About
Photography by David Kelly
As a performer, he has worked with jazz luminaries that include: NEA Jazz Masters, Freddie Hubbard, Randy Weston, James Moody, Slide Hampton Ron Carter and Jimmy Heath as well as Houston Person, Gloria Lynne, Charles Earland, Bobby Watson, Lou Donaldson, Grover Washington Jr., Dr Lonnie Smith, Claudio Roditi, John Lee, Ralph Peterson Jr., Melvin Sparks, and Shirley Scott.
Most recently, Vincent produced his fourth CD as a leader entitled "Theme For Ms. P", which is receiving rave reviews and was recently featured as "Jazz Album of the Week" on WRTI-FM in Philadelphia. His third CD "Organatomy" features Grammy nominated Brazilian jazz great Claudio Roditi on one of his original compositions. His second CD as a leader entitled "Renewal of the Spirit" features Bobby Watson on Saxophones and four of Vincent's original compositions. He is featured performing on drum set, djembe and sangba African drums. His first CD, "Rhythm Master" features the great Eddie Henderson on trumpet. Vincent also produced a tribute recording for the late Charles Earland on the High Note record label. This recording features Joey DeFrancesco, Pat Martino and Eric Alexander. Vincent can also be heard on recordings by: Gloria Lynne, Ben E. King, Jimmy Bruno, Onaje Allan Gumbs and Charles Earland, as well as appearing as a musician on ABC television's "One Life to Live" daytime soap opera, which features Vincent's recorded drum performance. He performs regularly in New York City with several ensembles such as, The Grammy Award winning Charles Mingus Orchestra & Big Band, The Orrin Evans Quartet and Captain Black Big Band and his own band in venues such as; The Blue Note, Smoke, The Iridium, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Smalls and The Jazz Standard among others.
An accomplished musician with no confinements, Mr. Ector is currently a Lecturer of Jazz Percussion at Princeton University. He has been featured as a Clinician at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Lincoln University, Texas Tech and The Belgrade Serbia Jazz Festival among others.
Photography by David Kelly
Mr. Ector is the Founder, President and Executive Director of Arts For Kids Inc., a not-for-profit Arts-in-Education company providing workshops, performances and professional development in Music, Dance, Drama, Visual Art and Technology for schools and community-based organizations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. (www.artsforkidsinc.org). He is also on the faculty of NJPAC Jazz For Teens and is also a sought-after Artist-in-Residence for The Center for Arts Education in NYC and Arts Horizons Inc. of Englewood, New Jersey. These residencies place him in the New York City public school system, primarily in districts for children with special needs. Mr. Ector was a featured teaching artist in the Harcourt/Brace Media Literacy Video Series, which is distributed nationally, as well as internationally.
Vincent is currently in demand as a recording musician and as a performer at jazz festivals throughout the world with numerous international artists such as, The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Stars & Big Band, Stanley Cowell, Houston Person, Antonio Hart, Bruce Williams, Bobby Watson & Horizon, Steve Miller, Jose Feliciano, Nat Adderley Jr., Lou Donaldson and The Vince Ector "Organatomy" Band.
EDUCATION:
William Paterson University, BM Music Management/Jazz Performance
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1990 - 1992
United States Army Bandsman 1985 - 1991
United States Army School of Music O.J.T. Program, Fort Bliss, Texas. 1985
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: (Performed and/or Recorded With:)
Performed and/or Recorded With: Freddie Hubbard, Gloria Lynne, Lou Donaldson, Hank Jones, James Moody, Slide Hampton, Ben E. King, Ron Carter, Bobby Watson, Randy Weston, Claudio Roditi, Kenny Barron, Charles Earland, George Cables, Joey DeFrancesco, Onaje Alan Gumbs, Jose Feliciano, Bucky Pizzarelli, Jimmy Bruno, Grover Washington Jr., Eddie Henderson, Grady Tate, Pat Martino, Savion Glover, Jimmy Heath, Charles Fambrough, Houston Person/Etta Jones, Ted Curson, Grady Tate, Gary Bartz, David "Fathead Newman, The Spirit of Life Ensemble, Rufus Reid, Scott Hamilton, Orrin Evans, Vinx, Ravi Coltrane, Sam Newsome, Avishai Cohen, Eric Alexander, Allison Williams, Johnny Coles, Shirley Scott, Craig Bailey, Cecil Payne, James Weidman, Roy Meriweather, Melvin Sparks, Giacomo Gates, Darryl Grant, Jamaladeen Tacuma, Sherman Irby, Sandra Reeves-Phillips, Ruth Naomi Floyd, Miri Ben-Ari, Ralph Peterson Jr.
DISCOGRAPHY: (partial listing)
As a Leader;
Vince Ector "Theme for Ms. P", American Showplace Music, 2019
Vince Ector "Organatomy", American Showplace Records 2013
Vince Ector "Renewal of the Spirit", Mambo Maniacs Records, 2005.
Vince Ector "Rhythm Master", Blues Leaf Records, 2003
As a Sideman;
Stanley Cowell “Live at Keystone Korner” Steeplechase Records 2020
Houston Person “Rain or Shine” High Note Records 2018
Giacomo Gates "What Time Is It" Savant Records, 2017
Stafford Hunter "Continuum" Independent, 2017
Bruce Williams "Private Thoughts" Passin' Thru Records 2016
Amos Hoffman "Back to the City" Amos Hoffman Records, 2015
Giacomo Gates "Milestones", Savant Records, 2013
Lou Pallo/Les Paul's Trio "Thank You Les" Showplace Music Productions, 2012
Reuben Wilson Trio "Revisited" Ash Records, 2011
Giacomo Gates "The Revolution Will Be Jazz" Music of Gil Scott-Heron, Savant Records, 2011
Ben E. King "Stand by Me Foundation Christmas Album" 2009
Gloria Lynne "From My Heart to Yours" High Note Records, 2007
Akiko Tsuruga "Sweet & Funky" 18th & Vine Records ,2007
Onaje Allan Gumbs"Remember Their Innocence", Ejano Music, 2004
Charles Earland Tribute Band feat. Joey DeFrancesco "Keepers of the Flame" High Note Records, 2002 (Performer/Producer).
Craig Bailey Sextet," Brooklyn", Evidence Records, 2001 (Produced by Rufus Reid)
Leon Lee Dorsey, "Song of Songs", Umoja Records, 2000
Spirit of Life Ensemble, "25", Rise Up Recordings, 2000
Jimmy Bruno Trio, "Live at Birdland 2 "w" Scott Hamilton", Concord Records, 1999
Bob Devos Trio feat Charles Earland, "Breaking the Ice", Savant Records, 1999
Jimmy Bruno Trio, "Live at Birdland "w" Bobby Watson", Concord Records, 1997
Charles Earland,"Ready and Able", Muse Records, 1995
SPECIAL EVENTS / FESTIVALS: (Partial listings) Jazz Middleheim International Jazz Festival 2017 (As a member of NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston's African Rhythms Sextet) Daegu International Jazz Festival 2016 (As a member of The Antonio Hart Quintet) Caramoor /Jazz at Lincoln Center Festival 2015 (As a member of The Orrin Evans Quartet) The Detroit Jazz Festival 2014. (As a member of NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston's African Rhythms Sextet) Exit O Jazz Festival Cape May, NJ (As a Member of The Captain Black Big Band, 2013 Downbeat Magazine Rising Star Big Band) Lincoln Center Out Of Doors Lincoln Center, New York, New York First Annual United Nations Jazz Festival Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium, U.N. Bldg. New York, New York Hennesey Cognac-National Public Radio New Years Eve Jazz Coast to Coast Radio Broadcast Panasonic Village Jazz Festival Greenwich Village, New York, New York Pori Jazz Festival Pori, Finland Jazz Set with Branford Marsailis on NPR Radio The Charles Earland Quintet WBGO-FM 88.3 Live Radio Broadcast The Charles Earland Tribute Band (Band Leader) The Kennedy Center The Gloria Lynne Quartet, Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, Washington, DC. |
VENUES: (Partial listings) Sesc Pompeia - Sao Paulo, Brazil (As a member of The Randy Weston Sextet) Jazz Middleheim - Antwerp, BE (As a member of The Randy Weston Octet) Marciac Jazz Festival, Marciac FR (As a member of The Randy Weston Octet) Vannes Jazz Festival, Vannes, FR (As a member of The Dizzy Gillespie All Stars Tour) Marostica Jazz Festival, Marostica, Italy (As a member of the Bobby Watson Live & Learn Tour) Chicago Jazz Festival, Chicago, IL. (As a member of The Gloria Lynne Quartet) San Jose Jazz Festival, San Jose, CA (As a member of Bobby Watson & Horizon) Le Meridian Hotel - Paris, France (As a member of The Charles Earland Quartet) Duc De Lombarde - Paris, France Q Jazz Club- Istanbul, Turkey The Half Note - Athens, Greece Body & Soul Tokyo, Japan Milos - Thessalonikki, Greece Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola Lincoln Center, New York City Apollo Theatre - New York City Tribeca Theatre (BMCC) New York City Tavern on the Green -New York City The Blue Note- New York City & Milan Italy. Birdland - New York City The Jazz Standard -New York City Iridium - New York City Smalls - New York City Jazzmobile - New York City Madame Walker Theatre - Indianapolis, Indiana. Jazz Etc. - Los Angeles, California. Victory Theatre - Dayton, Ohio. Academy of Music - Philadelphia., Pennsylvania Spectrum - Philadelphia., Pennsylvania. Ortlieb's Jazz Haus - Philadelphia., Pennsylvania. |
President/Executive Director Arts For Kids Inc. West Orange, New Jersey, 2000 to present
NJ State Council on the Arts AIE Approved Teaching Artist, Permanent status.
Clinician - Rutgers University - New Brunswick, NJ
Clinician - University of the Arts - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Clinician - Lincoln University - West Chester, Pennsylvania
Clinician Texas Tech Lubbock, TX.
Clinician UMKC Kansas City, MO.
Master Teaching Artist-in-Residence - Arts Horizons - Englewood, New Jersey
Featured Artist Harcourt/Brace Media Literacy Video Series.
ADJUNCT EXPERIENCE:
Princeton University:
Lecturer 2015 to Present
Instructor of Jazz Percussion 2012-2015
PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT: (Presenter)
2006 -2012 Cerebral Palsy of NJ. Staff training instructor in Music Therapy, ATC1, 2, 3 sites.
2002-2005 Mentor Teaching Artist The Manhattan New Music Project,
( NYCDOE Special Needs District 75, Creative Music Educators Program).
2002 NJ Arts Education Collective Artist Training Workshop Presenter Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
2001 NJ State Council Artist Teacher Institute Rutgers University, Camden, NJ.
Music and Storytelling for Special Learners Columbia University Teacher's College, NYC.
Music for Special Learners K-5 and 5-12- Hunterdon Educational Center, Hunterdon, NJ.
Assessment Workshop NYC Community School District 5.
Percussion Workshop for Special Learners NYC Community School District 75.
Creating a Successful Residency Arts Horizons Artist Seminar, All Soul's Church, NYC.
Music for Special Learners Raritan Community College, Raritan, NJ.
AWARDS: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011,2013, 2014 ASCAP Plus Award Recipient. 2005 NYC City Council Citation (Councilman Philip Reed) 2003-2006 Union County, NJ Outstanding Achievement Award in Arts & Humanities. 2001 Passaic County NJ Cultural & Heritage Foundation Artist Grant Award 1999 Puffin Foundation Ltd. Artist Grant Award Recipient |
MEMBERSHIPS: American Federation of Musicians - Local 802, New York, NY. ASCAP ENDORSEMENTS: Zildjian Cymbals Mapex Drums Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets Attack Drum Heads Humes & Berg Cases |