As a member of the Composers Alliance of Buffalo, he has directed improvisational pieces for mixed ensembles of high school students. He has been commissioned by the Just Buffalo Literary Center, Williamsville North Percussion Ensemble and the Fairport High School Jazz Ensembles. In 1991 he was the recipient of an Erie County Initiative Program Award in composition.

Bacon was featured as a soloist performing original compositions and improvisations at the North American New Music Festival in 1992 and at Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center in 1995. He has produced a multi-media video, entitled Percussion In Space, that features solo percussion improvisations, a compact disc of solo percussion music entitled Drumspeak and two recordings of original jazz with Multi-Jazz Dimensions.
   

John Bacon, Jr. 
percussionist,composer,educator            
   
    John Bacon, Jr. has performed Jazz and New Music throughout the US, Canada and in Europe. With trombonist Roswell Rudd, he performed at Verona Jazz'92, Verona, Italy, at The Next Wave Festival in Toronto, 1997 and recorded the Unheard Herbie Nichols Vol.I and Vol.II for CIMP Records. Rudd and trumpeter Lester Bowie have been featured soloists with Bacon's ensemble Multi-Jazz Dimensions. Bacon has recorded two albums of original jazz music entitled Multi-Jazz Dimensions and Winds Of Change.
    As a member of The Maelström Percussion Ensemble, Bacon, has recorded three CD's for hatArt Records including John Cage's Imaginary Landscapes, the
music of Lou Harrison and the music of James Tenney. Maelström has recently
released a self-produced CD entitled Whirled Music.
    Bacon has performed as a percussion soloist at the North American New Music Festival and Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center. He has produced a multi-media video, entitled Percussion In Space, that features solo percussion
improvisations and a compact disc of solo percussion music entitled Drumspeak.
    Bacon is a faculty member of the Tri-C Jazz Studies Program in Cleveland,
Ohio and at Fredonia State College in New York. As a member of the Tri-C
Faculty Jazz Group, Swing City, he has performed with Jon Faddis, Bobby Shew and Ken Peplowski.
    Bacon has received grants from Meet the Composer, the Arts Council in Buffalo and Erie County and the National Endowment for the Arts.

John Bacon, Jr.
Drummer,Percussionist,Composer,Educator
96 Scott Street•Tonawanda,New York
14150-3427•716-693-3596•email:MultiJD@aol.com

Maelström Percussion Ensemble
    •Full time member: involved in composing, performing, recording, education,
administration and production duties for a   percussion quartet dedicated to
original music, new music and world music.                    
    •Educational Performances and Workshops: throughout New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont.
    •Recordings: IMAGINARY LANDSCAPES, music of John Cage, LABRYNTH, music of Lou Harrison and PIKADON, music of James Tenney, with Jan Williams for hatArt

Records.     

Multi-Jazz Dimensions
    •Leader: involved in composing, performing, administration (grant writing,
publicity, accounting) and     production (recording, concerts, multi-media
presentations) for a small jazz ensemble dedicated to original and
improvisational music.    
    •Performances: World University Games Cultural Festival (with Lester Bowie); Bamboo,Toronto, Ont.; WBFO Radio; Tralfamadore Cafe; Joe Rico’s Milestones; The Blue Note, Buffalo; Erie Art Museum (w/ Roswell Rudd and Lester Bowie as featured soloists); Lancaster Opera House (Two Generations of Jazz w/ Jack Bacon and The Morgan Street Stompers); Curtain Up! (w/ Roswell Rudd as featured soloist); First Night in Buffalo; Rockwell Hall, Buffalo State College (w/ The Maelström Percussion Ensemble); Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts High School (Jazz Night); Tribute to      Bill Evans at the Tralfamadore Cafe; Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center Music Series; Network of Light (Multi-media presentations integrating dance, poetry, visual displays, video and music).
    •Recordings: Multi-Jazz Dimensions (MC20872), Winds of Change (JDR CD001) andPeace For Trane.   

Solo Artist
    •Performing original compositions and improvisations: drumset, electronic
percussion, vibes, marimba,  berimbau, miscellaneous percussion and voice.
                   
    •Performances: The North American New Music Festival; The Artists Gallery Music Series (Buffalo, NY); Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center Music Series (Buffalo, NY).
    •Recordings: DRUMSPEAK (JDR CD002), PERCUSSION IN SPACE (video).

The New Jazz Orchestra of Buffalo
    •Co-leader: involved in composing, performing, conducting, administration and production for a jazz orchestra of strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion
performing original music.
    •Performances: Live Broadcast on WBFO Radio; Erie Art Museum (Erie, PA); Performance of the Music of John Zorn (at the Albright Knox Art Gallery, Bflo. as part of the North American New Music Festival) ; Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center Music Series; Tralfamadore Cafe (w/ soloist Grachan Moncur III).

Roswell Rudd
    •Featured performer and composer
    •Performances: DuMaurier Downtown Jazz Festival, Toronto, 1997; The Erie Art Museum (Erie, PA); The Village Gate (Rochester, NY); Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center Music Series (Buffalo, NY) and Verona Jazz '92, Verona, Italy.
    •Recordings: The Unheard Herbie Nichols Vol. 1 (CIMP#133), The Unheard Herbie Nichols Vol. 2 (CIMP#146).

Teaching Experiences
    •Fredonia State College(1997-): Adjunct Lecturer instructing percussion
students in mallets, drumset, and percussion.
    •Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH(1997-): Instructing students in mallets, drumset, and percussion.
    •St. Francis of Assisi Parochial School, Tonawanda, NY(1991-98): General
Music (grades K-8th), Chorus director.
    •St. Joseph's Academy, Buffalo NY(1995-): Conductor and composer for
percussion ensemble.        
    •Private Instruction (1995-): Operates private studio with instruction in
drums, percussion and composition.
    •Young Audiences(1988-): Educational performances in Western New York and Rochester.
    •Drumset Clinics (1996-): Throughout the Eastern U.S. as part of the
Maelström Percussion Ensemble’s Day of Percussion.
    •Composers In the Schools (1985-1996): Composers Alliance of Buffalo
residencies in City of Buffalo Public Schools.   
    •Frontier School District, Hamburg NY (1995-96): Percussion Instructor for
middle school and high school percussionists.   
    •Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts: Conductor and composer for percussion ensemble.   
    •City Honors High School, Buffalo, NY: Marching Percussion Instructor and
Arranger .                    

    •Jazz Improvisation Workshop(1988): Buffalo State College.

Compositions
    •Westward Into The Wind;The Ancient Bridge:commissioned by Fairport, NY HS Jazz Ensemble, premiere 5/30/97.
    •Ida And The Turtle: theatrical work, based on a family legend, integrating
voice, dance, film and     percussion quartet.
    •50-2 with Bells and Whistles: two percussionist on hand drums, foot bells
and whistles, premiere Mexico City, 1997.
    •A-Melba Funk; Boss Clown!; I Love You So; Multiplication Tables;
Conjunction; It's What You Need Too!; Bush Music: for jazz orchestra.
    •Three Worlds Suite: improvisational piece written for high school students.
    •Roses; For Philip Wilson: for brass quintet.
    •The Rhumba, The Afro-Cuban And The American Way: for the Williamsville H.S.

Percussion Ensemble.
    •Bogota; Embracing: ten piece jazz arrangements commissioned by the Just
Buffalo Literary Center.
    •Inter-Dimensional Encounters: for jazz trio and percussion trio.
    •Multi-Media: one hour performance integrating poetry, dance, visual effects,
video and music.
    •Wedding Music: for brass trio and marimba.
    •Marimba; Opus: for marimba.
    •Modes Operandi: premiere performance by violinist Leroy Jenkins and the
Composers Alliance of Buffalo, Feb.2, 1997.       
    •Additional compositions and arrangements: Percussion ensemble, songs, big
band, improvisational structures.    

Other Performances
    •Artpark Jazz Festival: with the improvisational trio Dinosaur.
    •The Buffalo Jazz Workshop: at the Albright Knox Art Gallery Jazz Series and featuring soloists Bruce Johnstone, Richard Shulman, Sam Noto, Don Menza, Emily Remler, Jeremy Wall, Randy Purcell, Bobby Militello, Milcho Leviev.
    •Al Tinney Trio and Quartet: at the Grovsenor Concert Series and various
clubs.
    •Vinny Golia: Bennington College, VT , Summer Program 1997.
    •Junnieh Booth: JazzMa at the Langston Hughes Institute and Junteenth
Festival.
    •Bobby Previte: Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center ; Music of the Moscow
Circus at The North American New Music Festival.
    •Wendell Rivera's Latin Jazz All-Stars: regular performances and recordings.   
    •The East Buffalo Media Association: Multi-media performances and recordings.
    •The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra: with conductors Christopher Keene,
Semyon Bychkov, Lukas Foss.
    •The Greater Buffalo Opera Company: productions of Carmen, Madama Butterfly, Strazny Dwor, Porgy and Bess.
    •The Fredonia Chamber Players: performances as tympanist and
percussionist.                        

    •Charles Ives Institute For American Music, Danbury, Conn.
    •Ernie Krivda: The Fat Tuesday Big Band and Swing City Combo.
    •Percussionist: with the Variety Club Telethon Orchestra, at Sheas Buffalo
Theater and Melody Fair.
    •Stage Show Performances: The Four Freshmen, The Four Aces, The Four Lads, Roger Williams, Jerry Vale, Al  Martino, Bobby Vinton, Clint Holmes, Dianne Reeves, The New Chordettes, The Diamonds, Bowser.

Additional Discography
    •IMPROVISATIONS VOLUME I AND II
    •A FAMILY SWEET, Sam Falzone and the Buffalo Jazz Workshop, Mark Records.
    •JUMP START, Rick Strauss, ProJazz.
    •WHEN IT RAINS, Jeff Jarvis Group, Mark Records.
    •NEW WORKS BY REYNOLD SCOTT AND JOHN BACON, JR., New Jazz Orchestra of Buffalo.
    •THEME MUSIC FOR THE WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES 1993 , with Lester Bowie.
    •THESE DAYS, Michael Colquhoun, Maelstrom Percussion Ensemble, Independent.
    •NO BOUNDARIES and PORTFOLIO Wendell Rivera, WPR Productions.
    •AMERICA'S MUSIC, Rey Scott & Co., Planetary Lights.
    •LOS CARIBES, Michael Colquhoun, Independent.   

Grants
    •Meet The Composer (1985-97)        
    •Erie County Decentralization Grant (1988-89) to establish a concert series featuring original jazz compositions.        
    •Erie County Initiative Program Grant (1991)     award for music composition.
    •National Endowment for the Arts (1995) Jazz Study Grant awarded to study with Bobby Previte.