REUEL LUBAG BIO

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Reuel Lubag is one of the well established jazz artists in the Pacific Northwest jazz scene. He is a graduate of Central Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. Reuel got his early experience while in
high school playing for the award winning Lake Washington High School Jazz Choir directed by Mr. Jack
Kunz. This provided a setting for rapid growth and development that led to many accolades and awards at
festivals and competitions around the state.
Upon entering CWU as an undergraduate, Reuel became promptly involved in the jazz, concert band, and choir programs at Central. He was fortunate to do performances with John Birks(Dizzy) Gillespie, Joe Williams, Doc Severinsen, Pete Barbutti, Steve Allen, Bud Shank and a host of other artists while still in school. Reuel also received the opportunity to work as a clinician at high schools while in college. The jazz director at Central at that time, John Moawad, utilized Reuel in these clinics and performances extensively. At this point, Reuel decided on a degree in music education and began taking the required curriculum.
As time progressed, Reuel found he was getting more and more work as a musician. Eventually, to the dismay of some of the faculty, he changed his emphasis to a degree in Music Theory/Composition. Surprisingly, the Director of Bands, Larry Gookin supported Reuel's decision. Although Mr. Gookin, saw Reuel's potential as a fine teacher, he felt his strengths as a performer warranted the course change of study.
As stated before, Reuel performed with many artists who were guests at the university. One of them, Bud Shank, was to become a key in Reuel's development as a player. Bud did a performance at Central with a combo in which Reuel was a member. This introduced Bud to Reuel's work as a budding musician. The following summer Reuel enrolled as a scholarship participant at Bud Shank's Jazz Workshop. Within a few years, Reuel was brought on as an adjunct faculty member and clinician. This has provided Reuel the chance to pass on his knowledge to players of all ages, particularly high school and college students.
Reuel was finishing his degree when a call came in from the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The band was looking for a pianist and Reuel had been recommended by the current bass player who was a friend of his. This experience led to Reuel eventually touring and working with Terry Gibbs, the Mills Brothers, Buddy Greco, Barbara McNair, Fran Jeffries, Peanuts Hucko, Louise Tobin, and as conductor/pianist for Herb Jeffries. He also worked with Ernestine Anderson for a short stint. In spite of all the distractions, Reuel eventually finished his Bachelor of Arts degree and moved to the Seattle area.
Reuel played a jam session for a couple of years every Sunday with drummer Andre' Thomas at Tula's a well established Seattle jazz club. The session brought in many musicians passing through like Patience Higgins, Delfeayo Marsalis, Ben Wolfe, Russell Malone, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Kenny Kirkland, Nat Reeves, Jeff Hamilton, Roy Hargrove and Taurus Mateen. Reuel has worked with a variety of players in Seattle such as Jay Thomas, Bill Ramsay, Brian Nova, the Marriott Brothers, Jay Clayton, Greg Williamson, Janis Mann, Chuck Deardorf, Jay Weinstein, and many others. Reuel also did a transcription of piano solos for Hal Leonard Publications of pianist Cedar Walton's music.
Reuel also teaches privately and has students ranging from ages 7 to 45. He has also worked with Skagit Valley College, the Edmonds School District, University Of Washington's Elliot Bay Jazz Festival, and Musicworks Northwest organization as a clinician, and also has done special clinics for Bellevue, Juanita and Roosevelt high school band programs. He served on faculty at Seattle Pacific University directing the Vocal Jazz Ensemble and teaching jazz piano, and for 12 years worked with Evergreen Christian Fellowship in Issaquah as a staff accompanist. This has allowed Reuel to utilize his Theory/Composition background as an arranger and conductor on a weekly basis.
In 1999, Reuel did a stint as conductor/pianist for the dinner theater/circus Teatro Zinzanni in Seattle which was produced by One Reel Productions. He has also owned and operated a private recording studio doing demos and CD's for various performing groups and jazz artists in the Pacific Northwest. Reuel has also been a touring clinician with the "Local 493 Reunion Band" headed by Northwest trumpeter Floyd Standifer. This group is sponsored by Earshot Jazz, the Pacific Jazz Institute, and contributions by John Dimitriou and the Jazz Alley among others. Reuel can be seen as well with the Emerald City Jazz Orchestra which just recently performed at the Tacoma Jazz Festival and also worked with trumpet great, Bobby Shew and did a concert with his trio featuring special guest saxophonist, the legendary Jazz Education guru, Jamey Aebersold.
In June of 2004 He also worked as the pianist with the Winard Harper Sextet when the band was in Seattle doing a series of gigs at the New Orleans Creole Restaurant.
Reuel is also available as a private instructor and clinician. Starting in 2006 he works as a faculty consultant for the Music Dept at Central Washington Univ,, and also does clinics for the award winning Wellington Secondary School in Nanaimo, B.C., and Roosevelt High School and was a clinician/performer at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. In 2007, Reuel performed a series of concerts with the Cab Calloway Band and the Mills Brothers at Seattle's Benaroya Symphony Hall, a concert in York, PA with the same band and also performed as conductor pianist for the Mills Brothers with special guest, Gina Eckstein at the Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, CA over Labor Day weekend. This year (2008) Reuel is performing regularly with his new trio featuring bassist Geoff Harper and drummer Matt Page and also in a trio where he plays drums with Ryan Burns handling the piano duties. In the works are a new trio album, also a reunion album with his old friend drummer Jon Wikan, and an album of worship/praise music.
You may access Reuel's music education materials at his Sibelius Music website at www.jazzpiano.rlubag.com. Many of these resources are freely available for download.