The Shawn Conley Quartet brought to the Atherton a fresh set of original compositions, paired with creative explorations of timeless works from the Great American Songbook. Featuring Abe Lagrimas Jr. (percussion), Jonny Lam (guitar) and Gustavo D'Amico (sax), the quartet shared an evening of dynamic jazz that blends innovation with tradition, led by renowned bassist and composer Shawn Conley.
Shawn Conley is a Hawaii-born bassist and composer and grew up loving all types of music. This love of diversity of sound developed into a career that straddles many genres. He has been a member of the Silk Road Ensemble (founded by Yo-Yo Ma) for 10 years and is a member of the Brooklyn-based chamber orchestra The Knights. Recently, he won the principal bass position in the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra. Shawn will release his first solo bass record this year, pairing Bach’s first cello suite with freely improvised pieces, exploring the connection between the two works.
You can hear Shawn on the GRAMMY Award-winning CD "Sing Me Home" with Silk Road and Yo-Yo Ma, as well as a new album with Rhiannon Giddens and the Silk Road Ensemble based on the American Railroad, and the overlooked indigenous and immigrant communities who built it. He can also be heard on The Knights' catalog, including the album “Azul,” and a new recording of composer Anna Clyne’s music, both featuring Yo-Yo Ma, and Beethoven and Brahms; Violin Concerto featuring Gil Shaham.
As a studio musician, he has performed on multiple soundtracks, including True Grit, Moonrise Kingdom, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Vietnam War documentary by Ken Burns, and the Amazon series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Shawn studied at Rice University with Paul Ellison and in Paris, France, with Francois Rabbath. He lives in Honolulu with his wife, Megan, and their son Osian.
Abe Lagrimas, Jr. is a musician, composer, educator, and author who plays the drums, vibraphone, and ʻukulele professionally. He studied at Berklee College of Music and competed in the highly prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Drums Competition in 2012. Abe has worked with many different artists, such as saxophonists Kamasi Washington, Eric Marienthal, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianists and composers Lalo Schifrin, David Benoit, vocalists Barbara Morrison, Michelle Coltrane, ʻukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, and Taiko Drumming Master Kenny Endo. As a solo ukulele artist, Abe is a multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award recipient and won in 2022 for ʻUkulele Album of the Year. He has released multiple albums in the United States, Japan, and South Korea, and his music has been featured in Hawaiian Airlines. Abe is also an active educator who has conducted workshops, currently teaches private lessons, and is an instructor in the Fender Play app. He is the author of Jazz ʻUkulele: Comping, Soloing, Chord Melodies, which is available online and in stores worldwide. He currently endorses Canopus Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Vic Firth Drumsticks, Beato Bags, Ohana Ukuleles, Analysis Plus Cables, Fusion Gig Bags, and Roswell Pro Audio. After a 15-year-long stint in Los Angeles, CA, Abe has returned home and is currently based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.
Johnny Lam is a guitar and steel guitar player (pedal and lap). Having spent many years playing in NYC and across the world, he now resides in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, inspired by the proximity to nature and culture. Dedicated to being in service to the music, Jonny made his mark as a sensitive, technical musician with a mastery of touch and sounds. His resume includes being a member of the Atomic Bomb Band supergroup and working with artists such as: Busta Rhymes, David Byrne, Norah Jones, Miranda Lambert, Emmylou Harris, Sean Paul, Pharaoh Sanders, Kenny Chesney, and more.
Gustavo D’Amico is a saxophonist, composer and educator from São Paulo, Brazil, currently based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. His work is the result of a creative amalgam of different artistic expressions and sound experiences, based on free improvisation, Brazilian music, jazz, and contemporary classical music. He is the co-founder of the Alfaia Ensemble, a quintet that focuses on the intersection between Brazilian and Middle Eastern music, Peixe Seco, a quartet that researches and investigates contemporary music and Brazilian folkloric music, and Solos de Ave, a trio that explores Brazilian music and free improvisation.
He has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names of Brazilian and American music, including Egberto Gismonti, Alcione, Elza Soares, John Patitucci, and Terri Lyne Carrington. Gustavo is a graduate of the Global Jazz Institute directed by Danilo Perez, Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory.
The 2025 Live from the Atherton: Jazz concert series was produced by Kyla Herrmann with audio production and post-production by Ananddev Banerjee. The broadcast of this event was produced by Russell Subiono.
