RON BRENDLE

Ron Brendle, a freelance bassist in the Charlotte area since 1981, was recently recognized by Charlotte Magazine as "Best Bassist." His innovative compositions and improvisational style have also earned three awards as "Jazz Artist of the Year" by Creative Loafing Magazine. Ron is a two-time recipient of the North Carolina Arts Council Jazz Composer Fellowship Grant. In 2000, he was awarded a Regional Artist Grant by the Charlotte Arts & Science Council, which helped produce his CD Here. Other recently released recordings include Autumn. From his first CD Hypermobility, Ron's composition "Not Forgetting" was used in the motion picture "The Architect". His composition "Hypermobility" was featured on the JazzSouth Sampler CD.

Ron has performed and recorded with many notable artists of international stature, including Nnenna Freelon, Jason Marsalis, Clark Terry, Andrew Hill, Charlie Byrd, Charlie Rouse and Mose Allison. His latest recordings include projects with Scott Sawyer, Loonis McGlohon, Mike Campbell and Frank Kimbrough.

In addition to maintaining an active career as a free lance bassist, Ron co-founded Big Octave, which performs original compositions and arrangements with an instrumentation of saxophone, drums, and bass: this group enjoys an appreciative audience base in the Charlotte area. Ron also performs numerous educational outreach concerts each year as part of the Charlotte Jazz Society and as bassist with Viva Klezmer.

Ron graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor Degree in music. He studied bass with Charlie Haden at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna, Florida.