Ari Roland

Ari Roland is a New York bassist rooted in the bebop tradition, known for his singing, melodically constructed arco solos. Born and raised in New York City, he began playing bass at age twelve, was working professionally by sixteen, and studied at the Juilliard School before immersing himself in the city's underground bop scene. In 1990 he co-founded Across 7 Street with saxophonist Chris Byars, a group built on original bebop compositions that held a long Sunday night residency at Smalls Jazz Club until the club's original closure in 2003. He worked closely with pianists Frank Hewitt and Sacha Perry and appeared as a sideman with Lou Donaldson, Barry Harris, and Betty Carter, and his 2006 album Sketches from a Bassist's Album on Smalls Records drew wide critical praise. Beginning in 2006 he led the Ari Roland Quartet on extensive tours as a cultural envoy for the U.S. State Department, carrying the bebop tradition to audiences in dozens of countries.