Kevin Bales
Instrument: Piano
Winner of the 1994 American Pianist Associations Jazz Piano Competition, Kevin Bales is a graduate of the University of North Florida and the Florida State University. Hired by the University of North Florida while still a student, he spent eleven years teaching as a fulltime instructor in their American Music Program.
For the past fifteen years, Kevin has been an integral part of the southeast jazz scene and has performed at nearly every important jazz venue in the region. Additionally, he has performed in the top jazz clubs and festivals across the United States and the world.
Notable performances include the JVC Jazz Festival in New York, The Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles, Yoshi's in San Francisco, The Toronto Jazz Festival, and the Hampton Jazz Festival in England. Not only a leader of his own groups, Kevin has also toured and performed with jazz greats Wynton Marsalis, Louie Bellson, Blue Note recording artist Marcus Printup, Grammy winner Eddie Daniels, sax legends Bunky Green and James Moody, Ben Tucker, Nathan Page, Ira Sullivan, The Lincoln Center All-stars and countless others. Appearing on over thirty recordings as a sideman, his first compact disc, "The First Day", was released in 1996 to rave reviews. In 2000, he recorded with trumpeter Marcus Printup for Blue Note/Capitol records. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and two children.
