Haneef Nelson

Haneef Nelson holds a Bachelors of Music degree in African-American Music Studies from the Hartt School where he studied under Jackie McLean, he holds a Masters degree in Jazz Composition from UMass Amherst. Nelson has taught at The Artist Collective and served as the Director of Jazz Studies at the Community Music School of Springfield. Nelson currently teaches jazz history at University of Rhode Island, and has also taught at UMass Amherst, Keene State College, and Amherst College. Haneef has recorded with Heshima Moja, Doobie Powell, Billy “Church Boy” Powell, the New London Big Band, David Davis, and several other groups. He has shared the stage with Rene McLean, Bill Saxton, Jimmy Owens, Donald Byrd, William Cepeda, Wilson “Chembo” Corniel, Nat Reeves, Steve Davis, Yoron Israel, Avery Sharpe, Winard Harper, Frank Lacy, Bill Lowe, Chico Freeman, Helen Sung, Wayne Escoffrey, Kris Allen, Abraham Burton, E.J. Strickland, Brandee Younger, Dezron Douglas, David Bryant, Stacey Dillard, Zaccai Curtis, Luques Curtis, Josh Evans, and many others.