Spencer Merk To Release New Album On 11/18 At The Comet

Spencer Merk Album Release Show
11/18/22
The Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave, Cincinnati, OH
9:30pm show

Spencer Merk is trombonist, composer, arranger, and educator located in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the College Conservatory of Music with a degree in Music Education with a concentration in Jazz Studies in the Spring of 2021. During his time at CCM, he performed with Wynton Marsalis, Tia Fuller, Sherman Irby, Kenny Rampton, Branford Marsalis, Frank Glover, Lauren Sevian, Loren Shoenberg, and Janelle Reichman. While he was a member of the CCM Jazz Orchestra, he travelled to Saõ Palo, Brazil to perform as one of the first college ambassadors for Jazz at Lincoln Center. While in Brazil, Spencer performed at educational concerts, jam sessions, and dances. He also opened for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at two different concerts.

As an educator, Spencer maintains an active private lessons schedule both at Walnut Hills High School and with his own personal studio. He instructs students on a variety of topics such as trombone fundamentals, classical solo repertoire, Jazz style and improvisation, arranging, and composition. Spencer has directed the Cincinnati youth Jazz at Dusk Combo for two years, instructing students on various Jazz practices with a focus on small-group performance. As the director of the Tri-State Jazz Ensemble, Spencer enables high-school students to run their own band, developing their skills in improvisation, composition, arranging, and management of an ensemble. Spencer holds the position of Director of Educational Programs for the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra where he schedules and helps lead instructional presentations that introduce children of all ages to important concepts related to Jazz, history, democracy, and civil rights. He also holds a board position with the Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame and helps run their educational wing.

Spencer has had the pleasure of performing professionally with world-class musicians such as Jeff Hamilton, Scott Robinson, Joel Frahm, Sam Blakeslee, Gary Winters, and John Von Ohlen. While playing in the original rock band The Almighty Get Down, Spencer headlined several music festivals including Paradise on the Point and 50 Fest (50 West Brewing). He also opened for John Waite (The Babys). Spencer plays frequently around Cincinnati and can be found leading his original Beatles jazz project We Are the Walrus and co-leading the Jazz quintet, Bumpin’. He can be seen as a member of El Ritmo del Mañana, the Flying Circus Big Band, The Original Farm League Big Band, the Cincinnati Transit Authority, and Ouiwey Collins (son of Bootsy) and the Funk Squad. He can also be found playing with The Cincy Brass, The Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, The Blue Wisp Big Band, Noah Wotherspoon, touring rock and roll band Under the Streetlamp, and the Just Strange Brothers.

In 2022, Spencer won the International Trombone Association’s J.J. Johnson Competition for Jazz trombonists under the age of 25.

https://www.spencermerkmusic.com/