Institute Faculty 2025

Former Institute faculty members can be seen here.

Todd Coolman - Artistic Director, Bass & Combo Leader

Grammy award-winning bassist Todd Coolman has performed and/or recorded with a virtual, “Who’s who” of jazz artists including Horace Silver, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Benny Golson, Ahmad Jamal, Art Farmer, Jay Jay Johnson, The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, among others. He enjoyed a 25-year stint with the James Moody Quartet and continues to perform with Jon Faddis, Charles McPherson, Renee Rosnes, as well as leading his own small groups. His recordings include Collectables with his trio Trifecta (Bill Cunliffe and Dennis Mackrel), Our Delight, Perfect Strangers, and 4B, the last recording of James Moody and winner of the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. Coolman holds a Ph.D. from New York University and is the author of two books, The Bass Tradition and The BottomLine. He is Professor Emeritus at SUNY Purchase where he Directed the Jazz Studies Program for ten years and has been a Professor at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (his Alma mater). Recent projects include e-blog “Tales from the Road–A Jazz Musician’s Diary” and “The Cool Toddcast”–Jazz Interviews with notable musicians and contributors to the industry. Coolman has been with SJI since 1998. 

Bill Cunliffe – Piano & Combo Leader

Pianist, composer and Grammy Award-winning arranger Bill Cunliffe has worked with legends including Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, Ray Brown, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard and Art Farmer. He currently performs with his trio; his big band; his Latin band, Imaginación; and his classical-jazz ensemble, Trimotif. Recent releases include his trio album River Edge, New Jersey, and his Overture, Waltz and Rondo for jazz piano, trumpet and orchestra, which won Cunliffe his fifth Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition. Cunliffe is a jazz studies professor at Cal State Fullerton. He received his master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music and was the 1989 winner of the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition.

Steve Davis - Trombone & Combo Leader

One of today’s leading improvisers on the trombone, Davis’ lyrical, hard-swinging style first gained him broad recognition during the 1990’s while working with the bands of Art Blakey, Jackie McLean, Chick Corea’s Origin and the cooperative sextet, One For All. He has appeared in Downbeat Magazine’s Reader’s and Critic’s Polls and was nominated by The JJA four years in a row as Trombonist of the Year. Recent recordings include For Real and Gettin’ It Done (Positone). He graduated from The Hartt School (Jackie McLean Institute—University of Hartford, CT). McLean helped Davis land his first major gig with Art Blakey in NYC in 1989. In 1991 Davis joined McLean’s sextet and began teaching alongside his mentor at the Artist’s Collective and the Hartt School of Music where he remains on the faculty. As a leader, he frequently performs with Larry Willis, Mike DiRubbo, David Bryant, Dezron Douglas, Eric McPherson, and continues to perform with One For All (Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, David Hazeltine, John Webber and Joe Farnsworth). Davis is in demand as a sideman, has been featured on over 100 recordings and has also played with the Larry Willis’ Quintet, Freddie Hubbard and The New Jazz Composers Octet, Slide Hampton and The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Star Big Band, The Jimmy Heath Big Band, Ron Carter Big Band, Cecil Payne, Horace Silver and Wynton Marsalis’ Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. 

Jimmy Greene - Saxophone & Combo Leader

Connecticut native Jimmy Greene is a saxophonist, composer, and educator. He has released 12 solo recordings to critical acclaim, including While Looking Up. Greene’s two previous albums celebrated the life of his 6-year old daughter, Anna Marquez-Green, whose life was tragically taken at Sandy Hook Elementary. His 2016 album Beautiful Life garnered two Grammy nominations. Greene graduated from the Hartt School, received a master’s in music education from Boston University, and his doctorate degree in jazz arts at the Manhattan School of Music. In addition to his recordings and appearances as a leader, Greene appears on over 100 albums as a sideman, and has toured and/or recorded with a number of jazz greats. Greene is an associate professor of music and co-coordinator of jazz studies at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut.

Russell Haight - Saxophone

A Saratoga Springs local, Russell Haight is a saxophonist, composer, and educator specializing in jazz theory and improvisation. Haight received his Doctorate from the University of Texas and taught and performed regularly at Texas State University for 12 years. He has also performed and presented at the International Saxophone Symposium, North American Saxophone Alliance, Jazz Education Network, and Texas Music Educators Association conferences. He released his first album as a leader, Destination, in 2017, winning a silver medal at the Global Music Awards. In 2021, he earned a Grammy nomination with blues artist Ruthie Foster for her album “Live at the Paramount.” Haight published Odd-Meter Etudes for Saxophone in 2019, and currently serves as jazz coordinator and associate professor at Skidmore College. He is a former Jazz Institute student.

Bob Halek - Drums, Combo & Administration

Bob Halek is a much sought-after drummer, percussionist, educator, clinician and conductor.  Performing jazz, pop, rock, soul, big band, orchestral, concert and opera music, he has shared the stage with many exceptional regional and national musicians. Halek was named Teacher of the Year in the East Greenbush School District where he spent many years teaching instrumental music. He is currently an adjunct professor at Schenectady County Community College and Skidmore College.

Sara Jacovino - Trombone & Combo Leader

Sara Jacovino is a New York City-based trombonist, composer and arranger. In addition to leading her own quartet, she has played with ensembles including the Diva Jazz Orchestra, the Birdland Big Band, Band of Bones, David Berger and The Sultans of Swing, and the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. She has also performed with Michael Feinstein, Steve Davis, Adele and Aretha Franklin among others. Jacovino is an established musician on Broadway, and her credits include Tina, The Tina Turner Musical, King Kong and Elf, in addition to other production and television appearances. She has multiple recordings with the University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band and with the Grammy-winning ensemble Snarky Puppy. She has been a featured artist and commissioned composer at the International Women in Brass Conference. Jacovino earned her Bachelors and Masters in Music from the University of North Texas and is a frequent guest artist and clinician.

Clay Jenkins – Trumpet & Combo Leader

Clay Jenkins' career as a performer began when he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra in 1977. He moved to Los Angeles and soon after joined the The Buddy Rich Big Band and then The Count Basie Orchestra. He became a charter member of The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (CHJO) along with the great Snooky Young. He has 8 solo recordings and has recorded with Joe LaBarbera, Milt Jackson, Steve Houghton, Diana Krall, Kim Richmond, Billy Harper, “Trio East,” Lyle Mays, Peter Erskine, Gene Bertoncini, Rufus Reid, Ray Brown, Kurt Elling, Bob Sheppard, Jim Widner, John LaBarbera, Pat LaBarbera and Miki Coltrane among others. He has performed on 3 Grammy Nominated Albums including The Alan Ferber Big Band, The Dave Slonaker Jazz Orchestra and Chuck Owens’ Surge Big Band. Jenkins is a Professor of Jazz Trumpet at The Eastman School of Music and maintains a busy performing schedule.

Dennis Mackrel – Drums & Combo Leader

Mackrel got his start playing in the Count Basie Orchestra in 1983, and would be the last drummer hired by Mr. Basie personally. Since then has played with an impressive list of ensembles, including the Village Vanguard Orchestra, Carla Bley Very Large Band, Slide Hampton and the Jazz Masters, the Hank Jones Trio, Manhattan Symphony Jazz Orchestra, Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, and the American Jazz Orchestra. Mackrel’s compositions have been recorded and performed internationally, most notably by the McCoy Tyner Band, who’s Grammy-Award-winning CDs The Turning Point (Verve Records, 1992) and Journey (Verve Records, 1993) included Mackrel's arrangements. He has also played with a host of other musicians that include Monty Alexander, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Hank Jones and Sir George Shearing. In 2010 Mackrel returned to the Count Basie Orchestra and served as the ensemble’s leader and chief conductor until 2013. From 2015 to 2020 he was the chief conductor of the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Holland. In 2019, the orchestra was awarded the prestigious "Edison Award" for their double CD "Crossroads". Mackrel is also currently a professor at Queens College.

Frank Moscowitz – Audio Engineering/Producing

Frank Moscowitz is a veteran of the Capitol District music scene with nearly 3 decades of experience in recording, live sound, and performance across multiple genres.  As Technical Director of the Zankel Music Center, Moscowitz is responsible for everything from day to day logistics to making sure the show goes on.  At the Skidmore Jazz Institute, he brings these skills and experience to the Ladd Concert Hall in the form of live sound reinforcement and livestream mixing, while in the Grossman Recording Studio he guides the proceedings there with an experienced ear, and is an encyclopedic resource for students with any questions about the recording process.

George Muscatello - Guitar

Guitarist George Muscatello, who is a Manhattan School of music alumnus, has been an adjunct lecturer at Skidmore College for the past 18 years and has hosted master classes at the college with jazz musicians who are in the forefront of today’s jazz world. Muscatello, who has been an active performer for 30 years and has played/worked alongside world-renowned musicians, has an extraordinary ability to tell the story of a song through his guitar and “create a tiny, hermetically sealed world of sound and sensation.” (Downbeat Magazine). His most recent album, Into Another Land, is a collaboration with acclaimed Israeli-born jazz vocalist Shiri Zorn and Brazilian percussion master Mauricio Zottarelli.

 

Mike Rodriguez - Trumpet & Combo Leader

Grammy Award-winning trumpeter/composer, Michael Rodriguez was inspired to pursue music by his father, drummer Roberto Rodriguez. He studied at the New World School of the Arts, the University of Miami and received his B.A. from the New School University. He has performed and toured with Clark Terry, Joe Lovano, Carla Bley, The Clayton Brothers, Kenny Barron, Harry Connick Jr., Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and with the Chico O’Farrill, Maria Schneider, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center Orchestras among others. He received Grammy Awards for performances on Charlie Haden’s Land of the Sun (2003) and Chick Corea’s Antidote (2020). His latest recording is Pathways, and he and his brother pianist Robert Rodriguez have five albums together. Rodriguez is currently a member of the SFJazz Collective, and he teaches at New York University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Lauren Sevian - Saxophone & Combo Leader

Recent winner of “Baritone Saxophonist of the Year” at the 2020 Jazz Journalist Associations Awards, Lauren Sevian is a Grammy Award-winning baritone saxophonist. Sevian moved to New York City in 1997 to attend the Manhattan School of Music and began touring with groups such as Diva and the Artie Shaw Orchestra. She frequently performs with her own groups, the LSAT, and her all female collective “Lioness.” She has also performed with Alexa Tarantino, The Mingus Big Band, Steely Dan, Veronica Swift, and the Count Basie Orchestra among others. In 2023, she won a Grammy Award for Best Big Band Album with Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra. Sevian has released two albums: Blueprint (2009), which won a SESAC jazz award for national performance activity, and Bliss (2018). She teaches privately, is a frequent guest artist at schools and jazz festivals across the country, and currently is an associate professor of Woodwinds at the Berklee College of Music. 

Dave Stryker - Guitar & Combo Leader

Gary Giddins of the Village Voice calls guitarist Dave Stryker "one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.” Stryker has 31 CD’s as a leader and is known as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine and Jack McDuff. Hot House magazine awarded him Best Guitarist Fans Decision for 2017 and he was once again voted as one of the top Jazz Guitarists in the 2019 Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls. His most recent CD Eight Track III hIt #1 for 6 weeks on the JazzWeek Radio chart, and was chosen as one of the top CD’s of 2019 by Downbeat Magazine. Stryker grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, moved to New York City in 1980, and joined organist Jack McDuff’s group soon after. He has also performed with Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and many others. He is the author of Dave Stryker’s Jazz Guitar Improvisation Method (Mel Bay Publishing). Stryker is an Adjunct Professor at Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University, and Rutgers University.

Sam Torres – Audio Engineering/Producing

Sam Torres is an upstate New York-based musician and audio engineer. He has credits on recordings released on American and European labels, Billboard Classical Top 10 charting tracks, and has traveled North America working with contemporary classical music ensembles as a FOH engineer, spatial audio specialist, and live electronics performer. Since 2020, Torres has focused primarily on mastering work and also serves as the Assistant Technical Director and Recording Engineer at Skidmore College. He is a former Skidmore Jazz Institute student. 

 

David Wong - Bass & Combo Leader

Bassist David Wong graduated from The Juilliard School in classical music and subsequently studied with Orin O’Brien and Ron Carter. He is currently a member of Roy Haynes’ Fountain of Youth band, the Charles McPherson Quintet, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Cécile McLorin Salvant’s Ogresse orchestra. Wong was the bassist with The Heath Brothers Quartet led by Jimmy Heath and Albert “Tootie” Heath for 12 years, and was also the last bass player in Hank Jones' Great Jazz Trio and is featured on the piano master's last recording. He was a member of the Benny Green Trio and regularly performs with Bill Charlap, Terell Stafford, Aaron Diehl, Helen Sung and Dan Nimmer. He has appeared on over 80 recordings and, in 2023, received a Grammy Award with Best New Artist Samara Joy for the album, Linger Awhile. Wong is on the faculty at Purchase College Conservatory, William Paterson University, and City College of New York. He is a Skidmore Jazz Institute alumnus.

Administration

Brian Carucci – Director

Brian Carucci is a band director at Shenendehowa High School where he teaches Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, instrumental lessons and is the pit orchestra director for the High School Musical Company. He is a woodwind adjudicator the NYS School Music Association and coordinates the annual Shen Jazz Festival with over 300 local jazz students. He has played with Albany Pro Musica, Northern Symphonic Winds, Capital Region Wind Ensemble, Schenectady Light Opera Company and Glens Falls Symphony and maintains his own private teaching studio in Rexford. Carucci has served as Assistant Conductor for the NYSSSA School of Orchestral Studies and as adjunct clarinet instructor at Schenectady County Community College. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education and Master's degree in Music Performance from the Crane School of Music.

Donald McCormack - Program Consultant

As Dean of Special Programs at Skidmore College, Don McCormack founded the Skidmore Jazz Institute in 1987. Under McCormack's 20-year tenure as dean, the College launched nationally recognized programs in the arts, among them the NYS Summer Writers Institute, Skidmore Summer Dance Workshop, Skidmore Summer Flute Institute, SITI Company Summer Theater Workshop and the Summer SIX Art Program. A long-time advocate for arts education, McCormack has been the inspiration and the impetus for creating artistic residencies and scholarship funds that serve disadvantaged students. Currently he serves on the Board of Directors at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

 

Drew Lammly – Assistant Director

Andrew Lammly (Drew) is a band director at Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, NY. He holds a master’s degree in Saxophone Performance from Arizona State University and dual bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Saxophone Performance, with a minor in Jazz Studies, from the Crane School of Music. He has performed and competed nationally as a saxophonist, earning accolades in competitions like the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and MTNA National Chamber Music Competition. Lammly has served as the director of the Clarkson University Jazz Band and held teaching positions at the Crane Youth Music Camp and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. He frequently performs alongside his wife, harpist Anna Lammly, and maintains a private saxophone studio in the Capital Region.