ISB 2023 Convention Presenter — Vincent Dupont

New Hampshire native Vince Dupont won the Scott LaFaro Prize in the ISB’s 2021 jazz competition. Vince made his way onto the New York jazz scene after enrolling in the Jazz Studies program at William Paterson University. He first began playing electric bass as a young teenager and picked up the double bass in high school. By age nineteen Vince became the full-time bassist for Winard Harper’s band Jeli Posse, and a few years later joined Russell Malone’s quartet. He took part in Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as part of its class of 2016, as well the Ravinia Steans Music Institute in Chicago the same year. Vince has performed in clubs like Blues Alley in Washington, D.C., Smalls, Mezzrow and Smoke in New York, Chicago’s Jazz Showcase and Boston’s Scullers, and has played festivals such as the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, and Jersey City Jazz Festival. He has performed with Harold Mabern, Russell Malone, Winard Harper, Larry Fuller, Lew Tabackin, Harry Allen, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Jimmy Heath, Slide Hampton and Bill Pierce, among many others.

Eric Dupont was born and raised in New Hampshire. He got his first drum set at the age of 12. Eric graduated from William Paterson University in 2016 with a degree in Jazz Studies & Music Management and is now pursuing his master’s of music degree at Montclair State University, where he has been fortunate enough to study with such drum heavyweights as Billy Hart, Alvester Garnett, Winard Harper, Horacee Arnold and Bill Goodwin. He currently performs and maintains a private studio in the greater New York City area.

Guitarist Charlie Sigler has performed with greats like Christian McBride, Slide Hampton, Billy Hart, Victor Lewis, Lenny White, Winard Harper, Harold Mabern, Norman Simmons, Joe Magnarelli, Myron Walden, Akiko Tsuruga, Jared Gold, Vince Ector, Bruce Williams, Jerry Weldon and Radam Schwartz. He has performed at clubs and festivals throughout the northeast including the Montclair Jazz Festival, Litchfield Jazz Festival, Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival, AFRAM and the Berks Jazz Festival.

Pianist Alex Minasian earned two degrees from New York University and has studied with Hank Jones, Don Friedman, Jean Michel Pilc and James Williams. Alex has shared the stage with James Ingram, Arturo Sandoval, Questlove, Sam Moore, Curtis Fuller, Hank Jones, Clark Terry, Brian Lynch, Billy Pierce, Sheila Jordan, Gary Bartz and Hugh Masekela. Alex was the last pianist for NEA Jazz Master Little Jimmy Scott. As a member of the Hanky Panky Trio, formed to honor Hank Jones, Alex and his bandmates have performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Istanbul Jazz Festival.