Mads Tolling Trio feat. Bruce Forman & Dan Feiszli

Two-time GRAMMY Award-winning violinist Mads Tolling brings his latest album Masters of Jazz Violin to Kuumbwa — a heartfelt tribute to the jazz violinists who shaped his musical journey. The program features compositions written by and associated with Stéphane Grappelli, Jean-Luc Ponty, Svend Asmussen, Stuff Smith, and other giants of the jazz violin canon.

Tolling, recipient of the 2016 DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star Award for violin, has built a remarkable resume: former long-time member of Stanley Clarke's band and the Turtle Island Quartet, touring violinist with Bob Weir & Wolf Bros for five years, and featured performer with the late Michael Morgan and The Oakland Symphony. He's shared stages with Kenny Barron, Ramsey Lewis, Paquito D'Rivera, and Leo Kottke, and his work has been featured on NPR's Morning Edition and in The Washington Post. Jean-Luc Ponty himself praised Tolling's "amazing talent and skills... exhibiting his superb mastery of the modern American Jazz music that is rarely seen among his peers."

Tolling's playing is virtuosic and expressive — a conservatory-trained musician equally at home in blazing fusion workouts and subdued, straight-ahead jazz settings. In live performance, he connects with audiences through stories of his inspirations, his Danish homeland, and the rare joy of a violinist working with a full band. His stage presence is warm and engaging, balancing technical brilliance with genuine enthusiasm for the music.

Joining Tolling are two Bay Area stalwarts: Bruce Forman on guitar — a versatile jazz guitarist who has performed with Ray Brown, Joe Henderson, and Bobby Hutcherson, and contributed to the score of Clint Eastwood's Academy Award-winning Million Dollar Baby — and bassist Dan Feiszli, a seasoned sideperson known for his work with guitarists Jim Witzel and other regional jazz ensembles. Together, the trio brings the elegance, swing, and spirit of the jazz violin tradition to life.