THE WHEEL ALLSTARS
Now in its eighth year of presenting concerts, 107 sessions to date, The Wheel Sessions underground performance series has established itself as the premier location for hearing great jazz in the Upstate. Its musicians regularly represent a wide radius, extending to Charlotte, Asheville, Atlanta, Charleston, and beyond. The Wheel Allstars are led by the sessions’ host and curator, drummer Kevin Korschgen, and as their name implies, is a collective of the region’s finest jazz musicians. This edition of the Allstars features pianist Keith Davis, guitarist Mike Holstein bassist Shannon Hoover, and Korschgen on drums.
KEITH DAVIS
During his 40-year career as a professional musician, Keith Davis has established a distinguished reputation as a jazz pianist, composer, and educator. He has toured with the Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw orchestras, and with Matt “Guitar” Murphy (Blues Brothers). Other appearances have included performances with musical greats David “Fathead” Newman, Ben Riley, Donald Byrd, Mike Mainieri, Pat LaBarbera, Jeff Hirshfield, Jamie Baum, Joel Spencer, Wallace Roney, Javon Jackson and Rakalam Bob Moses, among others.
Keith studied with Atlanta jazz legend Ted Howe and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, at which time he studied with renowned saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi. His participation in the 1985 Banff Summer Jazz Workshop in Banff, Alberta, Canada included intensive study with such greats as Dave Liebman, Dave Holland, John Abercrombie, Don Thompson, Kenny Wheeler and Cecil Taylor. He served on the faculty of the Brevard College Summer Jazz Workshop from 1998 through 2001 with guest artists including Conrad Herwig, Byron Stripling, Ronnie Cuber, and Wycliffe Gordon. In September of 2017 he was inducted into the Coastal Jazz Hall of Fame at the Savannah Jazz Festival, where he also performed with renowned saxophonist Javon Jackson and bandmates Delbert Felix and Quentin Baxter. Keith regularly performs throughout the Southeast, operating from his home base of Greenville, SC, where he hangs out with his two beautiful sons and many friends. He serves as adjunct instructor of jazz piano at Furman University and teaches privately around Greenville. He performs regularly with his trio partners Ron Brendle on bass and Justin Watt on drums, as well as appearing in many engagements as a solo pianist and others as a freelancer. As well as appearances as a sideman on recording projects, Keith has released three CDs of original music. His latest, the second offering by his trio, is entitled “But Were We” and was released in December 2019. His solo piano project “Presence” was released in 2014 and “Still”, by the Keith Davis Trio, was released in 2013. Keith also practices and teaches Hunyuan Chen Style Taiji, created by Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang. His teachers are Master Wang Fengming and Master Yang Yang.
MIKE HOLSTEIN
Bassist/Guitarist/composer Mike Holstein has been playing music since early childhood. His first instruments were guitar, violin, piano and drums. While attending Western Carolina University he discovered the bass and he quickly became one of the most sought after bassists in the Southeast, often writing his own music. He joined the creative young jazz group, the Taken Back Quartet, which soon became a fixture on the thriving Asheville music scene, playing to a loyal almost cult-like following.
In 2001, the quartet along with Sharon LaMotte, formed the Jazz Composers Forum, a non-profit organization dedicated to the presentation and documentation of original instrumental jazz. The Forum became a mainstay of the local music fabric as Mike and the Taken Back Quartet accompanied guest composers in concert presentation. Mike’s involvement now includes workshops, presentations in grade schools, and tours of venues throughout the region. He has presented his own music multiple times as leader and in the capacity of ‘Composer-in-Residence’. Since 2004, Mike has been a member of the band Cotangent, a New York based group led by pianist/composer Bill Gerhardt, replacing Parisian- born Francois Moutin, one of the world’s premier bassists. He has performed with Joe Locke, Ingrid Jensen, Randy Brecker, Frank Kimbrough, Kendra Shank, Ron Horton, Marc Mommaas, Tim Horner and Sheila Jordan, among others. A truly gifted musician, Mike is finding himself more in demand than ever as he performs in jazz clubs in New York, throughout the Carolinas, and continues to be a force with the Jazz Composers Forum and the Like Mind Trio. I asked Mike, “How is it different for you as a bassist, switching from one setting to another, e.g.: with a vocalist, a big band, or a small combo?” His response, “I really enjoy changing settings, getting into new situations with different musicians, playing different music. As a bassist in swing music, the role really doesn’t change that much, but the level of intimacy with the other musicians and the listener can change quite a bit. I really enjoy the smaller instrumental groups because we’re all dealing with the same types of ideas such as creating or supporting melodies without words to help support the mood or vibe and everyone really gets a chance to contribute. “In a small trio with drums, I can really hook up with the drummer and create an interesting and supportive structure behind a soloist. I also enjoy working with vocalists because in that situation, instrumentalists have a chance to support a story that’s being told by the lyrics. I find with the bigger ensembles, it’s more about staying out of the way.” One reason Mike is in such demand is his concentration, creativity and spontaneity. Veteran Asheville saxophonist Frank Southecorvo comments, “When Mike is playing in a band, of any size, he is totally immersed. He’s got an intense focus. Of course he also has beautiful tone, great chops and a willingness to play creatively. Most people fall back on their stock vocabulary while Mike is more likely to play bass parts that come from that particular moment.” Jazz pianist Bill Gerhardt adds, “There are two kinds of musicians: those who PLAY music and those who MAKE music. Mike Holstein MAKES music. I have had the privilege of knowing and collaborating with him for a dozen years. I’ve seen him grow into one of the finest musicians in jazz. His considerable technique allows him to transcend the bass and his creativity guarantees outstanding music on every performance.
SHANNON HOOVER
Shannon Hoover, from Greenville SC, plays electric and acoustic bass, piano, and brass. Shannon has a B.A. in Double Bass Performance (minors in piano and education) and a M. M. in Music Education, both from Anderson University (SC). Shannon is currently a freelance performer, composer, private instructor, clinician, and music director / co-founder of The Greenville Jazz Collective. He teaches private lessons in Greenville at Music on Mitchell. He has taught music for over 20 years to students of all ages and levels. He is currently an adjunct professor at South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Furman University (SC), and Davidson College (NC). Shannon plays many styles, focusing on jazz, classical, and world music. Recently, Shannon has had the opportunity to play with Victor Wooten, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Branford Marsalis, Harry Kim, Ike Stubblefield, Vincent Gardner, Lizz Wright, Jiggs Whigham, John Ellis, Kobie Watkins, Ron McCurdy, Col. Bruce Hampton, Craig Wagner, Adam Nitti, Justin Stanton, Bob Moses, Deanna Witkowski, Ranky Tanky, Chris Vadala, Terreon Gully, Geoff Achison, Buzz Amato, Jeff Sipe, Derek Trucks, Mondre Moffett, Edwin McCain, Delfeayo Marsalis, Bobby Lee Rodgers, Veronica Swift, Pharez Whitted, Dionne Warwick, Yonrico Scott, Bill Evans, Kofi Burbridge, Chris Bullock, Scotty Anderson, Walter Blanding, Jr., Roy “Futureman” Wooten, Jason Marsalis, Mondre Moffett and Clarence Clemons. Shannon released a CD entitled “Follow Me” in October 2012, featuring original compositions. He has been busy the last few years building a foundation for jazz in Greenville, SC. Shannon is music director of a non-profit organization, the Greenville Jazz Collective, which he co-founded in 2012. The group promotes jazz awareness and education in the Greenville area, reaching out to local schools and the public with concerts, camps, and clinics. Shannon has been working on several new projects and recordings, including a second studio album of original compositions and a solo electric bass album. He also plans to release a bass method book. More information on the Greenville Jazz Collective is available at www.GreenvilleJazzCollective.com.
Booking: profmus1@yahoo.com
Adjunct Faculty 2023-2024: *Furman University (jazz piano, jazz combos, improvisation) *Lander University (bass) *Davidson College (bass) *SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities (composition)
KEVIN KORSCHGEN
Kevin Korschgen, jazz drummer and music educator, first moved to Chicago in 1980 to join a band called Rush Hour. His teaching career began in 1983 at Notre Dame High School for Boys, where he led the school’s award winning jazz ensemble. He later developed a dynamic multi-cultural Latin Jazz Ensemble at Lake View High School, in Chicago, and has instructed jazz combos at the Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association, and at the Chicago High School for the Arts (Chiarts). During a three-year sojourn to Santa Fe, NM, Mr. Korschgen served as Artistic Director of the Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association, and as Director of Bands at Santa Fe High School. Upon returning to Chicago in 2007, he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Chicago Public Schools All-City High School Jazz Ensemble, and later became jazz coordinator at Chiarts, the city’s magnet high school for the performing arts. Mr. Korschgen has performed with many of Chicago’s finest jazz musicians: Chris Foreman, Jody Christian, Ryan Cohen, Rob Amster, Dennis Carole, Pat Mallinger, Von Freeman, Pharez Whittig, Victor Garcia, Neal Alger, and George Freeman to name a few. In addition, he has shared the stage with Jon Faddis, Wallace Rooney, John Fedchock, James Carter, Etienne Charles, Marcus Belgrave, and Lyle Mays.
Now retired and living in Greenville SC, Kevin maintains an active teaching, writing, and performing schedule. He hosts and performs at The Wheel Sessions and leads several groups of his own: Art of Thieves, The Wheel Allstars, and the Kevin Korschgen Jazz Trio.