The Jazz Colleagues


The Jazz Colleagues blend music with all that is essential in life . . . health, education, food, and friends.
This multidisciplinary group of exceptional musicians, spearheaded by internationally recognized bass player Ira Coleman and Bard College jazz professor John Esposito, together with Patricia Dalton, perform songs spanning the history of jazz music. This versatility makes them particularly exciting to audiences looking for a versatile and improvisational blend of live jazz, from Tin Pan Alley to Songbook through many traditional and modern jazz styles, including standards, bebop, bossa nova, new standards, jazz pop, R&B, and blues.
Something that differentiates the Jazz Colleagues from other musicians is their ability to converse with and teach audiences about the history of jazz, the meaning of different songs and styles, and ways to incorporate improvisation into music, business and life.
The Jazz Colleagues are available as duos, trios, quartets, or more for corporate or other events, including music education events and private parties.


Patricia Dalton Fenell

Patricia is a Connecticut-born jazz vocalist and producer who leads The Jazz Colleagues and has produced acclaimed albums including Chris Pasin’s Baby It’s Cold Outside and Ornettiquette.
More

John Esposito

John is on the faculty of Bard College and teaches piano, drums, ensembles, jazz theory, repertoire and advanced composition techniques.
More

Chris Pasin

Chris Pasin is a New England Conservatory–trained jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist who toured with Buddy Rich’s band in the 1980s.
More

Steve Raleigh

Guitarist Steve Raleigh is a composer, producer, and educator who teaches at Bard College and SUNY New Paltz.
More

Peter O’Brien

Peter O’Brien has performed and recorded with artists from Brother Jack McDuff, the Edgar Winter Band, and Orleans to Eric Person’s Meta-Four and the John Esposito Trio.
More

Pete Levin

Pete Levin is a jazz keyboardist, composer, and producer known for his 15-year tenure with the Gil Evans Orchestra and collaborations with Miles Davis, Paul Simon, and Jaco Pastorius.
More

Lew Scott

Lew Scott is a New York–area bassist who has performed with jazz notables including Clark Terry, Joe Lovano, Herb Ellis, George Coleman, Dave Liebman, and John Abercrombie.
More

Jeff “Siege” Siegel

Jeff “Siege” Siegel is a veteran New York jazz drummer and composer who spent 1994–99 in the Sir Roland Hanna Trio and has performed with Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, and Kenny Burrell.
More

Ira Coleman

Ira Coleman is a French-American jazz bassist who studied at Berklee and has performed with Herbie Hancock, Sting, Tony Williams, Milt Jackson, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Branford Marsalis.
More