Rich Perry. Jeff is also a member the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and has been featured on McPartland’s Piano Jazz program on NPR. Since 1997, he has been a professor at Eastman. His teaching areas include jazz bass, jazz theory, small group performance, and jazz history. He also wrote a book about the Duke Ellington-Jimmy Blanton duets. Rich Thompson has been a highly-respected Rochester drummer for 25 years. Since 1996, he has been an Eastman School of Music Associate Professor of Drum Set and Jazz Lab Band Director since 2008. Rich has toured the world with jazz legends such as Tito Puente (Jazz), Marion McPartland (Jazz), Gene Bertoncini, Byron Stripling and Terell Stafford. Rich was a member The Count Basie Orchestra and was referred to by The Boston Globe “the drummer that drove the Basie sound.” Rich also performed with many symphonies across the U.S. Rich is an active clinician and has written four books about drum set technique. from http://sonsofsound.com
