Dennis Hamm... Keyboard

Dennis Hamm studied jazz piano with Doug Davis and Billy Childs. While in high school he was awarded "best soloist" at the Wasco Jazz Festival which also made him the 1994 recipient of the Bill Burton Memorial Scholarship. To complete his high school career, Dennis was selected to play at the state-wide California Distinguished Schools Award Ceremony at which he performed his first jazz composition.Hamm is presently a senior at CSUB where he is studying music. He has performed with guest artists Carl Allen, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, Mike Lee, and Terrance Blanchard at CSUB concerts. In 1996 Hamm placed among the top 20 in Jazziz magazine's international "Keyboards on Fire" contest with his composition "April Song." Also in 1996, he won the top pianist award at the largest west coast collegiate jazz festival and his compositions led his group to being named top combo as well. He also received an "Outstanding Instrumentalist" award at the CSU Fullerton jazz competition in 1999. Dennis is currently the recipient of the Fred McDonnel scholarship at Cal State.Hamm has been a member of the Latin/Ska band Mento Buro since 1995 and has brought an extraordinary facility in both jazz improvisation and Latin piano tradition, a result of his dedicated efforts and investigation of the jazz piano master Chick Corea and the Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. He also appears with his own jazz trio Dennis Hamm and the Citrus Allstars, Bakersfield's country band, The Smokin' Armadillos.And in September of 2000, began performing with "The Mike Montano Band"also.