Jazz bassist Kristin Korb performs in her hometown of Billings.
Billings-born bassist Kristin Korb and her trio kick off the Alberta Bair Theater’s Orser Outstanding Performances Series on Friday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kristin back home and present her at our theater,” said Jody Grant, ABT Programming Director. “We are fortunate her U.S. tour coincides with her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary so a Billings date could be included on the tour.”
There are few bassists who can sing and even fewer who do it well. Korb is one of those artists whose crystalline voice makes you forget she’s playing the bass. Korb and her trio embody the spirit of romance and carry their audiences along for the ride.
Korb was born in Billings and moved to Idaho as a child only to return to Billings and graduate from West High School. She earned her master’s degree in classical bass performance at the University of California, San Diego, and studied with the great bassist Ray Brown, with whom she made her recording debut, Introducing Kristin Korb with the Ray Brown Trio released in 1996. Love and her marriage to Morten Støve eventually took Korb to Denmark in 2011.
Her U.S. tour brings her to California and Montana for a series of concerts to celebrate her eighth release, Beyond the Moon. Inspired by the storytelling of one of America’s greatest lyricists, Johnny Mercer, Korb includes several of his biggest hits and then takes a voyage of discovery into unpublished texts that Mercer never made into songs.
The Kristin Korb Trio
Korb’s pianist on this tour is Andy Langham who studied jazz performance at the University of North Texas. Since relocating to Los Angeles a number of years ago, he has toured with everyone from Natalie Cole to Christian McBride and the New York Voices. Currently a member of Poncho Sanchez’s Latin Jazz Band, Langham and can been seen touring all over the world with Poncho. When he’s not on the road, Langham can be found teaching jazz piano at CSU, Long Beach.
Korb’s drummer is her brother, Ryan Korb, who is the go-to drummer in Wisconsin for all kinds of great musicians traveling through the state. After music school, the Montana native sought out some of the most influential musicians in the country to study drumming and jazz. Drum-set great Jeff Hamilton and master Afro-Cuban musician Michael Spiro have been two of his greatest mentors and inspirations. He has spent extensive time studying music abroad in India and Cuba and now co-leads the Afro-Cuban drum trio, Africa->West. As a sideman, Ryan has performed with Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Bill Mays, Russell Malone, Byron Stripling, John Fedchock, Llew Matthews, Tamir Hendelman, Valerie Naranjo (SNL orchestra), and Barry Olsen. In addition to drum set, Ryan has performed as percussionist on the touring Broadway productions of “Wicked,” “Spamalot,” and others.
Ryan has played on numerous recordings and has been seen at many jazz festivals and venues internationally. He is also on faculty at Baldwin Wallace University, Lawrence University, and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Tickets are $30 and $17 for students with valid I.D.; call 406-256-6052 (box office hours are Monday through Saturday, noon-5 pm.) or online at www.albertabairtheater.org.
There is general seating available for $5.50 for the Valley Federal Credit Union Student Matinee performance at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 29. Beyond students and homeschooled youth, the truncated matinee performance is ideal for those who have an hour for lunch or want to avoid driving at night.