A Tribute to Coltrane: Tim Brey Quintet ft. Chris Coles and John Swana presented by Notsolatin

The albums “My Favorite Things,” “Coltrane Plays the Blues,” and “Coltrane’s Sound,” all recorded in October 1960, signaled a major shift in Coltrane’s concept as a composer and improviser. Brey reinvents compositions from these seminal records, and explores his own original music inspired by Coltrane and his journey. The ensemble will feature Brey on piano, Chris Coles on the alto sax, John Swana on the EVI, Graham Kozak on bass, and Wayne Smith Jr. on drums.

“Philadelphia has been home to a long succession of celebrated jazz pianists, creating a legacy that can be daunting for any young player following in their footsteps. But in the case of Tim Brey, that expansive lineage functions strictly as creative motivation” —J. Michael Harrison, WRTI

Tim Brey is a Philadelphia-based jazz pianist and composer. In his diverse career as a bandleader, sideman, and solo pianist, Brey has performed with Terell Stafford, Samara Joy, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Houston Person, Renée Fleming, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Tim Warfield, Peter Bernstein, Warren Wolf, Steve Wilson, and many more. His third studio album as a leader, “News,” released in October 2022, followed Brey’s expanding compositional vision for his quintet.

Brey teaches jazz piano, theory, and improvisation at the Boyer College of Music at Temple University and the Wells School of Music at West Chester University. Outside of the university context, he continues to maintain a small private studio of dedicated musicians and pianists.

This project is an awardee of the Coltrane 100 Philly Community Project Grant.