Jazz Concert: The Chris Nifong Project

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Join Arts Wayland for an afternoon of vibrant jazz as the Berklee College of Music Faculty Jazz Series, under the Direction of Neil Olmstead, Berklee College Professor, welcomes The Chris Nifong Project.

The Chris Nifong Project (CNP) is a six-piece jazz-fusion group playing original compositions by its leader and selectively curated jazz, rock, and blues tunes. Inspired by personal experiences like a trip to Cadillac Mountain in Maine, or the end of a beautiful Vermont summer day, Chris’s pieces reflect the solace of nature in combination with the intensity and fire of contemporary improvised music.

Driven by a reverence for virtuoso guitar technique and a love of melody, Chris’s repertoire references Mike Stern, Allan Holdsworth, John Scofield, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Presently Chris has surrounded himself with nationally known instrumentalists primarily from Boston’s Berklee College of Music who have shared the stage with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, The Gary Burton Quartet, Jimmy Guiffre, and The Moody Blues, among others. 

The Chris Nifong Project delivers creative, accessible, and layered music with burning solos and a ton of live energy.

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Chris Nifong- Guitar

Starting at a very young age, Chris has been fascinated with all aspects of music. He began playing guitar at 13, attended the five-week sessions at Berklee College of Music beginning when he was 14, and graduated from Berklee with a Bachelor’s degree in Performance (Guitar). He went on to get his Master of Music Education (Autism Concentration) degree from Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music. He teaches music at The Tremont School in Concord, Massachusetts, as well as in the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education program. He teaches private lessons at two different studios, including his own in Holden, Massachusetts called Mystic Farm Studios. Chris also taught at Plugged In Band Program in Needham for ten years, working with both ensembles and private students. As a multi-instrumentalist, Chris was selected to play pedal steel in the “Larry Klein Meets Berklee” concert, alongside Madeleine Peyroux and Luciana Sousa at the Berklee Performance Center. An experienced performer and composer, Chris has played in many local bands and has been leading The Chris Nifong Project for several years, primarily featuring his own compositions. His love of melody, texture, and complexity make his evocative music immediately compelling and groove-laced.

Bruce Nifong- Saxophone

A retired professor and Assistant Chair (Ensemble Department) at the Berklee College of Music (and Chris’s father), Bruce’s main instrument is alto saxophone, with a hefty dose of soprano thrown in. Bruce has played on many recordings and in international concert tours for CBS and Polydor Records, as well as touring throughout the States. As a sought after player, he has recorded with Bob Moses, The Greg Hopkins Big Band, and has played on international tours and recordings with Frank Quintero, Pablo Manavello and others. Bruce has been fortunate to have played with various bands as they perform locally including The Temptations, The Four Tops, Cab Calloway and others. He has most recently been the woodwind player on all of David Mash’s albums (https://davidmash.com) over the past six years, and also on all of Wisterio’s albums (Wisterio (@wisteriomusic) https://www.instagram.com/wisteriomusic , Wisterio open.spotify.com), along with many others throughout his career. His playing can seamlessly move between straight ahead jazz, pop, indie, rock, fusion, and big band. Known for his sweet sound and command of the improvisational arena, Bruce is comfortable in all genres of music.

Todd Rhodes- Drums

Todd has been playing drums from a very early age. He discovered the iconic horn bands like Chicago in this late teens, and has been exploring and playing all genres of music ever since. At the urging of his father, he pursued a career in engineering, rather than music. His musical hobbyist ambitions were shelved when his first child was born more than 25 years ago. However, everyone who knows him would agree that he is now making up for lost time. He enjoys the complicated rhythms of Afro-Cuban- and Afro-Brazilian-infused jazz, still loves straight-ahead rock, and can conform his style to whatever comes his way. In addition to the Chris Nifong Project, he is currently playing in several local bands, covering multiple genres, and has recorded with Polarized Guru and The Paul Rodriquez Band.

Mark Snyder – Bass

Mark has been a fixture on the Boston music scene since 1976.  He has performed and/or recorded with The Gary Burton Quartet, Adam Nusbaum, Bob Moses, Tiger Okoshi, Stan Strickland, The Coasters, The Drifters, Gary “U.S.” Bonds, and Ictus; as well as countless other jazz, and rock groups, all over the U.S. and much of Europe.  Mark studied music at Ohio University and Berklee College of Music, where he graduated with a degree in Composition.  He has composed, recorded, and performed jazz, rock,  and classical music for various instrumentation, including small groups, big band, concert band, chamber music, and film scores.  He also plays trombone, and is leader of and composer for The Boneheads, a Trombone Choir that performs in the Boston area.

Peter Bell – Guitar

Peter Bell, a veteran of the Berklee College of Music faculty, is a producer, composer, and guitarist. His compositions and productions include the themes to This Old House, New Yankee Workshop, Victory Garden, the ABC After School Special, the award-winning film Radio Cape Cod, as well as countless jingles and production tracks. Peter has produced tracks featuring many world-class musicians, including Bonnie Raitt (PSA’s), Tracy Bonham, Livingston Taylor, Kate Taylor, Alex Taylor, Lalah Hathaway, Jon Poussette-Dart, The New Kids On The Block, Rebecca Parris, Mick Goodrick, Mike Metheny, Mark Sandman of Morphine, Allen Estes, Patty Griffin, and others. He has recorded with Bonnie Raitt on Warner Brothers and the James Montgomery Band on Capricorn and Island Records, among many others. His awards include two Emmys, seven NEBA awards, and six ASCAP awards. Peter holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Composition and Arranging from Berklee College of Music and a BA in Government from Harvard College. He has also authored a book entitled Creating Commercial Music, and his most recent album is entitled Just Sayin.