On trombone (alto, tenor, bass), euphonium, and tuba, Chicago-based musician Dr. Kevan Feyzi performs regularly around the Midwest in a variety of genres including jazz, Latin, blues, R&B/soul, classical, and chamber music. 

Kevan’s music is grounded in the repertoire and sound of the trombone-fronted conjuntos of 1960s New York. Beyond the pachanga stylings typical of those groups, his sets also include modern Afro-Latin jazz, both originals and arrangements. Previously, Kevan was the first musical director and lead trombonist for Madison’s Orquesta Latin Pride. As a sideman, he has backed salsa artists such as Willie Gonzalez, Ruben Sierra, Pupy Santiago, and Roberto Lugo. Larger salsa orquestas he’s performed with include Orquesta De Kache, Grupo Candela, and Orquesta MAS.

Currently, Kevan works with the Bluewater Kings, Louis Pettinelli Entertainment, and La Klave. A former member of award-winning blues band The Jimmys, Kevan toured with the band both around the United States and Caribbean, and is also heard on their third studio album Gotta Have It. With the band, he collaborated with prominent blues musicians like Marcia Ball, Billy Flynn, Greg Koch, and Chris O’Leary. Jazz artists he has appeared and recorded with include Michael Philip Mossman, the Shout Section Big Band, the Chicago Skyliners, the Madison Jazz Orchestra, and the Neophonic Jazz Orchestra.

In the classical realm, Kevan has performed in some of the United States’ great concert venues, including LA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, Chicago’s Symphony Center, and New York’s Lincoln Center. He has performed under the batons of renowned conductors Carl St.Clair, Christoph Campestrini, Uri Segal, Eugene Migliaro Corporon, and H. Robert Reynolds. Current and former ensembles include the Chicago Composers Orchestra, Chicago Brass Band, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, and Sinfonia Da Camara.

When not gigging, Kevan teaches privately in three Chicago area school districts. Each year, several of his students qualify for junior or senior ILMEA District and State Honors ensembles. Previously, he taught at the University of Illinois, where he directed the school’s trombone choir. In 2013, he founded the Madison Area Trombone Ensemble, a volunteer group of area trombonists ranging from student to professional levels.

Kevan holds degrees from the University of Southern California, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Illinois. Mentors and teachers include Terry S. Cravens, Jim Pugh, Todd Baldwin, Andy Martin, and Douglas Yeo.