redhorn

Band Bio

Redhorn is a jazz quintet that pays homage to the legends of Blue Note (the "Motown" of jazz), focusing on tunes from the early 60’s, featuring cool horn harmonies and rich chords. The band features Chris Hansen on trumpet, Neil Kolwey on saxophone, Tom Leifer on guitar, Matt Powelson on bass, and Bret Mann on drums.

Many members of this all star lineup have been local fixtures in Boulder's music scene for years, and have played with the likes of local jazz legend Art Lande, toured Europe with bass guitar virtuoso Dean Peer, and have even opened for "his high-ness" Snoop Dogg in Vail, CO.

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Band Member Bios

Chris Hansen

Trumpet

Chris holds a bachelor's degree in jazz studies from the prestigious University of North Texas where he studied with jazz greats Jack Petersen, Rich Matteson, and Dan Haerle. He also holds a masters degree in trumpet performance from the University of Colorado Boulder where he taught big band and small jazz ensembles as a TA. Among his gig highlights was playing to a sold out show of 9500 fans at Red Rocks Ampitheater with international DJ phenom Static Revenger, backing THE Bob Hope, and opening for Snoop Dogg himself.

Neil Kolwey

Tenor Saxophone

Neil has been performing jazz in the Boulder area since the early 1990’s. He has studied and performed with Art Lande, and was a member of the local Latin/funk band “Saca Bunda.” In addition to Art, Neil’s musical influences include Mark Miller, Jerry Granelli, and numerous tenor players such as John Coltrane and Hank Mobley.

Tom Leifer

Guitar

Tom has been active in the Boulder jazz scene since the late-1980s, and was one of the original founders of Footprints, a jazz quintet that played at venues and events throughout Boulder and Denver in the 1990s. Tom’s early influences were Jimi Hendrix and blues artists like Muddy Waters and Sonny Boy Williamson. His tendency toward improvisation led him inevitably to jazz, inspired by the likes of Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson and Wes Montgomery. More recent influences include John Scofield, Pat Metheny, and a  variety of really cool, obscure music (is it jazz? Maybe, maybe not…) found through obsessive wanderings on Spotify.

Bret Mann

Drums

Bret became serious about drums at age 12, landing a long stint with Colorado’s GreenEarth Percussion Ensemble, which enabled him to hone his chops on every imaginable percussion instrument with help from drum store owner and esteemed teacher, Gary Curry. During this time Bret also performed in high school jazz and marching bands, All-State orchestra, numerous drum set and percussion studio sessions, and live ensemble work - all while also performing with longtime friend, Dean Peer, in early rock and fusion bands.

Recent projects include recording and touring internationally with Dean Peer.

Influences include, Max Roch, Jim Keltner, Marc Erbetta, Dave Weckl, Adem Deitch, Wally Ingram, Vinnie Colaiuta, Billy Cobham, Bun E. Carlos, Rod Morgenstein, Taylor Hawkins, Antonio Sanchez, Zakir Hussein, Ty Burhoe.

Matt Powelson

Upright Bass

Matt began playing trumpet and guitar in junior high, and picked up electric bass in high school. He began playing double bass in 1981 and this has become his primary instrument. He attended CSU, MSUD, (History, ’94).  He has played rock, country, bluegrass, swing, big band and all manner of jazz. In addition to freelancing around the Denver-Boulder jazz scene, Matt has been involved in the Colorado Jazz Workshop (2008-2014), was musical director for Helander Dance Theater (2014-2016), and, most recently, played with The Flux Crew, a multi instrument and vocal ensemble improvising and composing in the moment, under the direction of JA Dino Deane (2016-2019). 

Upcoming Gigs

Post-Covid! - Lots coming up. We'll update you soon!

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