jamie begian - bio

Jamie's road to becoming a big band leader is as much a story of dedication as it is a story of opportunity (click here for complete biography).   Jamie's initial study was jazz guitar; earning a BM from the Hartt School of Music in Jazz Performance and a MM  in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music.

His interest in composing began while an undergrad at U. Hart, writing music for small groups that he was performing in.  This interest continued in his graduate studies at The Manhattan School and eventually led to his involvement in The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop; a workshop dedicated to the art of large ensemble composition.

While in the workshop, Jamie's unique sound and conception began to crystallize.  Compositions such as Trance, Kablooie and Passion Shuffle demonstrated his emerging style; sparse, with a flowing architecture and broad dynamic range.  Gradually, other compositions took shape: La Tortuga - with its orchestral grace, Sorry Officer - with its tongue-in-cheek minimalism and Marcysong - a lyrical portrait of a special lady.

This emerging style was also evident in his work as a guitarist, both as a leader and as a sideman.  The formation of The Jamie Begian Trio in 1997, featuring David Ambrosio on bass and Peter Retzlaff on drums, and their five-year run at Merchants Restaurant solidified Jamie's musical conception; elements of playfulness, freedom of form, modern harmony and a basis in blues/jazz tradition. 

This tradition of playfulness, freedom of form and modern harmony is carried on with his current quartet consisting of former WCSU students Jonathan Blanck, Tim Walsh and Chris DeAngelis.  This current quartet has been together since the Fall 2005 and is hoping to record their original tunes this summer.