The Griffin Woodard Quintet is a highly skilled band of young musicians connecting with audiences through individual and collaborative artistic expression. The quintet faithfully integrates each member’s distinctive voice into a radiant, melodic tapestry. The quintet features Daniel Spearman on trumpet, Cameron Campbell on piano, Miles Gilbert on bass, Hugh Kline on drums, and Griffin Woodard on bass clarinet. Woodard, Spearman, Gilbert, and Kline are graduates of the Oberlin Conservatory Jazz Studies Department. Pianist Cameron Campbell studies jazz piano at the Manhattan School of Music and is a rising star on the NYC scene. Their mentors are illustrious, professional artists including NEA Jazz Masters Gary Bartz and Billy Hart. Studying with masters of the music and being a part of the historical jazz legacy at these treasured conservatories has ingrained a deep respect for the history and tradition of Black American Music. The group strives to honor the profound contributions of their elders while discovering their own unique voice within the music.
Woodard released four albums and an EP: Live at the Deer Head Inn, Interpretation, Precious One, Completion, and Kyrie. His quartet and quintets have performed at the Deer Head Inn, Wandering Barman, Jazz On Main, Maureen’s Jazz Cellar, The Lafayette Bar, The Bookstore Speakeasy, Oberlin College, and the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts. The group is especially excited to play at ShapeShifter Lab as they develop brand new music for their forthcoming albums, Spirit is a Song and Gem.
