ARTIST(S) BIOS
"The Jolley Twins Group: Nathan & Noble Jolley, Jr."
The jazz family is a time-honored tradition; witness the Jones Brothers (Hank, Thad and Elvin),
the Heath Brothers (Percy, Jimmy & Albert), the Brecker Brothers (Randy & Michael), the Mars
alis brothers (Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo, & Jason) brother & sister Carmen & Curtis Lundy,
and the twin Strickland Brothers (Marcus & E.J.) to name but a few. Add drummer Nathan and pianist Noble Jolley, Jr. to
that auspicious jazz family lineage. These twin brothers are products of a richly talented Washington, DC musical family.
Both received their initial training from their late guitarist father Noble Jolley, Sr., were further nurtured by an
encouraging mother who home-schooled them, and later teamed up with their harpist-vocalist sister Rashida Jolley on her ’04
debut recording
Upon high school graduation these gifted young men both received scholarships to study at the prestigious Peabody Conservatory,
where they majored in Jazz Studies/Performance. Pianist Noble’s achievements at Peabody were subsequently rewarded with an
invitation to study at the esteemed Paris Conservatory in ’07, where he studied jazz & classical piano under Herve Sellin.
Both have performed with Peabody’s Jazz Lab Band, and Noble doubled with the Peabody Latin Jazz Band. Both were selected
by Rufus Reid to perform at the Ravinia Jazz Festival in Chicago in ’06. Drummer Nathan was subsequently invited by Christian McBride
to study at the Jazzaspen Snowmass summer jazz camp.
These talented young men have performed on festivals around the Caribbean, including Cuba (with the Fred Foss Youth Jazz
Orchestra at the Havana Jazz Festival), plus St. Lucia, Anguilla, and Bonaire on BET Jazz festivals. Additionally they’ve
shared stages opposite such NEA Jazz Masters as Ron Carter, James Moody, and McCoy Tyner. Other performance and recording
opportunities have come with such notables as John Legend, Antonio Hart, Ingrid Jensen, Nasar Abadey, Gary Thomas, Eric Lewis
, Cynda Williams, Malcolm Jamal Warner, the Washington Jazz Arts Institute, Davey Yarborough, Wes Anderson, Esther Williams,
Heidi Martin, and the W.E.S. Group
“…Noble… was fiercely talented and full of promise. Pianist Noble packs a Tyner-ish wallop and his solos shone a real
knack for textural drama.” JazzTimes magazine
“Nathan is an equally confident and expressive player whose performance was a display of youthful athleticism; he buoyed
and bounced around the kit with an elasticity that matched the shifting dynamics of his drumming. It was explosive musicianship that deserved a bountiful audience…” JazzTimes magazine
Noble Jolley, Jr.
jazz pianist, composer, producer and arranger from Washington, DC., exhibited musical ability at a
young age. Noble received his B.M. in Jazz Studies from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University with a 3.8
GPA. An inquisitive child, Noble taught himself to play harmonica when he was 3, followed shortly with the accordion. His
formal music training began at the age of 5 when he studied viola at the renowned DC Youth Orchestra Program, and where he be
gan studying trumpet at the age of 8. During this time, Noble would sit at the piano creating what his mother called
"Gershwin-like melodies." Noble fell in love with the piano, and eventually began taking formal piano lessons, while receiving
theory lessons from his father. Noble's father was the late jazz guitarist, Noble Jolley, Sr., who earned the first degree
in Jazz Studies from Howard University in 1977. Noble Jr. soon became inspired by the jazz influence of his father. In 2000,
Noble began to play and study jazz trumpet and piano with the Fred Foss Youth Jazz Orchestra, while also playing and studying
classical trumpet at the DC Youth Orchestra Program. He performed with the Fred Foss Youth Jazz Orchestra at the 2000 Havana
Jazz Festival in Havana Cuba at the age of 13; and for the next few years, at the East Coast Jazz Festival, the American
University Blues & Jazz Festival, and the Maryland Youth Jazz Festival. He also received a scholarship to study jazz piano and
music theory at the Levine School of Music. Noble was nominated to Who's Who Among America's High School Students in 2004/2005.
Noble was home schooled through Cedar Brook Academy. While in the 12th Grade, Noble was a guest member of the Howard University
Jazz Orchestra, where he also took a few courses in the Jazz Department.
After graduating from high school as an honor student in 2005, Noble received a scholarship to the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University in 2005/2006. A consistent Dean's List Honor student with a 3.7 GPA at the Peabody Conservatory, Noble received an invitation to become Peabody Conservatory's first exchange student when he was selected for admittance to The Paris Conservatory in 2007. At the Paris Conservatory, Noble studied jazz and classical piano under Herve Sellin - - to much acclaim. Noble was nominated to the National Dean's in 2005/2006, and currently holds the Rose and Leon J. Neiburger Memorial Scholarship and the William and Dorothy Nerenberg Endowed Scholarship in Piano.
Noble has performed with the Peabody Conservatory Jazz Lab Band, the Peabody Conservatory Latin Jazz Band, the Peabody Jazz Orchestra, and the Washington Jazz Arts Institute Orchestra. Noble performs with his own jazz group, the Noble Jolley Group, with his twin brother, Nathan Jolley, jazz percussionist, as the Jolley Twins, and with his sister, R&B harpist/singer Rashida Jolley. He has opened in concerts that featured Ron Carter, James Moody, John Legend, and Gary Bartz, to name a few. Noble was selected by Rufus Reid to be a participant in the Ravinia Jazz Festival in Chicago, IL in June 2006. He has performed at the BET Jazz Festival in Antigua, St. Lucia, Anguilla, and Bonaire. Jazz Times Magazine's (March 2007) Concert Review of the BET Jazz Festival in Antigua (2007) noted "Noble ...was fiercely talented and full of promise. Pianist Noble packs a Tyner-ish wallop and his solos shone a real knack for textural drama." He has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Lincoln Theater Concert Hall in Washington, DC, Blues Alley in Washington, DC; the Blue Note in New York City; the Zanzibar Blue, in Philadelphia; HR 57 in Washington, DC; and Twins Jazz Club in Washington, DC. Noble has performed with his father, the late jazz guitarist Noble Jolley, Sr., Gary Thomas, Nasar Abadey, Davey Yarborough, Wes Anderson, Rufus Reed, Esther Williams, Heidi Martin, The WES Group, Cynda Williams from Spike Lee's "Mo Better Blues," and Malcolm Jamal Warner from the "The Cosby Show." Recently, Noble taught jazz piano to young people at the Be Community Summer Camp in Anguilla. He performs at numerous clubs, restaurants, churches museums, private parties, senior centers, and youth centers. Noble also plays, composes and produces Gospel and R&B music. Noble's recordings include Face 2 Face - Jolley Twins - 2003 (Co-producer, Composer, Piano); Lessons From the Masters - Fred Foss Youth Jazz Orchestra - 2000 (trumpet); Ancestors- The Wes Group - 2006; and Love Is Not A Game - Rashida Jolley - 2004 - (Producer, Composer).
Nathan Jolley
, is a professional Jazz Drummer, Percussionist, Composer, Songwriter, Arranger, and Producer from Washington DC. Nathan received his B.M. in Jazz Studies/Jazz Percussion from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University as a Dean's List student with a 3.6 GPA. Nathan began playing the drums at the age of two. His parents discovered his gift when it was time to prepare dinner for the family, and Nathan was in his room playing on pots and pans. Nathan Jolley's enthusiasm about the drums hasn't changed. Home schooled through the Cedar Brook Academy, Nathan graduated in 2005 as an honor student. After graduation Nathan was offered a full scholarship to the prestigious Johns Hopkins University Peabody Conservatory. The youngest of seven, Nathan grew up in a musical family. Nathan's greatest influence is his father, the late Noble Jolley, Sr., renowned jazz guitarist, and composer, who earned the first degree in Jazz Studies at Howard University in 1977. Nathan has performed with the Peabody Conservatory Lab Band, Jazz Ochestra and Latin Jazz Band; the Washington Jazz Arts Institute Orchestra; and the WES Group. Nathan also performs with his brother Noble Jr., in the Jolley Twins Group. Nathan has opened for John Legend, Ron Carter, James Moody, and McCoy Tyner; he's performed with Antonio Hart, Ingrid Jensen, Eric Lewis, Gary Thomas, Cynda Williams from Spike Lee's "Mo Better Blues," and Malcolm Jamal Warner from the "Cosby Show." He was invited by Rufus Reid to study at the prestigious "Ravinia Jazz Festival" in Chicago, IL, and was also invited to study with Christian McBride, at the prestigious "Aspen Snow Mass Summer Jazz Camp"; in Aspen, Colorado. Nathan's CD credits include: The Wes Group's "A Jazz Mass'' and their latest release "Ancestors;" "American University Jazz Christmas;" "Rebel Youth Shine Compilation Album; Fred Foss' "Lessons From The Masters," and Rashida Jolley's "Love Is Not A Game." He has toured in Cuba, St Lucia, Anguilla, and Bonaire. He has also performed at the East Coast Jazz Festival, Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Lincoln Theater, Zanzibar Blue in Philadelphia, and the Blue Note in New York, to name a few. Nathan has received critical acclaim for his stellar performances. Evan Haga from Jazz Times Magazine wrote, "Nathan is an equally confident and expressive player whose performance was a display of youthful athleticism; he buoyed and bounced around the kit with an elasticity that matched the shifting dynamics of his drumming. It was explosive musicianship that deserved a bountiful audience."
Beside playing music Nathan has a love for sports, and has even had the chance to play a game of basketball with Wynton Marsalis. Nathan continues an active career in producing,
composing, and performing. Nathan's dreams are to fulfill his purpose in life, and to fulfill his God's given gifts.
Eric Wheeler
Eric Wheeler is a Washington, DC native and has been studying string bass for 17 years. He began studying classical music at the age of nine at the DC Youth Orchestra Program in Washington, DC. At age thirteen he was accepted into the Duke Ellington School for the Arts, where he began to study jazz music. At Ellington, he had the opportunity to travel to places such as Canada, France, England, and Germany. This greatly influenced Eric to pursue a career in music. While attending Howard University as a music major, he worked professionally in the DC metro area as a jazz and classical musician. Eric received both his Bachelor and Master’s degrees from Howard University as of May 2006. Since then he has performed with notable jazz artist such as Stephon Harris, Tim Warfield, Cyrus Chestnut, and Roy Hargrove. He has performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Bohemian Caverns, the Lincoln Theatre, Wolf Trap, and the Strathmore Music Center, all located in the DC area. He also performs quite frequently at Ortleibs Jazz in Philadelphia, PA and the infamous Zinc Bar located New York City, NY. In addition to playing at numerous jazz clubs and performing arts centers on the east coast, Eric has also performed at major jazz festivals in the US and abroad. In September 2007 he performed with famous trumpeter Eddie Henderson at the Jenkintown Jazz Festival in Jenkintown, Pa, and in November of 2007 with Saxophonist Mike Phillips at the Tranqulity Jazz Festival in Anguilla, BWI. In August of 2008 Eric performed with pianist Eric Lewis at the world renown Charlie Parker Festival held in New York, NY. Ericalso performs a wide variety of music and has appeared on several R&B, gospel, and classical recordings. Presently Eric works as a full time musician and educator in the DC metro area.
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