I have been very blessed to work with some of the most talented musicians in Philadelphia and Europe. Their gifts are so precious, not only in the music they make, but in the love they share with all who surround them. I have learned an immense amount from all of them, and am grateful to them all. I am trying to get bio information on all of them, but you know musicians....Einstein's ideas on time are definitely in play.

If you are interested in my biography/curriculum vitae, please scroll down after the musicians.

Piano

Bill Schilling

Ray Grant

Tom Lawton

Aaron Graves

*Eddie Green

Barry Sames

Father John D'Amico

Dennis Fortune

Sid Simmons

Jason Shattil

Kenny Gates

Rich Budesa

Dave Posmontier

Farid Barron

Rudolf Rokl (Czech Republic)

Gabriel Jonas (Slovakia)

Antonio Ciacca (Italy)

Pavol Bodnar (Slovakia)

Jeff Gordon

Don Wilson

Pierre Sibille (France)

Michael Franks

Adam Faulkner

Saxophone

Ron Kerber

Herwig Gradisnig (Austria)

Rob Roth

Bootsie Barnes

Chris Farr

Tony Williams

Louis Taylor

Lynn Riley

Byard Lancaster

Soprano Saxophone

Craig Handy

Joe Ford

Baritone Saxophone

Jay Davidson

Trumpet

TimThompson

Sean Jones

Kimbal Brown

John Swana

Diane Lyle-Smith

Bob Meashey

Randy Waldman

Terell Stafford

Guitar

Tom Giacobetti

Twig

Steve Giordano

Jimmy Bruno

Matus Jakabcic (Slovakia)

Joe Federico

Craig Ebner

Johhny DeFrancesco

Ron Jennings

Monnette Sudler

Jimmy Bruno

Bass

Darryl Hall

Arthur Harper

Doug Kershner

Dave Brody

Derrick Hodge

Madison Rast

Jeff Pedraz

Steve Beskrone

Michael Cruse

Steve Green

Cliff Kellam

Kenny Davis

Franta Raba (Czech Republic)

Steve Meashey

Lee Smith

Tyrone Brown

Mike Boone

Pete Colangelo

Charles Fambrough

Craig Thomas

Juraj Grieglak (Slovakia)

Chuck Taylor

Chico Huff

Leon Boykins

Rob Swanson

Drums

Dan Monaghan

Greg McDonald

Pete Vinson

Butch Reed

Jim Miller

Byron Landham

Dodo Sosoka (Slovakia)

"Big Jim" Dofton

Bruce Klauber

Bobby Shomo

Marlon Simon

Glenn Ferracone

Dave Brown (New York)

Brian Farr

Wilby Fletcher

Jimmy Cole

François Réau (France)

Craig McIver

Vibes

Randy Sutin

Toni Miceli

Violin

John Blake

Flute

Lynn Riley

Percussion

Squirrel

Doc Gibbs

Abdu Mboup

Marlon Simon

For more information please visit  Philly Jazz -- great site hosted by Jan Klincewisz

Barbara Montgomery has been in the entertainment field for over forty years as a jazz vocalist, music industry executive, publisher as well as working in production for film and television as a director/producer, film editor, camera operator, lighting director, property master and stage manager.  She began performing as a jazz vocalist in 1970 but took a detour in her music career by joining the NBC/Westinghouse television station that produced the "Mike Douglas Show", working for that program and others.  During this time she also freelanced, working on the seminal PBS series, "The Constitution: That Delicate Balance", as well as touring as a lighting designer for international popular music groups.  She was also the managing director of a major recording studio servicing the music, television, advertising and film businesses.

After a twenty-year break, she returned to her passion, performing and recording as a jazz musician.  Her relationship with Chick Corea and Neville Potter led to her third CD "Dakini Land" and was a springboard for the original songs on her fourth CD "Little Sunflower".  This endeavour blessed her with the gift of friendship, performance, and collaboration with the great jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard.  She has produced six CDs of her own, arranging and writing original material for five of them in collaboration with Steve Giordano (“Ask Me Now”), Barry Sames (“Dakini Land” and “Little Sunflower”) and Aaron Graves (“Trinity”).   Her 2005 release, “Trinity” was co-produced with pianist Aaron Graves, whose short list includes work with Stanley Turrentine, Cassandra Wilson, Dakota Staton, the legendary Jimmy Scott, and Oscar Brown, Jr.  Both “Little Sunflower” and “Trinity” were honored with the Blue Chip Award for Best Jazz Vocals by Dr. Herb Wong of the International Association of Jazz Educators.  Her holiday CD, “Noel-One From the Heart”, a duet with pianist Tom Lawton, originator of Monkadelphia, was heralded as  “a must for your holiday collection.”

Ms. Montgomery has been Music Director for Richard Simmons since 1986. This has given her the opportunity to produce the music for over 20 exercise videos ranging from oldies to disco to Broadway to Latin music, working in studios from New York to Los Angeles with hundreds of world class studio musicians.

She has produced music for dozens of television infomercials, for Christian artist Sandi Patty, provided music supervision for award winning independent films as well as  “Champions On Ice”, the Olympic ice skating tour, and is an advisor to many jazz musicians for their music production.

In December of 2002 she produced a multi-media, sixty piece jazz performance, "The Rhythms of Christmas" at Verizon Hall at the Philadelphia Kimmel Center honoring Ambassador Walter Annenberg.   Included were narrations and rear screen projections of a DVD montage focusing on the spirit of giving (produced and written by Ms. Montgomery), a fifteen piece string ensemble, a thirty voice gospel choir, five jazz vocalists, four percussionists from Latin and African traditions, and a nine piece jazz ensemble.  Ms. Montgomery also performed and narrated.

In May of 2003 she co-produced and performed in The Philadelphia Jazz All Star Benefit, honoring George “Butch” Ballard (original drummer for the Duke Ellington Orchestra) and benefiting the music programs for the Radnor School District/PA.  Students of the various jazz ensembles rehearsed with the professional musicians in a workshop setting and performed onstage with Mr. Ballard and the entire jazz ensemble.  Performers also included co-producer and drummer Leon Jordan, international jazz violinist John Blake, world renown trumpeter Terell Stafford, blues vocalist Frank Bey, vocalist Jeanne Brooks, pianist Aaron Graves, Venezuelan percussionist Marlon Simon, alto saxophonist Tony Williams, tenor saxophonist Chris Farr, bassist Lee Smith, and guitarist Steve Giordano.

Ms. Montgomery also leads LADIES NIGHT OUT, her band of top female jazz musicians including Monette Sudler on guitar, Lynn Riley on saxophones/flute/clarinet, Lee-sa Robinson on drums, all international recording artists and performers in their own right.

She has been asked to write and contribute for jazz publications, including the premier issue of the AllAboutJazz newspaper, Jazziz Magazine, and Downbeat, and was featured in the July 2004 issue of Jazziz.   She is writing a book on life as a private citizen in Saigon during the Vietnam War in the early 1960's.

While raising her two children, she performed primarily on the East Coast from New York City to Florida, has had three sold out tours in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, performing in Prague, Usti nad Labem, Olomousc, Bratislava, Trencin, Piestany, Banska Biasnica, Martin, Zvolen, Banska Biastryka, and has performed often in Paris. 

She has been volunteering with The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, an international institute that works with the families of brain injured children, since 1980, in their programs for hurt kids and well children.  She home schooled her two children (now 31 and 23) from birth via the neurological program guidelines of the Institutes, teaching languages, art, music, violin, sciences, history, literature, and gymnastics among other areas in the academic and physical programs; became certified at the teaching level; has volunteered for many years in their clinical work, most recently proving translation services for the French speaking families; participated in over 20 twenty world meetings on brain research.  She has received the Brazilian Gold Medal of Honor for her efforts in this field.

She is deeply involved in gun violence prevention, stemming from the years she lived in South Vietnam in the early 1960's.  A more recent tragedy was the murder-suicide in January 2002 in Ardmore, Pa. of the family of five that included her daughter's dear friend, 14-year-old Alexandra Wake.  Since that time she has hosted town meetings to address the dilemma of gun accessibility, has spoken at press conferences state wide, and has lobbied often in the Pennsylvania state capitol and in Congress in Washington, D.C.  This led her to become the President of The Pennsylvania Million Mom Chapters of the Brady Campaign.   She continuously presents s gun violence prevention workshops to youth in  middle schools, high schools, community organizations, and colleges; produced a state-wide assault weapons ban conference in the spring of 2004; and has testified in front of and advised the City Council of Philadelphia and the Pa. State Senate on firearms legislation. 

She has directed weekly workshops with teens using music as the vehicle to help them work through the violence in their lives, coaching them to write poetry, song lyrics, and music, as well as coaching actual performances of their songs.  She performed at the national Million Mom March on Mother’s Day of 2004 in Washington, D.C. on the west lawn of the Capitol honoring Alexandra and the many victims of gun violence, and each year produces and performs the Mother’s Day Remembrance Service for the families and victims of gun violence.

Ms. Montgomery has combined her passions for music and mentoring youth by building “the farmhouse”, a retreat center for artists in return for the commitment to the mentorship of youth.  The seven acre retreat is in Kennett Square, Pa., and is host to musicians and youth for residencies, writing and rehearsal retreats, as well as for day-long workshops for any reason.  It also serves the community for any type of retreat and healing needed.  Please visit www.bandbjazz.org.

Discography:

Barbara Montgomery (1992)

Ask Me Now (1998)

Dakini Land (2001)

Little Sunflower (2003) **Blue Chip Award for Best Jazz Vocals, IAJE, 2003

Trinity (2005) **Blue Chip Award for Best Jazz Vocals, IAJE, 2005

Noel – One From The Heart (2005)

Mr. Bean and Bumpy Music, Inc.,  ASCAP

Two Beans Music, BMI 

bjazz.com records, a division of Mr. Bean and Bumpy Music, Inc.         

b & bjazz, inc. (a 501c3 non-profit company)

Associations:

-President, The Tibetan Buddhist Center of Philadelphia

-President, Pennsylvania Million Mom Chapters of the Brady Campaign

-Board Member, The Women's Board, The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential

-Board Member, Loan Review Board, Philadelphia Federal Credit Union

-Board Member, David Katz  Scholarship Fund, benefiting The Esther Boyer College of Music, Temple University

-Board Member, TYL II Daycare and Montessori School

-Member, Coalition For A Safe Future For Our Children

-Member, Veterans for Peace

-Member, Vietnam Veterans for Peace

-Member, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

-Member, International Association for Jazz Education

-Member, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

-Member, International Campaign for Tibet

-Member, Middle Atlantic Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence

-Songwriter Member, Broadcast Music Inc.

-Publisher Member, ASCAP

-Publisher Member, BMI

-French translator for The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, an international institute serving the families of brain injured children

-Alumna, University of Pennsylvania

-Certified at the Teaching Level, The Evan Thomas Institute, The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, specialising in neurophysiological applications for brain growth

-Jazz Theory and Piano under Samuel Gold, New York City

-Classical Theory and Harmony under Luis Prado, the Bryn Mawr Conservatory of Music