BIO & OTHER BITS OF INFO

THE STORY SO FAR...

From playing in the Sahara Desert, just North of Timbuktu, with Roswell Rudd’s Trombone Shout Band (2004), to creating music in a grain silo at an artist colony in upstate New York, to traveling all over the world with Frank Sinatra (1987 - 1994); trombonist/composer Deborah Weisz’s life in music has been filled with diversity. 



Originally from Chicago, IL, Deborah’s family moved to Phoenix, AZ where she began playing the trombone at the age of 10. When asked why she chose the trombone... “when the band director was naming instruments I thought I would play flute or clarinet, but when he said ‘trombone’ my hand went up. I don’t know why, it just did. It was the beginning of my life-long love of the trombone!”

As a young musician coming up in the public school music programs there was plenty of opportunity to play all styles of music, but Deborah was always attracted to jazz and improvisation.

“I had many wonderful teachers, in particular, Mr. Pat Lebs. He was my band director my first two years of high school (Alhambra High School, Phoenix, AZ). While working with me on Ave Maria, as a solo piece, he would have me sing the melody and spoke about how I should always focus on ‘singing’ through my trombone."



MCC

After high school Deborah chose to attend Mesa Community College (MCC) in Mesa, AZ. “I had heard from other young musicians that if you wanted to be creative and play jazz, that this was the place to go. The program at MCC was all about communicating through music, and what I learned there, from the incredible teachers that I was so fortunate to study with (Grant Wolf, Don Bothwell, Roger Harris & Jim Hendricks), has stayed with me and continues to influence me.” 



"TROMBONE SCHOOL"

After finishing her A.A. in Music Performance (1982) at MCC, Deborah moved to Las Vegas, NV to finish up her B.A. in Music Performance (1984) at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). “While attending UNLV I began studying trombone with another wonderful teacher, Bobby Scann, who showed me what was really there in Las Vegas; an amazing community of great trombone players. The 11 1/2 years I spent in Las Vegas were what I call my years in ‘trombone school.’ I had the opportunity to play with all the trombone players in town, study with some of them, and learn from all their own experiences.”

It was a great opportunity for Deborah as Las Vegas, at the time, was filled with many musicians who had worked extensively with all the great jazz big bands, and had moved to Las Vegas to settle down and work there in the 1950s & 1960s. “I was the age of their own kids, and they told me their stories of being on the road with groups such as Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington. The musical history lessons were just as important as the trombone lessons. It was an amazing place to be as a young trombonist.”



"BUT CARL..."

Special mention has to be made of one particular trombonist that Deborah was fortunate to work and study with; Carl Fontana. “I would hear these musicians speak about knowing Charlie Parker and other great jazz artists, hearing their idols play, in person, many times. Well for me, that was Carl Fontana; one of the greatest jazz trombonists. I can tell my own students that I knew him and heard him play hundreds and hundreds of times. Truly this is one of the greatest gifts I received from my time in the ‘trombone school’ of Las Vegas.”



SINATRA

While in Las Vegas Deborah began working as a free lance musician; performing for production shows, different star acts such as Joe Williams, etc... Eventually forming her own groups, composing music/contracting work for them. It was during this time that she began performing for Frank Sinatra. “It was an honor to work for him. I saw so much of the world, while in the presence of this great artist.”




 

 NEW YORK, NY

Having spent a lot of time in New York City, while on the road with Sinatra and other groups, Deborah met musicians there and realized it was where she wanted to be. So in 1993, she relocated to New York City and began performing with various groups, and continues to play a wide variety of music. Including:
Broadway shows, chamber and orchestral groups, studio recording work for TV/Film, the big bands of Jimmy Heath, DIVA, Jamie Begian, Joe Phillips’ Numinous, and The NY/BMI Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra. She has performed in small jazz ensembles with artists such as Freddie Hubbard, Don Braden, Fred Hersch, Roswell Rudd, Sonny Fortune, and has been a featured guest jazz artist at various festivals, including:



1998 Many Colors of A Woman Festival
                                                                                                                                      

1999 International Trombone Festival
                                                                                                                                          

1999 & 2003 International Women in Jazz Festival (JVC Jazz Fest.)
                                                                                                  

2000 Eastern Trombone Workshop
                                                                                                                                                  

2000 & 2004 New York Brass Conference
                                                                                                                                        

2000 Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival/The Kennedy Center
                                                                                                    

2000 International Women’s Brass Conference
                                                                                                                            

2001 Primavera Jazz Festival
                                                                                                                                                        

2001 Jazz Arts Group - Fargo
                                                                                                                                                          

2004 Festival-au-Desert, Essakane (Mali, West Africa w/Roswell Rudd)
                                                                                              

2004 International Jazz Meeting - Monterrey, Mexico
                                                                                                                      

2004 Fellowship Recipient, Music Omi International Music Collective. Ghent, NY
                                                                                            

2005 Blaine Jazz Festival/Camp for teens - Blaine, WA
                                                                                                                  

2007 Trombonophila Festival at The Stone New York, NY




MY PERSONAL "OBI WAN" OF JAZZ COMPOSITION

Throughout Deborah’s career as a performer she has been involved with both teaching and composing music. Another wonderful teacher that Deborah has been fortunate to study with (1989 NEA study grant), in this regard, is Jazz Pianist/Composer Jim McNeely. “I met Jim before I moved to NYC, while I was on the road, working on the East Coast. Jim inspired me in so many ways, but especially as a composer." Returning to school, Deborah received her Masters of Arts in Music Composition (2003), New York University (NYU), and, combined with her studies with Jim McNeely, helped her to become much more versatile as a musician/composer, and teacher; bringing about a lot more variety of work in her music career as well.



PLAYING THE REALLY BIG HORN...

As a composer/arranger, Deborah has been commissioned by various groups including:

The Afrikan Amerikan Jazz Orchestra and the Middle School Jazz Academy (JALC), was an award winner in the 2000 Julius Hemphill Jazz Composition contest, Prize/Finalist 2002 BMI Foundation/Charlie Parker Composition Award, and received a 2004 NEFA Meet the Composer Commission.

Published works have been purchased & performed by WCSU, African American Jazz Orchestra, MSJA, Young Sounds of Arizona and LA City College.

As a conductor, Deborah has worked with:

Afrikan Amerikan Jazz Orchestra, Deborah Weisz Jazz Orchestra, NY/BMI Jazz Composer’s Workshop Orchestra, NY Pops Salute to Music Low Brass Ensemble, Blaine Jazz Festival (Camp for teens) Jazz Ensemble 2, Bishop Gorman Middle School Bands.


GIVING BACK, SHARING MY LOVE OF MUSIC

As an educator, Deborah has worked in the following capacities:



Currently Adjunct Faculty [starting Jan. 2008] Western Connecticut State University (WCSU), current subjects:  Jazz Theory & Arranging, Jazz Combo, Jazz Trombone. Other subjects taught: Music Essentials, History & Appreciation of Music.

Sept. 2002 - May 2004 at Rutgers University, subjects:  Jazz Composition & Arranging, Jazz Trombone, Jazz Combo.

January 2003 - Plainfield, NJ School District, Teacher Professional Development day, Subjects: Jazz History, Improvisation, Composition & Arranging, and Pedagogy.

Private music studio - teaching improvisation, classical & jazz trombone, composition.

Faculty - NY Pops Education Programs: Salute to Music/NY Pops Kids on Stage [since 1994] - Low Brass ensemble, Create a Symphony [2004 - 2011], Musical Mentors [since 2005]. 

Faculty, Contributing Arranger, Ensemble Coach - Middle School Jazz Academy  (Jazz at Lincoln Center - JALC) [since 2005]

Faculty, Combo Coach, Jazz Language Class – JALC Youth Programs (high school) [since 2013]

Deborah is also active as a guest artist/clinician at various schools/camps across the U.S.
                                                         (Educational Specialist for Conn-Selmer Inc.)


CURRENT EVENTS

Deborah continues working as a performer, composer/arranger, and educator with widely diverse groups & artists, as well as with her own small and large ensembles. Plans are in the works for new CDs.


OTHER BITS OF INFO

EDUCATION:

9/00 - 12/02    Master of Arts, Music Composition, January 2003, New York University                                  

1989                  NEA Grant to study jazz improvisation & composition with Jim McNeely, jazz pianist/composer.           

1985                  One year Graduate School. University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)   

9/82 - 6/84      Bachelor of Arts, Music Performance, 1984, UNLV.

9/80 - 6/82      Associate of Arts, Music Performance, 1982, Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ                                 

PRIVATE TEACHERS:

Trombone – Laurie Frink, Ed Neumeister, Conrad Herwig, Carl Fontana, Dr. Donald Rhinehardt, Bobby Scann

Composition - Jim McNeely, Bob Brookmeyer, Justin Dello Joio, Ladd McIntosh

OTHER INTERESTS: 

Hiking, Mountain biking, Alpine Skiing (Professional Ski Instructor at Hunter Mountain, NY. PSIA Alpine Level 1, Children's Specialist 1)


SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY:

2021 – Schapiro 17 Human Qualities (Summit Records)

2020 – Schapiro 17 New Shoes: Kind of Blue at 60 (Summit Records)

2014 – DIVA A Swingin’ Life (Manchester Craftsman Guild Records)

2013 – Cynthia Hilts’ Lyric Fury (Independent – 2017)

2013 – Annbling , Daniel Goode’s Flexible Orchestra (2014 New World Record)

2010 - DIVA Live at Dizzy’s (JALC) - Johnny Mandel: The Man and His Music (2011 Arbors)

2008 – Big Fat Grin, Jamie Begian Big Band (2010)

2008 - Roswell Rudd and The Trombone Tribe (2010)

2008 - Numinous: Vipassana - The Music of Joe Phillips Jr. (2010)

2008 - DIVA Live at Jazz@Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola  (2008)

2007 -  Noir (Anat Cohen & The Anzic Orchestra - Anzic 1201)

*2007 - TRIO, Deborah Weisz Trio (Va Wah) 

*2005 - Grace, Deborah Weisz Quintet (Va Wah)

2004 - Tommy  Newsome Tribute, DIVA (Independent Label)

2003 - Numinous, The Music of Joe Phillips Jr. (Independent label)

2002 - DIVA Live/Manchester Craftsmen Guild (Arbors )

2001 - Trance, Jamie Begian Big Band (Independent label)

2000 - Monkey On a Rail (Terry Dame - Independent label)

1998 - I Believe In You (DIVA - Independent label)

*1997 - Breaking Up, Breaking Out  (Deborah Weisz Quintet - Va Wah)

1997 - Listen Up (Nick Levinovsky Jazz Orchestra - NLO Records)

1996 - Leave it To Diva (DIVA - Independent label)

* Albums as Leader

PUBLISHED ARTICLES

"Where Do I Begin?"

The Brass Player/Fall 1998, pg. 4

Subject - Improvisation:  how to begin the process of learning to improvise.

Contributor to various articles about Jazz Trombone performance in the ITA (International Trombone Association) Journals

EQUIPMENT

Deborah plays...
Conn 8HT Trombone (.525 bore, 8 inch Bell), Benge 7C Mouthpiece
Conn 88H Trombone, (.547 Bore, 8 1/2 inch Bell with a Minnick open-wrap valve section) Bach 6 1/2AL Mouthpiece      

Conn 6H Trombone (.500 bore) 1962 Vintage                                                                                                                        

Conn PanAmerican Baritone Horn (1920s Vintage)

She is an Educational Specialist for Conn-Selmer, Inc.