Vincent Ector hails from the musical city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he attended the University of Pennsylvania. Trained in Music beginning at age nine through GAMP, a music magnet school in Philadelphia that also enabled him to study at Temple University while still a junior high school student. He then began studying privately with drummers such as, Mickey Roker, Ralph Peterson Jr., and Armand Santarelli, as well as performing for six years as a percussionist with the United States Army Band.

As a performer, he has worked with jazz luminaries that include: NEA Jazz Masters, Freddie Hubbard, Randy Weston, James Moody, Slide Hampton and Jimmy Heath as well as Gloria Lynne, Charles Earland, Bobby Watson, Lou Donaldson, Grover Washington Jr., Dr Lonnie Smith, Ron Carter, Claudio Roditi, John Lee, Ralph Peterson Jr., Melvin Sparks, and Shirley Scott.

Most recently, Vincent produced his second CD as a leader entitled "Renewal of the Spirit" for Mambo Maniacs Records. This recording features Bobby Watson on Saxophones and four of VincentÕs original compositions. He is featured performing on drum set, djembe and sangba African drums. His first CD, "Rhythm Master" features the great Eddie Henderson on trumpet. Vincent also produced a tribute recording for the late Charles Earland on the High Note record label. This recording features Joey DeFrancesco, Pat Martino and Eric Alexander. Vincent can also be heard on recordings by: Gloria Lynne, Ben E. King, Jimmy Bruno, Onaje Allan Gumbs and Charles Earland, as well as appearing as a musician on ABC televisionÕs "One Life to Live" daytime soap opera, which features VincentÕs recorded drum performance. He performs regularly in New York City with several ensembles such as, The Charles Mingus Orchestra & Big Band, The Orrin Evans Quartet and his own band in venues such as; Smoke, The Iridium, DizzyÕs Club Coca-Cola and The Jazz Standard among others.

An accomplished musician with no confinements, Mr. Ector has been featured as a Clinician at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Lincoln University and is currently the President and Executive Director of Arts For Kids Inc., a non-profit arts-in-education company providing workshops performances and professional development for schools in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. (www.artsforkids.net). He is also a sought after Artist-in-Residence for The Manhattan New Music Project and Arts Horizons Inc. of Englewood, New Jersey. These residencies place him in the New York City public school system, primarily in districts for children with special needs.

Mr. Ector was a featured teaching artist in the Harcourt/Brace Media Literacy Video Series, which is distributed nationally, as well as internationally.

Vincent is currently in demand as a recording musician and as a performer at jazz festivals throughout the world with numerous international artists such as, NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston Octet, The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Stars & Big Band, Bobby Watson & Horizon, Gloria Lynne, Ben E. King and Lou Donaldson



EDUCATION:
William Paterson University, BM Music Management/Jazz Performance
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1990 - 1992
United States Army Bandsman 1985 - 1991
United States Army School of Music O.J.T. Program, Fort Bliss, Texas. 1985

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: (Performed and/or Recorded With:)
Freddie Hubbard, Gloria Lynne, Lou Donaldson, Hank Jones, James Moody, Slide Hampton, Ben E. King, Bobby Watson, Randy Weston, Claudio Roditi, Kenny Barron, Charles Earland, George Cables, Joey DeFrancesco, Onaje Alan Gumbs, Jimmy Bruno, Grover Washington Jr., Eddie Henderson, Miri Ben-Ari, Pat Martino, Savion Glover, Jimmy Heath, Charles Fambrough, Houston Person/Etta Jones, Ted Curson, Grady Tate, Gary Bartz, The Spirit of Life Ensemble, Rufus Reid, Scott Hamilton, Orrin Evans, Vinx, Ravi Coltrane, Sam Newsome, Avishai Cohen, Eric Alexander, Allison Williams, Johnny Coles, Shirley Scott, Craig Bailey, Cecil Payne, James Weidman, Roy Meriweather, Melvin Sparks, Mike LeDonne, Darryl Grant, Michael Cochrane, Jamaladeen Tacuma, Sherman Irby, Sandra Reeves-Phillips, Ruth Naomi Floyd David “Fathead Newman, Ralph Peterson Jr., Talib Kibwe, Akiko Tsuruga.

Others available upon request.

DISCOGRAPHY: (partial listing)
As a Leader;
Vince Ector “Renewal of the Spirit”, Mambo Maniacs Records, 2005.
Vince Ector “Rhythm Master”, Blues Leaf Records, 2003
As a Sideman;
Ben E. King “Stand by Me Foundation Christmas Album” 2009
Gloria Lynne “From My Heart to Yours” High Note Records, 2007
Akiko Tsuruga “Sweet & Funky” 18th & Vine Records 2007
Onaje Allan Gumbs”Remember Their Innocence”, Ejano Music, 2004
Charles Earland Tribute Band feat. Joey DeFrancesco “Keepers of the Flame” High Note Records, 2002
(Performer/Producer).
Craig Bailey Sextet,” Brooklyn”, Evidence Records, 2001 (Produced by Rufus Reid)
Leon Lee Dorsey, “Song of Songs”, Umoja Records, 2000
Spirit of Life Ensemble, “25”, Rise Up Recordings, 2000
Jimmy Bruno Trio, “Live at Birdland 2 “w” Scott Hamilton", Concord Records, 1999
Bob Devos Trio feat Charles Earland, “Breaking the Ice”, Savant Records, 1999
Jimmy Bruno Trio, “Live at Birdland “w” Bobby Watson", Concord Records, 1997
Charles Earland,"Ready and Able", Muse Records, 1995

VENUES: (Partial listings) Vannes Jazz Festival, Vannes, FR (As a member of The Dizzy Gillespie All Stars Tour) Marostica Jazz Festival, Marostica, Italy (As a member of the Bobby Watson Live & Learn Tour) Chicago Jazz Festival, Chicago, IL. (As a member of The Gloria Lynne Quartet) San Jose Jazz Festival, San Jose, CA (As a member of Bobby Watson & Horizon) Le Meridian Hotel - Paris, France (As a member of The Charles Earland Quartet) Duc De Lombarde - Paris, France Q Jazz Club- Istanbul, Turkey The Half Note - Athens, Greece Body & Soul – Tokyo, Japan Milos - Thessalonikki, Greece Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola – Lincoln Center, New York City Apollo Theatre - New York City Tribeca Theatre (BMCC) – New York City Tavern on the Green -New York City The Five Spot- New York City Birdland - New York City The Jazz Standard -New York City Iridium-New York City Smalls-New York City Jazzmobile-New York City Madame Walker Theatre - Indianapolis, Indiana. Jazz Etc. - Los Angeles, California. Victory Theatre - Dayton, Ohio. Academy of Music - Philadelphia., Pennsylvania Spectrum - Philadelphia., Pennsylvania. Ortlieb’s Jazz Haus - Philadelphia., Pennsylvania.

SPECIAL EVENTS / FESTIVALS: (Partial listings) Lincoln Center Out Of Doors Lincoln Center, New York, New York First Annual United Nations Jazz Festival Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium, U.N. Bldg. New York, New York Hennesey Cognac-National Public Radio New Years Eve Jazz Coast to Coast Radio Broadcast Panasonic Village Jazz Festival Greenwich Village, New York, New York Pori Jazz Festival Pori, Finland Jazz Set with Branford Marsailis on NPR Radio The Charles Earland Quintet WBGO-FM 88.3 Live Radio Broadcast The Charles Earland Tribute Band (Band Leader) The Kennedy Center The Gloria Lynne Quartet, Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, Washington, DC.

ARTS IN EDUCATION:
President/Executive Director – Arts For Kids Inc. – West Orange, New Jersey, 2000 to present
NJ State Council on the Arts – Approved Teaching Artist, Permanent status.
Clinician - Rutgers University - New Brunswick, NJ
Clinician - University of the Arts - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Clinician - Lincoln University - West Chester, Pennsylvania
Artist-in-Residence - Arts Horizons - Englewood, New Jersey
Featured Artist – Harcourt/Brace Media Literacy Video Series.

PROFESSIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT: (Instructor)
2006 -2007 Cerebral Palsy of NJ. Staff training instructor in Music Therapy, ATC1, 2, 3 sites.
2002-2005 Mentor Teaching Artist – The Manhattan New Music Project, ( NYCDOE Special Needs District 75, Creative Music Educators Program).
2002 NJ Arts Education Collective Artist Training Workshop Presenter– Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
2001 NJ State Council Artist Teacher Institute – Rutgers University, Camden, NJ.
Music and Storytelling for Special Learners – Columbia University Teacher’s College, NYC.
Music for Special Learners K-5 and 5-12- Hunterdon Educational Center, Hunterdon, NJ.
Assessment Workshop – NYC Community School District 5.
Percussion Workshop for Special Learners – NYC Community School District 75.
Creating a Successful Residency – Arts Horizons Artist Seminar, All Soul’s Church, NYC.
Music for Special Learners – Raritan Community College, Raritan, NJ.

MEMBERSHIPS: American Federation of Musicians - Local 802, New York, NY. AWARDS: 2007, 2008 ASCAP Plus Award Recipient. 2005 NYC City Council Citation (Councilman Philip Reed) 2003-2006 Union County, NJ Outstanding Achievement Award in Arts & Humanities. 2001 Passaic County NJ Cultural & Heritage Foundation Artist Grant Award 1999 Puffin Foundation Ltd. Artist Grant Award Recipient

ENDORSEMENTS: Mapex Drums Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets Attack Drum Heads