Adam Theis profile picture

Adam Theis

If It's not EXTREME, i'm not interested.

About Me

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instruments: trombone, 7 String bass, sousaphone and keyboards/synth, looper/electronics bands: the Shotgun Wedding Quintet and Hip-Hop Symphony, Realistic Orchestra, Brass Mafia, Supertaster, Joe Bagale's Dirty Workshop, J Boogie's Dubtronic Science, adam Theis Ensemble... Adam Theis has been an active member of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene for the past 10+ years. Growing up in Santa Rosa, California, Adam helped create a Jazz music awareness in the North Bay by leading many successful projects that included The Adam Theis Ensemble, Savoy Swingers and Cannonball. After graduating from Sonoma State University with a degree in Jazz Composition & Performance Adam hit the road with some of the world's best Ska bands; The Skatelites (1998/1999), Let's Go Bowling (1998/1999), and The Specials (2001). While performing with these well-established acts, Adam's main concentration was always on forming his own groups. In 1998 he moved to San Francisco's Mission District and began founding the San Francisco JAZZ MAFIA which now consists of Realistic Orchestra, The Shotgun Wedding Quintet, The Shotgun Wedding Hip-Hop Symphony, Supertaster, Joe Bagale's Dirty Workshop, Spaceheater and many more.Adam has performed with hundreds of the best Bay Area musicians and National acts including: Carlos Santana, Bobby McFerrin, Lyrics Born, KRS One, Bernard Purdie, Ruben Wilson, Clyde Stubblefield, Booker T. Jones, Benny Maupin (Headhunters, Miles Davis), Spearhead, Vinyl , Jesus Diaz y QBA, Bobby McFerrin, Felonious, O.G.D., Zigaboo Modeliste, Jacob Fred Jazz Odessy, Grant green Jr., Peter Rowan, Benevento Russo Duo, Galactic, Ok Go, Reggae Angels, Pep Love (Hieroglyphics), Bicasso (Living Legends), Lavay Smith, John Sinclair, Natasha Miller and Alphabet Soup to name a few. Adam's Horn section, the Jazz Mafia Horns is one of the most in demand sections in the Bay Area and has appeared on recordings with Zion-I, Lyrics Born, Crown City Rockers, j Boogie's Dubtronic Science, DJ Vadim, Bing Ji Ling, Joyo Velarde, Spencer Day, The Velvet Teen, The Disco Biscuits, The Grouch, Mikah 9, Reggae Angels, DJ Zeph and Azeem, Rebirth, Jennifer Jons, Lunar Heights, Chali2Na, Rachel Efron, Eric Lindell, Will Bernard's Motherbug, Headnodic, Raw Deluxe, Zachary Ross, Natasha Miller and Grippo "Circuits".In 2007 The Jazz Mafia horns began collaborating and touring with 80s electro legend Thomas Dolby and released "Thomas Dolby and the Jazz Mafia Horns LIVE at SXSW".In 2008 Adam's life took on a whole new direction being awarded the prestigious Gerbode-Hewlett Foundation "Emerging Composers" Grant. In the Grant comission Adam is composing all new music for a one hour concert featuring a 50 piece version of musicians from the Jazz Mafia in an event at the Palace of Fine arts presented by SF Jazz, on April 18th, 2009.Adam is comfortable playing the trombone on anything from Be-Bop to Electronica, while at the same time he will play the 7-string bass, didgeridoo and a wide array of electronic instruments. It's a performance not to be missed. Adam has earned many prestigious awards, including a scholarship offer to the Berklee School of Music in Boston and winning the Jazziz Magazine's "Brass on Fire" contest as one of the best 10 compositions by an unsigned artist in 1997. Realistic Orchestra was nominated for Best Jazz Group in the Sf Weekly's Best of the Bay in 2003 and won the award for best Jazz Group in 2004. Currently Adam has been focusing on his touring band "The Shotgun Wedding Quintet" as well as the highly attended "Jazz Mafia Tuesday" concert series, now in it's 8th year which has been voted "Best Live Music Weekly Night" in the SF Weekly in 2006 and 2007.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 6/25/2005
Band Website: www.jazzmafia.com
Influences:
Record Label: Unknown Indie
Type of Label: Unsigned

My Blog

How to write a Hip-Hop Symphony Part 1

SO today was the first full orchestra rehearsal for the Hip-Hop Symphony I've been writing for most of the past year. I've been wanting to write more about the writing of it (haha) but when I'm not on...
Posted by on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:34:00 GMT

Jazz Mafia Update 1.31.09

Jazz Mafia update 1.31.09Hey Friends - A little update on Jazz Mafia for yall:Weve been laying low for a number of reasons and fortunately all of them are good. The main one for me is that Im compo...
Posted by on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:21:00 GMT

A Tribe/De La Soul Xmas with Supertaster, Dublin, Aspect McCarthy

Wednesday, December 17th Supertaster will be paying tribute to the music of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul with special guests Dublin (The shotgun Wedding Quintet), Gedeon (Sidewalk Development)...
Posted by on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:12:00 GMT

Jazz Mafia Update 11.26.08

*********************************************JAZZ MAFIA INCLUDES:********************************************** The Shotgun Wedding Quintet* Realistic Orchestra* Brass Mafia* The Shotgun Wedding Hip-H...
Posted by on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 02:37:00 GMT

new Zion-I Mixtape feat. Adam Theis/Headnodic, Del, Talib, The Grouch and More

ZION I THE SEARCH & THE SEIZURE MIX TAPE featuring a new track from Headnodic (Crown City Rockers) and Adam Theis (Jazz Mafia)PLUS EXCLUSIVE VERSES FROM DEL THE FUNKYHOMOSAPIEN, MICKEY FACTZ, DIL...
Posted by on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:55:00 GMT

Final Chapter: Jazz Mafia Tuesdays and Brunos

Final Chapter: Jazsz Mafia Tuesdays and BrunosThe Final Jazz Mafia Tuesday at Brunos was on 10/28/08 and was the Shotgun Wedding Hip-Hop Symphony 5 Year Anniversary. There won't be any more Jazz Mafia...
Posted by on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:16:00 GMT

Jazz Mafia Albums on iTunes

you can purchase the following Jazz MAfia releases at itunes, emusic.com and moreThe Shotgun Wedding Quintet - The Shotgun Wedding QuintetThe Shotgun Wedding Quintet "Live Mixtape Series" live at Brun...
Posted by on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:26:00 GMT

Jazz Mafia Albums on iTunes

you can purchase the following Jazz MAfia releases at itunes, emusic.com and moreThe Shotgun Wedding Quintet - The Shotgun Wedding QuintetThe Shotgun Wedding Quintet "Live Mixtape Series" live at Brun...
Posted by on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:26:00 GMT

Mykah 9 with Adam Theis

The new album from Freestyle Fellowship vocalist Mykah 9 is about to come out and features writing and playing by Adam Theis and The Jazz Mafia Horns. You can hear the track "Where would you be now?" ...
Posted by on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:17:00 GMT

Lyrics Born with Jazz Mafia Horns

The new album from Bay Area Celebrity Lyrics Born hit shelves 4.22.08. The album features the Jazz Mafia Horns as well as writing and horn arrangements by Adam Theis. Listen for the horns on the track...
Posted by on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:15:00 GMT