With swirling bebop lines and pavement-pounding grooves, Highbrid melds jazz, classical, hip-hop, rock and latin music into a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Since 2006, the octet has played jazz and rock venues alike to critical acclaim. With fresh, innovative compositions coupled with searing, at times pyrotechnical improvisations, Highbrid reaches across the aisle to both jazz and jam band fans alike.
Vibraphonist/Composer Michael Cain, combines modern classical, jazz and rock elements into an aggressive, sensitive style all his own. With an extensive background in both vocal and percussion performance, Cain’s compositions and arrangements smack of street smarts and deep, intricate sophistication. He is active in Philadelphia as a session player, bandleader and percussionist. Cain is active as an instructor at the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing arts and the University of Phoenix – Center City Campus.
A Philadelphia native, Jason O’Mara (Tenor/Soprano Sax) brings a post-bop fusion flavor to the mix. He keeps a busy schedule working as a freelance saxophonist, clarinetist, flautist, oboist, composer, arranger, recording-engineer, and producer. Jason is incredibly versatile and performs and records in a wide variety of musical contexts including classical, jazz, funk, latin, rock, and hip-hop.
Guitarist Nick Bockrath began his musical career at a young age playing cello and bass in several orchestra's through grade school. In high school he was inspired to start playing guitar after seeing a performance of Trey Anastasio. He soon started breaking into the Philadelphia and regional music scene and by the end of high school had performed at such venues as The TLA, The Five Spot, and The Lions Den (NYC.) He heads several of his own groups including the rising jamband Bodega, his own 'Nick Bockrath Group', and nu-jazz group Three Way Street. With these group Nick has had the chance to open for such acts as: Kurt Rosenwinkel, Pat Martino, Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Soulive, moe., Les Claypool, and others.
While studying and after graduating in 2005, Charlie Patierno has actively been a member of many music scenes working as a drummer and composer and more recently getting his producing work noticed. Through performing with many amazing musical minds and entities, especially co-founding the live hip hop septet Subliminal Orphans and recording/touring with rising Universal/Verve "chanteuse" Melody Gardot, Charlie has played venues from hole in the wall jazz and rock clubs to the Nokia Theater Times Square to the Kennedy Center; from the Vans warped tour to the London jazz festival. Theater Times Square to the Kennedy Center; from the Vans warped tour to the London jazz festival. Currently, he's been keeping busy in the studio world as a drummer for Melody's next album, has his drumming and production styles on the next Roots album, and is playing for and producing an album for punk rock/hip hop artist Patty Crash.
Chris Aschman, originally from Baltimore, Maryland, is an in-demand freelance trumpeter in Philadelphia. When not playing with Highbrid, he can be heard with the likes of The Chris Aschman Group, Gebah Swaray, Phil Roy, Dr. Ketchup, the Dirk Quinn Band, The Ross Brown Project, Trinadelphia, and many others. He is best known for his improvisational ability across many genres, specializing in jazz, funk, and R&B. He is also a sought after steel pan player in the metro area, bringing a jazz flavor to Caribbean music.
