Dimitri Moderbacher Quartet

Austrian-American musician Dimitri Moderbacher's debut CD, Close To My Heart, showcases his unique compositional style and melodic sensibility. Recorded live at SoHo's Kavehaz in February 2002, this remarkable CD features seven original compositions. Close To My Heart draws on the talent of German guitarist Sandra Hempel, bassist Phil Palombi and drummer Jason Wildman. Since moving to New York City in 1998, Dimitri Moderbacher Quartet has performed at Kavehaz, the 55 Bar and Cornelia Street Cafe. The quartet also played every Sunday for over three years at Cafe Creole in the West Village. Other performances include the St. Lucia Jazz Festival, the Knitting Factory, the World Creole Music Festival, Detour, WCSU Annual JazzFest, UpOver Jazz Cafe, the Cutting Room, the New Jersey Jazz Festival (as a Featured Young Artist), Cleopatra's Needle, Smoke, the 2003 Toronto IAJE, Smalls and S.O.B.'s. Dimitri has performed and toured with such notable performers as Aretha Franklin, Norah Jones, Harold Mabern, Charlie Persip, Rob Bargad, the Jamie Begian Big Band, Jerry Lewis, and Tabou Combo. Dimitri also co-leads the Green Market Trio along with veteran jazzman Morris Edwards on bass (Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet, et al.) and guitarist Ethan Mann. Getting its start in 1998 at the 97th Street Farmer's Market, the trio performs in NYC venues, and has recorded a 'live-on-the-street' CD. In 2002, he founded the Moder-D Organ Trio, blending funk, soul and groove with his exceptional jazz sensibilities. Combined with organist Nate Shaw and drummer Scott McLemore this group's sound is simultaneously soft and sultry or defiantly down and dirty. Dimitri performs regularly with the Jamie Begian Big Band, a seventeen-piece ensemble founded by award-winning composer Jamie Begian. He tours and records with Tabou Combo, Haiti's number one group. Dimitri also opened his own music agency, Dijulemo Music. Born in San Francisco and raised in Graz, Austria, Dimitri began playing saxophone at age 16. He studied classical saxophone at California State University Northridge before completing his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance at William Paterson University in 1996.